The future of several Dallas Cowboys’ offensive line backups seems to be coming into focus.
Stephen Jones’ recent comments regarding Brock Hoffman possibly starting at center with Cooper Beebe replacing Zack Martin at guard make sense.
Still to be determined is whether Tyler Guyton stays at left tackle, or replaces Terence Steele at right tackle. If the move is made, Tyler Smith moves to left tackle.
Which leaves a hole at left guard to fill.
The Cowboys currently have six offensive linemen behind their current starting five. They also have Chuma Edoga, who is an unrestricted free agent next month but is likely to be brought back.
T.J. Bass would appear to be the front-runner for left guard if there actually is more shuffling to be done.
Asim Richards has also seen some playing time, especially last year.
That leaves Matt Waletzko, Nathan Thomas, Earl Bostick, and Jack Anderson on the depth chart.
Among the backups, Edoga has the most experience, as well as starts.
Edoga began his career with the Jets, but has spent the last two years in Dallas. He has 23 career starts in 48 games played.
He has 10 starts in 22 games in Dallas, but has battled injuries that have kept him off the field.
Bass has had five starts in two seasons and looked very good. He’s drawn three flags in 658 snaps in his two seasons, only one for holding.
Richards has one start in 21 games over two seasons in Dallas.
He has looked good overall in limited action and could develop into a long-term starter. He has just one penalty in 220 career snaps.
Waletzko will enter his final year of a four-year deal this season. He’s been good enough to keep on the roster but not good enough to earn serious playing time.
In three years, he has just 20 offensive snaps and 38 special teams snaps in 11 games played.
A dozen of those snaps on offense, and 27 on special teams, came in 2024.
Anderson began his career in Philadelphia in 2021, played for the Giants in 2022, and the Colts in 2023. The Cowboys signed him for the 2024 campaign.
He never played a single down for Dallas in 2024.
The same holds true for Thomas and Bostick.
Roster Review 2025: Backup Offensive Linemen. This is Part 20 of a series. Click here for a list of all related articles.
Outlook For 2025
Much depends on what new offensive coordinator Klayton Adams and offensive line coach Conor Riley see in the upcoming camps this spring and summer.
It does sound like, one way or the other, that Hoffman will essentially take Martin’s spot as a starter. Just what position he’ll play is to be determined.
The rest remains to be seen.
Bass could crack the starting line-up if Tyler Smith needs to be moved to left tackle.
Edoga should be re-signed. During his run of four starts in 2024, the running game really picked up.
He could repeat that in 2025, even if he’s coming off the bench.
And he’s proven he can be a reliable starter if one of the starting five goes down for any length of time.
The same can probably be said of Richards.
The others will probably remain on the roster, if only for practice bodies. The Cowboys have other pressing needs to focus on in the upcoming draft.
The players they have on the offensive line for now, assuming Edoga returns, can get the job done.
Long-Term Outlook
With Martin’s retirement, Edoga and Steele are the oldest players on the offensive line at 27 years of age.
If this unit gels and can open holes for the running back while keeping Dak Prescott’s jersey clean, they could be a force for several years.
The Cowboys’ new coaching staff will have to see if that is the case or not. But with the right coaching, and a smart offensive approach, Dallas may not have to draft a lineman high in the draft for the foreseeable future.
That would be a welcome change.