FRISCO, Texas — Reunited and it feels so good? Considering just how prevalent reunions are becoming within the Dallas Cowboys organization, to a level that would make the legendary musical duo of Peaches and Herb proud, it felt only right they figured out a way to deliver on a different angle of it — with the help of newly-signed offensive line coach Conor Riley.
This is of course because not only is it Riley's first-ever go at the NFL level, but landing in Dallas by way of Kansas State puts him back in the same room as Cooper Beebe, a former third-round pick of the 2024 NFL Draft who was groomed for professional dominance by none other than Riley in Manhattan, Kansas.
And, interestingly enough, it was also Riley who moved Beebe to offense in the first place.
"It was a unique situation in that Cooper was in high school when I took the Kansas State job, and he was initially going to be a defensive lineman," Riley said of the young Cowboys' starting center. "His dad joked to the staff [about the offensive line] in one of my home visits while recruiting. His transition to the offensive line and just how he attacks everything, every single day — and you guys know this.
"It's well-documented since his first year truly playing at center, and how well he was able to do. That's just who he is. He continues to attack things."
The evidence is indeed hiding in plain sight, seeing as Beebe entered last year's training camp as the backup center to Brock Hoffman and still struggling at times with his snaps before putting in many hours on the homefront with his mother to sharpen that skill.
By camp's end, it was Hoffman taking the back seat, and Beebe went on to have an impressive rookie season that saw him start on 97 percent of the team's offensive snaps. In the process, he allowed only four sacks in 629 pass blocks, second to only Tyler Smith in that category as a Cowboys' starter, and he tied the two-time All-Pro left guard in allowing pressure on the quarterback just 4.5 percent of the time.
All of this in not only Beebe's first year but, again, in his first year at center and, again, in his first year as a starting center and, again, in his first year as a starting center in the NFL.
And while he remains penciled in at center going forward, his versatility allows his former-turned-current offensive line coach to make sure the Cowboys are fielding the best five, no matter what.
"I think one of the best things about Cooper Beebe is his versatility," Riley explained. "Yes, he was a two-time all American at guard for Kansas State, but he started games at tackle and at right guard or rather, excuse me, at right guard, right tackle, left guard and left tackle. So that versatility that he has really gives us a great opportunity to find the best fit for everybody up front."
Of course, Riley has far more to focus on than simply retaking the reins to Beebe's football career, because the former first-round pick of the very same NFL draft sits at left tackle awaiting development after an up-and-down rookie season.
Tyler Guyton battled injury in Year 1, and his fair share of penalties, but Riley isn't concerned in the least — instead seeing plenty of upside in a player he believes is one of the more athletically gifted on the roster.
The two have already been in contact, and that tracks when considering Guyton's work ethic.
"The sky is truly the limit for a young man like that," he said of Guyton. "There is going to be a process. It's gonna be a whole lot to it. There's gonna be a lot of work that's gonna be involved with it. He and I are just getting to know one another, but he has a tremendous skill set.
"… I'm really excited to get to work with him."
There's at least one player on the offensive line that needs no introduction though, the other being a future Hall of Famer in Zack Martin who may or may not retire in 2025, and that's Tyler Smith, a two-time All-Pro who, in short order, has already become of the best in the business.
Riley has already begun his homework on Smith as well, and it sounds as if the former offensive coordinator had to pick his jaw up off of the floor when watching Smith's tape.
"I have had an opportunity to kind of dive in a little bit on Tyler [Smith] and when you look at his physicality, his athleticism, his change of direction; and when Tyler hit something, it moved, OK?" he said, his eyes widening to accentuate his point. "That's one thing that I do know. It moves. I had an opportunity to meet with him the other day and he is a fantastic individual.
"We discussed where there's some dominant things he's doing right now, and there's a few things that he could probably tighten up and, when he does, oh boy, that's pretty exciting."
Riley will also reunite with running back Deuce Vaughn, a young talent still working to find his footing with the Cowboys but who, in his days under Riley's coordinating at Kansas State, put up eye-popping numbers as a two-way running back and, seeing as Riley will work closely with newly-added running backs coach Derrick Foster, there's a solid chance Vaughn finds traction in his third season.
"I think one of the things that makes him so special is he is truly a professional," said Riley. "The way that he prepares and the way that he studies the game helped in how quickly he was able to be impactful for us at Kansas State. And that was in 2020, which was a challenge in and of itself, and it really makes him so, so dynamic."
All told, Riley is wasting no time putting a plan together so that when he can legally start talking football with his offensive linemen, it'll be to hit the ground running this spring. A key part of the process will also involve the Cowboys' front office ensuring Riley's group is stocked with the kinds of players he needs to get the job done, though.
And anyone wondering exactly what Riley is looking for in an offensive lineman, be it a free agency or draft acquisition, well, wonder no more.
He articulated his blueprint so clearly that it was damn near translucent.
"Well, the measurables are always the first thing that everybody wants to talk to, but what is the makeup of that particular person?" Riley posited. "How tough are they? How physical are they? What kind of grip? When I'm sitting there watching film, how do they finish?
"Are they stopping and watching, or are they covering down to the football? That's something that's really important to me. I tell guys all the time that the value, the measurement of value to this football team, is gonna be how close you are to the football when the play is dead. And that is something that is so controllable.
"Yes, absolutely, you gotta have a particular skill set. You have to have the measurables. You have to have the athleticism, all those things, but we cannot overlook what the makeup of that [player] is."
What also can't be overlooked is the makeup of the coach tasked with leading and developing those players, and Riley, to this point in his coaching career, has continually checked all the boxes or, as Peaches and Herb would say: time after time.
