What will the starting offensive line look like for the Cowboys in 2020?
For the past several seasons, the offensive line has been major strength for the Dallas Cowboys, perennially ranking among the league’s best. Dallas spent three first-round picks in four seasons on offensive linemen from 2011 through 2014, steadily collecting the pieces which provide the foundation for their offense.
Entering the 2020 season however, the OL unit is in a state of flux. The Cowboys currently have at least one starter’s role up for grabs after the retirement of Travis Frederick, and the group’s long-term outlook is unclear as well. Dallas has plenty of options to plug in, but who they roll out with the starters in Week 1 is anyone’s guess, having both on-field and ripple effects down the roster.
The core of the Cowboys’ offensive line returns strong, with entrenched starters LT Tyron Smith, RG Zack Martin and RT La’El Collins all returning. The center and left guard positions will be filled by either relatively young and unproven players, or career depth lineman stepping into starter’s roles. But the unit as a whole should be prepared to see the field, given how often Dallas has relied on their reserve linemen in recent years.
Training camp (whenever that may be) will decide a lot, as Mike McCarthy will attempt to field his five best linemen together. He inherits a crowded room, with not a lot of investment in anyone, except 2020 fourth round center Tyler Biadasz, and recent free agent signing Cam Erving. Given the prevalence of position flexibility among the options, and how willing these Cowboys are to move guys around, it wouldn’t be shocking to see Dallas get creative in filling the C and LG spots, along with the rest of the depth chart.
Option 1: LG Connor Williams, C Joe Looney
If McCarthy is looking to maintain the status quo, Connor Williams and Joe Looney will get the nods at the two OL openings. The soon-to-be 23-year-old Williams and 29-year-old Looney are the most tenured of the OL options, and Looney filled in for Frederick in 2018.
Williams, who played tackle at the University of Texas, is an intriguing prospect who’s missed time with injuries over his first two NFL seasons. Williams was utilized at LG under Jason Garrett, but is capable of playing essentially any position along the line, including center. Coming off a late-season ACL tear, his standing isn’t nearly as solidified as the established veterans, opening the door for someone else to step up and earn the LG position. But until McCarthy tips his hand regarding who he favors there, it’s at least Williams’ job to lose.
The center position figures to be the main training camp battle, as Looney is up against multiple viable candidates for the starter’s role.
Option 2: Tyler Biadasz starts at center
How soon will 2020 fourth rounder Tyler Biadasz be ready? The draft symmetry was almost too good to be true, with the Cowboys seemingly selecting another Wisconsin Badger to follow in Frederick’s footsteps. Viewed as one of the top college centers in the country, is it realistic to expect him to immediately step into the position at the NFL level?
It’s possible, but Biadasz faces competition in not just the veteran Looney, but another Big Ten offensive lineman aiming to make his professional debut.
Option 3: The Two Connors
After being drafted in the third round of the 2019 NFL draft (90th overall), Connor McGovern missed the entirety of last season due to a pectoral injury. Now healthy, he’ll at least be a factor in how the OL unit is evaluated, and also possesses some intriguing traits as a player. McGovern started 13 games at center during his final year at Penn State. His 2019 NFL draft profile read:
“Reliable run blocker with NFL-ready size and strength but exploitable holes in his pass sets that need to be addressed as quickly as possible. His starting experience at both center and guard could bring additional interest in McGovern, who would be a bigger, stronger option at center for teams facing odd-front power in their division. He is a good fit in gap and inside-zone run schemes, but his tendency to over-set in pass protection could be challenging to correct. He’s an early starter as a Day 2 pick, but Year 1 could have ups and downs.”
Regardless of who gets first crack at the starting center role, the other players represent key depth who still could likely eventually see the field in another capacity. The flexibility of players like Williams, McGovern, Brandon Knight, Erving and even Joe Looney (started Week 17 last year at LG) make things extremely fluid within the unit.
Training camp could shake out in a way that leaves Williams playing the swing tackle role, in a move that could keep him healthier, and allow him other opportunities at positions as well.
Option 4: LG McGovern/Knight, C Biadasz/Looney
Depending on who emerges from training camp, moving from Williams from starting LG to key Swiss-Army style OL depth could actually make the team stronger and better positioned to absorb injuries down the road. If a particular LG-center pairing excels in the preseason, Dallas could at least enter the regular season with it, and go from there. With as much transition as there’s been within the Cowboys this season, the team obviously isn’t closing itself off to anything.
Regardless, the extremely healthy OL competition for starter’s snaps is a good problem to have. Dallas has done well to fortify the position and leave itself many possible options to sort through for the coming season. The opportunity is certainly there for someone to take it.
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