The first plot twist of Dallas Cowboys training camp is here before we anticipated, and it’s a pretty big one
Dallas Cowboys All-Pro left guard Tyler Smith wasted no time in making things interesting with public comments in Day 0 of training camp.
Tyler Smith, the Dallas Cowboys’ All-Pro offensive lineman, arrived at training camp in Oxnard, California, on Monday. He wasted no time to give us the first major plot twist of camp.
The Cowboys’ highest-paid interior lineman and All-Pro left guard told reporters he has not been told by the coaching staff where he will line up, creating immediate uncertainty along Dallas’ offensive line before training camp practices even begin on Wednesday.
“We will see what happens,” Smith said via Nick Harris from Fort Worth Star-Telegram. “Ultimately, (Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer) makes those decisions. Wherever I do line up, I am going to be at the best of my ability. I haven’t been told anything.”
That non-answer is significant. Smith played left guard the last two season, earned All-Pro honors there in 2024, and was recently voted the No. 1 interior offensive lineman in ESPN’s poll of anonymous NFL coaches, executives, and scouts. He has also expressed a preference for staying at left guard. If the Cowboys planned to keep him there, it stands to reason he should already know that.
The Tyler Guyton factor
The backdrop here is Tyler Guyton’s uncertain development at left tackle. Schottenheimer said earlier in the offseason that a competition exists for the starting left tackle job between Guyton and Nate Thomas. For a third-year former first-round pick, that is not where you want to be.
Smith has played left tackle before in his career, and the possibility of sliding him outside has lingered all offseason. The Cowboys’ decision to retain restricted free agent T.J. Bass with a second-round tender over Brock Hoffman raised eyebrows at the time. Many, myself included, interpreted it as a contingency plan. If Dallas moves Smith to tackle, Bass would be the leading candidate to step in at left guard.
A conversation that hasn’t happened yet
Here’s what makes this situation feel unresolved rather than settled: Smith and Schottenheimer have gone back and forth about this topic, both privately and through the media. Schottenheimer told reporters earlier this year that the coaching staff spoke with Smith and explained they might need him at different spots.
Smith, meanwhile, suggested near the end of the 2025 season that he prefers left guard. He also alluded to the need for a financial conversation if the Cowboys want to move him to tackle, which is only fair for one of the highest-paid players at his position.
What comes next
There are a few ways to read this. The Cowboys may genuinely still be open to moving Smith to left tackle because they haven’t liked what they’ve seen from Guyton. It’s also possible Smith simply wanted to dodge the question and let Schottenheimer address it during Tuesday’s opening press conference (you can now bet he will be asked about it).
I gotta give it to the Cowboys, they had done well to avoid early drama. They handled the George Pickens situation smoothly, with Pickens showing up to training camp without incident. Dallas stayed out of the headlines. It didn’t take long for camp to give us something to talk about. .
If Smith does move to left tackle, question marks will emerge. How will Smith perform at a position he hasn’t full time since his rookie year? Can Bass provide starting-caliber play at left guard?
It would also spell trouble for Guyton. If the Cowboys are seriously considering moving Smith to tackle, it makes it clear they’re not satisfied with Guyton’s progress. Or that they don’t trust him to stay healthy.
For now, we wait. Schottenheimer speaks Tuesday. Practices begin Wednesday. Training camp just got interesting in a hurry.