Cowboys most important 2022 camp battle isn’t what you are expecting

The Dallas Cowboys have a lot of question marks heading into the 2022-2023 season. In the midst of an offseason that has featured some big-name departures, there are quite a few positional battles for fans to keep their eye on. One that has been flying under the radar, but remains crucial to the Cowboys’ success this season has been the competition at swing tackle.

That’s right, it’s possible that the most important battle for playing time this offseason might not be from someone trying to crack the starting lineup. Instead, it’s to find an essential role player, whose poor play has burned Dallas time and time again over the past few seasons.

Tyron Smith’s health and Terence Steele’s play are going to be big storylines for the Cowboys this season

Left tackle Tyron Smith is an eight-time Pro Bowler and a near-lock to make the Hall of Fame when he retires. But he hasn’t played an entire year’s worth of games since 2015. In the past two seasons alone he’s made just 13 starts. When Smith plays, he’s still capable of being one of the NFL’s premier left tackles. However, injuries have been a consistent issue and the Cowboys need to be prepared to weather the storm of three or four games without him.

Last season, Terence Steele carved out playing time as the team’s swing tackle, but after the Cowboys released La’el Collins, Steele immediately became the starting right tackle. He played better last season than he did in his rookie year, but it’s safe to say he isn’t on the same level as Collins right now. How Steele holds up as the full-time starter with Collins now in Cincinnati will likely be a constant topic of conversation throughout 2022.

In recent seasons, veterans like Cam Erving, Cameron Fleming, and Ty Nsekhe have filled in at swing tackle to varying degrees of effectiveness. Undrafted free agent Brandon Knight also made 10 starts for the team over the last three seasons.  However, the Cowboys waived Knight last season.

Instead, they are going to look at younger players already on the roster. This year’s first-rounder Tyler Smith is likely the heir apparent at left tackle once Tyron Smith retires. But for now, the Cowboys will stick him at left guard and get him playing time.

It’s possible that if Tyron Smith is out for an extended period of time, the Cowboys could end up shifting Tyler Smith to left tackle and bringing in Connor McGovern to start at guard. However, I think it’s more likely that Dallas tries to keep Smith in one spot for his rookie season instead of throwing everything at him at once. Plus, when it comes to moving around linemen, we all know how much head coach Mike McCarthy hates playing “fantasy football.”

Having a good swing tackle is always important. But with Smith’s injury history and the question marks around Steele, it’s critical for the Cowboys in 2022. So, who will compete for the role? Let’s take a look.