MySA Blog: Cowboys should start Smith out at right tackle

[CATCH17]

We don't know what Tyron is yet. We know what Free is, he was our starting LT last year. If Tyron 'will' be better, we don't know that yet. Give Free his respect.

Tyron still has to beat him out, and from their positives it would be the best situation, but lets wait and see what happens.

Show us something against Ware...........Tyron.

I completely agree and thats part of the reason why I would probably play Tyron at RT in year 1.

 

[Deep_Freeze]

I completely agree and thats part of the reason why I would probably play Tyron at RT in year 1.

Agreed.

Positions can be tossed around, but Tyron's best attributes are at LT, hopefully he earns the spot. I don't want it given to him and Free is good enough to make him earn it. Just resign Free and lets figure it out.

 

[Stautner]

Posted on 05/10/2011 by torsborn


A big question mark attached to Cowboys first-round pick Tyron Smith as he prepares to join the team’s unsupervised workouts is whether he can thrive at left tackle in the NFL after starting two seasons on the right side at Southern Cal.

“If he’s so great, why didn’t USC play him on the left side?” barked one Cowboys fan in our office at the Express-News in the days after Dallas selected Smith ninth overall.

Former NFL coach turned ESPN analyst Jon Gruden is also skeptical.

Read the rest: http://blog.mysanantonio.com/nfl/2011/05/cowboys-should-start-smith-out-at-right-tackle/

Two comments:

1. I didn't really think the Cowboys were going to start him out on the left side anyway, so I didn't really get the point of the article.

2. Unless Gruden said more than was in the article, I think its a bit of an exaggeration to say Gruden is skeptical. He said there was some concern about it because Smith hadn't played LT for 2 years, but he did not say he doubted he could do it.

 

[TD-33]

When Tyron Smith is ready he will be our Left Tackle.

No offense to Free but Smith will be a better player than him.


Also as solid as Free was at LT I felt like he was a better RT the year before down the stretch.



The kid is 20 and he is the franchise for us on the OL. You make him your LT the day he is ready for it.

you don't know what he will or won't be. Pretty sure Barron was thought to be a lock too. why pass off your opinion as fact?

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

When Tyron Smith is ready he will be our Left Tackle.

No offense to Free but Smith will be a better player than him.


Also as solid as Free was at LT I felt like he was a better RT the year before down the stretch.



The kid is 20 and he is the franchise for us on the OL. You make him your LT the day he is ready for it.

Be honest with you Catch, I don't know which of these two will be better at right or left. I mean, I get what you are saying here but I also get the feeling that Free has not reached his potential yet. He may end up improving even more and prove to be a better option. I think it's way to early to say that one or the other is going to be the eventual solution at LT. Heck, we may not even be able to sign Free. He may end up being somebody else's LT.

I will tell you one thing about Smith. As I watched him, I did notice that he gets out of his stance late. Once he gets in motion, he's very fluid and has excellent agility. Remarkable footspeed for a man his size but he doesn't seem to get off the snap as quickly as you would like to see. Now, that is just my opinion on watching him play but I do think that it is something that needs to be addressed.

 

[Hostile]

Here's an article regarding Kalil & Smith, with Lane Kiffin discussing this very issue...

http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2011/05/11/2010626/moving-uscs-smith-from-right-tackle.html

Good article by Fraley. Nice change for his usual stuff of late.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

Two comments:

1. I didn't really think the Cowboys were going to start him out on the left side anyway, so I didn't really get the point of the article.

2. Unless Gruden said more than was in the article, I think its a bit of an exaggeration to say Gruden is skeptical. He said there was some concern about it because Smith hadn't played LT for 2 years, but he did not say he doubted he could do it.

I saw an interview with Gruden discussing this. Not sure if this is based on that or not but essentially you are correct Ernie. I think the point Gruden was making was that if the Cowboys see this guy as the LT from day one, then he didn't think that it was possible. He thought the kid needed more time to be able to do that, if he could do that. He said that there was a lot more involved in playing LT and RT then just switching out one for the other. He also said that he questioned the fact that the Cowboys would spend the 9th overall on a RT, if this is what the Cowboys intended for Smith. He said that if this kid winds up being an All Pro RT or LT talent consistently, not to many people are going to care if he was taken at 9 or not but if he turns out to be a guy who is just a RT and is not a great RT, then there is going to be a problem with the pick.

