Connor Williams has experience playing tackle, as he was drafted out of Texas as a tackle. If it's truly about playing your top five linemen, how about move Williams to right tackle, and put Connor McGovern at left guard while La'el Collins is suspended five games? That way you can leave Zack Martin at right guard. — CAMERON HAMRICK / MINT HILL, NC
Rob: I like your thinking because I agree with the 'best five' theory. But the Cowboys have said McGovern seems far more comfortable at right guard than left guard. So to me, it makes more sense to do what they did last year, and that's move Zack back out to right tackle when he returns from the Reserve/COVID-19 list and keep McGovern in the starting lineup at right guard. Martin played very well out on the edge in two starts. But Mike McCarthy has said he hopes to avoid having to do that again, probably in part because it means switching out two spots instead of just one. Curious to see what they do here now, though, knowing that Collins will be out several weeks.
David: With all due respect to Connor Williams, I simply have a higher level of trust in Zack Martin. The guy is going to have a shot at the Hall of Fam when is career is over. Plus, we've already see him play well at tackle, whereas Connor is a projection at the NFL level. If you want my honest opinion of what's going to happen, I think the coaches are going to try to roll with Ty Nsekhe or Terence Steele. Personally, I'd kick Zack to the outside.
We've been absent a playmaker at safety for a long time. It appeared the front office did something about that by signing Malik Hooker. Why is he inactive? — STEVE BOWKER / PENTWATER, MI
Rob: Like the NFL season, this is a marathon, not a sprint, from the Cowboys' perspective. Aug. 17 was Malik Hooker's first full practice since tearing his Achilles' tendon Sept. 21 of last year. That's 11 months without being in pads, without being able to get in true football shape. The Cowboys didn't get to evaluate him on the field much in preseason because they did the right thing by easing him back. But you're right, they signed him because he's got a track record as a playmaker when healthy. It remains to be seen when he cracks the safety rotation, but I don't think he'll be inactive every week.
David: On top of what Rob said about his injury, you also have to keep in mind the thought process that goes into creating the game day roster. You're only allowed to have 46-48 guys up for a game, so all of those guys need to have a purpose. If you're not a starter, you need to be playing a lot of special teams snaps. Hooker isn't a big special teamer, and he also didn't do enough work in training camp to unseat Damontae Kazee as the starting free safety. As talented as Hooker might be, it doesn't make sense to have him active over a guy like Darian Thompson, who is going to play 3-4 special teams and give you 20 snaps per game. These are the types of things coaches have to weigh when they make the inactives list.
