Could the aging O-line derail a super run again, just like 2010?

[conner01]

Tyler Smith, Biadasz and Steel are all still young. Tyron Smith is still one of the best OT in the NFL. Just needs an entire year to stay healthy. Remains to be seen. But I am not one to get all Debbie downer saying it will happen again. Martin actually for an OL has some good years left. Don't put him in the retirement home quite yet.

This still has the makings of very good top NFL OL's. Now after that, I thin the depth is ok for a few spots. Farniok showed he can play some, just not sure if a full time starter save the day type. I think there are a few others that can be ok for a few series or a game.
It is not as bad as many of our couch GM's say. A few are claiming that, so they can have an excuse for if Dak plays bad.

I have not seen the extent of the injury about Edoga, as I was traveling and missed some info after that occurred. Any updates?

Tyron is really the only aging player and that’s more due to how long he’s played than actual age. Martin has easily 2-3 years, if not more
Age isn’t the worry for me
The depth is a bigger issue and mostly just because it’s unproven players

 

[blueblood70]

Yeah I think if we went into the playoffs with a O-Line like Romo had the year of Dez catch no catch then we would have win a SB by now. Of course we don’t have the type of RB we had then unless these young rookies can take over. If we can go into it healthy we have a chance. Man I miss Fredbeard.

Well I'm not sure about that but yes it would be nice to have that line and a run game like that but the problem is with that game the first thing I think about is DeMarco Murray's fumble ,Dan Bailey's missing 2 field goals, and yes the referees bad call that's what most people remember but I remember those other plays we missed opportunities that's really the most glaring thing is their opportunities in each one of these games we've lost by one score or less.

that if we made even one of them, we may have won the game. Instead like in 2021 you get an offensive line that has 11 penalties they didn't open up enough holes for the run game, same as in 2022 they don't open up holes for a run game, we become one-dimensional and look at the Rams game in 2018 they literally just have not showed up in the playoffs. I mean the middle of the year 5-6 game stretch the offensive line looks great but by the time we get to the playoffs it's just not the same line,

we have to find a way to overcome that..

 

[Jarntt]

Injuries will happen to our OL this year and history has shown Tyron in particular will miss time. IMO Tyron isn't the same guy he was and is no longer a "monster when healthy" or "one of the best OTs in the NFL" as described in this thread. So when he goes down this year I don't think the drop off will be as bad as in some recent years when he was still one of the better (if not the best) OTs in the league. But, he is still pretty good and it's not like losing him won't leave a mark.

Your backups are never as good as your starters and a drop off is always going to happen when injury strikes. My problem is there is not one backup OL that I think is good enough to play as more than an emergency in-game fill other than possibly Edoga and I think he is serviceable at best. I'm hoping one of the kids steps up and shows to be a player (Steele was an UDFA). Personally I don't see any way we don't add another OL before the start of the regular season. Even an old, out of shape Peters was trusted more than these guys last year that were on the team. I wouldn't bring Peters back at his age, but I do again expect us to sign a veteran. One "good" backup OL and then a mix of whomever earns a spot on the 53 amongst the kids we already have would do wonders for this team and not doing so is going to cost us at some point. If we haven't learned our lesson watching some of these backups fail miserably over the last few years then we are destined to see it play out again.

 

[Jumbo075]

I love that Zak has ended his hold out. I think he is still a top 3 OG in the league. And Tyron is a monster, when he's healthy. But I'll be honest as I was thinking about our line in full, their ages, the experience and the injury history, it scared the heck out of me. I suddenly remembered the 2010 playoff loss to Minnesota. IMO we had a great team that year. Because they were so good, the age of the O-line was ignored and it caught up to them, seemingly all at once in that game. Could that happen again within the next couple of years?

We seem to be relying very heavily on a couple of older great players, with very little depth behind them. Either one or both could take a turn down hill at any moment. If Zac and Tyron were to both stumble to injury, age or whatever, what will the line look like? Could we survive a playoff run with Ball and Edoga starting? I don't think so.

No offense to Spoon, but I think they/we may very well end up regretting drafting a future TE with upside instead of drafting a starting caliber OG in rd2 of this draft.
This team needs to make a move, a FA pick up or a trade, to secure more quality O-line depth, before it costs them another Super Bowl run, again.

I'll tell you what I once told a young project manager who was always worried about "what if."

DON'T BORROW TROUBLE FROM TOMORROW. Today has enough trouble of its own.

 

[Jumbo075]

I love that Zak has ended his hold out. I think he is still a top 3 OG in the league. And Tyron is a monster, when he's healthy. But I'll be honest as I was thinking about our line in full, their ages, the experience and the injury history, it scared the heck out of me. I suddenly remembered the 2010 playoff loss to Minnesota. IMO we had a great team that year. Because they were so good, the age of the O-line was ignored and it caught up to them, seemingly all at once in that game. Could that happen again within the next couple of years?

