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2026 NFL Fifth-Year Option Tracker

April 25th, 2025 at 2:18pm CST by Sam Robinson

NFL teams have until May 1 to officially pick up fifth-year options on 2022 first-rounders. The 2020 CBA revamped the option structure and made them fully guaranteed, rather than guaranteed for injury only. Meanwhile, fifth-year option salaries are now determined by a blend of performance- and usage-based benchmarks:

  • Two-time Pro Bowlers (excluding alternates) will earn the same as their position’s franchise tag
  • One-time Pro Bowlers will earn the equivalent of the transition tag
  • Players who achieve any of the following will receive the average of the third-20th-highest salaries at their position:
    • At least a 75% snap rate in two of their first three seasons
    • A 75% snap average across all three seasons
    • At least 50% in each of first three seasons
  • Players who do not hit any of those benchmarks will receive the average of the third-25th top salaries at their position

We covered how last year’s Pro Bowl invites affected the 2022 first-round class. With the deadline looming, we will use the space below to track all the 2026 option decisions from around the league:

  1. DE/OLB Travon Walker, Jaguars ($14.75MM): Exercised
  2. DE/OLB Aidan Hutchinson, Lions ($19.87MM): Exercised
  3. CB Derek Stingley Jr., Texans ($17.6MM): Extended through 2029
  4. CB Sauce Gardner, Jets ($20.19MM): Exercised
  5. OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux, Giants ($14.75MM): Exercised
  6. T Ikem Ekwonu, Panthers ($17.56MM): Exercised
  7. T Evan Neal, Giants ($16.69MM): Declined
  8. WR Drake London, Falcons ($16.82MM)
  9. T Charles Cross, Seahawks ($17.56MM): Exercised
  10. WR Garrett Wilson, Jets ($16.82MM)
  11. WR Chris Olave, Saints ($15.49MM): Exercised
  12. WR Jameson Williams, Lions ($15.49MM): Exercised
  13. DT Jordan Davis, Eagles ($12.94MM)
  14. S Kyle Hamilton, Ravens ($18.6MM)
  15. G Kenyon Green, Eagles* ($16.69MM)
  16. WR Jahan Dotson, Eagles** ($16.82MM): Declined
  17. G Zion Johnson, Chargers ($17.56MM)
  18. WR Treylon Burks, Titans ($15.49MM): Likely to be declined
  19. T Trevor Penning, Saints ($16.69MM): Declined
  20. QB Kenny Pickett, Browns*** ($22.12MM): Declined
  21. CB Trent McDuffie, Chiefs ($17.6MM): Exercised
  22. LB Quay Walker, Packers ($14.75MM): Likely to be declined
  23. CB Kaiir Elam, Cowboys**** ($12.68MM)
  24. G Tyler Smith, Cowboys ($20.99MM): Exercised
  25. C Tyler Linderbaum, Ravens ($20.99MM)
  26. DE Jermaine Johnson, Jets ($13.92MM): Exercised
  27. LB Devin Lloyd, Jaguars ($14.75MM)
  28. DT Devonte Wyatt, Packers ($12.94MM)
  29. G Cole Strange, Patriots ($16.69MM)
  30. DE George Karlaftis, Chiefs ($15.12MM): Exercised
  31. DB Dax Hill, Bengals ($12.68MM): To be exercised
  32. S Lewis Cine, Vikings: N/A

* = traded from Texans on March 11, 2025
** = traded from Commanders on August 22, 2024
*** = traded from Eagles on March 15, 2024; traded from Steelers on March 10, 2025
**** = traded from Bills to Cowboys on March 12, 2025

Cowboys Expected To Pick Up Tyler Smith’s Fifth-Year Option

April 21st, 2025 at 1:58pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Cowboys will soon need to make a decision on Tyler Smith‘s fifth-year option. The team’s top offensive lineman can be counted on to remain in Dallas for at least two more years, though.

Smith’s 2026 option is expected to be picked up, Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News reports. The 24th overall pick in 2022 has one Pro Bowl nod on his resume. As a result, Smith will be in line to collect $21.27MM guaranteed for the ’26 campain in the likely event his option is exercised.

