When the Dallas Cowboys traded for Broderick Jones, the first impression was he’d come in as the team’s swing tackle. After all, the Cowboys traded a third-round pick and a sixth-round pick to the Pittsburgh Steelers for offensive tackle Broderick Jones, getting back a fourth-round pick in return.

That brings the net compensation closer to fourth-round value, but it’s still a third-round pick, and the Cowboys don’t give those up easily. The last couple of times they made similar moves, they acquired George Pickens (third rounder), a guaranteed starter on offense (fourth rounder), and Rashan Gary, who is essentially guaranteed to start on the edge. 

That foundation makes what coach Brian Schottenheimer confirmed this week all the more significant. Jones is only practicing at right tackle. For now, he’s Terence Steele’s backup on the right side. And Schottenheimer added he’ll even get a chance to compete to start. 

But that story raises questions about another opening on the team: backup left tackle. 

The real story is left tackle

All of that context matters because it leads to the bigger question for this Cowboys offense: what is the plan at backup left tackle?

Jones himself said that one of his problems with the Pittsburgh Steelers was being moved around from one side to another. If you know that, and the player is telling you it’s an issue, and you gave up the picks you did, it would be silly to repeat the same mistake. Schottenheimer even acknowledged the coaching staff is “retraining” some of what Jones was doing in Pittsburgh. Out of necessity, Dallas might be forced to slide him to the left side at some point, but that’s probably not what has gone well for him.

So if Jones is only your backup at right tackle, what happens if, knock on wood, Tyler Guyton goes down? The answer is not clear at all.

The Cowboys’ options behind Guyton are thin

Let’s break it down.

Drew Shelton, the 4th-round rookie, is on the 53-man roster but is not game-day ready. He struggled mightily in the preseason and in training camp. The technique was not there, the play strength was not there. He made the roster as a developmental project, and that’s fine. But he would inspire very little confidence if he ended up taking the field at left tackle in a regular-season game.

Then there’s Wanya Morris on the practice squad. Morris has a lot of upside. He’s massive, mobile, and strong. The problem is his technique hasn’t been there either. And if he were truly the primary left tackle backup, it would be odd to have him on the practice squad, where he can be poached at any moment.

The final option would be to move All-Pro left guard Tyler Smith to left tackle in a pinch. In that scenario, TJ Bass, who is earning over $5 million for the 2026 season, would slide in at guard. But Schottenheimer said this preseason he isn’t a fan of moving multiple parts of the puzzle at the same time. You’d essentially be installing two new starters at once. Still, if you’re looking for the best combination of five, that might be it.

A significant question without a clear answer

This is a big mystery for a Cowboys offense preparing to start a left tackle who has dealt with injuries in his first couple of NFL seasons. It’s a significant question, and Dallas does not have a firm answer right now.

When push comes to shove, I think the Cowboys would end up giving Jones a shot at left tackle. But right now it doesn’t sound like they’re giving him swing tackle treatment. 

We hope this question is never truly answered, because that would mean Guyton started all 17 games and remained healthy.