Cowboys roster breakdown: Offensive line just needs backups - maybe

This position group is really in good shape.

By Tom Ryle@TomRyleBTB Feb 17, 2020, 10:00am CST

There are many places the Dallas Cowboys have work to do to fill out the roster this offseason, but the offensive line is not one of them. Loaded with All-Pros and a couple of players on the rise, it is perhaps the most solid unit on the team.

Just to simplify a bit, each section will be split into tackles and interior linemen.

Currently under contract

Tackles

Tyron Smith
La’el Collins
Mitch Hyatt
Brandon Knight
Wyatt Miller

There is also a special case in swing tackle Cameron Fleming. The team has an option they can exercise on him, according to Over The Cap. It would come with a $4 million base salary and up to $500 thousand in per-game bonuses. If they decide they want to keep him, it is up to them. The deadline for the decision is March 17.

Guards/centers

Zack Martin
Travis Frederick
Connor Williams
Connor McGovern
Cody Wichmann
Marcus Henry

This is also solid, with three starters and a backup in McGovern. He was injured last season, however, so they don’t exactly know what they have in him.

Current free agents

All center/guard players.

Joe Looney
Xavier Su’a-Filo
Adam Redmond

They may not know what they have in McGovern, but they know plenty about Looney and Su’a-Filo. The question is whether either, or both, will want to test the waters in free agency rather than re-sign. In Looney’s case especially, the price may be the real determining factor. He has been excellent in his role since joining the Cowboys.

Outside free agents

This article is going to forego the usual laundry list of available players in the top 100 or so free agents, because it is hard to envision the Cowboys spending much at all on one of those, which probably puts them all out of reach. However, it would be kinda interesting if they were to somehow wind up signing the other Connor McGovern, who played center for the Denver Broncos. How would you handle the name on the jersey?

I don’t see that happening, however. If they need another backup, it is certainly going to be some kind of bargain bin deal. There just is no pressing need.

Draft possibilities

Again, there will be no list, because it is long, and there seems little possibility of Dallas using a day one or two pick necessary to get one of the top 100 or so players. The only likely possibility would be someone who the team sees as a much greater value than the rest of the league does that slides to them in the fourth or later round.

It is a unique situation, given that the team may have all the players they need with the ones currently under contract plus bringing back one or two of their own free agents. That is a good thing because of the talent level they have for projected starters and the needs to fill so many other needs. You can anticipate Fleming coming back because of the value he offers, and if one of the other tackles really emerges in camp, Fleming only represents a $750 thousand dead money hit - which they will incur if the team option is not used on him. They might as well bring him in. Add Looney and maybe Su’a-Filo back in, and this unit looks ready to go for 2020.

Links to other installments in this series.