Cowboys: Season-changing injury is looking like a blessing in disguise
Tyron Smith is expected to make his season debut for the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday. The All-Pro left tackle has yet to play a regular season snap after suffering a preseason avulsion fracture of knee injury. Now, he is set to be back. It comes at the right time with Terence Steele suffering an injury […]
Tyron Smith is expected to make his season debut for the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday. The All-Pro left tackle has yet to play a regular season snap after suffering a preseason avulsion fracture of knee injury.
Now, he is set to be back. It comes at the right time with Terence Steele suffering an injury of his own. Smith returns to a Cowboys team that is 10-3 and one win away from clinching a spot in the NFC Playoffs.
The Dallas Cowboys shuffled around with the offensive line while Smith was sidelined. That included sliding rookie Tyler Smith out to left tackle. Veteran Jason Peters has also played meaningful snaps at the blindside spot, too.
Tyron Smith's return allows Tyler Smith to, theoretically, play guard, which is where he was preparing to play his rookie season. It also gives the team a pair of Pro Bowl-caliber tackles at both spots.
However, Tyron Smith may not be returning to play his usual position. Instead, the latest bit of rumor mill indicates that Smith may actually be replacing Terence Steele. That is an interesting shakeup.
Cowboys shuffling offensive line
Former NFL scout and current 105.3 The Fan analyst Bryan Broaddus suggested that he is hearing that Smith could be playing right tackle. The expectation was that the eight-time All-Pro tackle would take back over his duties protecting Dak Prescott's blindside.
Such a plan suggests two things: one, that there is legitimate concern at right tackle with Steele lost for the season. And two, that the Cowboys do not want to mess with the development of rookie Tyler Smith.
Jason Peters and Josh Ball both played snaps at right tackle after Steele went down in last week's win over the Texans. But, Peters — like Tyron Smith — does not have a ton of experience playing at that side of the line. And Ball did not look very encouraging in action.
Perhaps the thinking is that Tyron Smith would help solidify that side of the line, while also allowing Tyler Smith to continue growing at the blindside spot. Otherwise, the logic seems pretty questionable on paper.
It would seem that playing Tyron Smith at the position that he has made a Hall of Fame career out of would be best. But, it appears that the Dallas Cowboys may have something different up their sleeve.
Overall, the preseason injury went from being a potential disaster to giving the Dallas Cowboys much-needed options.
Featured image via Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
