Cowboys' urgent need for improvement might force them to part ways with Pro Bowler ahead of free agency
When you break down the Dallas Cowboys' woes from the 2023-2024 season, the offensive run game stands out as an area for potential improvement. It was such an underwhelming aspect of Mike McCarthy's first year as a play caller that it's quite hard to pinpoint what caused the disappointing results. Blocking wasn't great upfront and […]
When you break down the Dallas Cowboys' woes from the 2023-2024 season, the offensive run game stands out as an area for potential improvement.
It was such an underwhelming aspect of Mike McCarthy's first year as a play caller that it's quite hard to pinpoint what caused the disappointing results. Blocking wasn't great upfront and Tony Pollard wasn't his explosive self shoved into the RB1 role. Then, watching the teams that made Championship weekend, you can just tell the scheming didn't do much to help, either.
In an offseason in which the Cowboys are claiming they're going all-in, it's important they're able to run the ball better so they can build on a passing offense that led to Dak Prescott finishing second in MVP voting behind Lamar Jackson.
That might mean letting Tyler Biadasz walk in free agency
When looking at the Cowboys' offensive line starting lineup, Biadasz brings up an intriguing dilemma. As a three-year starter that went to the Pro Bowl in 2022, he's somebody that will receive attractive contract offers from around the league if he does hit free agency in March.
In other words, it's not going to be your automatic transaction type deal. Biadasz is going to want a decent payday and that might lead to him testing the market a little bit. That's tough when you've got higher priority players you need to pay including next year pending free agents like Dak Prescott, Micah Parsons, and CeeDee Lamb.
Additionally, it happens to be a position where the Cowboys could use an upgrade because he's not a Tier 1 center, either. The problem is tying yourself to Biadasz in March could be an obstacle in the way to getting better later in the offseason.
A lot has been made of Oregon's Jackson Powers-Johnson, who balled out at the Senior Bowl. He could be a legitiame option at 24th overall if he makes it that far. But interior linemen that could learn how to snap the football could also be targets, including Duke's Graham Barton and West Virginia's Zach Frazier (who was compared to Biadasz in our Big Board), among others.
Having a center that is a bigger menace in the run game could allow the Cowboys to do much more. It's not that Biadasz doesn't hold his own with technique and athleticism but he's not precisely the type of nasty center some of these top rushing offenses have. He is also probably near his ceiling at this stage of his career.
Pro Football Focus ranks Biadasz behind four other centers in their free agency rankings including Connor Williams, who left Dallas in 2022 and played center at a high level for the Miami Dolphins.
The problem with this decision is that not extending Biadasz will leave a major question mark at center, with the Cowboys' best hope at landing an upgrade hinging on the NFL Draft. If they go down such an aggressive route, there has to be a Plan B for them not getting their guy. Perhaps that could be teaching T.J. Bass how to play center after promising flashes as a guard in his rookie year.
Cowboys’ Micah Parsons reveals he had personnel conversation with Jerry Jones
Micah let him know.
