The NFL is a young man’s game, and the Dallas Cowboys are taking this strategy to heart with the youth movement across several areas of the roster. The Cowboys’ average roster age this season after cutdowns ranks in the top five in the NFL:
- Packers – 25.23
- Eagles – 25.49
- Cowboys – 25.74
- Bengals – 25.77
- Seahawks – 25.77
Why this matters: Aggregate age tracks where a team sits on the development curve. Younger rosters tend to be faster, cheaper, and more elastic to coaching changes—traits that matter when a club resets its identity.
The Youth Movement Starts Up Front
The Dallas reset is most apparent when looking at the offensive line:
- Projected starting five: LT Tyler Guyton, LG Tyler Smith, C Cooper Beebe, RG Tyler Booker, RT Terence Steels.
Average age 24.2 (rises only slightly with depth included)
- Context: This follows the exits of franchise pillars Zack Martin (retirement) and Tyron Smith (not re-signed last season), pushing premium snaps to cost-controlled, ascending players.
Why it fits the scheme: OC Klayton Adams favors a gap-based, downhill run game that helped accelerate OL development in Arizona; Dallas is betting the same approach accelerates Guyton/Beebe/Booker.
Upside vs. Risk
- Upside: fresher legs in November/December, more range on pulls, easier cap management for depth.
- Risk: communication, blitz pickup, and stunt games against elite defensive lines (Week 1 vs. Jalen Carter & friends)
Schottenheimer + Eberflus: Why Youth Matches the Coaching Pivot
- Brian Schottenheimer, Head Coach: internal continuity for Dak and the passing game, with a renewed run-first, play-action, motion identity behind a young, powerful offensive line.
- Klayton Adams, Offensive Coordinator: creative gap concepts and help-heavy plans for tackles (chips, TE inserts) can flatten the learning curve for a young line.
- Matt Eberflus, Defensive Coordinator: a takeaway-obsessed teacher who historically squeezes efficiency from fast, assignment-sound defenders; that plays well with younger athletes.
New Core Pieces Who Keep Dallas Young
CeeDee Lamb (26) remains the prime-aged WR1 while George Pickens (24) arrived in Dallas via a trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers. These two receivers give Dallas a receiving tandem that could be one of the best in the NFL.
The front seven received a refresh after the blockbuster trade of Micah Parsons.
The rotation now features ascending pieces around newcomer Kenny Clark and developmental rushers like Sam Williams, Marshawn Kneeland, and Donovan Ezeiruaku.
What Does Age Say About 2025 Outcomes?
Pros
- Explosiveness & recovery: younger players sustain snap counts and bounce back quicker, aiding week-to-week consistency.
- Cap flexibility: multiple starters on rookie deals (Guyton, Beebe, Booker) let Dallas reallocate funds (e.g., DaRon Bland extension) without gutting depth.
Cons
- Volatility: penalty spikes, protection busts, and red-zone miscues are common early. Week 1 in Philly is a stress test.
- Leadership voids: replacing voices like Zack Martin requires deliberate captaincy and coaching scaffolding.
League baseline: The average starter age league-wide is 25.6 this year, so Dallas is younger than the norm, even before you isolate the trenches.
Week 1 Lens: Can Youth Travel?
The Cowboys travel to Philadelphia for a Thursday night game at 8:20 p.m. ET (NBC), but the youth of this team will be tested in a harsh road game.
Matchups that spotlight youth:
- Tyler Guyton/Terence Steele vs. Philly’s Edge Rushers – handling speed-to-power without communication busts.
- Tyler Booker vs. Jalen Carter – a baptism in anchor, timing, and hand placement.
- Pickens’ debut opposite Lamb – spacing that tests a top-tier secondary on a banner night.
If Dallas holds up in pass protection and steals an extra possession via Eberflus’ pressure/ball-hawking, the youth narrative shifts from “rebuild” to “dangerous floater” quickly.
Tale of the Tape
The data indicates that Dallas is among the NFL’s youngest teams. The tape will hinge on whether a gifted but inexperienced offensive line can mature on the fly and whether Eberflus’ defense can generate stops without Parsons.
Either way, the Cowboys’ pivot to youth isn’t just a headline—it’s the backbone of their 2025 identity.
