53-man rosters have been determined and the stage has been set. The Cowboys have made the requisite tough decisions and now have to deal with the consequences.
At first glance, things look solid. Dallas protected their draft class, keeping all eight rookies on the roster. They protected a handful of injured veterans, reportedly starting the “IR designated to return” process with Nahshon Wright and Matt Waletzko. And they rewarded their surprise standouts, rostering players like Juanyeh Thomas, T.J. Bass and Hunter Luepke.
Minor things are sure to change between today and Week 1, but for the most part, the bulk of the roster is set. From top to bottom, the roster looks strong. The various units look well-constructed and able to withstand an injury when/if that day arrives.
All except one spot.
With Tyler Biadasz as the only rostered center on the team, the Cowboys are rolling the dice in the middle of their offensive line.
All back-up options, Matt Farniok, Alec Lindstrom and Brock Hoffman, were released in cut-downs, leaving zero proven depth on the Dallas roster.
With Brock Hoffman, Matt Farniok and Alec Lindstrom released, per sources, the Cowboys do not have a backup center on the roster behind Tyler Biadasz. An emergency option could be Zack Martin, but Cowboys' top priority might be center/guard combo w/ claims or signings.
— Todd Archer (@toddarcher) August 29, 2023
Despite reports, Zack Martin, a player who well known to dislike position changes, is not a very likely option. Martin held out over the summer in order to elevate his compensation up to current market values. He’s not afraid to play poker and not someone the Cowboys want to bully into a position move.
Ben Jones and a few other notable players are on the market and could come to Dallas in reserve capacity.
After a strong training camp, Biadasz is expected to take another step in his development in 2023. Entering the last year on his rookie deal, he has incentives to perform well so the concern isn’t about the quality of his play at center, but rather what happens if he falls to injury.
Cowboys are waiving G/C Brock Hoffman, a person familiar with the decision said. He made a good push during training camp for 53-man roster. There's a chance the Week 1 primary backup to center Tyler Biadasz is not currently in building.
— Michael Gehlken (@GehlkenNFL) August 29, 2023
The Cowboys still like Hoffman and signed him to their practice squad so he remains a possibility for the gameday roster down the road.
Since Hoffman is a veteran player with some solid game film, he could pique another team’s interest at any point. If a team signs him off Dallas’ practice squad, the Cowboys lose their emergency parachute behind Biadasz. The Cowboys’ gamble could come back to bite them.
Nothing to do now but sit back and see how it all unfolds.
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