The assumption is that because the Dallas Cowboys didn’t go out and sign their annual veteran swing tackle, and didn’t spend any draft capital on a prospect there that they were sending a vote of confidence to Tyler Guyton. Guyton, the team’s first-round pick from 2024, struggled in his transition from Oklahoma to the pros and from right to left tackle. His first season saw a ton of inconsistency, both in physical performance and mental toughness.

Sacks and penalties were plentiful on the left side, but the Cowboys seemingly locked in on giving Guyton time to grow, despite his benching at times as a rookie. But what if the club feels as if their contingency plan was already on the team? Asim Richards started a game last year in his second season with the club and it appears that he’ll be given the opportunity to be the primary backup at the position, if not the veteran swing, heading into 2025 training camp.

Rundown

Position: Offensive Tackle

Age: 25 (As of Week 1)

Height: 6-foot-4

Weight: 307 pounds

Hometown: Philadelphia, PA

High School: Haverford School

College: North Carolina (Film Study Video)

Draft: 2023 5th-round pick (No. 169 overall)

Acquired: 2023 NFL draft

Contract: Four-year contract (2023), $4.1 million

2025 Base Salary: $1.03 million,

Career Earnings: $1.8million (per Over The Cap)

Profile

Richards played 108 pass-blocking snaps last season, including during a Week 10 start against the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles. He was far from perfect, but Pro Football Focus graded him as a green-level player (good) for his 2024 pass-blocking performance, indicating there could be something there for the third-year player.

It’s expected that in game, Richards will be Guyton’s backup, although a long-term injury to the second-year player could invoke the team moving Tyler Smith over from left guard and letting one of the many veteran backups in the interior move into the starting lineup.

That would all be contingent on how Richards performs, though, meaning he’ll at least have a fighter’s chance of proving he’s capable of being the man to guard Dak Prescott’s blind spot.

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