The NFL Draft is finally upon us. Before the first round gets underway on April 24, let's recap what the Cowboys have done so far this offseason.
Whether it was re-signing their own players, adding new ones in free agency or making a few trades, the Cowboys were rather active in reshaping the roster under first-year head coach Brian Schottenheimer.
So let's take a closer look at what each position currently looks like, continuing with the interior offensive line.
What Happened: The Cowboys said goodbye to a true "GOAT" and a future Hall of Famer. Yeah, that happened. So now, the Cowboys have to figure out how to somehow replace what has been a staple at right guard in Zack Martin, who announced his retirement this offseason. While we've all seen and heard that ridiculous career-defining stat that Martin made more Pro Bowls (nine) than holding calls against him (seven), think about what it really means. We're talking about a player that was usually a lock to be an elite NFL player at that position, and never someone that you had to worry about making a lot of mistakes, if any. So replacing that spot has to be at the top of the priority list.
In free agency, as you might expect, there were no Zack Martin-types on the market. Now, the Cowboys did sign veteran Rob Jones, who has 30 career starts, including all 17 games last year at guard for the Dolphins. The Cowboys most recently added veteran Saahdiq Charles, who was out of football last year for personal reasons. But he has 18 career starts with Washington and could add some depth to the middle of the line.
What's Up: Replacing Martin is certainly going to be a task and for now, it looks as if it's the only one of the three interior positions with a question mark. At left guard, Tyler Smith has become one of the NFL's best guard – earning two straight Pro Bowl selections. The next question for him will be "how much" the Cowboys pay him as he is now eligible for a new contract and Smith will likely be one of the next players on the roster to get an extension.
At center, Cooper Beebe is coming off a solid rookie season and from the sounds of things, Schottenheimer and the coaching staff are looking to keep him at center and build off of last year's success. So that leaves right guard up in the air. Jones, Charles and the combination of players such as Brock Hoffman and T.J. Bass will all get the chance to compete for the job.
What's Next: One way to try and replace one of the best guards of all time – a guard that was drafted 16th overall in the first round back in 2014 – is to repeat the process. The Cowboys have the 12th overall pick in the upcoming draft and offensive line could be an option yet again. The Cowboys drafted Tyler Guyton last year in the first round for an offensive tackle option but could go down that route again. There are plenty of options for college tackles that could actually slide inside to guard such as LSU's Will Campbell, Missouri's Armand Membou and Texas' Kelvin Banks Jr. Just like Martin did back in 2014, these college tackles might convert better to the guard spot in the NFL. Maybe the Cowboys go down that route in the first round, or choose later rounds to add depth there. But the later they go in the draft to take a guard, the closer it could be talent-wise to the depth they already have. If they one an immediate impact and replacement for Martin, getting him at No. 12 or even at No. 44 in the second round could be the best option.
