Rookie Tyler Smith Move to LT Best Cowboys Fix for Tyron Injury?
FRISCO - The NFL regular season is just around the corner and the Dallas Cowboys are going to try to march through a large chunk of it without one of their best players. So maybe it's time to speed up the clock on the development of his heir.
The Cowboys open the regular season against Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sept. 11 at AT&T Stadium, and Tyron Smith, the future Hall of Famer, won't be involved. He tore a hamstring in a Wednesday night workout and is now "out for months,'' with Dallas now beginning a search for a replacement.
But maybe the replacement is already on the roster.
Can the offensive line - in its existing form - protect quarterback Dak Prescott adequately enough for a successful 2022? That was going to be a "maybe'' even with Tyron at left tackle and prized rookie Tyler Smith at left guard.
Of course, Tyler has yet to actually win the left guard job, anyway, coach Mike McCarthy saying before the Wednesday workout that Connor McGovern continues to be the first-teamer there.
Fine. Leave McGovern at guard. Move Tyler to the left tackle spot that he was slated to "someday'' (two years from now, after the expiration of Tyron's present contract) ... now.
Dallas hadn't seemed to be in any hurry to address the O-line issues that already featured a hole at swing tackle. Matt Waletzko and Josh Ball were not going to be good enough answers, and certainly are not ready to be starters.
We know that Dallas will explore the acquisition of another veteran presence (see Eric Fisher and others, analyzed here). But we wonder if the Cowboys should - in addition to doing that - take a big gulp and make the big shift.
First-round pick Tyler Smith was the heir to the left tackle throne. Maybe he should now go ahead and ascend.
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