Of course, an extension could very well be in store as well. Smith is among the players known to be on the Cowboys’ radar for a long-term arrangement. The 24-year-old was drafted with the intention of starting his career along the interior, but an injury to Tyron Smith changed those plans. Tyler Smith spent much of his rookie campaign on the blindside and flashed the potential to operate as a long-term answer at left tackle.

The team’s preference is to keep the Tulsa product at guard, though, something which was the case in 2023. Last spring, Dallas selected Tyler Guyton in the first round of the draft and gave him a large workload at the left tackle spot. Smith primarily played at left guard, and with Guyton in place for the foreseeable future that setup can be expected to continue moving forward.

Offensive linemen are grouped together for the purposes of franchise tags, something which could lead to complications if team and player reached that point after the 2026 campaign. An extension could be in place well before that point, especially if Smith is seen as one of Dallas’ top priorities for a new deal. Micah Parsons is atop that list, and the process of working out his extension (as was the case last year with Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb) is widely seen as taking much longer than needed.

Considering the Cowboys’ track record on that front, it would come as little surprise if talks on a long-term agreement took place over an extended period. The top of the guard market now has four players attached to multi-year deals averaging $20MM or more per year, while Trey Smith is set to earn over $23MM on the franchise tag (or a similar amount if a Chiefs extension agreement can be worked out). A top-15 guard in terms of PFF grades each of the past two years, Tyler Smith could find himself among the top earners at his position by 2026 or sooner depending on how contract talks progress.

Cowboys Eyeing Tyler Smith, DaRon Bland, Jake Ferguson, Brandon Aubrey Extensions

April 3rd, 2025 at 9:19pm CST by Adam La Rose

Progress has been made regarding a Micah Parsons extension, although the Cowboys still have work to do on that front. Other candidates for new deals are on the team’s radar, and they could have agreements in place this offseason.

When speaking to the media at the league meetings, EVP Stephen Jones listed a quartet of extension candidates for the Cowboys (courtesy of The Athletic’s Jon Machota). Left guard Tyler Smith, cornerback DaRon Bland, tight end Jake Ferguson and kicker Brandon Aubrey are all targets for new deals. The first three players are members of Dallas’ 2022 draft class, while Aubrey has been in Dallas for the past two years.

“There are scenarios where we sit down, have a visit with them,” Jones said. “You got to have two sides to get a negotiation done. We are certainly look at that with those guys.”

Smith was drafted with the intention of starting at guard and then moving to the blindside to replace Tyron Smith. The latter’s hamstring tear during training camp led to a change of plans, though. Tyler Smith played primarily at left tackle out of necessity during his rookie season before moving back inside the following year. Dallas kept the former first-rounder at guard for the most part in 2024, left tackle Tyler Guyton‘s rookie campaign. If Guyton develops as hoped, Smith could remain in place along the interior for years to come.

The guard market has seen surges in recent years, and five players are now attached to an AAV of $20MM or more. Smith ranked 11th in PFF grade amongst guards in 2023, and slotted in at No. 15 at the position last year. A new deal at the top of the pecking order may not be in store for the 24-year-old, but he represents a logical candidate for a long-term investment. Presuming Dallas picks up Smith’s fifth-year option for 2026, he will be scheduled to receive $21.27MM.

Bland outperformed his draft stock during his first two seasons in particular. The former fifth-rounder racked up five interceptions as a rookie, then added nine (including an NFL-record five returned for touchdowns) to his total in 2023. Bland was limited to just seven games this past campaign, failing to record a pick along the way. That could hurt his value on a new pact, one which would give the Cowboys a pair of corners (Trevon Diggs being the other) on second contracts.

Ferguson assumed TE1 duties when Dalton Schultz departed in free agency in 2023. He quickly became a key figure on offense, registering 761 yards and five touchdowns on 71 catches. Ferguson, 26, faced high expectations entering this past season as a result. Across 14 games, however, he only managed 494 scoreless yards while the Cowboys dealt with many injuries on offense. A rebound in 2025 would help the Wisconsin product’s free agent value if he elected to test the market. Failing that, he could ink a deal keeping him atop the depth chart.

