The Dallas Cowboys offensive line has quite the impressive reputation over the last decade. However, the line has looked increasingly vulnerable year after year, especially at the left guard position.
On Wednesday it was learned former Cowboys left guard, Ronald Leary, and his most recent team the Denver Broncos have split ways after Denver declined Leary’s team option, making him an unrestricted free agent on March 18 when the new league year opens.
Denver is not expected to pick up the contract option on guard Ron Leary, per source. He will become a free agent on March 18.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 4, 2020
Leary was a part of a dominant offensive line in Dallas, helping pave the way for two different rushing leaders in three seasons, Demarco Murray in 2014, and Ezekiel Elliott in 2016. The underrated guard would come to be known as a mauler in the run game.
This success led him to a similar situation the Cowboys are in now with a player like Byron Jones. Leary had played his way into a big payday and the Cowboys chose to let him reach free agency. He went to Denver on a four-year $36-million deal.
Dallas has since tried to address the position at the draft with selections like Connor Williams and Connor McGovern, and with veteran free agents like Xavier Sua-Filo, but they have been to no avail. None of the potential replacements have been able to produce in the interior of the line the same way Leary did with the Cowboys in his four seasons of starting.
The newly named free agent took to Twitter to express his interest in possibly returning to Dallas. “I do still have my crib in Dallas” Leary said in response to a Mike Fisher report that mentions that the former Cowboy “loves Dallas.”
I do still have my crib in Dallas https://t.co/RHlHSLnphB
— Ronald Leary (@BigLeary65) March 5, 2020
I spoke to @BigLeary65 last week. #Cowboys ex was told then #Broncos making changes. Leary loves Dallas. Do @dallascowboys need a tough-guy guard who can still bully people?
— mike fisher ✭🐟 (@fishsports) March 5, 2020
Cowboys media member Bobby Belt expressed his thoughts, saying about the free-agent left guard, “Ron Leary still has good football left in him.”
Damn right I do Bobby. Feeling great. https://t.co/eVFHqzwlJ6
— Ronald Leary (@BigLeary65) March 5, 2020
Leary echoed the statement from Belt, and claimed to be the healthiest he has been in two years. Leary ended both his 2017 and 2018 campaigns on injured reserve in Denver, first with a back injury and then with a torn achilles. He was moved to right guard for last season and played the first 12 games of the season before missing the final four games of the year.
Preciate it Joe. Been banged up. Honestly can say healthiest I’ve been the last 2 years. @BigDuke50 getting me right https://t.co/MxD4s1x3WQ
— Ronald Leary (@BigLeary65) March 5, 2020
The Cowboys have invested two Day 2 picks for the guard position opposite Zack Martin over the last two seasons. In 2018, Williams was a second-round pick and in 2019 McGovern went in the third. He was the Cowboys’ second pick of the draft after not having a first rounder, traded away for wideout Amari Cooper.
McGovern did not hit the field in 2019 due to a pectoral strain during the offseason, and would be looking to compete with Williams in 2020. Williams, who surrended five sacks as a rookie but only one last season, graded out slightly higher than Leary did in 2019 according to Pro Football Focus, though Leary had a much better grade as a pass protector.