The tale of two centers: What the Cowboys should expect going from Tyler Biadasz to Brock Hoffman

Do you think the next Cowboys center is already on the roster?

The Dallas Cowboys let Tyler Biadasz walk in free agency this offseason as the veteran center signed a three-year deal worth $29 million. It’s a nice payday for a fourth-round draft pick who turned into a regular fixture along the Cowboys’ offensive line. Biadasz only missed two games over the last three years since becoming the team’s everyday starter. He even earned Pro Bowl honors in 2022.

While Biadasz has been a good player, he’s never gotten the praise received by some of the other Cowboys’ offensive linemen. He’s not a powerful guy, he’s not the greatest athlete, and his short arms can make him a sitting duck against some of the larger defenders. What Biadasz lacks in athletic traits, he makes up for in fundamentals. He keeps his feet moving, takes very good angles when he attacks, and has a high football IQ. While never flashy, he’s consistently a good player and isn’t someone who can be easily replaced.

Enter Brock Hoffman.

Brock Hoffman was an undrafted free agent for the Cleveland Browns in 2022. The Browns cut him and the Cowboys signed them to their practice squad. He was called up a few times that year but only saw action on special teams. Last season, Hoffman made the team and served as the primary backup center behind Biadasz. He played in all 17 games last year, making two starts, one at center and one at guard.

With Biadasz now gone, it appears that Hoffman is the frontrunner to take the starting center job in 2024. Granted, a lot can happen between now and September that could change that, including the upcoming draft, but if Hoffman is indeed the guy, what should we expect? Can he step in and play at a comparable level as Biadasz?

This is a question a lot of us have, so we decided to run through our game film notes and compare these two centers. What are they good at? Where do they struggle? Just how much, if any, of a dropoff should we see going from Biadasz to Hoffman?

Zone Blocking Scheme

This is Biadasz’s biggest strength. He is a fluid mover in space and is quick to get into the chest of his defender. Once he squares up, he drives those legs and while he’s never pancaking anyone, he secures his block long enough to allow the play to be effective.

Hoffman isn’t as graceful. While he can cover some ground, his footwork consists more of long strides and does get lost in space looking for someone to hit. On the move, he’ll get you, but he mostly just bumps the defender, sometimes allowing them to recover and still make the tackle. Speaking of bumping, once he’s identified his prey, he’ll continuously hit that player through the whistle. He’s one of those blockers who is always being retaliated against after the play is over. He’s very pesky.

ADVANTAGE: Biadasz

Power Run Scheme

This is the part of Biadasz’s game that gives him trouble as power rushers can barrel straight through him. He doesn’t have the anchor or physical strength to handle stronger defenders.

Just as this is a weakness of Biadasz’s, it’s also one of Hoffman’s biggest strengths. He has long arms and strong hands and when he has them in his mitts, he’s in good shape. He’s not an overpowering guy by any means, but when he squares up on the defender he can drive guys forward.

ADVANTAGE: Hoffman

Pass Protection

Biadasz is an underrated pass protector. He allowed pressure on just 4.8% of his pass blocks last season, which was the fourth-lowest amongst qualifying centers. His quickness and good angles puts him in good starting positions. He also shows good fight in him once he’s engaged. He has good overall balance and body control to hold off defenders just long enough to get the job done. It’s nothing overpowering, just effective.

Next Gen Stats

There are times when Biadasz can get shoved back into the lap of the quarterback which is a testament to his lack of power. You won’t find that being the case with Hoffman. He has much better length and knows how to use it to his advantage. Like, Biadasz, he has very good grip strength. Once locked with a defender, he’s in good shape.

ADVANTAGE: Biadasz, but it might be closer than we think

Picking up blitzes/pass-rushing stunts

Another area of Biadasz that goes unrecognized is his ability to process. He’s a very smart player that does a lot of his work pre-snap. He already has a plan and shows good wiggle in his feet to react from one block to another. He also positions his feet wide to fend off a pass rusher with a head of steam and does a good job slowing him down.

Hoffman is a smart player himself. He does a good job communicating pre-snap and also goes into the play with a plan. What gets him in trouble is his footwork. When having to adjust and slide, he’ll cross his feet and put himself in a vulnerable position. He will arrive late and allow defenders to get around him. This can lead to things going very bad very early in the play and is something he’ll need to work on going forward.

ADVANTAGE: Biadasz

Conclusion

We can talk about how Biadasz wasn’t a true star, or even how the voters were a little generous in sending him to the Pro Bowl, but we shouldn’t take for granted how consistently he played throughout his time in Dallas. He didn’t move mountains, but he was effective. Hoffman is entering his third year in the league and is still growing as a player. The coaching staff likes what they see in him and they may view him as somewhat comparable to Biadasz. The potential is there, but there are still some inconsistencies in his game that bring about some concern. If he’s truly Biadasz’s successor, this move will either look really smart or really dumb a year from now.