Will the Dallas Cowboys offensive line struggle in 2017?

Missing two starters from last year’s team, will the Dallas Cowboys offensive line struggle even with three perennial Pro Bowlers still in place.

Since selecting USC left tackle Tyron Smith with the ninth overall selection in the 2011 NFL Draft, the Dallas Cowboys have been dedicated to building the best offensive line in the league.

Throw in two more first round selections in Wisconsin center Travis Frederick in 2013 and Notre Dame right guard Zack Martin in 2014, and the Cowboys employ a trio of lineman that have a combined ten Pro Bowl appearances between them.

So when the Cowboys lost two starters along that O-line this offseason, many fans didn’t even blink. With three All-Pros cemented along the line, all of whom are still only 26-year old each, what is there really to worry about? Well, maybe more than you think.

This offseason, the Cowboys lost starting left guard Ronald Leary to free agency. Leary went undrafted out of Memphis in 2012 mainly due to a degenerative left knee condition that could ultimately limit his pro career. But during his five seasons in Dallas, the 27-year old started 47 games.

After being replaced in the starting lineup by La’el Collins in 2015, Leary requested a trade out of Dallas. But instead the Cowboys opted to keep the experienced lineman for depth last year. And that paid off big for Leary, as the veteran resumed his starting role at left guard after Collins suffered a toe injury in Week Three that landed him on Injured Reserve.

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Leary made the most of his opportunity, cashing in big this offseason signing a four-year, $36 million deal to join the Denver Broncos. Collins is expected to resume his role at starting left guard in Dallas this offseason.

The other starting lineman the Cowboys lost was right tackle Doug Free. The 33-year old leader of this close-knit group announced his intentions to retire after a 10-year career in Dallas. If Free does indeed follow through and actually hangs up his cleats, the Cowboys will look to former 2015 third round selection Chaz Green and newly signed free agent Byron Bell to compete for the starting role.

But even with this offensive line at full strength, it still allowed former starting quarterback Tony Romo to be injured numerous times in recent years, ultimately leading to his retirement earlier this month.

Although those injuries also speak to the frailty of their aging quarterback, the point is no offensive line is perfect. And one weak point, one mistake by this line could immediately end the Cowboys season. So filling the voids left by Leary and Free may not be as easy as one might think, even with three Pro Bowlers beside them.

"“But let’s not act like three great offensive linemen make a unit complete,” wrote longtime staff writer Nick Eatman on the Cowboys official website this week. “If memory serves, the Cowboys had a trio in the Pro Bowl for about three years straight in the late 2000s. Leonard Davis, Andre Gurode and Flozell Adams were all Hawaii-bound (or wherever they played the game) on a regular basis. And yes, the Cowboys were pretty good on offense during those years, but I don’t remember people saying they were the best in the league.”"

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The fact the current Cowboys feature a mobile quarterback in Dak Prescott and the league’s best running back in Ezekiel Elliott will certainly help when it comes to this offensive line once again earning their moniker as the best positional group in the NFL. But they are only as good as their weakest link. As a Cowboys fan, I’d be watching the development of some of these young lineman very closely this offseason. Just because they play beside a Pro Bowler doesn’t make them one.

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