Once upon a time, or two, the Dallas Cowboys had one of the best offensive lines in football. It’s a franchise that prides itself on having a great group up front and earning the moniker the Great Wall of Dallas. That nickname was forged in the 1990s, returned last decade and now it’s something the club is working on re-establishing for the 2023 season and beyond.
The way things look now though, Dallas’ line has talent and flexibility, but they haven’t locked down their roles enough to warrant such lofty praise.
The Cowboys showed they were dedicated to a return to greatness when they rebuilt the offensive line starting in 2011 with drafting tackle Tyron Smith. The reconstruction continued through the 2015 signing of undrafted free agent La’el Collins. Over those five years, the team added an All-Pro in Smith at LT, an All-Pro center in Travis Frederick, an All-Pro in right guard Zack Martin, and one of the best right tackles in the league in Collins. Along with guard Ronald Leary and right tackle Doug Free, the Cowboys housed one of the best offensive lines in the league for a handful of seasons.
Currently, the offensive line is in the middle of a another rebuild. Smith has been oft injured in the last three years and hasn’t played a full season since 2015, Frederick retired in 2020 and Collins was released last offseason after running afoul of the front office and staff. Martin, who returns for his 10th season, remains one of the best guards in the league and is the leader of the group.
The rest of the offensive line has most of the pieces, but where they all fit isn’t clear. Aside from Martin, the only position that appears to be set right now is center, where Tyler Biadasz resides. The fourth-year player from Wisconsin continues to improve and made his first Pro Bowl in 2022.
Where the Cowboys are still working things out are at the other three spots on the line. Smith restructured his contract to be paid according to his playing time, but where he plays hasn’t been determined yet. If the team wants to put last year’s rookie Tyler Smith at left tackle permanently, Tyron Smith might be headed to start at RT. That would mean Terence Steele, the 2022 starter at RT, might be relegated to the bench as the swing tackle.
That’s a lot of moving parts but the team has also spoken about experimenting with Steele inside at guard.
Moving Steele to LG and using him as the primary swing tackle seems a bit far-fetched, but no decisions have been made. Complicating matters is the torn ACL Steele suffered in December.
Reports are that he’s coming along well in his rehab, but perhaps the Cowboys are preparing to use Tyron Smith at RT in case Steele isn’t healthy enough to play at the start of the regular season. There’s time to sort it out.
As it currently stands, however, the best lineup combination for Dallas’ offensive line is Tyron Smith at LT, Tyler Smith at LG, Biadasz in the middle, Martin at RG and Steele at RT. That doesn’t mean that’s how it’ll look in September. There’s still a draft to come, where the Cowboys will be taking a long look at some of the offensive line options, especially on the interior. The best prospects include TCU’s Steve Avila, Florida’s O’Cyrus Torrence, Minnesota’s John Michael Schmitz, and Wisconsin’s Joe Tippmann.
If the Cowboys do select an offensive lineman early in the draft, expect the projected starting lineup to change. Picking a guard early would indicate the Cowboys are planning to use Tyler Smith at LT and Tyron Smith or Steele at RT. It might seem odd to move a future Hall of Fame LT to the right side while benching your emerging RT, but with the injuries that Tyron Smith has endured recently, the situation can always work itself out. Having three starting caliber tackles is a good problem to have.
Beyond the starting five, the Cowboys lack experienced depth. The team lost starting left guard Connor McGovern in free agency, which left a void inside. To address the problem, one of the first moves made this offseason was to sign offensive lineman Chuma Edoga. The versatile 25-year-old has experience at both tackle spots, as well at guard, so he can fill multiple roles in Dallas.
The only other option on the interior of the offensive line that has significant NFL experience is Matt Farniok. The three-year veteran has dressed for 19 games, starting two in 2022, but missed over half of last year with a torn hamstring. One-third of his 313 career snaps have come on special teams, but as a seventh-round pick in 2021, Farniok has turned into a valuable asset, with an ability to play guard or center.
Tthe Cowboys invested in two tackles over the last two drafts, yet neither has contributed much. Josh Ball was a fourth-round selection in 2021, but never saw action in his rookie year and played sparingly last season. Dallas had hoped Ball would make a leap in his second season, but he never looked comfortable.
Last year’s fifth-round pick, tackle Matt Waletzko, hurt his shoulder early in training camp, and it was an injury that lingered. The team placed Waletzko on IR in October and he never saw the field again. The Cowboys knew Waletzko needed some time to adjust after playing at North Dakota in college, so more is expected of him this year.
Beyond Edoga, Farniok, Ball and Waletzko, the Cowboys have Brock Hoffman and Alec Lindstrom as deeper bench pieces, but neither have played meaningful snaps in the NFL. Aside from Edoga, it’s a bench that hasn’t done much to inspire confidence. The group lacks both experience and quality should anything happen to a starting lineman.
Dallas has a versatile offensive line with players who can play more than one position, but they need a higher caliber of talent. Tyron Smith’s best days are behind him, and the team would be wise to find a solution at left guard, and make Tyler Smith the permanent LT to improve the unit overall.
The season is a long way off, but the Cowboys need to add talent and depth to their offensive line.
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