Twitter: Other than this, our offensive line looks great

[DuncanIso]

I agree. I don't get why everyone watched our games last year and came away thinking Williams was horrible (he was) but that Biadasz was ok (he was not). He was a big part of why we got no movement up the middle and while "the numbers" say he didn't give up sacks he needs to be stronger in his base against the rush. Upgrade strongly needed there IMO. Maybe he takes a step forward, but I would have addressed center. Biadasz and Farniok doesn't make me confident

look at his stats.

he doesn’t give up sacks.

#BiadaszHate

 

[xwalker]

I don't disagree. I don't mind, though, waiting to see what Ball and Waldo can do before possibly adding a vet. I think the nuclear option is that we can always kick Martin out to RT and, I guess, Tyler to LT.

I'm kind of hoping that Waletzko shows he has a future at the LT position so we can keep Tyler Smith at guard, but I'm not expecting much from the fifth-rounder as a rookie. The best hope is that Ball shows he's ready to be the swing this year.

Yes, they can always add a veteran OT after the cut to 53 or at worst case trade a late round pick to get one if nobody else shows to be capable in camp.
- Every year there are some teams cut previous starters due to cap issues because a young player won the starting job.
- The same with veteran backups. If a young player beats out a veteran for the swing tackle position or if it's a 'tie', teams generally keep the young player.

It would be difficult to find enough quality snaps in camp for everyone if they have Tyler, Ball, Waldo and a veteran swing tackle competing for 2nd/3rd string snaps at OT.

• It's not a high bar for a young player to at least match the abilities of previous swing tackles.
  • Cam Fleming
  • Cam Erving
  • Ty Nsekhe

Erving was the best of those 3, but could not stay healthy with only 6 games active that season.

Agree on keeping Tyler at LG.
- Waldo/Ball at LT or move Steele to LT and play somebody else at RT (Zack Martin if necessary).

 

[buybuydandavis]

I agree. I don't get why everyone watched our games last year and came away thinking Williams was horrible (he was) but that Biadasz was ok (he was not).

Last year Williams was pretty good, and Biadasz was ok.

Williams progressed through his rookie contract and so has Biadasz, with Biadasz progressing faster so far.

Biadasz should similarly continue to progress through the end of his rookie contract. By the end of last season, he was about an average starting C. Next year should be better than average. Great progression for a late 4th round pick.

 

[xwalker]

Agreed on center. Depth is also unproven with McGovern the only guy with some experience.

I think depth at OC is OK. It's the quality of the starter that is a bigger question.

I don't think there would be much, if any drop-off if Farniok had to replace Biadasz.

 

[xwalker]

That’s pretty much how I feel about the OL, Pre-camp. Nice take.

I do think there’s a chance Farniok might challenge and win the center position, but the most likely scenario is Biadasz improving and keeping his spot, IMO.

I'm interested to see Farniok in the preseason games.
- He was better than I expected last year for a late round rookie OG/OC.

 

[Batman1980]

On both sides of the ball as well. But Gregory being gone, that helps the defensive side. Now can Smith reduce the penalties of what Williams had. Can his college mistakes be coached for him to reduce those in the NFL.
Can't wait for his 1st penalty (actually I can wait) to see the meltdown in a game day thread.

1st and 10 from the 25. Prescott fakes the hand-off to Pollard and looks left all the way for Washington. 75 yard touchdown on a catch and run. It's coming back, phantom holding call on the LG.

 

[xwalker]

He might. Center is a tough position to play mentally because you have to snap the ball and set yourself immediately. He didn't seem to have a problem with that. The easier part of playing center is that you often get a lot of assistance/protection from the guards. That makes blocking less of a challenge if you can get the centering the ball part down. Obviously, there are times that defenses are going to get you isolated and possibly run over you like they did with Biadasz a few times last year, but you receive a lot of double-team initial chucks from the guard to kill the momentum of the defensive lineman you have to face if not outright double-teams in pass blocking.

 

[gimmesix]

I think depth at OC is OK. It's the quality of the starter that is a bigger question.

I don't think there would be much, if any drop-off if Farniok had to replace Biadasz.

I do wonder about Lindstrom and Empey as well. I think they were good UDFA pickups at a position where we have questions about the starter. Both had a lot of success on their levels of play. I like the competition we have at the center spot. It might blow up on us, but I think we have a real good chance of finding one out of that group who can handle the position.