 

[Stautner]

I saw an interview with Gruden discussing this. Not sure if this is based on that or not but essentially you are correct Ernie. I think the point Gruden was making was that if the Cowboys see this guy as the LT from day one, then he didn't think that it was possible. He thought the kid needed more time to be able to do that, if he could do that. He said that there was a lot more involved in playing LT and RT then just switching out one for the other. He also said that he questioned the fact that the Cowboys would spend the 9th overall on a RT, if this is what the Cowboys intended for Smith. He said that if this kid winds up being an All Pro RT or LT talent consistently, not to many people are going to care if he was taken at 9 or not but if he turns out to be a guy who is just a RT and is not a great RT, then there is going to be a problem with the pick.

I would have to agree with all of what Gruden said. Seems like a pretty good analysis.

 

[Doomsday101]

I don't think anyone knows for sure where he will start until they actually put pads on. Like many my expectation is he will one day be the LT but if he has to start at RT to start his career it is still a big benefit to this team.

 

[Stautner]

I don't think anyone knows for sure where he will start until they actually put pads on. Like many my expectation is he will one day be the LT but if he has to start at RT to start his career it is still a big benefit to this team.

Who knows, the team may use him as a swing tackle in TC and preseason (assuming ther is one) so they can get a better feel for where he should start off. They already know Free can play either side.

 

[theogt]

I don't care which positions Free and Smith play.

I just hope that Jerry and son can structure the contracts so that both Free and Smith can co-exist under the salary cap over the long haul.

This. Best comments I've seen on the topic.

 

[Doomsday101]

Who knows, the team may use him as a swing tackle in TC and preseason (assuming ther is one) so they can get a better feel for where he should start off. They already know Free can play either side.

I think that is very likely. I'm not banking on Smith to take the job at LT but if he shows he can do it better then I'm all for it. If he ends up starting at RT I'm alright with that.

 

[Hostile]

I don't care which positions Free and Smith play.

I just hope that Jerry and son can structure the contracts so that both Free and Smith can co-exist under the salary cap over the long haul.

I am in total agreement. Bookend protection is what I want. Not left and right arguing that reminds me of quasi-political babble. When he was in his prime was Erik Williams our best OT? Yes.

Just keep the gunslinger vertical and I am happy.

 

[Doomsday101]

I am in total agreement. Bookend protection is what I want. Not left and right arguing that reminds me of quasi-political babble. When he was in his prime was Erik Williams our best OT? Yes.

Just keep the gunslinger vertical and I am happy.

that and the running lanes wide open.

 

[jobberone]

We're likely to have a problem that's a good one to have.

 

[Doomsday101]

We're likely to have a problem that's a good one to have.

I like having problems that are good. :laugh2:

 

[phildadon86]

I would hope Smith would be starting, if not it would sure seem like a waste of a 9th overall pick in my opinion if he doesnt start Jerry looks like an idiot. Just sayin:laugh2:

 

[Stautner]

I would hope Smith would be starting, if not it would sure seem like a waste of a 9th overall pick in my opinion if he doesnt start Jerry looks like an idiot. Just sayin:laugh2:

The question wasn't about him starting at all, it was whether he should start at LT rather than RT.

 

[phildadon86]

The question wasn't about him starting at all, it was whether he should start at LT rather than RT.

Ooops my bad. In my opinion Free proved himself last season to be a great player at either position, but i say when it comes to Romo's blind side give the job to someone who is proven in the NFL. Seeing Romo on his back again is not something id like to see this season, again my apologies for not reading the question properly.:blind:

 

[Stautner]

Ooops my bad. In my opinion Free proved himself last season to be a great player at either position, but i say when it comes to Romo's blind side give the job to someone who is proven in the NFL. Seeing Romo on his back again is not something id like to see this season, again my apologies for not reading the question properly.:blind:

That's cool. I think your assessment seems to fit the consensus. Smith may be the better athlete, and maybe long term he may be the better LT, but to begin with we have a good player handling the LT spot and not only has Smith not proven anything yet in the NFL, he hasn't even played LT for 2 years. My guess is that at least to start Smith will play RT, although obviously there is some possibility he could prove more ready to play LT than one would assume.