Dallas Cowboys Final Roster Prediction: Offensive Line
How will the Dallas Cowboys address their offseason losses along the league’s scariest positional group, their offensive line?
The Dallas Cowboys offensive line is one of the most dominate and scariest in the NFL. But that powerful group lost a bit of their wattage over the offseason, with starting right tackle Doug Free retiring and starting left guard Ronald Leary joining the Denver Broncos in free agency.
So how will the Cowboys ultimately decide to fill those voids? With final cuts happening in the next two days, we’ll likely know the answer. In the meantime, here’s our prediction on who makes the final 53-man roster and who gets an unwanted visit from the Turk soon.
Offensive Line
Who’s in?
Analysis:
In order to address their losses along the offensive line, the Cowboys have cemented former left guard La’el Collins to start at right tackle in place of Free. Although Collins is still struggling with some of the nuances of the position, like keeping his hands too high, Dallas has every confidence he’ll be a stalwart at the position.
As for the starting left guard spot, the favorite appears to be Jonathan Cooper. But don’t be surprised to see Chaz Green or Joe Looney to get the nod if the former first round bust struggles. I envision Green being the Cowboys swing tackle, with Looney being able to play center as well as guard as a backup.
The final spot on the depth chart goes to Byron Bell on our list, but the Cowboys really love Emmett Cleary for some reason. So don’t be surprised if Cleary is named to the active roster instead. And there is always the chance Dallas finds a better left guard option on the waiver wire or via free agency in the next couple days.
Who’s out?
- Emmett Cleary
- Ross Burbank
- Dan Skipper
- Kadeem Edwards
- Nate Theaker
- Clay DeBord
Analysis:
Again, Cleary is the one name on this list we believe could make the final 53. And both Ross Burbank and Dan Skipper are definitely practice squad candidates if they pass through waivers.
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Final Word:
With three perennial Pro Bowlers along their offensive line, the Dallas Cowboys only needed to find some solid role players to patch the holes left by Doug Free and Ronald Leary. La’el Collins is more than a patch and could thrive at right tackle. But questions remain when it comes to that starting left guard spot. That could be the one area along this O-line that everyone will be worried about this season.