The Cowboys offensive line is likely going to look very different in 2024.
This is the third in a series detailing who is currently under contract and the decisions the team has to make.
Offensive backfield and specialists review is here.
Wide receivers and tight ends review is here.
If you are looking for a one word, tl;dr summary of the situation for the Dallas Cowboys offensive line, here you go:
Yikes!
Here are the rather unpleasant details.
Starters: Zack Martin, Tyler Smith, Terence Steele
Depth: Brock Hoffman, Matt Waletzko, T.J. Bass, Asim Richards, Dakoda Shepley, Josh Ball, Eric Bostick
Continuity is perhaps more important for the offensive line, and that is in very short supply for the Cowboys this season. Tyron Smith has been a fixture at left tackle for over a decade, and Tyler Biadasz had a firm grip on center. Both are expected to depart in free agency in just a few days as their price tags are seen as unpalatable for Dallas. Just a couple of weeks ago, most thought the team would be able to work out something to keep Smith, but he is now regarded as perhaps the best available free agent LT. That is a position many teams are hungry for, and he is an immediate starter. This makes him especially attractive for teams with plenty of cap space and a later position in the draft order.
Biadasz is not as highly regarded, but he has proven to be solid at the position and also would be expected to slot right into the starting lineup. One team that may be looking closely at him is the Philadelphia Eagles, who now have to replace the just retired Jason Kelce. The division rival for the Cowboys also have plentiful cap space and pick late in the first round, although they also have an extra second-round selection in a draft that has a lot of center talent, so it remains to be seen how they will go.
They do carry three starters over. Martin is simply outstanding and a future Hall of Famer if there is any justice in that selection process. Steele seems more serviceable than anything, but given all the other things going on with the line, his position is secure. Tyler Smith is worthy of being seen as near Martin in his value to the team. But, as we will see, his talent actually could lead to other considerations that further complicate things.
There are some indications that Dallas is going to look internally to replace Biadasz with Hoffman. He got some valuable work last year and that seems to inspire some confidence in him stepping up. LT is a very different situation. Waletzko is probably the best option, but he is hardly a lock. Richards is learning, but remains an unknow at this point. Bostick is also largely an unknown quantity. Ball has been with the team since 2021, and frankly has shown little. It would not be at all surprising to see him not make the 53-man roster.
That may lead to one re-signing. Chuma Edoga played a good bit filling in for Tyron during the games the latter missed as well as late in blowouts. He would be much more affordable and would be very good insurance.
This also elevates both OT and C as draft priorities for the team. There are multiple tackles that have first-round grades according to the draft boards that are available, and more than one that would likely be available and justifiable when the Cowboys go on the clock at 24. There is a bit of a gap that makes a pick on day two more risky, however.
Center might be a good option in the second round, but with what we think we know, it feels much less likely that the team would spend a premium pick on that.
Further complicating the situation is the ability of Tyler Smith to kick out to tackle. That was thought to be the eventual position for him when he was drafted, but Dallas needed him to play left guard, and he has excelled there. There is a great argument to be made for keeping him inside. Still, moving him outside is viable if the team feels they can backfill at guard. They might look to the draft here, with some attractive options that could be available at any of their first three picks. T.J. Bass also looked good during 2023, playing over a quarter of the offensive snaps for the team. That game time experience is invaluable both for his growth as a player and the evaluation of his potential by the staff.
Free agency is always another way to bolster the roster, but as has been discussed already, the team will likely be doing its accustomed bargain shopping. Finding immediate starter help seems a faint hope. More likely is getting some reliable depth.
This is a complex situation with a lot of moving parts. It is a predictable outcome of the way the ownership, particularly Stephen Jones, approaches cap space management. Add in the way the Cowboys make contract talks an unnecessarily hostile process, and you wind up here with two of your starting offensive linemen seeking better compensation, and a possibility for even more changes should they decide moving Tyler Smith outside.
The line is the foundation of the offense. All expectations are that once free agency starts this week Dallas will have a very incomplete one. Rebuilding it is going to be crucial to any success the team will have on the field as Mike McCarthy and the rest of the coaching staff is fighting for their future with the organization. Putting the line back together is a formidable challenge. We have to hope they can rise to meet it.
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