Tag: Tyler Smith

Cowboys starter with rehab group to start Week 11; backup OL has practice window activated

From @ToddBrock24f7: LG Tyler Smith was seen sporting a knee wrap on Wednesday, the same day Chuma Edoga’s 21-day practice window was activated.

Get ready for the possibility of more personnel swapping along the Cowboys’ offensive line.

With rookie left tackle Tyler Guyton already having sat out last Sunday’s game against Philadelphia with a neck/shoulder injury, backup Asim Richards got the Week 10 start and played well enough to leave Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy “impressed,” despite the team’s 34-6 blowout loss.

Guyton is reportedly “trending towards being healthy” for the team’s next outing, per the team website. But now the spot next to him on the Dallas O-line is suddenly worth monitoring with the 6-4 Houston Texans coming to town for a Monday night intrastate clash.

Third-year left guard Tyler Smith was seen wearing a knee wrap during the media portion of Wednesday’s practice session, according to multiple observers. The 23-year-old worked with the rehab group, along with cornerback DaRon Bland, who has yet to make his 2024 debut after a foot injury suffered in camp.

It is not known what sort of issue Smith is experiencing. The team will not release its first practice report of the week until Thursday.

Houston enters Week 11 ranked seventh leaguewide in sacks, with 29.

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In a separate move that may or may not be coincidental, reserve lineman Chuma Edoga had his 21-day practice window activated on Wednesday. The veteran had been sidelined with a toe injury prior to the season opener. Edoga started six games last season– four at left tackle and two at left guard- and could therefore theoretically be in play if Smith is unable to go.

T.J. Bass is officially listed on the team website as the primary backup to both right guard Zack Martin and Smith at left guard.

Smith currently has the third-most snaps on the Cowboys offense through nine games this season, appearing in nearly 96% of the unit’s on-field action.

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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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Tyler Smith had a NSFW explanation for Jalen Tolbert’s ballsy adversity before TD

The Cowboys’ Jalen Tolbert fought through a very unique injury before his winning TD.

In a tough Pittsburgh road environment where inclement weather led to an extensive start time delay, the Dallas Cowboys already had plenty of adversity on their plate.

However, Dallas receiver Jalen Tolbert — who scored the game-winning touchdown on a fourth-and-goal play in the final minute — was apparently dealing with the most of anyone.

By far.

According to an NSFW explanation from Cowboys guard Tyler Smith in the postgame locker room, Tolbert had “[expletive] sprained his nuts” on a chaotic play right before his winning touchdown. Smith would quickly correct himself without the curse word while appreciating Tolbert’s mental toughness in a clutch situation.

Warning: NSFW language in the tweet below.

Your Dallas Cowboys, everyone! They beat [expletive] groin injuries and still win! Who would’ve thought? Not me.

Ravens vs. Cowboys: Top photos from 28-25 win at AT&T Stadium

We’re looking at the top photos from the Baltimore Ravens 28-25 win over the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium

For one week, we thought John Harbaugh’s team would be entering the 2024 regular season.

All-world running back Derrick Henry ran for 151 yards and two touchdowns, MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson logged a passing and rushing score, and the Baltimore Ravens held on for a 28-25 victory over the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday after blowing a 22-point fourth-quarter lead.

Baltimore (1-2) scored touchdowns on their first two drives, while the Cowboys (1-2) have allowed 120 points in their past three home games.

With the final results, here are the top photos from Sunday’s massive win.

***

Panthers release K Harrison Mevis, add OL Tyler Smith

Farewell, Thiccer Kicker.

The Carolina Panthers have seemingly put an end to their kicker competition.

As announced by the team on Sunday afternoon, rookie kicker Harrison Mevis has been waived. That leaves the job to veteran Eddy Piñeiro, who served as Carolina’s place kicker for the previous two seasons.

Over that time, Piñeiro connected on 58 of his 64 field goal attempts (90.6 percent) and 47 of his 52 extra-point tries (90.4 percent). His career field goal percentage of 89.0 percent currently stands as the third-highest in NFL history—behind only Baltimore’s Justin Tucker (90.1 percent) and Kansas City’s Harrison Butker (89.1 percent).

As for the more current Harrison in Carolina, Mevis departs after spending the spring and summer with the Panthers. Known as the “Thiccer Kicker,” the 243-pound University of Missouri product signed on with the organization as an undrafted free agent in May.

Mevis put up the only points for the Panthers in their preseason loss to the New England Patriots this past Thursday, nailing a 41-yard field goal in the 17-3 loss.

The Panthers have added offensive lineman and Laurinburg, N.C. native Tyler Smith in Mevis’ place.

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The hardest position Cowboys have to replace in 2024 is…

It’s hard to envision any situation where the Cowboys LT play improves in 2024, and that’s going to make things very difficult. | From @ReidDHanson

The 2024 offseason will go down as an offseason of disappointment for many Cowboys fans. Not only did they fail to re-sign any of their major pieces on their roster, but they lost a handful of critical components as well. Replacing the lost players will be no simple task.

