FRISCO, Texas – With so many questions to answers, this series will take a look at each position on the roster, and what choices might face the front office heading into 2021.
We'll continue on the offensive line, as the Cowboys have some big decisions to make.
Today, we'll focus on guard/center position, a spot that saw a few changes, beginning in the offseason.
Who Starts at Center in 2021?
In a five-year span from 2013-17, only player started at center for the Cowboys.
Not only did Travis Frederick hold down the middle of the line, he was a Pro Bowler for four of those of seasons.
But since he initially was diagnosed with a rare syndrome (Guillain Barre) before the 2018 season, the center position has been a carousel with a plethora of changes.
To recap, Joe Looney stepped in to start the entire 2018 season at center. Frederick then came back in 2019 to start once again, earning another Pro Bowl selection.
Still, Frederick admittedly wasn't the same in his return and decided to retire from the game before this past season.
That put Looney back in the starting lineup although the Cowboys used rookie Tyler Biadasz as well when Looney was out.
So here we are getting ready for the 2021 offseason and the Cowboys have some question marks again at the center spot.
Looney is an unrestricted free agent again. And while one might assume the Cowboys won't continue to bring him back for yet another one-year deal, there's no real reason not to.
Especially since Biadasz hasn't fully proven that he's ready to take over completely.
In his four games as the starter, Biadasz was more than serviceable and seems like a player who will continue to develop and become an eventual starter.
Is he ready now? That's the question the Cowboys must answer sooner than later – at least before the start of free agency on March 17.
But Looney and Biadasz might not be the only candidates for this spot.
Let's not forget Connor McGovern has center experience in college and there has been even some rumblings about Connor Williams taking some snaps in the middle as well.
Of course, the Cowboys might also have their eyes on the outside as well, either in free agency or the draft again.
So this is a position that is very unclear here in early February.
The best guess is that Looney returns again, Biadasz continues to develop and both will compete for the job.
But even though the center spot might not be a high priority heading into the draft, that doesn't mean one won't fall to them that makes sense.
If anything, the Cowboys need to be flexible at this position. That shouldn't be hard to do considering the last few years.