We seem to be relying very heavily on a couple of older great players, with very little depth behind them. Either one or both could take a turn down hill at any moment. If Zac and Tyron were to both stumble to injury, age or whatever, what will the line look like? Could we survive a playoff run with Ball and Edoga starting? I don't think so.

No offense to Spoon, but I think they/we may very well end up regretting drafting a future TE with upside instead of drafting a starting caliber OG in rd2 of this draft.
This team needs to make a move, a FA pick up or a trade, to secure more quality O-line depth, before it costs them another Super Bowl run, again.

The Cowboys starting Olinemen at LG, C and RT is 24.3 years old. Aging????? Tyler Smith is 22, Biadasz is 25, and Steele is 26.

If you want to talk about Tyron Smith, then make the thread about Tyron Smith. Don't make it about the entire Oline.

By the way, the average age of the Oline starters for the Cowboys this year is 27.6 years old, even with 32 year old Tyron Smith and 33 year old Zack Martin. By comparison the average age of the starting Oline for Dallas in their Super Bowl years in the 90's is higher in all three years.

• 1992 - average age of 28.0 years old (Tuinei - 32, Newton - 30, Stepnoski - 25, Gesek - 29, Williams - 24)
• 1993 - average age of 28.4 years old (Tuinei - 33, Newton - 31, Stepnoski - 26, Gogan - 27, Williams - 25)
• 1995 - average age of 31.2 years old (Tuinei - 35, Newton - 33, Donaldson - 37, Allen - 24, Williams - 27)

The Cowboys group of Oline starters in 2023 is younger than all of those Super Bowl winning Cowboys teams. And, if you include Gesek replacing Stepnoski in playoffs in 1993 because Stepnoski got hurt, the starting Oline for the Cowboys in SB XXVIII was 29.9 years old.

Am I worried about the Cowboys "aging" Oline? Don't make me laugh.

 

[glimmerman]

Well I'm not sure about that but yes it would be nice to have that line and a run game like that but the problem is with that game the first thing I think about is DeMarco Murray's fumble ,Dan Bailey's missing 2 field goals, and yes the referees bad call that's what most people remember but I remember those other plays we missed opportunities that's really the most glaring thing is their opportunities in each one of these games we've lost by one score or less.

that if we made even one of them, we may have won the game. Instead like in 2021 you get an offensive line that has 11 penalties they didn't open up enough holes for the run game, same as in 2022 they don't open up holes for a run game, we become one-dimensional and look at the Rams game in 2018 they literally just have not showed up in the playoffs. I mean the middle of the year 5-6 game stretch the offensive line looks great but by the time we get to the playoffs it's just not the same line,

we have to find a way to overcome that..

Agreed about the fumble. With the lead we were getting and when he got that ball and took off I really had the feeling we were on the way to blowing them out. Than the fumble. The penalties and I think that was the game rogers had one leg. We started the game attacking him and he was frustrated. Then in true maranelli fashion he started going prevent and allowed him to start moving the ball on us.

 

[Jimbo123]

There should be injury concerns at QB too. Dak has only played 33 games in the last 3 years.

 

[J-man]

OP must be referring to the 2009 season. In 2010 the Cowboys were 6-10.

yes, the 2010 playoff game was from the 2009 season.

 

[bayeslife]

Aren’t Biadasz, Tyler Smith, and Steele all under 26? Lmao

 

[NotForLong]

I love that Zak has ended his hold out. I think he is still a top 3 OG in the league. And Tyron is a monster, when he's healthy. But I'll be honest as I was thinking about our line in full, their ages, the experience and the injury history, it scared the heck out of me. I suddenly remembered the 2010 playoff loss to Minnesota. IMO we had a great team that year. Because they were so good, the age of the O-line was ignored and it caught up to them, seemingly all at once in that game. Could that happen again within the next couple of years?

We seem to be relying very heavily on a couple of older great players, with very little depth behind them. Either one or both could take a turn down hill at any moment. If Zac and Tyron were to both stumble to injury, age or whatever, what will the line look like? Could we survive a playoff run with Ball and Edoga starting? I don't think so.

No offense to Spoon, but I think they/we may very well end up regretting drafting a future TE with upside instead of drafting a starting caliber OG in rd2 of this draft.
This team needs to make a move, a FA pick up or a trade, to secure more quality O-line depth, before it costs them another Super Bowl run, again.

The Dream is over . . . It was a once in a Lifetime Unit that was wasted on a QB that is working on things and has His 3rd Offensive Coordinator

Now We are building a Defense that will carry things and a 40 Million a Year QB and as Martin & Smith Legacy of an Offensive Line that has nothing to show for it

But with a $40 Million QB, this defense and the WArs we should be good. . . Right?

 

[baltcowboy]

The offensive line will be living by a thread all season but this defense can be spectacular.