The cupboards are bare in the Cowboys running backroom. Tony Pollard left in free agency and Dallas decided to skip the position entirely in the draft. Johnathan Hankins departure left the Cowboys defensive tackle position in a sorry state. It was a position that performed poorly in 2023 and looks markedly worse here in 2024.

Receiver is also left in a worrisome state after Michael Gallup was let go. The Cowboys don’t have a clear replacement option ready and waiting and could be dangerously thin if CeeDee Lamb holds out for an extended period of time. None of those positions will be easy to replace this season but their difficulty pales in comparison to that of the left tackle position.

For over a decade, Tyron Smith was a fixture at LT for the Cowboys. He was an elite pass protector who was frequently left alone on an island, protecting Dak Prescott’s blindside from some of the most feared pass rushers on the planet. Reliability and diminishing play in the running game ultimately led to his departure. Now the Cowboys enter training camp with a rookie penciled as the eventual heir at LT.

Tyler Guyton, the Cowboys 2024 first-round pick, is the man the Cowboys hope to replace Smith with. Whether that happens on Day 1 or not is unknown at this time, what can be agreed on is whoever takes over at LT will have some pretty big shoes to fill.

Chuma Edoga, a player many expect to be the backup plan if Guyton isn’t up to the task, isn’t a great solution to the LT problem either. The five-year veteran has struggled throughout his career in pass protection, most recently allowing three sacks, 16 pressures and committing three penalties in 251 pass blocking situations.

Guyton himself enters as an abnormally raw first round pick. He’s athletically gifted but needs development time before he can be trusted in a way Smith was previously trusted. Unless Tyler Smith, the expected starting left guard, inexplicably moves to tackle, a step back at the LT position is expected.

Looking at the other positions, it’s not unrealistic to think someone will step up and do better than the man he replaces. Pollard’s 2023 season wasn’t terribly efficient so it’s perfectly possible Rico Dowdle and company could represent a mild improvement this year if the run blocking improves as expected.

Gallup struggled most the 2023 season so replacing him won’t be an impossible task for the Cowboys. Jalen Tolbert and Jalen Brooks could both be up for the task, as could a handful of other unproven players waiting in the wings.

Hankins was a big loss but not because he was dominant by any means, but because the Cowboys did little to replace him. If either Mazi Smith or Justin Rogers can just rise up to average they would represent an improvement over Hankins.

It’s that LT position that’s going to be difficult to replace for the Cowboys. Even under a best-case scenario, Dallas will struggle to meet the level of play they got from Smith in 2023. It’s important the accept this because then they can scheme to minimize its impact on the offense

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PFF: Cowboys have 2 of NFL’s top positional tandems

From @ToddBrock24f7: Tyler Smith and Zack Martin were named the top guard duo in the NFL; Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence beat out stiff competition at EDGE.

Batman and Robin. Peanut butter and jelly. Jack Black and… the other guy in Tenacious D.

A truly formidable duo is more than just the sum of two impressive parts. And that maxim is perhaps even more true on the football field than anywhere else. Sure, a superstar player- at any position- can cause the opponent to dramatically alter its gameplan to try to contain the threat, but when there’s an equally lethal weapon at the same position also on the field, it can leave even the best team in a mad scramble.

More than just a big roundhouse punch, a dangerous duo provides a two-fisted attack that offers no break, no respite, no easy way out.

PFF has named its top tandems at several key positions heading into the 2024 regular season, and the Cowboys have a premier pairing on both sides of the ball.

Tyler Smith and Zack Martin were selected as the league’s top offensive guard combo. Martin’s nine Pro Bowls and seven first-team All-Pro nods make him an obvious nominee, but Smith’s inclusion here is made even more impressive by the fact that he was drafted to be the Cowboys’ left tackle of the future and played there for his first pro season (earning PFWA All-Rookie honors) before finally switching to guard in 2023 (and making the second-team All-Pro in the process).

In fact, Smith has been so good at guard that Dallas abandoned their Tyler-Smith-for-Tyron-Smith succession plan and just drafted someone else to play outside instead.

As PFF’s Gordon McGuinness notes of the Cowboys’ twin guards:

“Martin over the past two seasons hasn’t been at his previous level of earning 90.0-plus PFF grades, but he has still been one of the top pass-blockers at the position. His 75.1 PFF pass-blocking grade in 2023 ranked 10th after he allowed just 24 quarterback pressures from 655 pass-blocking snaps.

“Left guard Tyler Smith is ascending, coming off a season in which he ranked eighth among guards in PFF run-blocking grade (80.7).”

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Defensively, the Cowboys’ twosome of Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence was named the best edge rushing partnership in the league, beating out the Browns’ Myles Garrett and Za’Darius Smith and the Steelers’ T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith.

Per McGuinness:

“Parsons earned a 93.7 PFF pass-rushing grade in 2023, racking up 106 quarterback pressures from 532 pass-blocking snaps. Opposite him, Lawrence posted a 79.3 PFF pass-rushing grade and was a phenomenal run defender, trailing only Maxx Crosby in PFF run-defense grade (92.2).”

