Dallas Cowboys offensive lineman Tyler Guyton had plenty of things he needed to work on over the offseason. He struggled after being thrust into the role of starting left tackle sooner than the Cowboys' coaching staff would have hoped.
With that tough experience as a rookie now behind him, Guyton has entered organized team activities (OTAs) with a renewed dedication to himself and the team. Although it is still early in the offseason, it appears as though the recent first-round pick has figured out some of the issues that plagued him during his rookie season.
Cowboys OL Tyler Guyton Impressing Brian Schottenheimer at OTAs
The work he put in before the start of OTAs, coupled with what he has shown thus far since taking the practice field, has impressed several coaches, including Brian Schottenheimer. That has prompted the first-year head coach to throw his full support behind the second-year lineman.
"TG, he’s having a great offseason,” Schottenheimer said on Thursday, via Calvin Watkins of The Dallas Morning News. “I think some of the new things that [offensive coordinator] Klayton Adams and [offensive line coach] Conor Riley have brought from a fundamental standpoint really fits him. He’s having a terrific offseason. He’s working his ass off. He looks great.”
One of the areas where Guyton made fundamental changes to his normal routine was his diet, cutting out anything fried and all fast foods. As Watkins noted in his story, Guyton was a Raising Cane's enthusiast; however, that relationship with chicken tenders and fries has come to an end.
Instead, Guyton worked with the team nutritionist to figure out the right protein options that would help him become leaner and agile on the offensive line. That change, along with incorporating more stretching into his workout routine, has made the second-year blocker much more flexible, which will only help his cause when lining up against the best pass rushers the NFL has to offer.
Beyond the physical changes Guyton made to his body to help him be a more effective player than he was during his rookie campaign, the lineman has a new mental focus and plans to attack the opportunity he has this season to prove he was worth the investment Dallas made in him.
“I’m not going to make any excuses, I just didn’t play as good as I needed to last year,” Guyton said. “I’m coming with a different attitude this year to become a better player.”
Only time will tell if Guyton will successfully back up his words on the gridiron. In the meantime, the Cowboys will continue the NFL offseason tied for the 16th-best Super Bowl 60 odds (+3700) on FanDuel Sportsbook.
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