FRISCO — Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer said after Sunday’s loss to the Los Angeles Chargers that Tyler Smith, their All-Pro left guard, will stay at left tackle after making his season debut at that position on Sunday. A question since Sunday has lingered regarding Smith’s position switch: is it out of necessity, or interest in potentially keeping Smith at tackle in the future?
“That will be something we evaluate,” Cowboys co-owner Stephen Jones said on Monday on 105.3 The Fan (KRLD-FM).
Smith has played tackle before. He did it for the entirety of his rookie season. He then found a home at left guard. Smith has been so successful that multiple people with the Cowboys have said that Smith has the potential to even be a Hall of Fame guard.
Smith’s versatility is something the Cowboys value, too, and they didn’t hesitate to tap into it on Sunday. Smith allowed one pressure, according to Pro Football Focus. He also had one penalty. The Cowboys were pleased with how he did next to T.J. Bass, who started at left guard.
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“We know he can play out there. I’m not surprised,” Schottenheimer said about Smith’s performance. “At the end of the day, we made the move because we thought it gave us the best chance to win the next three games. That’s the way it’s going to be for these next two games now. We’ll evaluate everything.”
Second-year tackle Nate Thomas had started the previous three games at left tackle in place of former first-round pick Tyler Guyton, who hasn’t played since he suffered a high-ankle sprain on Nov. 23 against the Philadelphia Eagles. Thomas was dealing with a shoulder injury that knocked him out of the previous loss to the Minnesota Vikings.
Schottenheimer said Guyton likely won’t play on Thursday. He added that they’ll see about Guyton’s status for the season finale in New York. Even if Guyton returns, the plan is not for him to replace current right tackle Terence Steele.
The fact that the Cowboys were willing to put Smith at left tackle with the season coming to a close does create a potential storyline for the offseason. Steele could be a potential cut after this season for salary cap purposes. The Cowboys would save $14 million if he were designated a post-June 1 cut this offseason, according to Over The Cap. Guyton has only played left tackle in the NFL, but he did play most of his college time at right tackle.
Jones and Schottenheimer didn’t outright dismiss the idea of Smith potentially moving to left tackle. The next two games should provide further fodder for that discussion.
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