 

[CowboyRoy]

He probably was but nobody had a blueprint until the Denver game THE ONE I WAS AT where we got our butt kicked and he never made adjustments

Your right he was calling them. The difference is they were working because the line was blocking well and people were healthy.

Once the line went and the injuries piled up the Cowboys could no longer run the ball or pass block. So Denver flooded the passing lanes and dared us to run. Everyone else followed suit.

Had a team tried that prior to the injuries and Oline issues, the Cowboys would have roasted them.

 

[Jarntt]

I understand your reasoning but the staff appears to have confidence in Badasz so I’ll take their point. There are unanswered questions to be answered

Well using that logic they also played Williams for 4 years...

 

[Jarntt]

Farniok is better.

possibly, but neither looks like a warm and fuzzy option right now

 

[Creeper]

Ouch, not pretty. Hey things could work out fine. But we have a ton of experience telling us that a Jones led team typically does not work out fine.

I have to agree with him. The Cowboys are a lot of question marks right now. We will learn a lot once the preseason games begin.

I think the biggest problem with Tyron is he is slipping as a player. In his prime no one got around Tyron. Now we are seeing it more and more frequently. He has clearly lost some lateral mobility.

I am concerned about Tyler Smith because he is a rookie who has not faced NFL DTs and he was a holder in college when faced with quick DEs who got inside his arms. NFL DTs are as quick as college DEs and will try to get inside him and force him into holding. He really needs to clean that up while learning a new position. It is a lot to ask especially early in the season.

Biadasz improved later in the season last year but his problem is mental mistakes. So many times plays failed and Biadasz was going to his right to help Zack Martin while Connor Williams was struggling with a DT one on one. I do expect Farniok to give Biadasz some strong competition this training camp. It would not shock me if Farniok were to win the job.

Zack is a year older and he is getting to the age where those little nicks and dings start to become missed games. I hope he stays healthy. He is still solid as granite.

Then we have Steele. This is where I worry. Steele was not as good as Collins last year. I worry he does not have the fight or tenacity of Collins. Steele needs to play angrier. I think a lot depends on how much Steele improves in 2022.

 

[Bobhaze]

I have to agree with him. The Cowboys are a lot of question marks right now. We will learn a lot once the preseason games begin.

I think the biggest problem with Tyron is he is slipping as a player. In his prime no one got around Tyron. Now we are seeing it more and more frequently. He has clearly lost some lateral mobility.

I am concerned about Tyler Smith because he is a rookie who has not faced NFL DTs and he was a holder in college when faced with quick DEs who got inside his arms. NFL DTs are as quick as college DEs and will try to get inside him and force him into holding. He really needs to clean that up while learning a new position. It is a lot to ask especially early in the season.

Biadasz improved later in the season last year but his problem is mental mistakes. So many times plays failed and Biadasz was going to his right to help Zack Martin while Connor Williams was struggling with a DT one on one. I do expect Farniok to give Biadasz some strong competition this training camp. It would not shock me if Farniok were to win the job.

Zack is a year older and he is getting to the age where those little nicks and dings start to become missed games. I hope he stays healthy. He is still solid as granite.

Then we have Steele. This is where I worry. Steele was not as good as Collins last year. I worry he does not have the fight or tenacity of Collins. Steele needs to play angrier. I think a lot depends on how much Steele improves in 2022.

I love Tyron Smith. He was once the best LT in football before injuries took away his dependability. Emphasis on WAS. And I can’t believe that a guy who hasn’t played a full season since 2015 and has missed 32 games since then is not seen as a potential liability.

Go back and watch Tyron Smith in that 49er playoff game. Hate to say it- he was awful. Had the worst game maybe of his career. We all assume that he’s ok for another year. But if we take the “fan glasses” off, there are real reasons to be concerned about LT.

And yes we just drafted a rookie that might be able to play some LT. But when the word “raw” is applied to a rookie, even if he has great athleticism, there will be a learning curve.

In short, after watching the off-season so far, OL is the biggest question mark about this team. If we believe the old saying, “The past is prologue”, we should have big concerns. If we believe this FO has “upgraded” this OL this off-season, you may be vulnerable to a sales job. Hope I’m wrong. But I can’t honestly say I think this team has gotten better.

 

[Flamma]

I agree. I don't get why everyone watched our games last year and came away thinking Williams was horrible (he was) but that Biadasz was ok (he was not). He was a big part of why we got no movement up the middle and while "the numbers" say he didn't give up sacks he needs to be stronger in his base against the rush. Upgrade strongly needed there IMO. Maybe he takes a step forward, but I would have addressed center. Biadasz and Farniok doesn't make me confident

He was there late in the 4th for a reason.

