From where Terence Steele sat, it seemed like a whole lot of nothing just a week or so ago when the Dallas Cowboys began reshuffling the depth at offensive tackle. Neither Nate Thomas nor Drew Shelton was going to take his job; Brian Schottenheimer just wanted more consistency from him.
But life moves incredibly fast in the NFL. Cowboys fans wanted another offensive tackle to put their minds at rest, and Jerry Jones came through with a trade for Broderick Jones. The obvious tentacle of that move was that Thomas' days in Dallas were numbered. Thomas was then traded on Sunday.
However, the Broderick Jones acquisition doesn't feel like nothing for Steele anymore, especially not after Schottenheimer told the media that the two were competing. For good measure, the Cowboys also added a veteran tackle in Wanya Morris, which was a clever move. Maybe another warning, too
Cowboys' Wanya Morris practice squad signing is a warning to Terence Steele
Morris was signed to the Dallas practice squad on Monday, according to NFL Network's Mike Garafolo. While this may not seem like a big deal, the Cowboys now have five offensive tackles in the building and counting, which isn't exactly a vote of confidence for Steele, whose job is on the line.
Earlier this offseason, Morris was traded to the Atlanta Falcons. But an injury allowed other young offensive tackles to pass him up, and he was eventually waived when he had no clear role with Kevin Stefanski and Co in the NFC South. Perhaps a change of scenery is just what the young player needs.
In his first three seasons, Morris played in 43 games for the Kansas City Chiefs, starting in 16. He's been heavily penalized at times, but he played major reps for a Super Bowl-winning and contending team. That is not insignificant.
Although Morris has some skin on the wall in the NFL and was a third-round pick in 2023, Steele should still be able to beat him out, no problem. But if things get dicey at all for Steele at any point during the season, then Morris is an ace in the hole for the Cowboys' coaching staff.
New Cowboy Broderick Jones is apparently competing with Terence Steele
And let's not forget that Schottenheimer made it clear to reporters that Broderick Jones, the team's other new addition at tackle, is fully in competition with Steele for the starting spot on the right side. The Cowboys' coaching staff seems thrilled to have Jones.
"So, to be very clear, Broderick's a guy [with] a lot of talent. [The Pittsburgh Steelers] moved him around on the left and the right side. When we made the trade, the first thing I did was I reached out to Terence Steele," Schottenheimer explained.
"[I] told Terence that Broderick's coming here to compete with him to be the starting right tackle. We're not going to move Broderick around. As you guys can imagine, Terence Steele was the ultimate pro. ... Broderick will be competing with Terence to be the starting right tackle of this football team."
It may seem crazy to add a player less than two weeks before the start of the 2026 NFL season and expect them to learn the playbook quickly enough that they are in serious consideration to play important reps. But that seems to be the scenario with Jones in Dallas.
Now, it is entirely possible that this is just a motivational tactic for Steele. But that's what we said last time. Sooner or later, you have to look at the Cowboys' actions and realize that they are fully prepared for a scenario in which Steele doesn't perform well.
With the additions of Jones and Morris, Schottenheimer and Klayton Adams have hedged their bets on Steele not meeting expectations. Dallas isn't exactly signing or trading for a bunch of wide receivers or defensive tackles at this point, so let's call this what it is.
Steele could easily stave off the competition brought on by Morris and Jones and be the cornerstone player that Cowboys fans have seen him be at times. Or he could crumble under the pressure and be the weak link that fans have also seen at times.
Regardless of how it pans out, the acquisitions of Morris and Jones are a warning for Steele. Schottenheimer's comments about there being true competition at right tackle only thicken the plot down in Dallas with opening weekend on the horizon.
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