The Dallas Cowboys kicked off roster cutdown weekend with a bang, sending third- and sixth-round picks in 2027 to the Pittsburgh Steelers for offensive tackle Broderick Jones and a 2027 fourth-round selection.
It's a trade that Dallas had to make. Not only is Jones an upgrade over Drew Shelton and the recently traded Nate Thomas, but the Cowboys also expect him to compete at right tackle with Terence Steele. He needs to tack on more muscle mass following spinal fusion surgery before he's ready to play, but Steele should already be looking over his shoulder.
That's not the only hurdle Jones needs to clear. Per Brian Schottenheimer, Dallas is "retraining" some techniques that Jones was taught, presumably in Pittsburgh (h/t Nicole Hutchison, DallasCowboys.com).
"... He’s doing terrific," Schottenheimer said. "There are some techniques he’s been taught that we’re having to retrain, and usually it takes a minute, but in terms of the athlete and young man, I’m sold."
Excuse me? What are they doing in Pittsburgh?
The Cowboys are 'retraining' the techniques Broderick Jones learned with the Steelers
Let's start by giving the Cowboys credit for identifying why Jones hasn't lived up to his first-round billing.
And to be fair, this isn't all on the Steelers. Jones has to take his share of the blame, too. Between crossing his feet (how does that even happen?), being unbalanced at the point of attack, and inconsistent hand placement, his film is littered with poor technique and footwork. Kind of makes you wonder what the Steelers were actually teaching him.
You can't undo habits like that overnight, but Klayton Adams and offensive line coach Conor Riley have earned enough benefit of the doubt to think they'll clean it up.
Schottenheimer may not have intended to shade the Steelers, but it absolutely comes off as a bad look for the Cowboys' cross-conference rival. Anytime you say a player has been taught techniques that "we're having to retrain," you're at least questioning his prior team's development pipeline.
The counterargument is that the Steelers have plenty of offensive line success stories in recent years.
Troy Fautanu, a 2024 first-round pick, took Jones' job at left tackle. Zach Frazier, a second-rounder that same year, has become a rock-solid center, while fourth-round pick Mason McCormick has developed into a capable starting guard. Even 2023 seventh-round pick Spencer Anderson has earned enough trust to start at left guard.
Playing one position (RT) may be key to remedying Broderick Jones' struggles
That makes Jones' lack of development all the more puzzling. Clearly, the Steelers are doing something right. But Schottenheimer also didn't mince words about what needs to be cleaned up.
When asked what went wrong in Pittsburgh, Jones cited "bouncing around [positions]" as a "challenge." He played right tackle during his first two seasons before switching to left tackle in 2025.
Here's a look at Jones' snap breakdown through three seasons (via Pro Football Focus):
- 2023: 635 snaps at LT, 122 at LT
- 2024: 1,059 snaps at RT, 7 at LT
- 2025: 0 snaps at RT, 632 at LT
The Cowboys are eliminating that problem from the equation.
Jones will work exclusively at right tackle, where he'll back up Terence Steele initially, with a chance to eventually take his job. Meanwhile, practice squad pickup Wanya Morris is expected to be Tyler Guyton's backup at left tackle.
It's possible that bouncing between RT and LT stripped away the muscle memory and repetition that Jones needed to hone his technique, leading to stunted development. The positions require completely different footwork, weight distribution, and hand placement.
Whatever it is, the Cowboys have seemingly identified the problem, and Schottenheimer didn't mind letting the world know that the Steelers may be to blame.
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