Cowboys HC says the one thing fans definitely don’t want to hear about Tyler Smith
Although the Dallas Cowboys have given Tyler Smith every first-team rep at left guard in the preseason, the rookie might have to ride the bench for a while when the regular season starts. It’s been a solid couple of exhibition showings from Smith and paired with a strong training camp, many would’ve assumed the first-rounder […]
Although the Dallas Cowboys have given Tyler Smith every first-team rep at left guard in the preseason, the rookie might have to ride the bench for a while when the regular season starts.
It’s been a solid couple of exhibition showings from Smith and paired with a strong training camp, many would’ve assumed the first-rounder had the inside track for the starting role. After all, the Cowboys saw Connor McGovern in action last year and were quick to hand the job back to Connor Williams after a handful of games.
But head coach Mike McCarthy is preaching patience suggesting the job will belong to the veteran at first.
"If we started today, Connor McGovern would play (left guard)," said McCarthy in Wednesday's press conference. "Tyler has come along strong. He does a lot of good things. (But) he's like the rest of our rookies. They need to play and keep getting better."
For what it's worth, McCarthy prefaced such a statement by saying the Cowboys haven't made a final decision at this point. But it's hard to overlook the fact that McCarthy later added "I don't think you take a rookie and just line him up as the starter.”
Cowboys Nation might not be happy to hear that.
Smith has shown the traits that made the Cowboys rank him so high on their draft boards back in April. He's an explosive lineman that's able to move bodies with ease in the run game thanks to his very good play strength. His technique – as expected – has ways to go but overall he's looked like a rookie ready to start even if it's with a deep learning curve ahead.
Especially when taking into account what the Cowboys will ask him to do, the film suggests he's ready to contribute early.
It's a tough decision for Dallas, though. The Cowboys face several scary defensive tackle duos early in the season starting with the Bucs' Vita Vea and Akiem Hicks in Week 1. And whether or not they spent a first-round pick on the offensive tackle, the decision must be based on how they're playing today.
Even though it's not fun to wait for a first-rounder to get on the field, hopefully, this team doesn't fall back into a "sunk cost" fallacy and reach a decision via the only factor that matters. Who's better now? Even developmental upside matters little when you're a playoff-contending team.
Now, we should all keep in mind that things change quickly in the NFL. Anything the Cowboys say before the offense actually takes the field for the first drive of the season opener should be taken with a grain of salt.
But for now, McGovern has the Cowboys' public vote of confidence.
Featured image via Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
