Dallas City News

The Dallas Cowboys didn’t score a touchdown in their first preseason game against the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday. Their running backs only rushed for 49 yards on 17 carries (2.9 yards per attempt). On the surface, it didn’t seem to go all that well for the Cowboys offensive line, but when we break things down, there were some good things. Let’s review how each Cowboys offensive linemen performed on Sunday, and evaluate their current outlook on the roster.

THE LEFT TACKLE BATTLE

Tyler Guyton

The Cowboys’ first-round draft pick played on a couple of series, one in each half. In limited action, he looked good. In pass protection, he displayed nice footwork, set a wide base, and seemed very comfortable. His hands were always ready and he gave himself a wide striking zone where his quickness kept defenders in front of him allowing him to mirror the movement of his man. He looked like he was dancing, letting the defender lead. Where they went, he followed. In the running game, he secured his blocks and took his man for a ride once engaged. And any opportunity he had to hit someone, he took it. It was a good debut for the Cowboys’ new tackle.

Prognosis: Feeling good about him being ready by the regular season opener.

Chuma Edoga

The veteran and current first-team left tackle exited the game early with a leg injury, but before leaving, he gave us a little dose of what he could do. Edoga played well. He showed happy feet, kept his body in a good position, and once engaged, he stayed with his blocks. He did a good job picking up pass-rushing stunts and showed nice strength. He and Asim Richards (who started at left guard) did a good job passing off blocks. Similarly, he and Richards moved well in the run game executing counter blocks. Edoga’s movement was a little stiff getting to the second level and he wasn’t the smoothest runner, but he was solid.

Prognosis: He gets a lot of flack because of what we saw last year and how everyone wants Guyton to start, but Edoga has the skills to be a solid swing tackle.

THE CENTER BATTLE

Brock Hoffman

The center position started with Hoffman before moving on to Cooper Beebe, and then Dakoda Shepley late in the game. Hoffman remains the Cowboys’ best choice at the position. On Sunday, he recognized where he needed to be pre-snap and was quick to get into position. He engaged quickly and showed off his power by twisting defenders to the ground. Hoffman showed a strong anchor, always positioning his body at the right angle. He moved well from block to block and quietly did his job. The only knock in this game is that his footwork looked lazy, he took a bit to get going in space, and it’s easy to see that he’s not a natural mover.

Prognosis: He’s fundamentally sound and shows a decent amount of strength. He doesn’t have elite traits, but he’s proving he can be a solid option at center.

Cooper Beebe

The team’s third-round draft pick had a mixed bag in his debut. There were times when he locked up with a defender and held his own just fine, but then there were other times when he looked out of place. Coming out of the snap, Beebe was slow to engage. Many times he was looking around for someone to hit, but letting defenders come to him. When they got a running start, Beebe was pushed back. He allowed defenders to get under his shoulder pads, forcing him upright where he struggled to win leverage. There were also times when he was late picking up pass-rushing stunts, allowing defenders a clear path to the quarterback. In the running game, Beebe was sluggish in the second level and whiffed on a couple of blocks. The good news is that all his snaps under center were clean, which was a good sign considering his struggles in training camp.

The moment he moved to left guard, he looked much better. He didn’t have to think as much as he knew which man he had to block and went right at him. His positioning was better and he held his blocks. He still looked a little lost in space on some screen passes, but overall, he was fine.

Prognosis: Right now he is a liability at center, but decent as a reserve guard.

THE OTHER GUYS

Asim Richards

The second-year lineman played both inside and out. At guard, he showed good balance and used his length to keep defenders away. There were a couple of instances where he got beat on the inside shoulder and allowed pressure, but overall, it was an okay performance.

Prognosis: Solid play at both positions will secure him a bench spot on the roster.

Earl Bostic Jr.

This was the best performance for the second-year undrafted free agent. His footwork was good as he did a great job staying centered to his man. He moved well, squared up, and held his blocks. There were a couple of reps when he fell victim to a counter move that allowed the defender to get past him, but overall, he did a good job securing his blocks.

Prognosis: With nice improvement and three years of player control, Bostic Jr. deserves to be in the conversation for a roster spot.

Matt Waletzko

Waletzko has dealt with injuries his first two years in the league, and hopefully, this will be the year that things finally come together for him. He got a heavy dose of snaps in this one, playing right tackle for most of the game. His movement was clunky and he repeatedly chased his man around the edge. Waletzko is a tall lineman and he hunched over a lot, messing up his balance. When he was engaged, he did okay, but his play right now is very inconsistent.

Prognosis: He’s not where he needs to be to serve as a viable swing tackle. His place on the roster does not seem secure.

T.J. Bass

Bass was the surprise undrafted free agent who played in all 17 games last year, including starting twice, so people expect to see him take the next step. Bass looked good next to Hoffman as they did a good job creating a wall. He didn’t have as good of balance as Hoffman as he was caught leaning at times. Overall, he was fine.

Prognosis: There are still things he needs to work on, but he should remain one of the team’s top interior line backups.

Josh Ball

Ball is a player nobody pays much attention to, but he remains a strong interior blocker. Fortunately, the Cowboys have given up on him playing at tackle as all his reps came at right guard. On Sunday, Ball had a mixed bag. When he was in a good position, he didn’t get pushed back. He has good length and displayed a good anchor. Sometimes his hand usage was a little sloppy, allowing the defender to swipe by him and compromising his balance. Even with the bad, there were some good reps where you could see that he was the strong cog in the trenches.

Prognosis: He’s good enough to make the team, but with only one year left of player control, the team might opt to go another direction.

Right now, the Cowboys have nine offensive linemen who should make the final roster. If the Cowboys go long here, it could leave space for either Ball or Bostic Jr. with Waletzko and Shepley being the odd men out. Note: We didn’t get to see the rookie Nathan Thomas play, so his place in the pecking order is unclear, but considering how deep this group is, he could be looking at a practice squad spot.

As for who starts, Hoffman should be the starting center unless things change quickly for Beebe over the next few weeks. The extent of Edoga’s injury is unknown, but Guyton already looks like the better player.

Projected starters: LT Guyton, LG Smith, C Hoffman, RG Martin, RT Steele

Reserves who are safe: OT Edoga, iOL Beebe, OG Bass, OL Richards

Reserves fighting for a roster spot: OG Ball, OT Bostic Jr., OT Waletzko, and iOL Shepley.