As the 2024 offseason ramps up, the buzz around a new, overhauled offensive line in Dallas has become the expectation for free agency and the draft.
The Cowboys are a week or so away from losing both Tyron Smith and Tyler Biadasz.
This will open up starting spots at left tackle and center, and the rumor mill has been running wild with names to fill those shoes.
With the 2024 NFL Draft featuring one of the strongest offensive line classes in years, it is no surprise that the expectation is Dallas will draft their Smith or Biadasz replacement in the first round.
But what if the replacements for both Smith and Biadasz are already in-house? To go even further, what if the in-house heir apparent to Smith is already an All-Pro?
Dallas has three guys who could jump in as starters at new spots in 2024.
Let’s talk about those three players and the potential of them getting the nod as a starter in 2024.
Left Guard, Tyler Smith
All-Pro guard, Tyler Smith, could be viewed internally as the natural successor to Smith.
From the moment Dallas drafted him, it was always a possibility that he could end up at left tackle; considering his experience in college at the position and Smith getting older and more vulnerable to injury, it just made sense.
Here we are a few years later and the Smith departure is here, and we are not talking about the younger Smith taking his spot at left tackle enough.
At just 22 years old and two years into his career, Smith has cemented himself as one of the league’s best.
https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1595521318211813377
He was both an All-Pro and Pro Bowl selection in 2023.
The sky is the limit for this kid and with left tackle being perhaps the most valuable position on the offensive line, doesn’t it make sense to make the switch now?
As I mentioned, this would not be a whole new world for Smith. He played left tackle in college at Tulsa and did it well. This would be an adjustment still, but one he could make considering his age and ability.
This would allow Dallas to put a focus on non-tackle positions in the first round of the draft, while also putting their investment in Smith and right tackle Terence Steele to the test.
This would shift one of the starting offensive line openings from left tackle to left guard.
Luckily for Dallas, that is another spot where they might already have a potential starter.
Guard, T.J. Bass
For all their faults, you can’t deny the Cowboys have a knack for developing young offensive linemen, and 2023 undrafted signing T.J. Bass might be their next big hit.
After a stellar preseason performance, Bass caught the eyes of the front office.
https://twitter.com/PFF_College/status/1697355328130854943
He locked in a roster spot for the 2023 season, learned under some of the best interior linemen in the league, and even shined in limited time on the field.
Bass allowed no quarterback pressures in 52 snaps against the Bills and Lions late in the season.
In short, Bass looks like he could be a hidden gem for the Cowboys, and giving him the keys to left guard with Smith moving out to tackle could be the best bet for a team looking to save money while also competing for wins.
It is not the flashy move that the fans may want, but Bass has the potential to be great, and more time spent learning from Zack Martin will only increase that probability.
Center, Brock Hoffman
If the Cowboys decide to shift Smith to left tackle and slot Bass in at left guard, that just leaves the starting center job to fill with Biadasz leaving in free agency.
Once again, there is another solid in-house option to take that spot.
Brock Hoffman, a 2022-undrafted center from Coastal Carolina, could easily be the Cowboys’ choice for the starting center job in 2024.
Hoffman, like Bass, shined in limited action for the Cowboys, but the bigger indication of his ability is what the organization thinks from seeing him every day behind the scenes.
From all indications, it seems like this is another guy the front office loves.
https://twitter.com/Tony_Catalina/status/1766543529390612482
That is good news. Once again, developing offensive linemen may be the one thing the Cowboys do consistently really well. If they think they have something in Hoffman, the odds are they probably do.
Fans would likely be in an uproar if Dallas did not add a single new starter to the offensive line this offseason, but doing that may be wasting opportunities to add elsewhere.
If we trust the Cowboys to develop these young in-house options, like they normally do very well, it would allow them to make bigger investments in wide receiver, linebacker, and running back.
Is it a risk to roll with two unproven and undrafted on the starting offensive line? Yes.
But with the Cowboys’ strong history at the offensive line and the potential shown by Bass and Hoffman, it could be a gamble that pays off big time.