When the Dallas Cowboys let Connor Williams walk in free agency, they didn’t just hope to find his replacement in the draft, but they hoped to find his upgrade. After a back-to-back strong seasons from Williams in ‘19 and ‘20, Williams put up a stinker of a season in 2021.
Tallying a league-leading number of penalties, the Dallas Cowboys even benched their former second round pick for a period of time last season. If it hadn’t been for the terrible play in his stead, he might not have been given his job back.
Alas, his replacement did indeed struggle, and Williams reclaimed the starting LG spot once again. But the writing was on the wall. Williams was as good as gone
The Dallas Cowboys replaced Connor Williams with Tyler Smith this offseason but don’t expect it to be an instant upgrade.
Tyler Smith is a tantalizing prospect who oozes potential. And as we discussed this morning, he’s also a special brand of nasty who upgrades the overall toughness of the unit. What he isn’t is neat and tidy. What he isn’t is polished. What he isn’t is plug-and-play.
Make no mistake – Tyler Smith will start this season. He would have to fall completely on his face for the Dallas Cowboys to keep him out of the Week 1 lineup. And as long as Tyron Smith is healthy at LT, Tyler will likely start at LG in place of Connor Williams.
But for fans expecting this transition to be seamless and the upgrade evident, you may find yourselves disappointed.
While a trashcan full of dirt might be seen as an upgrade over Williams to some Cowboys fans, the reality is Williams has been a darn good player for Dallas more often than not. Last season notwithstanding, Williams has consistently rated as an average NFL guard. His size and strength limit his upside but his athleticism and technique make up for it more.
Some will never get past Connor’s power deficiencies and it’s understandable. It’s hard to get past the play you just saw when your LG get walked back like a blocking sled. Unless you’re breaking down film and appreciating the dozen or so successful plays that came before it, that “low-light” has a way of ingraining itself in the mind.
For those folks, Tyler Smith will seem like an immediate upgrade, I have no doubt. But for those who grade film and measure win rate, it may not seem like such an immediate gratification. And that’s OK.
As stated before, Smith is a project player. He’s raw and comes in with more penalties than just about anyone in his class. He’s also the youngest in his class, joining the Nation Football League at the ripe ol age of 21-years and 27-days.
Did we mention Smith is transitioning from LT to LG? While LG can be seen as an easier position and a smart transitionary stepping stone, it’s also new. It takes time to master and will undoubtedly come with some growing pains.
asking an abnormally young, penalty-prone player from Tulsa to replace an established veteran, at a new position, and without and fall-off in play, is asking an awful lot
The Dallas Cowboys also seem insistent on giving him snaps at LT this preseason as well. Unconvinced Tyron Smith can be depended on, the Cowboys are keeping their options open behind Tyron. Tyler was drafted to be the LT of the future and the Cowboys may decide the future is now if Tyron can’t get right. Splitting time is smart but it will also probably stunt Tyler’s overall development this first year.
The point is – don’t hold Tyler Smith to unrealistic expectations. Making the transition from college to the pros is tough enough on it’s own, asking an abnormally young, penalty-prone player from Tulsa to replace an established veteran, at a new position, and without and fall-off in play, is asking an awful lot, don’t you think?
Expect amazing highlight plays that will excite you for the future. Also expect clumsy low-light plays that kills drives. Expect both because Tyler Smith will likely be both. Is he an upgrade to Connor Williams? Eventually, I have little doubt. But I don’t expect him to walk in and be better than Williams was (specifically in 2019 and 2020) because that’s a tough bar to reach for an uber-raw rookie.
Be OK with the growing pains because they all lead to development.