Dallas Cowboys Doug Free will retire; Who will replace him?
Longtime Dallas Cowboys starting right tackle Doug Free has announced his intentions to retire. What will the team do to fill his void?
For years, Dallas Cowboys fans have been wishing for the team to replace starting right tackle Doug Free along the offensive line. But the veteran seems to come up big at certain times and has always been able to retain his starting role. Well, fans. Be careful what you wish for.
On Saturday, ESPN’s Todd Archer reported that Free now plans to retire. The move will give Dallas $5-million in additional cap space. And now that the 10-year veteran is moving on, the Cowboys will be forced to find a replacement this offseason.
The Cowboys will have another hole to fill. Right tackle Doug Free has informed the team he intends to retire,... https://t.co/7zMI9vmnG3
— Todd Archer (@toddarcher) March 11, 2017
Free was originally a fourth round selection out of Northern Illinois back in 2007. He’s been a starter for the Cowboys ever since 2009.
According to NFLpenalties.com, the 33-year old lineman was the most penalized player on Dallas’ roster last season. Free committed a total of eight infractions in 2016. Five penalties for offensive holding, three false starts and one called for a face mask grab.
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With fellow starting offensive lineman Ronald Leary being signed away in free agency by the Denver Broncos earlier this week, the Cowboys now have two major holes to fill along their O-line.
We know La’el Collins is destined to fill one of those voids. It was expected the former undrafted free agent out of LSU would resume his role as Dallas’ starting left guard after recovering from a toe injury. But following Free’s retirement announcement, Collins could be shifted to starting right tackle, a position he played in college.
Another possibility is that the Cowboys move starting right guard Zack Martin over to right tackle. But since the All-Pro has been named to the Pro Bowl every single season his been in the NFL at that position, changing Martin’s role now seems like an unwise move.
The Cowboys thought they addressed this need two years ago when they overreached to select Florida offensive lineman Chaz Green in the third round of the 2015 NFL Draft. But Green has proven to be nothing but injury prone during his time in Dallas.
Although Green showed potential last season in spot duty replacing Tyron Smith at starting left tackle, injuries continue to stifle his growth. The soon-to-be 25-year old lineman has played in a total of four games in two seasons.
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Although the Cowboys would love to pencil in Green at right tackle, they simply can not bank on him being able to play an entire season. I’d expect Dallas to find themselves an insurance plan or two via free agency and/or during the upcoming NFL Draft.