The Cowboys have a left tackle problem hanging over them, and Brian Schottenheimer isn’t eager to solve it by shuffling the whole line around.
Tyler Guyton has done little to inspire confidence after two NFL seasons marked by injury and inconsistency, and Dallas never got the kind of summer competition it wanted. Nate Thomas was supposed to push him for the starting job, but he never showed enough improvement to make that happen. That left Guyton with the role by default, which is hardly the clean answer the Cowboys were hoping for.
If Guyton falters again in 2026, Tyler Smith is on the list of fallback options. Just not at the top of it, according to Schottenheimer.
“I don't like to move people, if that makes sense,” Schottenheimer told reporters on Friday night. “You'd rather not move two people, meaning if you bump [Smith] to [left tackle], you'd have to bump somebody in. So I'd rather not do it.”
That matters because sliding Smith out to left tackle would force Dallas to fill the left guard spot, and T.J. Bass is the name that would likely step in there. Schottenheimer acknowledged that “all options are open,” but made it clear that moving Smith to left tackle “wouldn't be the first.”
Instead, Dallas has spent the offseason sorting through the swing tackle competition between Drew Shelton and Thomas. Schottenheimer has spoken positively about both, though he also said he wants to review the film before making any firm judgment.
“I think we feel good about our tackle group. I think I want to see the film to see how Nate did,” Schotty stated.
“Nate and Drew have been competing. I want to see the film (of preseason Week 3), but we had a couple really good days.”
The tape, though, has given plenty of reason for concern. Shelton rebounded some in preseason Week 3, but he was a liability in the first two exhibition games, allowing seven pressures and one sack.
Thomas has been a little steadier, giving up two pressures, but his Pro Football Focus grades sit at 60.6 in pass blocking and 54.9 in run blocking. And those numbers came against non-starters.
Thomas also struggled when he saw action last season, allowing 23 pressures and three sacks in 342 snaps.
Broderick Jones, acquired via trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday, hasn’t exactly changed the mood either. He’s been a disappointment for much of his career, and that showed this preseason when he gave up three sacks and five pressures in three games, before PFF.
So while Smith may not be Dallas’ first idea for a Guyton replacement, the case for him is obvious. The Cowboys need to keep Dak Prescott protected if they want any real shot at the playoffs, and a setup involving Smith and Bass is far more appealing than handing left tackle duties to Shelton, Thomas or Jones.
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