 

[Typhus]

Although I acknowledge that there are questions and concerns, am I the only one who feels pretty good about what this offensive line might be?

Sure, there are concerns about Tyron Smith's health. but most seasons he still plays nearly every game and is still one of the top tackles when he does.

Tyler Smith is a big, powerful player who can move well. His problem is that he can be overaggressive and that can be used against him in space. As an interior player, there is less space to use against him, which should play to his power and cut down on the penalties. If he has to move out to LT to cover for Tyron Smith, that's where the concerns would probably crop up.

Biadasz was bad at times, but the number of times was relatively small. Some of them just really stood out and made an impression. We do need to see improvement from him, but coupled with the penalty problems for Williams and Collins, his year looked far worse than what it was. I'm also interested in the players contending with him for the job. Nothing may come of it, but there could be some competition there.

Martin is Martin. He's getting dinged up a little more as he accumulates season, but he's still one of the best.

I thought we played better as a line with Steele in the lineup than we did with Collins in the lineup. Of course, there are several factors involved in that, but Steele was not a problem, and he's young and can get even better.

This may be a bit rose-colored, but I've got other things that concern me much more than the line. It's possible that will change in a hurry, but for now, I more look forward to seeing what this line can do rather than being worried about it.

Ive said it before and I will say it again, I believe Philbins largest challenge will be dialing back Tyler Smith, slow the bull down.
This is the NFL and it's a long season, Smith is a rook and needs to be managed closely all season.
All rooks hit the rookie wall, and Smith will be no exception, so managing his time, giving McGovern some time throughout the regular season will be key in keeping this OL fresh for the playoff push.
I like the pieces being added to this OL, it will be interesting to those that follow TC closely, something to keep an eye on.

 

[Acceptablename]

Well using that logic they also played Williams for 4 years...

Listen logic has nothing to do with it buster,”Bugs Bunny”

 

[Silverstar]

Ouch, not pretty. Hey things could work out fine. But we have a ton of experience telling us that a Jones led team typically does not work out fine.

I believe that letting Williams go and adding Tyler Smith to the line was the right move. Also, I think Biadasz understands that 3 guys (Farniok, Lindstrom, Empey) are all after his job now. So, it's going to be much more competitive at LG, C and RT this year than before. I can only see overall improvement coming from this, as they fight for playing time and in the process make each other better.

 

[Pass2Run]

I agree. I don't get why everyone watched our games last year and came away thinking Williams was horrible (he was) but that Biadasz was ok (he was not). He was a big part of why we got no movement up the middle and while "the numbers" say he didn't give up sacks he needs to be stronger in his base against the rush. Upgrade strongly needed there IMO. Maybe he takes a step forward, but I would have addressed center. Biadasz and Farniok doesn't make me confident

You really have to go back and watch the games again. If you do that, and pay attention to Biadasz, you can see that he was actually an asset to the teams at times. We shall see if the three-year rule applies to him or not. Biadasz problem seems to be strength. He's simply not up to the level of strength as most in the NFL. If he gets stronger, and his technique improves, he has the potential to be serviceable. Won't be a pro bowler, most likely. But there's a chance he can play at this level for several more years.

 

[Blackrain]

The center position needed to be addressed in free agency and was ignored

Along with Tyrons health it is a weak link that will be exploited by good defenses this season.

 

[Jarntt]

You really have to go back and watch the games again. If you do that, and pay attention to Biadasz, you can see that he was actually an asset to the teams at times. We shall see if the three-year rule applies to him or not. Biadasz problem seems to be strength. He's simply not up to the level of strength as most in the NFL. If he gets stronger, and his technique improves, he has the potential to be serviceable. Won't be a pro bowler, most likely. But there's a chance he can play at this level for several more years.

I'm not saying Biadasz is a lost cause or can't/won't improve. I'm just saying he wasn't good last year and got a pass from Cowboy fans. Being an asset "at times" isn't good enough. He has a problem getting movement in the run game and holding his ground up the middle in a pass rush. His no sacks are very misleading - heck I'm no PFF guy, but they had Williams with only one sack and rated much higher and Williams was bad. I believe Tretter is still a FA. That is who I would have gone for. I don't think he would cost much. WE are going to play some really good DTs. I hope Tyler is up to the task