Cowboys just made a vastly unexpected decision ahead of free agency, but here’s why it makes sense
The Dallas Cowboys not keeping this talented offensive lineman is quite the surprise.
The Dallas Cowboys just took us by surprise, and it’s time to make sense of it.
Last week, I wrote a list of five boring but accurate free agency predictions for the Cowboys, one of which was quite simple: Dallas would retain restricted free agents T.J. Bass (guard) and Brock Hoffman (guard/center), be it through a tender or a low-cost contract.
Hoffman, who has 14 starts in the last two years, made sense to me as a second-round tender candidate simply because of his proven play and position flexibility. Now, a return to Dallas is looking nearly impossible.
Cowboys not tendering Hoffman
The Cowboys aren’t planning to tender Hoffman, according to NFL insider Jordan Schultz. This means Hoffman will become a free agent next Wednesday at 4:00 p.m. ET and be free to sign with any NFL team.
I fully expect offers to come his way.
After all, Hoffman has proven to be a solid starter. He was also a tone-setter known for his aggressive and “nasty” style of playing, often flirting with late hits and shoves. He even appeared to be a good fit for Brian Schottenheimer and Klayton Adams’ offense that preaches violent blocking.
To add to the surprise, think about this: Before the Cowboys drafted Tyler Booker in the first round last year, the team’s confidence in Hoffman was so high that he was in line to be Zack Martin’s replacement at right guard. Many believe the Cowboys would have drafted WR Tetairoa McMillan had he been there at No. 12 overall.
Now, Hoffman is likely headed elsewhere. At 26 years old and with good film at center and both guard spots on his resume, I expect him to receive a lot of interest.
So why move on?
This is the tricky question to figure out. And I’ll give you my best guess. Keyword here is “guess,” as this isn’t based on any intel nor anything a reporter has said.
But the second-round tender is currently valued at $5.8 million. The Cowboys may have looked at Bass and Hoffman and acknowledged they were not paying both.
With Cooper Beebe firmly set to be Dallas’ starting center, they likely opted for the player they considered the best guard. Bass appears to have gotten the vote, as reports emerged last week indicating he will be tendered.
Why would guard be a priority?
The Cowboys have yet to rule out the possibility of moving All-Pro left guard Tyler Smith to left tackle, which would leave a void at guard. I wrote about that potentially being a big reason why the Cowboys tendered Bass. If it did come down to Hoffman or Bass, I would imagine the scenario of them needing a starting guard was a factor.
Though the Cowboys keep talking about their defensive needs, there are significant question marks at offensive line. We’ll see how they handle that side of things in the coming weeks and months.
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