OXNARD, Calif. – Immediately after the Dallas Cowboys chose Cooper Beebe with the first of two third-round draft choices, the assumption became they had just selected their presumptive starting center.
Not of the future, mind you, but for right now, the 6-3, 322-pounder making the transition from a four-year starting guard at Kansas State to center in the NFL. The heir apparent to the departed Tyler Biadasz, who had become the heir apparent to Travis Frederick, a Day One starter when selected with the 31st pick in the 2013 draft.
Cut and dried.
Uh, hold on there, buddy. Someone forgot to tell Brock Hoffman about all this.
Somehow that Hoffman came into the NFL as an undrafted rookie free agent with Cleveland in 2022, released and signed to the Browns practice squad and released again and signed by the Cowboys to their practice squad seemed to diminish the possibilities of the second-year player earning the start.
So did spending the rest of the 2022 season on the practice squad, though the Cowboys elevated him for the maximum three times to serve on special teams and as a backup guard/center. And the fact Hoffman spent the first three weeks of the 2023 season on the practice squad and only started two of the 17 games he played in 2023, one at center and one at guard, didn't help this perception.
And you know what? Even though Hoffman worked the entire offseason with the first team at center, most figured that was a mere deference to his seniority, be it only two years. And same when the two-year starter at Virginia Tech, after transferring from Coastal Carolina, began work here in training camp for the first practice on July 25.
But here we are on Monday, Aug. 5, the Cowboys practicing for the 10th time at the River Ridge Sports Complex, and guess what, Hoffman is still working at center with the first team offensive line while Beebe is with the second team at center, also some guard.
And believe me, that Hoffman still is the starting center has nothing to do with the rookie struggling to make the transition in the NFL from guard to center. Has all to do with Hoffman's play.
Listen up.
First, Dak Prescott, the guy most indebted to his center's play, and not given to blowing smoke for gratuitous reasons.
"Brock, Brock is the man," Dak said the other day. "Talking about another guy who loves the game. Brock, it jumps out. It's in his intensity, it's in his focus and that allows the communication (between QB and center) to be easier.
"I'll go to war with him, any day, anywhere, anyhow."
Or listen to offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer, in 24th season coaching in the NFL, putting emphasis on what he had to say about Hoffman.
"Love Brock," Schottenheimer said. "Another one of the guys that's a tone-setter. This guy has mastered what we are trying to do from a declaration standpoint. His strength at the point of attack has been awesome. Him being in that role right now, he's playing with a different confidence."
Now, if everyone had been paying attention to Mike McCarthy before any of these training camp practices began, the head coach labeled the center position as a "competition," and basically pointed out Hoffman "brings his lunchpail to work" every day and that his competitive nature will not allow him to concede one inch to the rookie third-round pick.
So Brock, like, got the feeling you're pretty competitive.
"Oh, yeah," Brock began, his eyes lighting up and a smile creasing his mighty serious demeanor. "Competitive as hell, man."
Make no mistake, Hoffman heard the noise as soon as the Cowboys selected Beebe on draft day. And then added to this supposed positional battle was the Cowboys openly talking about last year's rookie free agent T.J. Bass getting some snaps at center, too.
And that Hoffman still is running with the ones has everything to do with the quality of his play, his ability to command a huddle and dole out the line calls and checks. He has earned his status so far, but as we all know, practice is one thing. How Hoffman plays in Thursday's practice against the Rams and then the next two preseason games, against the Rams this coming Sunday and the Raiders on Aug. 17, will determine if he has silenced so many skeptics insisting Beebe just had to earn the starting nod.
"At the end of the day, I know the type of player I can be," Hoffman said. "I saw a little bit with the two starts last year … and I know I can be a good player in this league.
"And that's really my only focus right now."
So far rejecting these haphazard assumptions.
