What Will Happen to Tyron Smith?

By:  Bobby Shores

Lost in the shuffle of all the Cowboys free agency madness is the effect that this will have on last years rookie standout Tyron Smith. At the season's end the whole world was ready to stick him at left tackle for the next 10 years and not worry about, unfortunately I think there is more to this than meets the eye......

After an outstanding rookie year last year, coupled with Doug Free's struggles, the decision was made (correctly I think) to move Smith to the left side and Free back to the right, where he excelled in seasons past. The Cowboys not only changed Smith's position, they also replaced the only offensive line coach he had ever known (yes, I know it was only 1 year, but I have to make this more dramatic to make my point) in Hudson Houck with Bill Callahan, on-field mentor Kyle Kosier is being cut who was also responsible for making all the line calls, every other position on the line will probably be different, he is still very young and will not be 22 until the regular season is almost over, he is a Top 10 Pick, he plays in Dallas at the most important position on the offensive line and everybody from the media to the fans keep assuming that left tackle has been secured for the next 10 years.

Yea, that is a lot of change for such a young guy.......Let's look at each one in some more detail.....

Before the start of the 2011 season, the Cowboys made the decision to move veteran offensive guard Kyle Kosier to the right side to help Smith develop, and help him he did. Not only has Kosier been responsible for making the offensive line calls (usually the job of the center), he was able to make sure that Smith knew what to do and how to do it, and was there to help him when he got in trouble. Kosier basically acted as his on-field mentor, and I am not sure that there is anybody currently on the roster than can replace him.

The move to the premier position on the offensive line, the left side, is another big change for Smith. While he was in the spotlight as a Top 10 pick and instant starter last year, moving to left tackle will really put him under the microscope. Not only are two of the Cowboys division foes in the Top 5 in sacks (Eagles & Giants), the Redskins only missed being in the Top 10 by 1 sack, and now Smith will face the top rusher on each team rather than the second or third best rusher.

Another big change for Smith is that the only offensive line coach he has known in the NFL, Hudson Houck, retired after the season. While I have no reason to believe that his replacement, Bill Callahan, is not as good (or even better) than him, I know that they had a special relationship and spent hours after practice and in the film room together. Houck was integral to Smith's success last season, and I only hope that Smith and Callahan are able to form a similar bond.

Continuity is a big part of helping young players develop in the early years of their career, and not only is rookie phenom Smith losing his mentors in Kosier and Houck, it appears that every other position on the line will be different as well, of course there was not a lot of continuity last year either. With the signing of Nate Livings and Mackenzy Bernadeau to most likely replace Kosier and Montrae Holland while the Center position is completely wide open. Stability will be needed at the left guard position for Smith as I am a firm believer that many of the Doug Free's struggles last season can be attributed to the revolving door at the guard spot next to him.

Finally, the reasons I think he could struggle this year is that he is still only 21 years old, playing in one of (if not THE) the most scrutinized football markets in the NFL, playing a highly scrutinized position as a Top 10 pick who excelled his rookie year. All this means there will be lots of pressure for him to build on his rookie success regardless of age, position change, coaching changes, personnel changes, etc.

Dallas Cowboys Breakdown: Offensive Guard

By:  Bobby Shores

(This is the second part of a multi-part series breaking down the Dallas Cowboys by position, identifying areas of need and possible solutions for those needs, based on my film work and notes taken throughout the season, the first part was Offensive Tackle)

Veteran Cowboys Guard Kyle Kosier

After the 2010 season it was obvious that the Cowboys needed to upgrade the offensive line, especially the guard position, and the team tried to address it in the draft taking guards in the fourth round (David Arkin) and the seventh round (Bill Nagy), while also addressing it by retaining/signing a number of veterans to compete and provide depth in Montrae Holland, Kyle Kosier and Derrick Dockery.

