The Dallas Cowboys are at a crossroads with their offensive line heading into the 2024 season.
Over half of the starting offensive line in 2023 was under 27 years old, but the two best performers were both 33 years old.
Future Hall of Famers Tyron Smith and Zack Martin are the oldest players on the Cowboys' roster, and Smith is set to hit free agency next month.
Starting Center Tyler Biadasz is also a free agent and there is a growing sense that the Cowboys will not pursue an extension with him.
The mixture of youth and experience proved to be successful at times for Dallas, but not perfect.
Quarterback Dak Prescott was sacked 39 times and had a 6.2% sack percentage in 2023; both of those states are the second-highest of his career.
These stats are concerning going forward as Prescott ages.
They nailed the draft pick of Tyler Smith in 2022, but you can create serious questions for every other starter on the line, even Martin.
The Cowboys are long overdue for a true overhaul of the offensive line and this might just be the offseason to commit to it.
The Smith and Biadasz Decision
Until the moment these guys either sign with Dallas or head elsewhere, this will be the biggest question of the offseason.
Replacing two starters on the offensive line is a major task, especially when one of them is elite when he is on the field.
The question for Dallas has to be what gives you the best chance of winning this season, and the answer may surprise you.
2015 was the last time Smith played in more than 13 games, and in half of the last four seasons, he has played in less than 5 games.
Tyron Smith on missing last two games: "Tough just sitting there watching your team. Nothing u can do about it. They played their butts off the last couple of weeks and continue to keep moving forward."
— Calvin Watkins (@calvinwatkins) October 5, 2023
The money that Smith will attract, even if it is a one-year deal, is too much for that kind of availability.
According to Spotrac, Smith could earn anywhere from $7.5M to $12.5M this offseason. That kind of money can be given to a free agent who will see the field consistently.
On Biadasz, it is hard to walk away from your center if you walk away from your left tackle, but the fact of the matter is he is likely not worth the money he will get in free agency.
We saw the Cowboys lose out on Connor Williams a few years ago for a similar reason.
While Williams has progressed into the player he was paid to be, we don't know if that will also happen with Biadasz.
The talent in the draft, in free agency, and on the roster with guys like Brock Hoffman make paying Biadasz somewhat pointless.
He is a home-grown talent who brings consistent, middle-of-the-road performance, but the financial value does not meet what he brings to the table.
It is time to reset the position and shoot for higher potential.
Top Draft Priority
Drafting skill position players is fun, but right now Dallas needs to make the offensive line the top priority in the 2024 NFL Draft.
If Dallas is going to start fresh on the offensive line, it makes more sense to do that in the draft than in free agency.
The reason for that is rookie contracts and youth make a lot more sense than adding veteran linemen; if that was the strategy, then Dallas should just resign the guys they already have.
Drafting the replacements for Smith, Biadasz, and eventually, Martin, have to come early in the draft, and this is a great draft class to do that.
There could be upwards of eight offensive linemen taken in the first round this year.
Guys like Jackson Powers-Johnson from Oregon, Graham Barton from Duke, and Amarius Mims from Georgia all fit exactly what Dallas needs.
#Oregon C Jackson Powers-Johnson
Aggression, strength and range as a center. pic.twitter.com/VrkrRiaoS5
— Jordan Reid (@Jordan_Reid) February 12, 2024
A surplus of o-line talent in the early rounds is going to force the Cowboys' hand to go there early since the depth of the class does not stack up against the top.
The second, third, and fourth rounds should be focused on whichever positional needs they can't hit on in free agency; you can't let the first-round offensive line talent slip away.
Make or break for Steele
The biggest disappointment for Dallas in 2023 was Terence Steele, especially because of the 5-year, $82.5M extension they gave him before the season.
He simply did not play up to that price tag, but that could be a result of the major knee injury he suffered at the end of the 2022 season.
Terence Steele vs Eagles per @PFF
12 pressures
4 sacksNo teammate allowed more than 3 pressures. pic.twitter.com/gvuCQQDPLf
— Mauricio Rodríguez (@MauNFL) November 6, 2023
Regardless of the reason for his poor performance this year, it can not continue after next season.
Thus, Dallas needs to invest not just in a new left tackle, but in a talented swing tackle that can surpass Steele on the depth chart if they need it.
Getting burned by a second poor season in pass protection from Steele leaves Prescott vulnerable to hits and weakens the Cowboys' ability to beat teams with elite pass rushers.
This is where free agency can really help Dallas out.
Veterans like Donovan Smith, Isaiah Wynn, and former Cowboy Cam Fleming are all on the market and could step in for Steele if needed.
Steele is young and talented, and 2023 may have been a fluke, but if the goal is a Super Bowl you can't be unprepared if he starts the season poorly once again.
