The Cowboys couldn’t be happier with the development of rookie left tackle Tyler Guyton. The first-round pick from Oklahoma is exactly as advertised athletically and his learning curve has exceeded even the most optimistic expectations.
The Cowboys are equally pleased with the rehabilitation of veteran right tackle Terence Steele. The homegrown tackle hopes to put his disappointing 2023 season behind him. Another year after suffering a nasty knee injury at the end of 2022, Steele looks to be back to pre-injury form.
Both reports are good news for the offense, as the options behind them are worrisome to say the least. Chuma Edoga, the original LT starter in training camp, is expected to miss several weeks after suffering a serious toe injury. And Earl Bostick, a promising OT backup, suffered a season-ending leg injury for him and was placed on the injured list. Dallas signed OT Cohl Cabral to compensate for the loss, but he isn’t viewed as much more than a training camp player at this point.
Earl Bostick is released from the #Cowboys Training game against Rams.
Dallas has been without Chuma Edoga for several weeks. Bostick has not yet been confirmed.
The OL depth is affected. pic.twitter.com/x0ibBr4tzq
— Patrik (No C) Walker (@VoiceOfTheStar) 14 August 2024
The backup responsibility now falls to two former fifth-round picks, Matt Waletzko and Asim Richards. While both players have shown signs of development, neither of them appears ready to step in as an OT starter anytime soon. Before the injury spree, Waletzko was considered by many to be incapable of missing the Cowboys’ final 53-man cut. While Richards has flexibility, he currently looks better at the guard position.
Based on the early training camp results, my final prediction for the Cowboys O-Line squad (9) is: Tyler Guyton, Tyler Smith, Brock Hoffman, Zack Martin, Terence Steele, Chuma Edoga, TJ Bass, Cooper Beebe, Asim Richards
— Reid D Hanson (@ReidDHanson) 7 August 2024
Although there are still some questions about the play of Guyton and Steele, the drop from starters to substitutes seems to be extremely large. So large that Mike McCarthy will probably have to change the offensive concept if one of the starters is out.
With Waletzko playing RT against the Raiders Staters last week, Dallas seemed to actively avoid plays that required Cooper Rush to stay in the pocket for very long. Three-step drops and quick read plays dominated the plays. This is certainly a situation the Cowboys want to avoid because it impacts so many other areas of the offense.
Some have suggested that the Cowboys could sign a veteran or raid the waiver list after recent cuts, but it’s unlikely that either route would yield anything much better than what Richards and Waletzko offer. As unprepared as the pair look today, they’re developing as young talents, so it’s fair to say that part of the good news is their potential. As long as both starters stay healthy for the first part of the season, the Cowboys don’t need to throw Richards or Waletzko in at the deep end.
The good news is that Guyton and Steele have relatively healthy injury histories. Of course, Steele was out late in 2022 with the aforementioned knee injury, but even then he only missed four regular-season games in total. He recovered in record time and played all 17 games in 2023. That knee injury is the only blemish on his four-year record in Dallas.
As a rookie, Guyton doesn’t have Steele’s professional track record, but according to his college scouting reports, he had only one unspecified injury on his record and played in all but one game. In the preseason, Guyton missed practice time due to an illness, but was thrown right back into the game when Edoga was suddenly out against the Rams, which speaks to his ability to bounce back and perform under less than ideal circumstances.
Both Steele and Guyton appear to be solid players who are physically capable of going the entire season. The Cowboys will need that because the backups behind them aren’t ready yet.
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