3 reasons why the Cowboys should keep Tyron Smith
By Angel Torres
There are going to be major changes that come to this organization this offseason. But no matter what type of scheme the Cowboys want to run, having three tackles on your roster that can not only compete but are also versatile enough for multiple schemes is rare.
Replacing high-priced players with cheaper options because the drop-off isn’t as deep is something I am almost always in favor of, but not in this case. There are some linemen who get better with age. Check out this tweet from PFF back in December of 2016.
Highest-graded OTs:
— PFF (@PFF) December 21, 2016
1. Trent Williams, 92.4
2. Andrew Whitworth, 90.6
3. David Bakhtiari, 90.1
4. Jack Conklin, 89.5
5. Donald Penn, 88.5 pic.twitter.com/FCFUMMPtye
The NFC Championship game this weekend will feature Williams who is almost 2.5 years older than Smith, while Los Angeles Rams left tackle Andrew Whitworth is exactly nine years older than Smith. Both of those guys celebrating birthdays on the same day was news to me.
The top 15 highest paid left tackles in the game have a combined average age of 29 years old. Some of those same players have contracts that run through the 2027 NFL season.
Smith won’t turn 32, so calls for him to be replaced ranks towards the bottom of things to even consider looking into this off-season. Yes, it would be nice to get cap relief down the road but with a salary cap expected to spike, I cannot agree with fans on this topic.
Smith should be celebrated by this franchise and its fan base. Anything else should be cast out as troll food.
