The Cowboys may have one of the league’s better offenses again, but there’s still one spot that could shape everything: left tackle.
That’s where Tyler Guyton and Nate Thomas are set to battle for Dak Prescott’s blindside, and it’s the kind of competition that could spill well beyond training camp. As Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated put it, it’s a battle worth watching closely because of what it could mean for the whole offense:
"One of the biggest position battles in any camp is Tyler Guyton vs. Nate Thomas to be the Cowboys’ left tackle. If Brian Schottenheimer and Klayton Adams can make that spot a strength, then the line can be the team’s foundation, and Dak Prescott will have everything he needs around him to have a career year," Breer wrote.
On paper, Guyton should have the edge. He was a first-round pick, and the Cowboys have invested time in developing him, even if he remains very much a work in progress. The talent is there, but so are the issues that have made this job anything but settled.
His rookie year came with missed games and too many mistakes. He was flagged 18 times, though there were moments when his pass protection flashed enough promise to keep the hope alive.
Year 2 didn’t bring the kind of leap the Cowboys wanted. A knee injury wiped out his training camp, and he still allowed 31 pressures, according to Pro Football Focus.
That leaves the door open for Thomas, who will get chances to make this a real fight. If Guyton can’t stay disciplined and locked in, the Cowboys may not have much choice but to keep pressing the issue.
And this is no small detail for a team that believes it can score in bunches. With Brian Schottenheimer helping bring out the best in Prescott, a healthy Javonte Williams, and an elite receiver group, Dallas has the pieces to pile up points and yards.
But none of that matters much if the line can’t hold up. The winner of the left tackle battle won’t just be protecting Prescott’s blind side - he could end up helping set the tone for the entire offense. For Guyton, it may be the last chance to turn first-round expectations into something real.
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Cowboys May Have Found A Bigger Weapon Than Fans Realized
Ryan Flournoy spent the kind of season that can quietly change a receivers trajectory, even if it did not start that way. After being released during roster cuts, he fought his way back into the picture and finished as the Cowboys third wide receiver by midseason, a notable climb for a player who entered the year buried on the depth chart. His final line, 40 catches for 475 yards and four touchdowns, hints at how quickly he became more than a depth piece.
What makes Flournoy worth watching now is how much room there still seems to be for the growth to continue. He has looked sharper in spring practices, with more confidence in the offense and a better grasp of the playbook, and the numbers from his target profile suggest there is substance behind the rise. He was productive when the ball came his way and showed a knack for turning catches into extra yards, which is the sort of skill set that can earn a bigger role if the momentum carries into camp. [Read more 🡒]
Cowboys Camp Clues Already Point To Two Huge Answers
Junes OTAs and mandatory minicamp did not settle every Cowboys question, but they did sketch out a few important trends before training camp opens July 29. George Pickens has been in the building and working with Dak Prescott, while Tyler Guyton has been getting the first-team looks at left tackle, a strong sign the Cowboys are leaning toward him as the starter. On the defensive side, DeMarvion Overshown has handled the green dot work in practice, and the secondary continues to sort through several moving pieces.
There is still real competition in the back end, though, especially at the boundary corner spot opposite DaRon Bland, where Shavon Revel, Cobie Durant and Caelen Carson are all in the mix. Caleb Downs has also added more layers to his role, with work at slot cornerback, safety and on special teams, which suggests the Cowboys are still figuring out where his best fit is. Camp should bring more clarity, but for now the early clues already point toward a few answers Dallas was hoping to find. [Read more 🡒]
Giants Spent Big And Still Handed Dak A Week 1 Opening
The Giants have spent heavily this offseason, nearly $200 million by one count, with Paulson Adebo headlining the upgrades on the back end. Even so, the cornerback room still looks like a work in progress, and that matters because Dallas is set up to test it early. Adebo is viewed as the top corner, but he missed five games last season and the coverage numbers that followed him raise obvious questions about how steady that side of the field will be.
The bigger issue is what happens across from him, where the Giants still have not settled on a starter. Greg Newsome II, Colton Hood and Deonte Banks are all in the mix, which leaves New York trying to sort out a key spot right as Dak Prescott and the Cowboys' offense come into view. For a defense that has already invested so much, the opener has a way of revealing whether the spending bought stability or just created a different kind of uncertainty. [Read more 🡒]