 

[Creeper]

If we took a poll and asked Cowboys fans if they think Tyron Smith will miss games this year 99% would answer yes. If one more offensive lineman goes down I do think it will have a significant impact on the OL, especially if that lineman is Steele. Losing him might be worse than losing Zack Martin.

 

[Toro9]

We need guards like a mug. So it seems anyway. Farniok and/or Richards might be decent. Hopefully both, for depth as youngsters.

 

[J-man]

I think ya'll are missing the point of the post and are focusing more on the choice of words I used to describe my thoughts. I'm not worrying or crying that the sky is falling. I think when they are all healthy, this team has a very good O-line with a legit shot to go deep, if not all the way.

But you guys want to bring up the ages from super stars of the past like these guys compare to those guys, really?
Of course I know that the super bowl teams of old had great lineman who played into their 30's.
Of course any and all teams will have better starters than back ups.
Of course any and all teams will be less than stellar, without a couple of key starters.
Of course I know that not all the players are "aging" and the line has a relatively low ave age.

All I was trying to do was point out that I could see a possible similarity between the fall of the 2009 team and 2023 team playing out. Not that our line is old and we're doomed, not that I think it's going to happen, nor that I want it to.

I simply made the observation that just like in 2009, when this team was considered to be good and had a chance to win it all, the FO choose to ignore the age and the signs of cracks in the o-line because no one thought they would crumble as fast as they did. And now, just like in the 2010 playoffs, this team could possibly be derailed from a super bowl run by these same issues, again. Because the FO didn't go get some quality depth and future replacements for a once very strong O-line, that does have some aging parts and is showing some signs of cracks, that they are choosing ignore, again.

No you don't want to borrow trouble from tomorrow, but every good GM in the league must prepare for tomorrows trouble, today. Because trouble will come and when it does, it maybe too late to fix it.

 

[Cowboyny]

I love that Zak has ended his hold out. I think he is still a top 3 OG in the league. And Tyron is a monster, when he's healthy. But I'll be honest as I was thinking about our line in full, their ages, the experience and the injury history, it scared the heck out of me. I suddenly remembered the 2010 playoff loss to Minnesota. IMO we had a great team that year. Because they were so good, the age of the O-line was ignored and it caught up to them, seemingly all at once in that game. Could that happen again within the next couple of years?

We seem to be relying very heavily on a couple of older great players, with very little depth behind them. Either one or both could take a turn down hill at any moment. If Zac and Tyron were to both stumble to injury, age or whatever, what will the line look like? Could we survive a playoff run with Ball and Edoga starting? I don't think so.

No offense to Spoon, but I think they/we may very well end up regretting drafting a future TE with upside instead of drafting a starting caliber OG in rd2 of this draft.
This team needs to make a move, a FA pick up or a trade, to secure more quality O-line depth, before it costs them another Super Bowl run, again.

We aren't playing in the old scheme anymore where it's based on down the field passing, the offense is expected to become more quick strike. We won't be so reliant on the OL as we were in the past. Certainly could use more depth behind the starters, but we do have several prospects in the pipeline.

 

[Reid1boys]

We had a young, in their prime, best oline in football for about 4 years in a row. How did that work out for us?

Tell me, has Mahomes and Brady always had this stellar Oline????or decent Oline and they make up for everything else?

 

[Reid1boys]

Yeah I think if we went into the playoffs with a O-Line like Romo had the year of Dez catch no catch then we would have win a SB by now. Of course we don’t have the type of RB we had then unless these young rookies can take over. If we can go into it healthy we have a chance. Man I miss Fredbeard.

That RB is why we lost that game in GB. He had a whole you could have driven a mack truck through and he let a 62 year old d-lineman catch him and strip the ball out on what should have been a clinching TD run.

 

[morat1959]

Dak makes sure the train is never on the tracks.

 

[CowboyRoy]

I love that Zak has ended his hold out. I think he is still a top 3 OG in the league. And Tyron is a monster, when he's healthy. But I'll be honest as I was thinking about our line in full, their ages, the experience and the injury history, it scared the heck out of me. I suddenly remembered the 2010 playoff loss to Minnesota. IMO we had a great team that year. Because they were so good, the age of the O-line was ignored and it caught up to them, seemingly all at once in that game. Could that happen again within the next couple of years?

We seem to be relying very heavily on a couple of older great players, with very little depth behind them. Either one or both could take a turn down hill at any moment. If Zac and Tyron were to both stumble to injury, age or whatever, what will the line look like? Could we survive a playoff run with Ball and Edoga starting? I don't think so.

No offense to Spoon, but I think they/we may very well end up regretting drafting a future TE with upside instead of drafting a starting caliber OG in rd2 of this draft.
This team needs to make a move, a FA pick up or a trade, to secure more quality O-line depth, before it costs them another Super Bowl run, again.

#1 concern is oline. It was our #1 issue last year.

 

[nightrain]

The OL is the team's weakest link and could potentially derail the season with one piece missing significant time.