An Era Ends in Dallas: Cowboys part ways with gentle giant

The 2024 NFL Combine is in full swing in Indianapolis in preparation for the 2024 NFL Draft.

While all 32 NFL teams have representatives there for draft prospect evaluation, the Cowboys are still working behind the scenes in preparation for free agency as well.

The NFL Free Agency tampering period begins on March 11th, with full-fledged free agency kicking off on March 13th.

A recent tweet by NFL Insider Ian Rapaport revealed that a long-time Cowboys player will not be back with the team for the 2024 season.

Despite interest from both sides to keep LT Tyron Smith in a Cowboys uniform, Dallas Morning News reporter Michael Gehlken tweeted that “the two sides stand drastically apart in the financial framework” (of a deal).

Also from Gehlken, “(The) team (is) not ruling out (a) reunion. Would require a major divide to be bridged.”

If I’m being completely honest, this is not the news I wanted to hear.

I just wrote an article about what I would like the Cowboys to do in free agency for the offensive line, and the one move I believed to be just a formality is to re-sign Tyron.

What Does This Mean for Tyron?

This news was surprising to me because the emergence of Tyler Smith at left tackle sent Cowboys Nation into a frenzy this time last offseason.

The frenzy was the overwhelming social media support to trade Tyron away for draft picks because Tyler Smith and Terence Steele emerged as the tackles of the future.

At the constant questions tweeted at media members inside The Star, the common response was the report that Tyron would retire before accepting a trade somewhere else.

I know the two sides are at odds in contract negotiations but I never thought Tyron would consider wearing another uniform.

All of the sacrifices made and the unconventional contract structures and restructures he agreed to alluded to the fact he’d wear The Star on his helmet or nothing at all.

Tyron now sets his sights on a new team, not content with having already played 13 seasons at a Hall of Fame level.

It may be some bias on my part, but I believe Tyron will be a 1st-ballot Hall of Fame selection when the time comes.

Whichever team signs Tyron will get a player who might not be 100% of what he once was, but 80% of him is good enough to start over most left tackles in the league.

What Does This Mean for Dallas?

In short, it means the end of an era, and it’s time to cycle in the next cornerstone left tackle for the franchise.

Before Tyron played for 13 years, Flozell Adams played 12, and before Flozell, there was Mark Tuinei for 15 years.

Dallas has a reputation for investing high picks on their starting left tackles and having that return on investment pay off for more than a decade.

There are a handful of paths the Cowboys could take between now and the start of training camp regarding the gaping hole left by Tyron Smith.

History tells us they will just draft their next tackle in the 1st round and not look back until 2040, but is that player already on the roster?

Tyler Smith

With the 26th pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, the Dallas Cowboys selected Tyler Smith, left tackle from the University of Tulsa.

Since being drafted, Smith has done nothing short of performing miracles anywhere the Cowboys line him up to play.

Smith was slated to start at left guard as a rookie and worked there all of training camp, but an injury to Tyron Smith thrust Tyler into the starting left tackle spot.

The problem is there was just a quote floating around last week stating that Tyler reminds ownership of the same path the legendary Larry Allen took with Dallas.

A week later you want to move him from that spot?

I believe we won’t know if Tyler will bump out to left tackle until after the draft in case they were able to draft a replacement or not.

Speaking of the draft…

Draft a Rookie

As I stated above, the Cowboys have a stellar reputation for being able to draft a left tackle in the first round and have that player remain as a cornerstone for more than a decade.

That history is the first indicator that filling Tyron’s vacant spot through the draft is the likeliest scenario.

Dallas has already had formal interviews with several prospects at the NFL Combine, and offensive linemen who can play left tackle are in that mix.

If you ask me who the favorite is right now I’d have to say Jordan Morgan from Arizona State University.

He has the position flex the Cowboys covet in their offensive linemen.

If position flex is the most attractive trait, keep an eye out for Graham Barton from Duke University.

He has played every spot across the offensive line in college and would be a versatile weapon capable of filling in at any position.

Free Agency

Unless it’s a bargain bin signing like Cameron Fleming or Isaiah Wynn, who would cost less than $3 million per season, I don’t see Dallas taking this route.

If they couldn’t agree to terms with a player who has been here for the last 13 years due to money, they aren’t going to sign a top free agent at the position.

Just for kicks and giggles, here is a short list of candidates should they decide to go with a veteran over a rookie or bargain bin player:

Charles Leno ($12.3 million per year in 2023)

Duane Brown ($10 million per year in 2023)

In the case they take the bargain bin route, here are a couple more players who fit that profile for them:

Cornelis Lucas ($3.25 million per year in 2023)

Donovan Smith ($3 million per year in 2023)