The Cowboys gave their rookies every opportunity to play after they released veteran guard and constant underachiever Leonard Davis. Unfortunately, Arkin was not ready to contribute coming from a small school and Nagy won the job by default, helped by the fact that he came from Wisconsin which produces NFL offensive linemen, Penn State produces NFL linebackers, Southern Cal produces NFL quarterbacks, and Texas produces NFL "busts". Holland was eventually released due to a bad back and poor conditioning (those two conditions were directly related).

Fast forward to October 16 and Nagy is placed on injured reserve, Derrick Dockery is still nursing a sprained MCL, Kyle Kosier is already banged up and now what appeared to be a strength in the preseason became a major liability. Enter Holland, who came back after getting in shape and the entire offense immediately improved.....

One advantage the Cowboys have at the guard position is a lot of bodies, from veteran stop-gaps and young players that the fans and organization have high expectations for, to a wide range of options in the draft and free agency. In fact, the guard position may be one of the most talked about positions on the Cowboys team from now until the season starts. So what do they have right now and what options do they have heading into the 2012 season.

Montrae Holland (Free Agent) - After being cut in training camp due to conditioning and back issues, Holland was brought back to start at Guard for the Cowboys after injuries and ineffectiveness; excelling in the 10 games he started. I believe that Holland (and Tony Fiammetta) was the primary reason for the emergence of DeMarco Murray along with the overall improvement in the line play as the season went on, as he is quick off the line for a man his size and is both strong and tough. While Holland is not a long term solution at guard, he should be brought back on a short term contract to compete come training camp, dependent on his recovery from biceps surgery and his level of conditioning. If the team is unable to draft a long term option at guard, sign a big money free agent or develop one of the younger guys; than Holland should come back as a starter.

Kyle Kosier (signed through 2013) - Kosier has been the most underrated offensive lineman for the Cowboys over the past few seasons while struggling with injuries throughout his time with the team. After being hampered by a foot injury for most of the year, his season ended just before the rest of the team when he tore his MCL in the final game of the season.

Kosier's strengths are his intelligence and technique, consistently getting underneath larger/stronger defenders and using leverage to control them. While Kosier will be with the 'Boys in training camp, he is not guaranteed a roster spot. One way to improve his odds of making the team is a position change to Center, which will be addressed in the next installment of this series (yes, I am plugging my next article, hopefully it works and you will be back).

Bill Nagy (signed through 2014) - As a rookie 7th round draft pick, not many expected Nagy to see much playing time this year, while others (myself included) prayed that he would not see many snaps. On film (from my perspective) Nagy was completely unable to move anybody, ending up 2-3 steps in the backfield in pass protection and was blown up by linebackers when he tried to clear running lanes as the pulling guard (and he had a full head of steam). He also drops his hands when not engaged with a defender wasting movement and time to get them in position.

While never seeming to make mental mistakes (seems intelligent), the NFL game was to fast and strong for him this past year, after a full off season hopefully he can get stronger and learn to use his hands to leverage defenders (should learn from Kosier). Also the Center may prove to be a better fit for Nagy going forward (again this will be addressed in the next installment).

David Arkin (signed through 2014) - As a rookie 4th round pick, Arkin was inactive for all 16 games after starting off camp playing with the first team. Only notes (from the preseason obviously) I have on him are that while he was routinely overpowered he showed more hustle than all other linemen, he seems to play with a mean streak (both hustle and mean streak contributed to a late hit penalty in preseason game against Vikings) and is excellent at getting to the second level and getting his head across the defender and into position to control where his man goes.

Coming from a small school (Missouri State) where he played left tackle his senior year (3 years at right guard), transitioning to the NFL game appeared to be much harder for him, especially without an off season. I have heard recently that the team is very high on Arkin and has the same belief in him i do, that he will become an NFL starter. If Arkin can develop in the weight room, look for him to compete with the veterans for a starting spot, and to be no worse than a backup (no more practice squad).

