Tag: Tyler Guyton

Cowboys shipped Super Bowl starting WR, different OT in ESPN’s 2024 redraft

In a 2024 NFL draft do-over, Dallas lands an exciting playmaker from in state and then circles back around on OT.

The 2024 NFL season comes to a close on Sunday evening, once the final whistle is blown on Super Bowl LIX. For the Dallas Cowboys, who missed the playoffs for the first time in four years, it was a disappointing campaign to say the least. Part of the issue with the Cowboys is that they haven’t gotten the kinds of contributions from their recent draft classes that they are used to.

Both the 2023 and 2024 classes failed to contribute impact players, with the club not getting much of any traction with either classes first or second-round picks. DT Mazi Smith is on the precipice of the club designating him as a bust after two years and redrafting the position, and LT Tyler Guyton was oft-injured and oft-benched in his rookie season. TE Luke Schoonmaker hasn’t done much and DE Marshawn Kneeland missed a chunk of time with a knee injury. But what if things went a different way?

ESPN conducted a 2024 redraft recently, going through 64 picks and giving teams chances at do-overs based on the performance of the rookie class. Instead of picking Guyton in a first-round trade down, Dallas stayed put and took an explosive rookie, and then circled back on the OT position instead of drafting Kneeland.

24. Dallas Cowboys

Original pick: Terrion Arnold, CB, Alabama (DET traded up)
New pick: Xavier Worthy, WR, Texas

I contemplated Olu Fashanu and Troy Fautanu at this spot to keep with the offensive line theme, but I kept coming back to the lack of explosive plays on offense. With CeeDee Lamb and Worthy, the Dak Prescott-led offense could get back to the playmaking it had in 2023, even if Worthy might not fit the size profile the Cowboys like in receivers. Worth had 59 catches for 638 yards and 9 total touchdowns with the Chiefs. — Todd Archer

Worthy, the University of Texas product, is of course a starting wideout for the Super Bowl participating Kansas City Chiefs. He’s started 13 of 17 games in the regular season and his dazzling speed would’ve been exactly what Dallas wanted to get out of Brandin Cooks and Kavontae Turpin.

56. Dallas Cowboys

Original pick: Marshawn Kneeland, EDGE, Western Michigan
New pick: Kingsley Suamataia, OT, BYU

The Cowboys had Suamataia in for a visit before the draft, and he was in the mix when they took Tyler Guyton in the first round. Guyton would have been the pick had he lasted to this spot. Suamataia started the first two games at left tackle for the Chiefs, but he did not answer their issues. Still, the potential remains as he’s just 22 years old. — Todd Archer

This position coach hire will be every bit as crucial as next Cowboys coordinators

The Cowboys need to invest wisely in their next offensive line coach, says @ReidDHanson.

The Dallas Cowboys coaching staff is in state of flux. With the entire 2024 staff no longer under contract, all are free to pursue opportunities elsewhere. Who the Cowboys bring in as replacement coaches is anyone’s guess at this point. Jerry Jones is playing things close to the vest and everyday seems to feature a new headline grabbing frontrunner.

The head coaching position deservedly draws the most attention from fans and media. He’s the figurehead on top of the coaching pyramid and likely the first domino to fall. Offensive and defensive coordinator spots have been getting their fair share of attention as well. They’re often the play callers and provide the details on their respective side of the ball so those positions are pivotal. But there’s a position coaching position that carries just as much importance as those coordinator spots and that coach isn’t getting nearly enough attention in Cowboys Nation right now; offensive line coach.

No position coach is more important to Dallas this offseason than that of the offensive line coach. It’s a position coach that directly impacts both phases of the game on offense. A good offensive line keeps the quarterback upright and healthy, and the defense off the field and fresh. It’s historically been the identity of the Cowboys’ offense, and it should be no surprise the vast majority of playoff teams this winter rank highly in offensive line play.

The Cowboys have invested significantly in the offensive line the past few years, using high draft picks and signing young players to big deals. If Zack Martin retires or leaves this offseason like many suggest, the oldest starting lineman on the team will be just 27 years old. Getting a good teacher and a proper scheme in place is critical to their development.

For the last two seasons it was Mike Solari leading the unit. Solari came with a bit of a checkered past and never truly overcame that reputation in his two years in Dallas. Cooper Beebe, the Cowboys new rookie center, did well under Solari, but Tyler Guyton, Beebe’s rookie counterpart, struggled immensely at left tackle. The unit, as a whole, was dangerously poor in pass protection and it wasn’t until later in the season when they started to click as run blockers.