Aubrey’s arrival in Dallas paved the way for what has been a remarkable run of success so far. A former draftee of Major League Soccer’s Toronto FC, he won out the kicking role in 2023 and connected on 36 of 38 field goal tries. Aubrey saw his FG accuracy rate fall to 85.1% this past campaign, but he recorded a 65-yard field goal (one yard shy of matching the all-time record). At the age of 30, he would be counted on remain one of the league’s top kickers – a position which now features three $6MM-per-year players – in the event he inked a long-term deal. Aubrey could alternatively be retained next offseason via a restricted free agent tender.

Quarterback Dak Prescott, receiver CeeDee Lamb and (presuming an agreement is eventually reached) Parsons will account for major Cowboys cap commitments in 2025 and beyond. The quartet Jones named as important players to retain will also be in line for raises in the event some or all of them ink new pacts in the near future, though.

Cowboys LG Tyler Smith An Option To Replace Tyron Smith At LT

March 24th, 2024 at 6:11pm CST by Ely Allen

When the Cowboys saw long-time starting left tackle Tyron Smith sign with the Jets in free agency, we noted that third-year offensive lineman Tyler Smith was the easy answer to replace him as the starter at the position in 2024. It didn’t take long for Dallas to follow that same logic, with the team now toying with the idea of where the remaining Smith will line up next season, per David Moore of The Dallas Morning News.

Tyron Smith was allowed to walk as Cowboys owner/president/general manager Jerry Jones explained that the team couldn’t afford to keep him and risk paying on some of the incentives that the Jets had included in their contract for him, according to Clarence Hill Jr. of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. He also noted the possibility of kicking Tyler back out to tackle as Dallas prepares for the draft.

Tyler was drafted in the first round out of Tulsa two years ago with the intention that he would eventually replace Tyron. As injuries kept Tyron out for most of the 2022 season, Tyler heeded his calling much earlier than expected and started every game of his rookie season at left tackle in place of Tyron. Tyler excelled in the role, grading out as the 25th-best offensive tackle in the NFL, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), an impressive result for a rookie.

With Tyron back and healthy in 2023, Tyler shifted inside to left guard, where he would earn both Pro Bowl and second-team All-Pro honors and grade out as the league’s 11th-best guard, per PFF. So, the team will have to broach the question of whether Smith earned those honors because he’s simply another year more experienced or if he’s just better at guard than he is at tackle.

If the team shifts him back out to tackle, they will then be tasked with replacing Smith at left guard and replacing Tyler Biadasz, who signed with the rival Commanders, at center. Some believe that Smith could remain at left guard, and the team could use their No. 24 overall draft pick to select Tyron’s replacement at tackle. The team expects such tackle prospects as Oklahoma’s Tyler Guyton, Georgia’s Amarius Mims, and Washington’s Troy Fautanu to all be available by the time they’re on the clock.

It truly seems like Tyler Smith could excel at either position, and if that’s true, it may make more sense to keep him at guard, though that seems counterintuitive. Although left tackle is considered the more valuable position, the Cowboys seem to have a better chance at finding a strong starter at tackle in the draft than at guard. Solidifying Smith at guard while hitting a homerun in the draft would fill out four of the five positions on the line, leaving Dallas with one more piece to address.

Cowboys, La’el Collins Agree To Deal

January 3rd, 2024 at 6:50pm CST by Sam Robinson

JANUARY 3, 6:50pm: The Cowboys and Collins have officially come to an agreement, according to Jordan Schultz of Bleacher Report.

JANUARY 3, 11:00am: The Cowboys have not officially brought back Collins, with NFL.com’s Jane Slater indicating an agreement is not complete. Slater adds both sides want this to come to pass, but Mike McCarthy confirmed Wednesday the contract is not done.

Being a practice squad agreement, this deal does not bring much in terms of complications. McCarthy added (via The Athletic’s Jon Machota) the sides are “working through some things.” A Collins return appears likely, but it appears the particulars will take some time.

JANUARY 2: La’el Collins‘ lengthy free agency stay will end Tuesday. The visit Collins made to his original NFL home earlier today will result in a reunion. The Cowboys are bringing the veteran offensive lineman back, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero report.

This will be a practice squad deal, but it will be Collins’ first agreement since the Bengals cut him from their reserve/PUP list in September. Collins had met with the Jets, Giants and Bills (last week) since that separation but did not find a new gig. The Cowboys, who employed him from 2015-21, will step in and greenlight a return.

