Did Draft Depth Affect Cowboys' Tyron Decision?
It appears that the Dallas Cowboys will be looking for a new left tackle after news broke that Tyron Smith and the franchise couldn't agree to new terms on a new contract, as the veteran is reportedly set to hit the free agent market.
There is no doubt that Tyron will have an abundance of suitors, given his All-Pro-level performances last season despite dealing with injuries, which makes this decision all the more confusing.
For some, it seems unfathomable that the Cowboys and Smith couldn't agree to new terms, but we do not know the money involved as per spotrac.com, Tyron has a market value of $7.4 million APY. That seems doable. But what if he wanted more?
That will likely be found out soon enough. But here is an interesting thought on it all...what if the NFL Draft influenced Dallas' decision not to bring back Smith?
Looking at the draft class, this is one of the strongest offensive line classes in recent memory...and there are some talented left tackles and guards that could be available when the Cowboys pick at No. 24.
The likes of Georgia's Amarius Mims, Washington's Troy Fautanu, Oregon's Jackson Powers-Johnson, Alabama's JC Latham, Penn State's Olumuyiwa Fashanu, Notre Dame's Joe Alt, and Oklahoma's Tyler Guyton all present the Cowboys with a chance to draft Tyron's replacement and form a formidable duo with Tyler Smith.
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While that seems good in theory, in a season where the Cowboys need success as jobs depend on it, is it worth drafting a rookie to protect Dak Prescott instead of trying to go "all-in" and get Tyron back?
Our own Mike Fisher has detailed the "handing of the keys" to Smith as something that could be problematic given his injury issues and the emergence of "Tyron Wednesdays," as the veteran often required a rest day to get fully healthy to get over his injury concerns. But Smith was still playing at a high level.
There is a thought that Tyler Smith, who was initially drafted as Tyron's replacement, could shift out to tackle, and Dallas drafts a guard, but given how well Tyler has played at guard, the Cowboys could then opt to take a tackle in the first round, so Smith's versatility could also be a key factor here.
Dallas had a host of needs entering free agency and the draft with the interior of the defensive line and linebacker being the two most pressing needs.
But with the Tyron news, getting a new protector for Prescott's blindside has jumped into the urgent category. The news of Smith potentially heading to free agency did raise the collective eyebrow as not many thought he wouldn't be a Cowboy in 2024.
But perhaps the strength of the upcoming draft class factored into the decision for the Dallas hierarchy and made what seems like a tough call to part ways with one of the best tackles to ever do it and a superb soldier for the team, actually, a rather easy choice.
