The first week of the Dallas Cowboys OTAs was pretty standard. The media did not get access until the end of the week and the only real thing of note was that Tyler Guyton is battling Nate Thomas for the starting left tackle spot.
The week ended with Cowboys rookie 23rd overall pick Malachi Lawrence finally getting his deal done with Dallas.
Dallas and Lawrence’s four-year rookie contract will be worth $20.22MM, all of which is guaranteed.
Lawrence was not seen as a clear-cut first-rounder for the entire pre-draft process. However, the UCF product’s stock began to soar in the weeks leading up to the draft.
Either way, as of now, I like to see that no drama is being held over the Dallas Cowboys right now and that is the way it should be. George Pickens not being at a VOLUNTARY offseason program is not news, nor is it drama, so let’s let that go.
Still, below are a few things I would keep an eye on as week two of OTAs start today.
Battle Between Davis & Blue
I honestly think the Cowboys are going to roll with either Malik Davis or Jaydon Blue as the backup behind Javonte Williams this season. I don’t see them signing any other back or making a more for one as a post-June cut.
I think it will come down to the ability of Blue to be a pass protector honestly.
His ability to generate explosive plays on the ground or as a receiver was never an issue, but his ability to pass protect, take care of the football, and his smaller frame is the uphill battle he will be facing.
Hopefully, we will see more of these guys this week from OTAs, hard when the guys covering them aren’t allowed in for a few days.
Guyton Or Thomas
Let’s cut right to the chase on this one. I am glad head coach Brian Schottenheimer said the starting left tackle position is wide open.
Tyler Guyton and Nate Thomas are both battling this offseason for the starting spot, but the issue is, I don’t think either of them are much better than the other and that sucks to say because one of them has to be the blind side for Dak.
I knew that Tyler Guyton would need a strong breakout type year, and the fact that he is already being pressured by Nate Thomas for the starting left tackle spot is either a good thing or a bad thing.
On the surface, it will probably make Guyton stay focused and put in the work that we know he has but struggle to stay constant.
Even when healthy, though, Guyton’s been far too inconsistent to be trusted to be the blind side blocker for Dak Prescott or whoever is playing the position.
“Learning. Learning experience. Coming into the league, I had a lot to learn and I feel like I’ve learned something. I’ve gotten stronger. I’ve gotten better at football. I’m learning more techniques and things
He was flagged a whopping 25 times in as many games, 21 of which were accepted by the opposition.
When you take a look at Pro Football Focus, the Cowboys OL led the league with a total of 133 penalties.
This and scoring seven in the red zone are the two biggest issues regarding a really good offseason from a year ago.
These are just two of the things I will be watching this week if I can catch any of the media coverage.
Mandatory minicamp NEXT week is when the fun stuff starts, so let’s see how this week goes, and I will be back again to talk about what happened this week and what I will be looking forward to next week when players have to show up or they get fined.
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