Week 1 vs. Cowboys just got a whole lot easier for the Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are dealing with some injuries along their offensive line and they aren't just injuries to practice squad or depth guys – these are injuries to key starters. Unfortunately, for the Dallas Cowboys, they joined the Buccaneers in the Key Offensive Lineman Out for an Extended Period of Time with an Injury […]
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are dealing with some injuries along their offensive line and they aren't just injuries to practice squad or depth guys – these are injuries to key starters.
Unfortunately, for the Dallas Cowboys, they joined the Buccaneers in the Key Offensive Lineman Out for an Extended Period of Time with an Injury Club on Wednesday night.
That's because the Cowboys learned they lost starting left tackle Tyron Smith for multiple months after the All-Pro tore his hamstring during practice. Even though he is frequently hurt, Smith is still considered to be one of the best left tackles in the NFL when healthy.
And when considering the Cowboys depth -or lack thereof- along the offensive line, it becomes even clearer that Smith's injury is a huge deal.
Rookie Matt Waletzko, who was slated to win the swing tackle job, is out with a shoulder injury. A recent report stated Waletzko may put off surgery in order to play in 2022, but even then, I'm not sure how much the Cowboys can trust a fifth-round rookie with a bum shoulder to hold down one of the most important positions in football.
There are also a few more options in Terrence Steele, Josh Ball, and rookie first-rounder Tyler Smith. One has to especially wonder how viable the latter of the three is after his own head coach said he wasn't ready for a starting role.
But, obviously, none of those options are even close to the same player Smith is. Even when injured.
Granted, this injury comes nowhere close to guaranteeing a win for the Buccaneers. However, it's impossible to deny that Shaquil Barrett's and Joe Tyron-Shoynika's -as well as any other Buccaneer that will blitz from the outside defensive right side- will be a whole lot easier when these two teams face off on September 11.
Featured image via Jeremy Reper-USA TODAY Sports
