The Dallas Cowboys have touched down in Oxnard for training camp. Excitement is through the roof after a productive offseason spent revamping the defense. However, it didn't take long for fans to bust out the panic meter.
As is tradition, multiple players caught up with reporters upon getting off the plane, including left guard Tyler Smith and veteran safety Malik Hooker. Smith has a strong case to be crowned Dallas' best overall player, and yet he doesn't know where he'll be lining up in camp (h/t Jon Machota, The Athletic).
“We’ll see what happens," Smith said. "Ultimately, Schotty makes those decisions. Wherever I line up, I’m going (to play) to the best of my abilities.”
It's easy to get worked up after reading that. The Cowboys didn't inform their $80 million guard where he'd be playing? Great. Same old Cowboys. Before players could even unpack their luggage in Oxnard, Dallas had already manufactured an unnecessary distraction. So much for the momentum stemming from the team's least dramatic offseason in years.
That's wasted energy, folks. This isn't a big deal.
Dallas Cowboys fans shouldn't overreact to Tyler Smith's uncertainty
The Cowboys announced a left tackle competition, but Brian Schottenheimer only mentioned Tyler Guyton, Nate Thomas, and Drew Shelton as the contenders. If Smith was going to play a part, don't you think Schotty would have confirmed that ahead of time?
That omission may have been intentional. If the goal is to push Guyton, why tell him before camp that Smith is only an emergency option? Let him believe he has to beat out one of the best offensive linemen in the NFL. That should only bring out the best version of Guyton.
Furthermore -- and most importantly -- Smith said in May he and the team had "great conversations" about his long-term position.
"We had great conversations about it," Smith said. "I have an understanding of what it is. That's the most I can ask for is to just have that understanding early on. Obviously, I've got the utmost faith that we're going to go out there, and we're going to do what we're going to do. Ultimately, I'll be in the position I need to be in. I'm good with where we're at."
Tyler Smith's ability to play LT is a break-glass-in-case-of-emergency option
That doesn't mean Dallas has ruled out moving Smith to left tackle. If Guyton gets injured again and Thomas and Shelton don't impress, it might be the only option. It seems that was communicated and that both parties are on the same page.
Smith has logged well over 1,000 snaps at left tackle since entering the league in 2022, though his rookie season does most of the heavy lifting. Filling in for the injured Tyron Smith, he played 1,022 snaps at the position that year, per Pro Football Focus advanced stats. He's added another 307 snaps over the last two seasons, including starting the final three games of 2025.
A three-time Pro Bowler at left guard, Smith is a much better guard than a left tackle. However, having someone of his caliber as an emergency option at left tackle is a luxury few teams can match.
It's only natural to panic when your All-Pro guard says he doesn't know where he'll be playing. Unless Smith's first rep on Wednesday comes at left tackle, though, this is much ado about nothing.
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