Derrick Dockery (Free Agent) - Another aging guard who has struggled with injuries, Dockery is an experienced player who played well in his two starts and should garner a training camp spot as an insurance policy against injuries and ineffective play.

Free Agent/Draft Options

Saints Guard & UFA Carl Nicks

Carl Nicks (unrestricted free agent - Saints) - Nicks is the guard that has all the Cowboys fans talking, and for good reason. He is by far the best free agent guard (and possibly the best free agent lineman overall) and with the Saints already committing big money to their other guard Jahri Evans and having Drew Brees and Marques Colston as unrestricted free agents, it looks like Nicks will be playing in a new uniform next year.

As a 27 year old All-Pro just entering his prime, Nicks will demand/land a contract that rivals (and in all likelihood will exceed), current teammate Evans and Patriots guard Logan Mankins recent bank busting of between $8-9 million per year on a 6-7 year deal.

With no major weaknesses in his game that I can see, he will be worth it. The Cowboys have the cap room and Jerry Jones has never shied away from spending money on guards in free agency (see:  Marco Rivera, Leonard Davis, & Kyle Kosier). The wildcard in the "Carl Nicks Sweepstakes" that may help Dallas could be his connection to new offensive line coach Bill Callahan who recruited and coached him at Nebraska.

Other notable free agents:  Ben Grubbs(Ravens), Chilo Rachal(Niners), Jake Scott(Titans), Deuce Lutui(Cardinals)

Stanford Guard David DeCastro

There are a lot of mock drafts that currently have the Cowboys using their first round pick on the consensus No. 1 Guard in the draft, Stanford's David DeCastro, which is hard to argue with as DeCastro appears to be one of the safer players in the draft. Coming from Stanford's pro-style offense, DeCastro will be one of the top guards in the NFL the day he is drafted, as he displays excellent awareness/instincts and is very good whether he is blocking in traffic or space. He displays lots of hustle, always blocking to the whistle.

The other viable draft option is to take a "second tier" guard with their second or third pick where Georgia's Cordy Glenn, Wisconsin's Kevin Zeitler, or Wake Forest's Joe Looney should be available.

2012 Outlook

So what should the Cowboys do at the guard position for 2012? While many fans, radio people, bloggers, analysts, etc. are saying they should either draft DeCastro with their first round pick or pay big money to Nicks in free agency, I believe they should stand pat with what they have.

The Cowboys have MUCH bigger problems than guard, in fact it is not even their biggest need on the offensive line (Center is), and the guard play this past season was above average once Holland returned to the team healthy and in shape. And from everything I have heard, the team believes they have a starting caliber guard in Arkin, and see potential in Nagy. So develop those two and bring back one (or a mix of) the veterans that are still playing well (Kosier, Holland, & Dockery).

I think we can all agree that the money and draft picks need to be used to fix the secondary, defensive line, center and/or for another pass rusher to take the pressure off of DeMarcus Ware. This team has a lot of holes/weak spots and they cannot all be addressed in one off season, so take care of the areas with the biggest deficiencies first.  With all that said, I cannot disagree with upgrading if Nicks or Grubbs is available for a good price, OR taking DeCastro at fourteen if he is the highest rated player their board.

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Doug Free is "Free" to leave the Cowboys

Ok, I know I need some work in the headline department, but with the deadline passing for teams to use the "Franchise tag" on players I was very surprised to see that the Cowboys did not tag Doug Free.