The man before Solari was Joe Philbin. Philbin had a special way of doing things and if a player fit his profile, Philbin was great. But even he let players slip through the cracks. Credited with developing Terence Steele, Philbin hit gold when he turned an undrafted rookie into a starting offensive tackle. Steele has struggled in the years since Philbin and the right tackle now faces a premature contract termination this offseason.

The Cowboys interior offensive line looks solid heading into 2025, even if Martin leaves, but the two bookends at OT are anything but solid. Finding a coach who can develop viable linemen at tackle is critical to the Cowboys’ future. Neither of Dallas’ expected starters played well in 2024 with Guyton grading 73rd out of 81 and Steele grading 43rd out of 81. If a new coach can get these players to discover their potential, he will be worth his weight in gold.

The fastest way for the Cowboys offense to return to dominance is with the offensive line. Finding a coach who can develop Dallas’ young players, run a scheme that fits with the unit’s talents, and grow the line into a position of strength, is every bit as important as finding the right offensive or defensive coordinator.

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Cowboys top draft pick was benched, but still brings potential at OT

Tyler Guyton has been benched after plateauing as a rookie but the Cowboys remain encouraged

It’s never a good sign when a team’s top draft pick has been benched for a replacement-level journeyman who’s just barely getting by, but that appears to be exactly what’s happening with Tyler Guyton and the Cowboys this season.

Dallas’ top pick from the 2024 draft class has had a tough rookie year. Plugged into the starting spot out of need more than readiness, Guyton was thrown to wolves, and not so surprisingly, struggled immensely. Technique has been sloppy, responsibilities have been forgotten, and penalties have been aplenty. It’s no wonder the Cowboys didn’t push their struggling left tackle back into the lineup after he returned from injury earlier this month.

Working in place of Guyton has been the veteran Chuma Edoga. Edoga consistently rates near the bottom of the league in LT performance, yet he’s been given the starting job over Guyton in recent weeks. It’s an odd decision since Edoga doesn’t appear to factor into Dallas’ long-term plans.

Pro Football Focus regards them as similarly poor players with Guyton grading out 72nd of 78 among offensive tackles and Edoga only holding a 0.2-point advantage in grade.

Penalties may ultimately be the reason the Cowboys have opted for the veteran because Guyton has struggled in that area specifically. Even though Guyton has only started 10 games, he still ranks No. 2 in penalties among offensive lineman. Only Laremy Tunsil, a player with six more starts than the Cowboys rookie, exceeds Guyton in penalties, and it’s only by one.

Jerry Jones brought up penalties when discussing Guyton’s struggles this year. He remained optimistic but also somewhat fed up.

“You cannot make numerous mistakes relative to penalties, you can’t do that,” Jones said of Guyton. “But he’s learning to be the potential player that we all see many times out there during the course of the game. The main thing is that he has the right attitude and he’s smart.”

Based on the Cowboys’ words and actions, they seem prepared to continue to hold Guyton back the rest of this season. The rookie only played seven snaps on Sunday and quite frankly, they weren’t very good snaps. With the playoffs out of reach it’s difficult to justify not giving the ultra-inexperienced rookie more snaps, but that’s where the Cowboys appear to have settled.

“I’m not concerned about his future at all,” Jones said of Guyton. “In fact, I’m encouraged about his future.”

Jones’ statements are more likely an example of hyperbole than true faith, but given the investment, Guyton still clearly factors into the Cowboys future in 2025. Everyone may have to wait until next year to find out in what capacity exactly that will be.

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Cowboys unable to evaluate former 1st-round pick due to injury after injury

In order for the Cowboys to properly evaluate Tyler Guyton at LT they have to keep him on the field, says @ReidDHanson.

When the Cowboys selected Oklahoma right tackle Tyler Guyton in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft, they knew the pick came with some baggage. Not only was the 6-foot-8, 322-pound prospect underdeveloped, but he was also a bit injury prone, missing three games each of his last two seasons.

As advertised, the Cowboys have experienced all that and more from their struggling rookie. Guyton has already missed two games in 2024 and after suffering what he called a high ankle sprain on Thanksgiving Day, he stands to miss even more time.

Various bumps and bruises have bounced the Cowboys left tackle from the field to the bench multiple times this season. For a player whom Pro Football Focus graded 71st of 76 offensive tackles, they are snaps this struggling rookie cannot afford to miss.

Guyton has allowed five sacks and 23 pressures in 2024. He’s second in the NFL in penalties (16) at his position and he’s only played 10 games. Mind you, none of this is surprising because he was always billed as a project player whom teams would have to patiently develop. It’s the injury situation that’s really the problematic trait that’s followed him because it stalls his development and delays the Cowboys evaluation of the 23-year-old.

