One of the Dallas Cowboys’ biggest perceived weaknesses might just be a legitimate strength-Mauricio Rodriguez, A to Z Sports
Why, contrary to popular belief, the Cowboys young offensive line might be trending in the right direction
One of the biggest reasons why the Dallas Cowboys might be set to take a step backwards in the 2024 NFL season is the fact that their offensive line is plagued with question marks.
Tyron Smith is out of the picture and his place will be taken by first-round rookie Tyler Guyton, who is considered a long-term prospect that might struggle early on as his technique is far from refined. At center, the Cowboys are expected to hold an open battle for the starting role between third-round rookie Cooper Beebe and Brock Hoffman. Meanwhile, Terence Steele remains a question mark at right tackle after significant struggles last year.
Because of these unknowns, the Cowboys’ offensive line has been labeled by many fans and media as a legit concern and even a possible weakness.
But Pro Football Focus’ latest OL rankings provide some much needed perspective for a fanbase so desperate for playoff success that sometimes it loses perspective that this is a pretty good team we’re talking about.
PFF ranked the Cowboys as the 10th best offensive line in the league, pointing out that the unit has one of the best guard duos in football.
“Although the Cowboys’ offensive line had been among the five best units in the league for years, that position is in jeopardy going forward. The Cowboys let left tackle Tyron Smith and center Tyler Biadasz walk in free agency, and now rookie left tackle Tyler Guyton is set to replace Smith while Brock Hoffman is expected to play center.
It did not help Dallas that right tackle Terence Steele had a disappointing 2023 season coming back from injury. The team still has one of the better guard duos in Tyler Smith and Zack Martin, but it is unknown how much quality is around them.”
Execs, coaches, scouts rank NFL’s top 10 interior offensive linemen for 2024 - Jeremy Fowler, ESPN
Zack Martin repeats as the No. 1 iOL player on this list and Tyler Smith gets an honorable mention
1. Zack Martin, Dallas Cowboys
Highest ranking: 1 | Lowest ranking: 9
Age: 33 | Last year’s ranking: 1
Martin retained his standing as the top interior player, this time in a very close race with several veteran players. A gold standard among NFL guards, Martin earned his fifth consecutive All-Pro first-team nod after his age-33 season.
Martin ranked third among the field in run block win rate (75.4%).
“He’s slowing down a bit, but he’s still really damn good,” an AFC executive said. “He’s everything you want in a guard, it’s just about age and deterioration at this point.”
Added a team executive: “I think he’s got one more year at the top and then a younger player like Trey Smith or Tyler Smith will overtake him.”
Honorable mention:
Tyler Smith, Dallas Cowboys: Smith took steps forward in 2023, improving from an 81.4% pass block win rate as a rookie to a 91% pass block win rate in 2023. “He’s the next one. Incredibly gifted. Just needs more time on task,” an AFC executive said.
Mike McCarthy for Coach of the Year? Long-shot picks for major NFL awards in 2024 - Bucky Brooks, NFL.com
Writing from Hypothetical Street in Theoretical City, Brooks offers this speculative take on McCarthy.
Coach of the Year: Mike McCarthy
Current odds to win COY: +5000
After another postseason flame-out, Dallas has been written off by many. Despite leading the Cowboys to three straight 12-5 records and a pair of division titles, McCarthy has caught a ton of flak thanks to the franchise’s lofty expectations.
But the narrative could change quickly if McCarthy wins 12-plus games again with a weaker roster and a trio of stars (Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb and Micah Parsons) currently vying for new contracts. The people management and tactical approach needed to navigate a challenging assignment could finally lead the football world to give McCarthy his flowers as a great head coach.
Ranking all 32 NFL head coaches by big-game résumé - Cody Benjamin, CBSSports
McCarthy makes the list in a category titled “Endangered champions” where he joins Sean Payton and Mike Tomlin as former Super Bowl winners who have struggled recently.
12. Mike McCarthy (Cowboys)
Playoffs: 12 of 17 seasons (71%) | Wins: 11 of 22 (50%)
Conference titles: 1 for 4 (25%)
Super Bowls: 1 for 1 (100%)
The former Green Bay Packers leader deserves more respect for the frequency at which his clubs make the dance; only five coaches listed here have a better career playoff-entry rate. The trouble is, since Aaron Rodgers helped him hoist the trophy in 2010, he’s reached just a single NFC title game.
The one Cowboys player everyone has completely forgotten about - Dan Rogers, Blogging the Boys
Remember him?
After the top cornerbacks were taken in the 2021 NFL Draft, the Dallas Cowboys traded back two spots and selected star edge rusher Micah Parsons. It will forever be remembered as the backup plan that worked out quite favorably for the Cowboys. Don’t get us wrong, Patrick Surtain II (selected one spot before the Cowboys were up) would have been a great pick. He’s had two Pro Bowl seasons and his seven career interceptions are just two shy of what Daron Bland had last year. PS2 is great, but that Parsons fella? Well, let’s just say we’re all happy with how that turned out.
Not only did the Cowboys land the best player in the entire draft, but they also scored a third-round pick (84th overall) from the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for allowing them to move up. Dallas used that pick to select Iowa defensive lineman Chauncey Golston.
Over his first three years in the league, Golston has played in 47 (of a possible 51) games. He’s only started three of them as he’s mostly served as a down-the-roster rotational player. His defensive snap counts are 41% (2021), 23% (2022), and 29% (2023). He has a total of 79 tackles and 3.5 sacks.
Coming out of college he was viewed as a tweener as he doesn’t have the get-off to be an impact edge rusher, nor does he have the strength to anchor down and handle the pushback in the middle. For that reason, Golston was used in a variety of ways at Iowa, so it shouldn’t be much of a surprise to see more of the same at the pro level. Dan Quinn used him at both spots as he essentially split his time at the DE and DT positions. Golston has not been able to find his niche in the Cowboys’ defense, but that’s okay. The team values versatility and Golston contributes any way he can.
When you watch his film, he may seem unimpressive. There’s no freaky athleticism or overpowering reps to get excited about. Golston is a blue-collar worker who plays to his strengths. His most effective skill set is using his great length to shed blockers. While he’s not explosive or particularly strong, those long arms help him swim by opponents. Golston is also very good at knowing where he needs to go. He has a good sense of where the play is going and will attack in the right spots. This has allowed him to be a solid contributor wherever he plays.
