The first thing the Dallas Cowboys will need before Dak Prescott's offense gets going is a strong offensive line. Their biggest roadblock to this was NFL Free Agency. Tyron Smith was just too expensive for Jerry Jones and Coach Mike McCarthy. This is why they had to let the big guy go and get a better offer from the New York Jets. Now, the Cowboys are looking for answers at left tackle and it looks like they may have found it with Tyler Smith.
NFL Free Agency has been tough on the Cowboys. Jerry Jones and Mike McCarthy need to get more reinforcements so that they can actively help Dak Prescott notch a Super Bowl berth come February of next year. Some of their moves have been lackluster as of late, especially with Tyron Smith not being retained. However, the Cowboys' owner does have a plan to defend their quarterback from pass rushers, via Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News.
“I’d say that’s a good, viable thing… Keep the idea there. Don’t dismiss that idea. Certainly, he’s potentially, I want to say, a great player at left tackle,” Jerry Jones said about Tyler Smith replacing Tyron Smith at left tackle.
A big upside with a glaring issue
Tyler has been a good presence for Mike McCarthy's offensive line all year long. He was able to play 942 offensive snaps for the team. This has given him a lot of experience in blocking for Dak Prescott. Throughout the Cowboys' 2023-24 campaign, he only allowed one sack to their quarterback which shows great promise when it comes to his defensive awareness and agility.
However, a big issue the Cowboys have to help Tyler with is his errors. He was first in penalties in the past season because he racked in 13 of them. This was also the same situation that he faced back in 2022. Back then, he played 1,144 offensive snaps and was also tied for first in penalties with 13. It will take some time for him to get rid of these habits. Thankfully, the Cowboys have that luxury in the next few months before the season starts.
Cowboys take a big NFL Free Agency hit
All of this would not really be a problem had they kept Tyron in their squad. The 33-year-old veteran was not asking too much from the Cowboys. All he wanted was a fair salary and rewards when he got to hit unreal numbers. Unfortunately, the Cowboys owner noted that they could not afford his incentives which led him to walk in NFL Free Agency.
His new contract with the Jets will see him sign a $6.5 million deal as a base salary. The amount of cash he can earn can also rise up to $12 million. A part of the deal states also states that Tyron can earn $12 million if he manages to show up for 68% of the Jets' offensive snaps. All of these are likely to make their offensive line a force to be afraid of given the return of Aaron Rodgers.
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