Doug Free was drafted in the 4th round (122nd overall) in the 2007 draft out of Northern Illinois.  He barely played at all (partially due to a back injury) until 2009, in that year he came in at right tackle and played the last 7 games of the regular season for Marc Colombo after he broke his leg.  While offensive line play largely goes unnoticed, everyone noticed when the Cowboys lined up against the Vikings in that playoff game.  Colombo was back off the injured list from his broken leg and even though he hadn't played in weeks, and Doug Free was doing an exceptional job at RT, the Cowboys still started Colombo over him.  In that game Colombo was apparently not fully recovered because I believe he gave up no less than 3 sacks and 4-5 QB hurries against the Viking's 2nd best defensive end (Ray Edwards).  Somebody with more time than me can check those stats.  Doug Free does not get a free pass for that game though because Flozell Adams went out early with a calf injury and Free replaced him at left tackle and he struggled with Jared Allen.  I cut him some slack since he had been playing on the opposite side with different techniques for the majority of the season and it is difficult to come in and play the opposite side against one of the premier pass rushers in the league. After the season the Cowboys had seen enough of Doug Free and how good he could be to release Flozell Adams and move Free to the 2nd most important position on the field, Left Tackle, protecting the franchise QB's blind side.

While the 2010 season was a huge disappointment for the Cowboys and especially the offensive line, the one bright spot was Doug Free.  He was the anchor and most reliable part of the Cowboys offensive line, and he was doing it at the most important position.  If you look at the rest of their offensive line it goes something like this:
Left Guard-Kyle Kosier - 2nd best lineman last year, 32 years old, very good pulling guard, contract expired, has trouble staying healthy, if they cannot get Logan Mankins (must be new CBA first) and don't draft instant help then they should sign him to a 1-year "prove you can stay healthy" deal.
Center-Andre Gurode - 32 years old, earned a Pro Bowl berth based on reputation, has declined rapidly the past 2 seasons.  I believe he is still a good center and that his decline is largely based on having to help Kosier's replacements at LG and constantly having to help Leonard Davis on the other side of him because Davis is constantly getting beat.
Right Guard-Leonard Davis - 32 years old, looks to be overweight the last 2 seasons and not worth the big money that he is due anymore.  Whether its weight or just getting old, Davis's problem is he gets beat off the line consistently.  Against the 4-3 defenses the 3-technique is past him and in the backfield before he even gets out of his stance.  The only thing he does good anymore is head on blocking when the guy is right in front of him.
Right Tackle-Marc Colombo - 32 years old, to slow getting off the line, it looks like all the injuries he has had in his career are finally catching up to him.  I don't see much use for Colombo anymore on the Cowboys, he is to slow to play tackle and I do not think he is strong or big enough to play guard.  They need to cut their losses.

Back to the original reason I started this post, why not place the franchise tag on Doug Free?  He plays the second most important position on the offense, is young at only 27 years old, just coming into his prime.  When I compare him to the other top notch young LT's in this league I only see Cleveland's Joe Thomas as being definitely better.  I see him being on the same level as Miami's Jake Long (maybe a little better) and he is definitely better than the Raven's Michael Oher.  The only reason he is not a bigger name is because he was drafter in the 4th round and they are all 1st round picks.  Many of you may be thinking "they did not franchise him because of the $$$ it would take".  Well the franchise tag for O-linemen this year is about $10 million which is a good number for a franchise left tackle, and just because they franchise him does not mean they have to pay him all that.  It just means that if he leaves the Cowboys get 2 first round draft picks and they have the right to work out a long term contract with him.  Now it looks like they are going to let him hit the open market where he will be the #1 free agent offensive lineman and there are plenty of teams that will pay a lot of money to have a true franchise left tackle protecting the face of their franchise.  Of course Jerry Jones will probably beat any deal out there, but why risk it, why would you let someone have the opportunity to run the price up?  Franchise left tackle's don't walk through the door every day....

What will probably happen is the Cowboys will tender him with the highest tender, meaning he can negotiate with other teams and the Cowboys have the right to match any offer he receives.  If they do not match the offer then they will receive a 1st & 3rd round draft pick as compensation, while that seems like a lot, look at the Cowboys history of drafting and developing offensive lineman....its bad.  The last homegrown offensive lineman that was any good was Larry Allen, next is Andre Gurode and it took a long time for him to develop and he has only had 1 or 2 real good years.  Cowboys fans better hope that Doug Free is not allowed to go 'Free"....yea it was a bad pun