Guyton, a right tackle in college, has been plugged into the left side since coming to Dallas. Ideally, the Cowboys want to make him the cornerstone piece on the blindside, but if that transition fails, they always have the right side to fall back on. That’s not a move they’d make midseason already but if given enough snaps to review, it’s a move they could make as soon as the 2025 offseason.

The 2024 season is largely a season of evaluation across the offensive line. Guyton and fellow rookie starter Cooper Beebe are obviously new to the unit, and players like T.J. Bass and Brock Hoffman are under evaluation for bigger roles in the future. Tyler Smith has LT ability if needs be, but Plan A is clearly to make Guyton the LT.

The various combinations could fall a number of different ways in 2025, but it all starts with making a determination on Guyton this year and that can’t happen with him limping off the field every other week.

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Cowboys fumble twice on one play as Texans wind up with scoop-and-score

A crazy play saw the Cowboys fumble twice and the Texans’ Derek Barnett wind up with a TD

Just when you thought 2024 couldn’t get worse for the Dallas Cowboys, it did.

Cooper Rush fumbled the football in the fourth quarter on Monday against the Houston Texans.

Tyler Guyton picked it up only to cough up the football again.

This time Derek Barnett collected the loose ball and returned it 28 yards for the touchdown.

2nd & 6 at DAL 40
(12:31 – 4th) (Shotgun) C.Rush sacked at DAL 33 for -7 yards (D.Barnett). FUMBLES (D.Barnett), recovered by DAL-T.Guyton at DAL 33. T.Guyton to DAL 32 for -1 yards (J.Pitre). FUMBLES (J.Pitre), RECOVERED by HST-D.Barnett at DAL 28. D.Barnett for 28 yards, TOUCHDOWN. K.Fairbairn extra point is GOOD, Center-J.Weeks, Holder-T.Townsend.

The Texans led 27-10 after the quirky play.

Another Cowboys starter ‘very limited’ in practice ahead of divisional clash

From @ToddBrock24f7: Tyler Guyton sat out 1 series in Atlanta with a neck injury; now it’s threatening to sideline him for Sunday’s tilt with the Eagles.

Halloween may feel like it was eons ago, but things are still downright scary for the Cowboys roster as they head into a divisional tilt this weekend looking like a veritable skeleton crew.

To be sure, the latest news from along the offensive line could end being more trick than treat for a backup quarterback already getting his first start in over two years.

Rookie left tackle Tyler Guyton is dealing with a neck/shoulder injury, said Mike McCarthy on Friday. The Cowboys head coach called Guyton “very limited” in practice, having taken just “minimal reps” in the day’s walkthrough session.

“He’s fighting through it,” McCarthy added.

That does not sound overwhelmingly encouraging when forecasting his status for Sunday’s game versus the Philadelphia Eagles.

Guyton apparently suffered the injury during the first half of last week’s loss to Atlanta. Second-year man Asim Richards took over for him to start the second half, and although the first-round draft pick returned for the offense’s next possession, the issue was apparently serious enough to keep the 23-year-old officially listed as “limited” on both Wednesday and Thursday of this week. (Friday’s report had not yet been released as of this writing.)

The team will already be without starting quarterback Dak Prescott. Wide receiver CeeDee Lamb is less than 100% with the lingering aftereffects of an AC shoulder sprain, Brandin Cooks is still on injured reserve, and right guard Zack Martin missed two days of work earlier this week with a shoulder injury of his own.

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(While McCarthy said that Martin “did everything in the [Friday] walkthrough,” it is not yet decided if he’ll be able to go on Sunday. T.J. Bass would be the likely replacement if Martin cannot suit up.)

Backup quarterback Cooper Rush could indeed be seeing a lot of familiar faces from the second team in the Cowboys’ huddle come gametime.

Richards was a fifth-round draft pick last year out of North Carolina. He played on a total of 39 offensive snaps as a rookie and another 23 so far this season.

Guyton has been in on over 77% of the offense’s snaps through eight games, but he leads the team in enforced penalties (and is tied for second-most in the league) with nine.

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Cowboys suddenly questioning work ethic of benched 1st-round pick?

Tyler Guyton is at a crossroads with the Cowboys in 2024 and his projection might be the culprit. | From @ReidDHanson

When the Cowboys selected Tyler Guyton with their first pick in the 2024 draft, a significant number of fans and draftniks were upset. Guyton wasn’t seen as a very “NFL ready” prospect. Like the first rounder who came before him, Mazi Smith, he was more wishful thinking than responsible use of draft resources.

If anything, the most redeeming quality of Guyton was his urgency to develop and his work ethic, far more than his skillset or realistic developmental arch. Immediately upon his selection, Guyton arrived at  North Texas staple OL Masterminds to work with offensive line guru Duke Manyweather.

Guyton’s drive to hit the ground running in training camp, combined with the consul he sought via such a reputable sensei in Manyweather, made him a darling in Cowboys Nation and topic of conversation throughout training camp.

Now it seems, that work ethic and/or optimistic progression might be in question. When discussing Guyton’s absence from the field during Sunday afternoon’s butt-kicking, Calvin Watkins was told this:

“Like I told Tyler [Guyton] last week: you have to practice every day,” Mike McCarthy said. “You’re not going to get where you want to be, because it’s all about those five linemen getting out there every single day and getting those reps. When that doesn’t happen it can be bumpy, and that’s what we’re going through right now.”

One can certainly infer this is in regard to the old adage, “you don’t practice, you don’t play.” Offensive line play is something that requires continuity and as such, just because a young player can physically play, doesn’t mean he is mentally ready.

Guyton was active in Week 6, but not necessarily a viable option. The Cowboys opted for Tyler Smith to start at left tackle. In Smith’s place at left guard they put OL6, T.J. Bass. When the beatdown reached its event horizon, the Cowboys brought Asim Richards in close out the game at LT.

Guyton remained on the sideline.

Continuity is a valid argument until someone like Richards, a player with 18 snaps at LT, replaces Guyton, a player with 291 snaps at LT, on the quarterback’s blindside. Suddenly it seems a message is being sent to the Cowboys No. 1 draft pick.

While it’s possible this is reading into the situation more than it warrants, the question of Guyton’s work ethic is a reasonable one to make. Are the Cowboys sending him a message? Guyton has the physical characteristics of a good NFL LT, but what does he lack in other regards?

Maybe this is all sensationalism, and Guyton is a guy we always thought he was.

Maybe the Cowboys are just dealing with him like a long-term project who needs recovery time and refinement?

Or maybe they’re trying to light a fire and get this draft pick to go the extra mile in his development.

It’s safe to say every explanation is on the table.

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Cowboys benching 1st-round OL pick ahead of crucial Week 6 matchup, Lions Aidan Hutchinson

The Cowboys are sitting Tyler Guyton with a formidable Hutchinson looking to wreak havoc on the Dallas offense. | From @KDDrummondNFL

The Dallas Cowboys have some shifts in their starting lineups in Week 6, and it’s not entirely due to injury. With Eric Kendricks out for the game, rookie fourth-round pick Marist Liufau is going to wear the green dot, allowing communication directly with defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer. That one has been expected as Kendricks missed all week of practice with a back injury, and was ruled out on Friday.

What wasn’t expected was that Tyler Guyton, the club’s first-round pick, would be benched for the game. Guyton injured his knee relatively early in Dallas’ victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was listed as questionable to return, but never did as left guard Tyler Smith slid outside and the offense stabilized.

Dallas has announced via sideline reporter Kristi Scales, that Guyton will not start against Aidan Hutchinson and the Detroit Lions, despite being a full participant in practice all week. Guyton had no injury designation on Friday’s injury report.

Guyton has struggled so far in his rookie year, in both pass protection and run blocking. The Cowboys had their first worthwhile ground effort of the season in Week 6, and it primarily happened when Smith returned to the role he played as a rookie in 2022, and TJ Bass came in at left guard.

Guyton has allowed four sacks on the year, along with 13 pressures. Pro Football Focus has graded the Oklahoma product a 49.0 in pass protection, a red grade indicating he’s below replacement level.

His run-block grade hasn’t been much better, 52.5.

Smith, who had a great pass pro grade prior to sliding outside against the Steelers, didn’t fare much better than Guyton’s average, grading out at a 54.2 in that contest. But he turned in an impressive run blocking performance. Meanwhile Bass graded out at a lowly 11.0 on 31 pass sets.

It will be interesting to see if the change is a net positive for the Dallas offense.

Should Cowboys show first-round rookie patience or focus on winning in 2024?

Tyler Guyton was supposed to struggle as a rookie, the Cowboys just need to stay committed. | From @ReidDHanson

When Tyler Guyton fell to injury in the Cowboys’ Week 5 matchup against Pittsburgh, some saw it as a possible blessing in disguise. That’s because Guyton was replaced by the Cowboys All-Pro left guard, Tyler Smith, a player with previous experience at the left tackle position and someone seen as an instant upgrade. The move outside for Smith required Dallas’ top reserve lineman, T.J. Bass, to take over the vacated LG spot. Overall, it gave fans, who were growing increasingly nervous with the Cowboys pass protection, a chance to breathe a sigh of relief.

