Cowboys 2020 roster battles: The competition to be the “center” of attention

Now that we’re past the draft, and most of free agency has taken place, the Cowboys offseason roster is mostly set. Th guys listed today are the ones most likely to battle at training camp, whenever that is, for starting spots, or to be members of a rotation, or just to hang on to a depth spot and contribute on special teams.

There is one position on the Cowboys roster where we should have a really good competition for the starting spot once the 2020 season commences. That spot is center, vacated by Travis Frederick upon his retirement. Frederick was elite level as a center so reaching that level with a replacement is unlikely. But the Cowboys will need someone to hold down the fort, and do it competently.

Here are the candidates for the battle.

The Experienced One

Joe Looney is the safe choice. He played the position for the Cowboys when Frederick missed the 2018 season. He was serviceable and the Cowboys did go 10-6, won the NFC East and actually won a playoff game that year. So there is evidence that the team can be successful with Looney manning the pivot. The problem is that Looney has a ceiling, and we pretty much saw it in 2018. There were times when the interior line play wasn’t the best and the Cowboys did give up 56 sacks that season.

The Unknown

Connor McGovern was drafted in 2019 but we have yet to see anything from him as a Dallas Cowboy as he was shelved all of last season with injury. We can only go by his college days and that provides some hope. The Cowboys felt fortunate to get him in the third round as his college tape indicated a better player than that. McGovern has experience at center at Penn State and may be the guy who wins the battle once all is said and done.

The Rookie

Tyler Biadasz was drafted in the fourth round by the Cowboys in 2020. They thought enough of him to actually trade up so they could be sure of getting him. At one point after the 2018 season, there was speculation Biadasz could go as high as the first round in the draft. But an injury-plagued 2019 season pushed his draft stock down. When healthy, he’s a heck of a player and also comes from Wisconsin, the same school that produced Frederick.

The Wildcard

Connor Williams must have his hat thrown into the ring because at one point after Fredrick retired, coach Mike McCarthy mentioned “the two Connors” as possible replacements. Williams is a versatile lineman with a high football IQ so it’s not out of the realm of possibility, although it would open up another position along the line.

The Longshot

Adam Redmond has experience playing center back in college at Harvard. His playing time with the Cowboys has come at guard as a substitute in 2018, so he has a little experience in the NFL. The Cowboys brought him back this year and while his chances of grabbing the center spot seems small, we’ll throw him into the mix.

So who ya got BTB? When the Cowboys line up for their first game in 2020, who will be snapping the football?