FRISCO, Texas – It would be presumptuous to assume that Chaz Green can't maintain his grip on the Cowboys' swing tackle job.
Green admittedly struggled in his preseason debut against the Rams on Aug. 13, and he still had plenty of kinks to work out in last week's win against Miami. But Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said the second-year tackle improved from Week 1 to Week 2.
Garrett was also sure to point out the fact that, given his absence for most of 2015 due to hip surgery, Green is getting his first NFL reps during this training camp.
"In a lot of ways he's a rookie," Garrett said. "He did a good job in the offseason program. I thought he grew over the course of OTAs and over the course of training camp. These guys need to play. They need to play snaps in practice, play snaps in the game. He certainly approaches it the right way."
Green is going to have plenty more opportunities to prove his progress. Tyron Smith isn't expected to play against the Seahawks on Thursday, so Green will have opportunities to work against Seattle's best pass rushers. Considering his inexperience, it also wouldn't be surprising to see him play in the preseason finale against Houston.
Even with all of that said, Garrett gave a curt reminder of life in the NFL when a reporter asked him about the possibility of using Zack Martin or La'el Collins as the team's swing tackle.
"All options are available," he said.
Martin and Collins have both generated interest in the past because of their flexibilities between positions. Martin started the last 39 games of his Notre Dame career at left tackle, earning All-America honors in the process. The Cowboys have repeatedly expressed confidence that he could play any position on the offensive line if asked.
Collins played his sophomore season at LSU as the Tigers' left guard – same as he does in Dallas. But he played at an All-American level as the left tackle as a junior and senior, giving plenty of credence to his credentials, as well.
It's unlikely the Cowboys would move either player from his place on the first-team line. But as Garrett said, they clearly have options if they find themselves in a bind.
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