4 Cowboys on the Bubble After OTAs and Minicamp
By Cem Yolbulan
Josh Ball, OL
The Cowboys reshaped their offensive line this offseason. Tyron Smith and Tyler Biadasz left and the Cowboys used their first-round pick on Tyler Guyton, who they hope will be the starting left tackle in Week 1. They are also counting on Brock Hoffman and fellow rookie Cooper Beebe to fill in at center.
One constant for the Cowboys on the offensive line is their guard play. Zack Martin at right guard and Tyler Smith at left guard should continue to be arguably the best guard duo in the NFL. This doesn't leave much need or playing time for the rest of the offensive linemen on the team.
Josh Ball is one of them. The fourth-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, Ball hasn't been able to establish himself as a trusted offensive lineman. He appeared in 13 games in three seasons and was placed on injured reserve in 2023 after suffering a hip injury in preseason.
Ball switched from tackle to guard to give himself a better chance to compete for a roster spot. That hasn't helped his case so far. The Cowboys have Chuma Edoga, TJ Bass, Cooper Beebe, Matt Waletzko, and 2024 seventh-round pick Nathan Thomas all ahead of Ball in the rotation.
It is hard to see how the 26-year-old leapfrogs enough of these offensive linemen to make the final roster.