Parsons has been an absolute wrecking ball since entering the league in 2021, winning Defensive Rookie of the Year accolades that season and being a finalist for Defensive Player of the Year in every season so far. But since he was moved full-time (more or less) from linebacker to edge rusher, he’s breathed new life into DeMarcus Lawrence’s career, too.

Lawrence was already an eight-year veteran when Parsons took his first snap as a Cowboy. Though he ended up missing most of Parsons’s rookie year with a foot injury, he found when he returned that opposing offenses were having to double-team Parsons, giving him new opportunities to hunt. In his first full campaign as No. 11’s bookend, Lawrence notched a career high in solo tackles and enjoyed his first career scoop-and-score, thanks in large part to the extra attention that Parsons demands on every play. And it’s perhaps no coincidence that Lawrence has made just as many Pro Bowls since Parsons’s arrival as he had prior.

Whether it’s Smith and Martin on offense or Parsons and Lawrence on defense, the Cowboys are blessed to have a pair of dynamic duos that do what any terrific tandem should.

Two great players that play great together.

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Cowboys place 2 on PFN’s Top 25 Under 25; Parsons just misses cut

From @ToddBrock24f7: Tyler Smith and DaRon Bland make this list of the league’s brightest young stars; Micah Parsons missed the age cutoff by 3 weeks.

The Cowboys always pride themselves on developing their youngest players, and they’ve historically shown a knack for turning players with little experience into some of the league’s biggest performers.

Pro Football Network has put out its list of the league’s brightest young talents for the 2024 season, with the Cowboys making up a full eight percent of those honored.

Both cornerback DaRon Bland and offensive lineman Tyler Smith can be found on the outlet’s Top 25 Under 25, with one other Cowboy superstar just missing the cut based on his recent birthday.

Edge rusher Micah Parsons turned 25 over Memorial Day Weekend, officially excluding him from this list. Otherwise, PFN points out, the three-time Pro Bowler and two-time first-team All-Pro would have ranked No. 2 overall.

Wide receiver CeeDee Lamb blew out 25 candles in April, tight end Jake Ferguson celebrated the big 2-5 in January, and cornerback Trevon Diggs will be 25 for three more months, so the Cowboys clearly boast plenty of premier skill players who are on the younger side.

But PFN’s list is just for players currently under 25, leaving a much smaller pool to draw from.

Of Smith, who takes 23rd place on the list, PFN points out that the Tulsa product played two different O-line positions over his first two seasons “and improved every phase of his game.” Now slated to be the starting left guard with a rookie playing on either side of him, Smith’s continued dominance “will be critical” in 2024. Perhaps best of all, the first-round pick just turned 23 in April (he was barely 21 the night he was drafted), meaning there’s no reason he shouldn’t appear on this list- and hopefully rank even higher- in 2025.

Bland takes the 17th spot on PFN’s countdown, but if the outlet had waited a month, Bland would have been ineligible. (He’ll turn 25 in mid-July.) The Fresno State alum “can be beaten at times,” but nine interceptions and a league-record five pick-sixes last season earned him not only an All-Pro nod but a spot “among the most dangerous defensive backs in the game.” Paired with Diggs this fall, he’ll make life miserable for opposing quarterbacks and receivers, with PFN calling him “a turnover waiting to happen.”

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Detroit lineman Penei Sewell occupies the top spot on the list, with Sauce Gardner and Ja’Marr Chase rounding out the top three. (Vikings wideout Justin Jefferson would have been No. 1 had he not turned 25 earlier this week.)

The Lions have the most players in the top 25, with four. The Houston Texans feature three players, while the Chiefs and Jets join the Cowboys with two entries apiece.

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Report: G League Ignite’s Tyler Smith conducted predraft workout with Thunder

Report: G League Ignite’s Tyler Smith conducted predraft workout with Thunder.

The calendar has flipped to June, which means NBA teams are intensifying their predraft process and hosting players for workouts and visits. The 2024 NBA draft will take place from June 26-27.

The Oklahoma City Thunder enter this year’s class with a sole draft pick of the No. 12 selection. OKC was gifted the free lottery pick via the Houston Rockets.

The Thunder will host several meetings with draft prospects in the coming weeks. This includes players outside the lottery range as OKC will likely seek to add undrafted free agents or even buy back into the second round if it likes someone enough.

One possibility is G League Ignite forward Tyler Smith. He reportedly had a predraft workout with the Thunder, per HoopsHype. The 19-year-old was part of the last Ignite squad before the program was discontinued this past season.

In 43 games, Smith averaged 13.7 points on 47.4% shooting, 5.1 rebounds and 1.3 assists. He shot 36% from 3 on 3.7 attempts. At 6-foot-11, 224 pounds, he has the ideal size to be a wing and small center tweener.

If the Thunder like him enough, he’ll likely be available at the 12th spot. It’ll be a bit of a reach but that’s around the range Smith will go. He’s seen as a project with great tools. He also spent time with the Overtime Elite program before he joined the G League.

A full list of 2024 NBA draft prospects that have worked out or visited the Thunder in the predraft process can be viewed here.

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