Left tackle is considered a core position in the NFL. If a team doesn’t have a good one, they probably won’t be a high-producing offense. Protecting the quarterback’s blindside is Job 1 on a LT’s task list because just one break in the dam can lose a game or end a QB’s season.

The Cowboys clearly valued the position when they made Guyton their first-round pick in the 2024 NFL draft. After letting former All-Pro Tyron Smith leave in free agency, Dallas had an obvious need.

Drafting near the end of the round it was obvious Dallas wouldn’t get the pick of the litter. Guyton represented the ninth offensive linemen taken in 2024. He was unpolished and untested. He offered a tremendous ceiling, but most scouts agreed he also would require tremendous patience.

A promising start to training camp and the preseason caused many to forget his expected career arch and led them to recalibrate rookie expectations. Just two seasons prior the Cowboys slid another rookie, the aforementioned Tyler Smith, into the starting LT spot in Week 1 and they were pleasantly rewarded. Why not have the same expectations for Guyton?

The answer to that is Tyler Smith was an exception to the norm and therefore a bit of an anomaly. As the most penalized offensive tackle in football, Smith was supposed to struggle early as well, he just didn’t. To expect the Cowboys to hit the lottery like that again two years later was probably a touch too optimistic.

So when Guyton started his rookie campaign with growing pains, many were taken back with disappointment. Five weeks into the season Guyton is grading out as the 71st OT in the NFL (out of 78 graded). His four sacks given up are second most in the league. He’s also second in penalties and 10th in overall pressures (just one behind Terence Steele). It’s safe to say he’s not good, but it’s also safe to say none of this is unexpected.

The Cowboys are sticking with their guy. Despite some fan urging to keep Smith at LT and Guyton to the bench or to replace Steele at right tackle, the Cowboys appear to be committed to the cause.

They knew developing him would be a process and have the long-term goals in mind. They know Guyton needs practice and needs reps to reach the heights they think he’s capable of, and the only way to do that is live action on the field.

With all of that said, the risk is real, and it could cost the Cowboys the 2024 season. Guyton’s a liability in pass protection and a danger to Dak Prescott. Mike McCarthy has done a good job of rolling Prescott out of the pocket to the right side and giving his young LT help whenever possible, but even with that Guyton’s a league leader in pressures allowed.

The Cowboys are committed to developing Guyton because they know, in the long run, it’s the smart thing to do. Guyton has a long way to go but they knew that when they picked him. His play shouldn’t be seen as disappointing because he was always supposed to be a project player like this. Patience is required and with any luck a commitment to his development will start to produce positive results in the not-too-distant future.

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Cowboys Top-5 2024 draft picks all mentioned in Dane Brugler’s All-Rookie teams after 4 weeks

The Cowboys had more than their fair share of rookies make The Athletic All-Rookie teams through a quarter of the season. | From @KDDrummondNFL

There were 259 players selected in this past April’s NFL draft. Another 350 undrafted free agents signed with teams immediately following the weekend, adding over 600 new faces to NFL rosters. So for the Dallas Cowboys’ haul to have five different rookies be mentioned among the best rookie performers through the first four games of the season is impressive on it’s own.

For them to go five-for-five with their first five picks from the draft in being mentioned among the 90 best rookies identified by The Athletic’s draft guru Dane Brugler is a testament to Will McClay’s scouting department getting back on track in the immediate return department.

Brugler went position by position, identifying who he would name to the All-Rookie team, who would be the runner up and then added a varying number of honorable mentions. And while none of the Cowboys’ picks were named to the quote-unquote first team, they did have a runner up and four players in the honorable mention.

The math is easy; 32 teams, 90 players identified means the average team should have 2 to 3 players mentioned. Dallas had five. Part of that is the big ask being placed on this year’s rookie class to play early. Caelen Carson isn’t mentioned if Daron Bland doesn’t hurt his foot and go on IR. Two rookie OL don’t start if the team didn’t let Tyron Smith and Tyler Biadasz walk. But the fact remains the Cowboys’ rookie class is acquitting themselves extremely well so far in 2024.

Here’s who ranked where, according to Brugler.

LT Tyler Guyton – Honorable Mention for tackles
C Cooper Beebe – Runner-Up for interior OL
DE Marshawn Kneeland – Runner-Up for edge rushers
LB Marist Liafau – Runner-Up for linebackers
CB Caelen Carson – Runner-Up for cornerbacks