Dallas Cowboys: Left guard competition looking extremely strong

The Dallas Cowboys currently have a wide-open competition at the left guard position and that’s a very good thing.

A quick look at the Dallas Cowboys roster says the team has half a dozen options at the starting left guard spot. Without a clear-cut answer in mind, the competition is wide-open heading into training camp. That means a handful of talented players will likely be vying for the last open offensive line spot.

One thing is clear – the right tackle position is La’el Collins’ to lose. When Doug Free retired, Collins was asked to start prepping for a position switch to right tackle. The former LSU tackle happily accepted the position change and seems to have blended in quite nicely.

Over at Dallascowboys.com Bryan Broaddus had this to say about L.C. at right tackle:

"“Talk about two athletes on the right side of that offensive line with Zack Matin and La’el Collins. Both pulled to their right on a hand off to Ezekiel Elliott and you would have sworn that it was a mirror. Their technique was the exact same coming off the ball and it caught the defense off guard on the second level with how quick they were to the outside. All Elliott had to do was tuck right in behind them and ride the wave.”"

Left in the wake of La’el Collins’ position switch and Ronald Leary’s free agent departure is a wide open battle at left guard. Here are the primary competitors:

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Jonathan Cooper

The former top-10 overall draft pick has been an NFL bust this far into his career. Since suffering a season ending injury his rookie year, Cooper has never regained his college form. Bouncing from Arizona to New England to Cleveland, Dallas likely marks his last shot.

While many are penciling Cooper into the starting lineup based on his first round pedigree, many are ignoring the oodles of terrible film Cooper has provided. He’s still probably the favorite to land the starting position, but it’s by the slimmest of margins.

Emmett Cleary

Getting most of the starting reps in OTAs this spring, Cleary has established himself as an extremely viable option for the Dallas Cowboys. The former backup tackle has the size ( 6’7” 324lbs) and experience capable of stop-gapping multiple spots.

Cleary doesn’t have the ceiling that the other options have, but like Byron Bell at tackle, he’s best used as depth — not starting. Still, he’s a 27-year-old professional that the coaching staff likes so no one should sleep on Emmett Cleary.

Dan Skipper

At 6’10” Dan Skipper is the NFL’s tallest man. Hailing from Arkansas, Skipper was expected to go in the draft’s middle rounds but health concerns caused him to go undrafted. Now cleared of those health concerns, Skipper joins the Dallas Cowboys trying to win a roster spot.

His enormous height is going to cause issues for Skipper early on. His center of balance is high, making him susceptible to a low bull rush. Skipper will likely have to shore up technique to keep from getting caught off balance. He’s probably a project player with good upside more than he is a plug-and-play solution for this season.

Chaz Green

With veteran Byron Bell signed to be a backup option at swing tackle, Chaz Green is left looking for a new role. The former third round pick has battled injuries, and as such, had a hard time finding the field. One thing is clear, the Dallas Cowboys expect Chaz Green to step up in 2017 – even if that involves a position switch.

With La’el Collins playing so well at right tackle the Cowboys are trying Green at guard now. It’s difficult to say how well he can do so early in his positional transition but one would think he has the ability to be an immediate starter on the interior in 2017.

It’s always good to have wide-open battles heading into training camp and the battle over left guard should be one of the best. Other players like Nate Theaker, Kadeem Edwards, and Joe Looney figure into the mix as well.

Next: Is Expecting Cooper to Start Being Realistic?

Just because there is no clear-cut answer at left guard doesn’t mean the Dallas Cowboys don’t have a good answer. The competition should be fierce and the talent is there. Left guard is one of the best training camp battles to watch this summer.

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