Keeping starting quarterback Dak Prescott healthy and standing upright is one of the top priorities for the Dallas Cowboys entering the 2025 season.
Fans saw exactly how quickly things turned from bad to worse for Dallas following the hamstring injury in the Cowboys' eighth game of the season that ended Prescott's season. Thankfully, Dallas has welcomed its QB1 back to the huddle for training camp, but there will be plenty of eyes on Dak and the group tasked with blocking for him along the offensive line.
That makes one decision made by Brian Schottenheimer and the coaching staff enough to open the eyes of Cowboys fans across the football world.
Cowboys Ignoring Promising OL Asim Richards in Favor of Journeyman
Dallas selected offensive tackle Asim Richards out of the University of North Carolina with the No. 159 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, and it did not take long for him to become a young player that fans are high on.
While his natural position is left tackle, the Cowboys' coaching staff had the perfect opportunity to see what the 24-year-old could do on the other end of the line as starting left tackle Terence Steele is dealing with an ankle injury that will force him to miss some time at the start of training camp.
For one reason or another, Dallas balked at that idea and, instead, gave Hakeem Adeniji reps with the first-team offense, according to ESPN's Todd Archer. Not to discredit Adeniji, he is on his fourth team in the last six years for a reason, though. Allowing Richard to work on the right side of the offensive line would only make the recent fifth-rounder a more versatile lineman.
Richards had a pass-blocking grade of 69.5 from Pro Football Focus for the 2024 season, ranking 52nd out of 140 offensive tackles. That number is higher than Adeniji has ever hit during his career. That alone should be a reason for the coaching staff to see what he is made of while the team's regular starter is briefly sidelined.
Not to belabor the point, but this season is all about Prescott and what America's Team can do to keep him healthy and on the field for, at least, 17 games. The only way the Cowboys will make the postseason this year is with the three-time Pro Bowl QB under center.
These decisions may seem minor in the moment, as we are still over a month away from Week 1. Everything done in the preseason lays the groundwork for what will come once the stakes are raised, though. Hopefully, this missed opportunity to get Richards some reps on the right side isn't something Dallas regrets later in the year.
More Dallas Cowboys News and Rumors: