How the Dallas Cowboys Can Fill the Hole Due to LT Tyron Smith’s Injury – Dallas Cowboys Blog
FRISCO, Texas – The Dallas Cowboys is thinking about life without solving Tyron Smith in the spring when they decide to choose Tyler Smith in the first round of the draft.
That life is about to begin a lot sooner than the Cowboys expected, with Tyron Smith tearing his left hamstring that could put him out of action for months, source told ESPN.
How the Cowboys handle Smith’s absence – perhaps through the end of November, depending on further assessment of the injury he sustained during Wednesday’s training session – will determine whether his potential return at the end of the season is the most prudent course of action.
Replacing Smith is not easy.
According to ESPN stats & info, Smith has the highest block run win rate (78.6%) over the past four seasons (900 block runs minimum). In the past five seasons, run again Ezekiel Elliott averaging 4.5 yards per take with Smith on the court and 4 yards with him short. During the same time period, 12% of Elliott’s 10-yard runs had Smith on the field; 9% don’t have him.
In passing game over the past two seasons, the Cowboys have averaged 7.8 yards each time with Smith and 7.1 yards without him. The layoff rate increased from 4.2% with him to 6.2% without him.
For his career, the Cowboys are 17-16 without Smith, including a 4-2 difference last season. Terence Steele start at left tackle.
What can the Cowboys do?
Start the future now and start Tyler Smith on the left ball
Smith split his work in the spring between guard and handle, but in training camp and in the first two pre-season games, he only played left guard when playing against Connor McGovern. On Wednesday, Mike McCarthy said McGovern would be the starter if the season started now, as Smith is dealing with an ankle injury that has kept him out of action for the past two days.
At Tulsa, Smith has started 21 games on the left over the past two seasons. He was flagged 16 times last season (12 withholding penalties), and it might not have been the fairest move to get him back to tackle with not much practice ahead of the opener. September 11 season curtain against Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Reorder the attack path
Cowboys can move Steele to the ball and place Josh Ball, Matt Waletzko or Aviante Collins solved properly, with Zack Martin as a last resort when dealing with it properly.
They chose to cut La’el Collins during the season, in part because they felt Steele was ready to tackle the right place. He started six games in the offhand last season and has started 21 games on the right in his first two NFL seasons.
He is capable of playing on the left wing, but he hasn’t done any work there this summer.
Martin only played the right tournament in 2020 after the Cowboys ran out of options and he strained a calf muscle. He is one of the best defenders in football but showed he can handle the right spot in his brief job there. It’s not ideal, but, again, life isn’t fair sometimes.
The next man with Ball or Waletzko
Ball was selected in the fourth round of 2021 from Marshall and missed last season because of an ankle injury. Waletzko was a fifth-round pick in 2022 from North Dakota and missed much of training camp because of a shoulder injury and will eventually require surgery.
Today, the Cowboys live in an undeveloped and developing world, but they choose to use unproven tackles to protect their quarterbacks. Dak PrescottThe blind side of seems to be a gamble.
Make a trade or sign a free agent
Easier said than done, but there are some veteran freelancers that can taste good, especially at this time of summer. Eric Fisher start 15 games at left tackle for Indianapolis Colts previous season. He is a professional bowler for Chief of Kansas City in 2020 but was torn apart by Achilles in the playoffs. He is 31 years old.
Cowboys know Jason Peters well, competed with him for so long when he was with Philadelphia Eagles. He started 15 games on the left side last season for Chicago Bearsbut he’s 40 years old.
According to the report, New England Patriots considered solving the previous selection of the first round Isaiah Wynn, who started 33 of the 34 games he played after missing his rookie season. He is expected to make $10.4 million this season. While the Cowboys have the salary cap space needed to move, the price tag to get him may be too high.
