Are Cowboys trying to address OL before draft with latest free agent visit?

Even before the Dallas Cowboys made the decision to cut La’el Collins and let Connor Williams get picked up by the Miami Dolphins, America’s Team needed offensive line help. With those losses, the necessity became even more glaring. There seems to be a general consensus that the Cowboys will go with an offensive lineman with their 24th overall pick, especially since Jerry Jones admitted the position is a priority.

However, there are several other gaps to fill on this team (linebacker, wide receiver, defensive line, etc). Could the Cowboys be going in another direction with their No. 24 selection? A recent free-agent visit may imply that the front office is trying to address the problem outside of the prospect list. On Friday, several journalists reported that the Cowboys brought former Los Angeles Chargers and Indianapolis Colts offensive tackle Sam Tevi to The Star for a visit.

Because America’s Team only has one first-round pick and it comes pretty late (assuming they don’t trade), fans have been wondering why so few truly effective offseason moves have been made. Ryan Nall, James Washington, and Dante Fowler Jr. (the three external signings thus far) are all depth-like additions that address special teams, wide receivers, and the defensive line. Could Tevi bring another body to act as a swing tackle in order to help Terence Steele and Tyron Smith at tackle?

According to Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News, no deals have been made yet and the visit seemed to be mostly a medical check-in for Tevi’s recently torn ACL.

The Cowboys bring in OT Sam Tevi for a free-agent visit to potentially help fill offensive line holes

Tevi is a Dallas native who was signed by the Chargers in the sixth round of the 2017 NFL Draft. He played for four years with the Chargers starting in 44 games and playing in 58 total. In his final year with Los Angeles, he started 14 games at left tackle.

After finishing his rookie contract, the tackle was picked up by the Colts on a one-year deal. Unfortunately, Tevi tore his ACL just before the start of the 2021 season in the team’s final preseason game against the Detroit Lions. He never played a game for Indy.

Is Tevi a big-time name that will bring a huge boost to Dallas? Arguably not. However, given the offseason signings the Cowboys have made thus far, he seems to be right in line with the external free agents the team has chosen to add to the roster. Given the 27-year-old will be more of a depth player, it’s hard to say that if Dallas does choose to sign him that any gaps or issues will truly be resolved.