There will be no shortage of position battles to watch when/if the Dallas Cowboys and the rest the NFL are finally permitted to start training camp. One such battle I’m interested in seeing unravel is between Connor McGovern and Connor Williams to find out who becomes the starting left guard 2020.
Connor McGovern could be in the mix to take over for the recently retired Travis Frederick, however, I believe that job is probably Joe Looney’s to lose. If not him though the rookie out of Wisconsin, Tyler Biadasz, is the next in line. That leaves McGovern competing with Connor Williams for the LG gig, his more natural position in my opinion.
Odds are with the shortened offseason and lack of practice time, the Dallas Cowboys would probably prefer Connor Williams to remain the starter for now. However, Williams is coming off an ACL injury he sustained in Week 13 against the Buffalo Bills. He should be fully recovered by the time practices get underway, but the Cowboys may want to take the cautious approach and bring him along slowly.
If this is indeed the approach the Cowboys take, this could be the opportunity Connor McGovern needs to unseat Williams, despite his two years of starting experience. That opportunity didn’t present itself in his rookie season. Instead, he was forced to spend his entire first-year in the league on a Injured Reserve due to a pectoral injury that kept him sidelined too long.
Connor McGovern will have his work cut out for him though. Williams won’t be easy to unseat. He’s played well in his two years with the Dallas Cowboys, despite what some people would lead you to believe. McGovern is really going to have to stand out in order to persevere over an established player, but Williams’ injury recovery could be the foot in the door he needs.
Joe Philbin, the Dallas Cowboys new offensive line coach, is probably going to approach this position battle with an open mind. His fresh set of eyes make him unbiased, which is why I wouldn’t be surprised if Connor McGovern gets the nod over the veteran. Connor Williams isn’t going to go down without a fight though, which makes this an intriguing position battle to watch.
