Cowboys exec just dropped a major hint regarding a pending lineup decision
There's one thing we know about second-year offensive lineman Tyler Smith: He'll be a critical part of the Dallas Cowboys' starting lineup during the 2023 NFL season. Now here's one thing we don't know about Tyler Smith: Where he will actually lineup.But on Wednesday Cowboys executive VP Stephen Jones dropped a major hint about one […]
There's one thing we know about second-year offensive lineman Tyler Smith: He'll be a critical part of the Dallas Cowboys' starting lineup during the 2023 NFL season.
Now here's one thing we don't know about Tyler Smith: Where he will actually lineup.
But on Wednesday Cowboys executive VP Stephen Jones dropped a major hint about one of the biggest decisions the team has to make very soon: The offensive line starting lineup.
"Our top 5 linemen are our top 5 linemen: Tyron Smith, Tyler Smith, Tyler Biadasz, Terence Steele, Zack Martin," Jones told reporters via The Athletic's Jon Machota. "Really felt like if you’re gonna get your best 5 who have played in this league, those are our best 5."
"We’ll see what happens from there.”
While that isn't Jones revealing the Cowboys are starting that group of players, it reveals the team still holds Tyron Smith in very high regard despite a considerably large injury track record. The fact they have a clear idea of those five being their best group of players is massive.
After all, it should be one of the biggest factors driving the team's decision on what to do with the left side of the unit. It seems to come down to two possibilities.
- Start Tyler Smith at LT + Make Tyron Smith the swing tackle + ??? at LG OR
- Start Tyron Smith at LT + Tyler Smith at LG
Reading that, you might wonder why would they opt for the first option. Agree with it or not, deciding to make Tyler the starting LT would have to do with developing last year's first-round pick without constant position changes and injury concerns for Tyron. In other words, continuity.
However, a win-now approach has been the common theme throughout the 2023 offseason has been. The Cowboys handed the keys to the offense to Mike McCarthy in an effort to change things up after years and years of the same system (dating back to Jason Garrett's years as OC). They traded for two plug-and-play, experienced veterans. And they picked nose tackle Mazi Smith in the first round because they looked at him as an "immediate starter."
All of that leads me to think that the Cowboys are better off starting their best group of five. And that includes giving Tyron Smith another shot at his own position for one more chapter of his Hall of Fame-caliber career. Judging by his recent comments, I'm willing to bet Stephen Jones feels the same way.
