The Dallas Cowboys offensive line is considered to be one of the best, if not the best, in the NFL for a reason. With Travis Frederick, Tyron Smith, and Zack Martin, arguably the best at their given positions, how could they not be highly touted? But, of the three, who is the Cowboys most important offensive lineman?
Quite honestly, there’s really no wrong answer here. You can make a case for any one of these three offensive lineman and you’d be absolutely right. But, for argument sake, I think I’d have to go with Travis Frederick and I’ll tell you why.
Out of the three Dallas Cowboys Pro Bowl offensive lineman, Travis Frederick is probably the most underappreciated. That’s okay, because all he does is go out day after day and perform at a high level. He may not be the most physically gifted or talented of the three, but he is without a doubt the most consistent.
Travis Frederick hasn’t missed a single down since the Dallas Cowboys drafted him in the first-round (31st overall) in the 2013 NFL Draft. He also hasn’t given up a quarterback sack since 2014 and rarely allows any QB pressures or hits. You really can’t play much better than he has so far in his career.
It’s really no surprise Frederick is a four-time Pro Bowler. The only time he wasn’t voted into the Pro Bowl was his rookie season, but even then he made the All-Rookie team. If that proves anything, it proves that he has continuously played at a high level since entering the NFL.
Travis Frederick is entering his sixth NFL season and he is just 27 years old. The Dallas Cowboys fortunately have already locked him up through 2023. They signed him to a six-year $56.4 million contract extension last year and I personally think it was money well spent, especially if he continues playing at the high level he has throughout his career.
Now, I know some of you will disagree with me about Travis Frederick being the Dallas Cowboys most important offensive lineman, but that’s okay. I tend to root for the underdog and that might be the best way to describe Frederick anyway. He doesn’t receive the same kind of fanfare as Tyron Smith or Zack Martin, but that doesn’t make him any less important.
For me, Frederick’s availability is what sets them apart from the other two. They are all talented in their own way, but being able to be depended on down after down, day after day, and year after year is definitely something that shouldn’t be taken for granted.
