Dallas Cowboys: The winning blueprint for the offensive line in 2023

Throughout its storied history, the Dallas Cowboys have always had a dominant offensive line that has been the cornerstone for them winning five Super Bowls. The upcoming training camp is a few weeks away and all eyeballs are the Cowboys offensive line.

From Tyron Smith’s injury-prone history to who will be the starting five, the Dallas Cowboys have a few questions that need to be addressed but in a good way. Will Terrance Steele bounce back from a season-ending injury? Will Tyron remain at right tackle or go back to his natural position? Which is left tackle.

Then there is second year versatile offensive tackle Tyler Smith and which position he will man. Is it left tackle or left guard? What about the group of rookies/second-year players like Asim Richards, T.J. Bass, Earl Bostick, Jr., Matt Waletzko, Alec Lindstrom, Matt Farniok, or veteran Chuma Edoga. No need to talk about right guard and future Hall of Famer, Zack Martin. We already know he’s going to produce at All Pro level.

Now that training camp is about to start, the Dallas Cowboys need to make some calculated changes to their offensive line to make it one of the league’s best.

The Dallas Cowboys know they have the necessary players to give themselves a legitimate offensive line that can offer pass protection and a successful run block rate. But the main question is who will be the starting five. And once that is determined, Dallas will add another significant cornerstone to a position group.

Similarly to basketball, the offensive line must gel together with a balance of chemistry and cohesion to be successful. Unlike other position groups on the roster, being in sync as important as Dak Prescott timing with his wide receivers. If the offensive line is not on the same page, disaster strikes quickly and has a domino effect. Literally!

The sooner the Dallas Cowboys figure out their starting five the better because the practice repetitions matter. This develops a bond to allow them to work consistently as a unit, which leads to better run blocking and superior pass protection. The latter being the ultimate goal because Dak has to be protected at all costs.

This leads to the all-important tackle position. The Dallas Cowboys can afford to put either Tyron or Tyler at the left tackle position. And if Tyron goes to play left tackle, Tyler will surely play left guard, and if Tyler plays left tackle, then Tyron goes to right tackle. See, it’s a good problem to have but needs to be implemented now.

However, the odd man out is Steele. So, will Steele go to left guard or be a backup right tackle to Tyron if he plays that position, which is highly likely to happen. As good as Tyron played the position last season, Steele is a more excellent run blocker than Tyron.

But we cannot forget that the Dallas Cowboys signed fellow offensive lineman Edoga and he is a candidate to play left guard, too. Then there is versatile rookie offensive lineman Richards, who can play guard but plays superior at the left tackle position. In addition, Richards was drafted as an option to replace Connor McGovern.

In conclusion,

The Dallas Cowboys have made the offensive line a priority this season by signing veteran Edoga, along with drafting/signing undrafted offensive linemen to being more of a run-oriented offense. The good thing is Dallas has so many options to have the best starting offensive linemen in the league because of their talent and versatility. That is a luxury most teams do not have.

But what the Dallas Cowboys have is a blueprint for a dominant offensive line that can be one of the best at pass protection and run blocking. With the addition of the West Coast offense, this offensive line will be hard to figure out, let alone beat.

Like all blueprints, its time to put it into action and watch the success unfold!

• Published on 07/06/2023 at 12:16 PM
• Last updated at 07/06/2023 at 12:16 PM