Initially signing Collins — a first-round-caliber talent who fell out of the 2015 draft due to an off-field concern at the time — as a UDFA, the Cowboys moved him from guard to right tackle early in his career and gave him two extensions to reward him for work at his second NFL position. Collins has been a right tackle regular for many years, though speedbumps have emerged during his career. This year qualifies, after the Bengals reconfigured their O-line without him in their first-string plans.

Collins operated as Dallas’ full-time right tackle from 2017-19 and again in 2021, though a PED suspension marred the final season of his first Cowboys stint. The team will sign off on a second stay, and Collins will represent insurance for a Cowboys team that has dealt with some injuries up front. Left guard Tyler Smith came out of Dallas’ Week 17 game with a full plantar fascia tear, ESPN.com’s Todd Archer notes. Tyron Smith and Zack Martin have dealt with maladies this year as well, though the former has logged 12 starts and has made a bigger contribution to this year’s Cowboys effort than last season’s.

Given a big-ticket extension this summer, Terence Steele — who suffered a torn ACL late last season — has not recaptured his pre-injury form just yet. Pro Football Focus ranks Steele in the bottom 10 among tackle regulars this season (75th), well off his quality 2022 performance that garnered the five-year, $82.5MM extension. The Cowboys plugged in Steele, a former UDFA, to succeed Collins last year — after the team designated the latter as a post-June 1 cut. Collins, 30, is set to return as insurance to close out what may still end up a lost year for the veteran blocker.

Tyler Smith has not been ruled out for Week 18, though Collins has not played guard in many years. The Cowboys slid the LSU alum to right tackle in 2017, and the Bengals did not consider kicking him back inside to accommodate the Orlando Brown Jr.. addition. Jonah Williams replaced Collins at RT this season. Collins has 86 starts on his resume but has not yet bounced back from the ACL and MCL tears he suffered in Week 16 of the 2022 season. The Cowboys made decent use of P-squad addition Jason Peters last season; Collins now resides in the veteran insurance role.

OL Notes: Smith, Texans, Rams, Bears

September 6th, 2023 at 11:17am CST by Sam Robinson

The Cowboys are going with a “best five” configuration up front, shifting course months after Jerry Jones discussed a plan of keeping Tyler Smith at tackle. Smith is back at guard, but he may not be a lock to start the season on time. The second-year blocker suffered a hamstring strain, David Moore of the Dallas Morning News tweets. Jones expects Smith to play in Week 1; the 2022 first-round pick did not miss a game last season. Dallas has lost its starting left guard in free agency in each of the past two offseasons, seeing Connor Williams and Connor McGovern defect to the AFC East.

One of the backup options, Josh Ball, is on IR. Ball is battling hip and groin pain, and the Morning News’ Michael Gehlken notes he is expected to miss around two months. A 2021 fourth-rounder, Ball is not expected to need surgery. The Cowboys kept eight O-linemen, with rookies Asim Richards and T.J. Bass joining Chuma Edoga as backups.

Here is the latest from NFL O-lines:

  • Texans right tackle Tytus Howard returned to practice earlier this week, working out with a cast on his injured left hand. While the fifth-year lineman is on the verge of returning, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson notes George Fant is expected to play in place of Howard in Week 1. Howard, who signed a Texans extension in July, underwent surgery to repair a broken hand in early August. Fant worked as a regular Jets starter — at left and right tackle — throughout the 2020 and ’21 seasons; injuries limited him to seven games last year.
  • Josh Jones filled in for D.J. Humphries as the Cardinals’ left tackle last season, but the recently traded blocker is back at guard. The Texans have Jones in place as their starting left guard going into the season, Wilson tweets. Jones is replacing 2022 first-rounder Kenyon Green, who is on season-ending IR. Jones spent the 2021 season as a primary Cardinals starting guard. The Texans will also be without center Juice Scruggs to start the season; the second-rounder is on short-term IR with a hamstring injury.
  • The Rams gave Joseph Noteboom a three-year, $40MM deal to replace Andrew Whitworth in 2022, but after another season-ending injury, Whitworth’s would-be heir apparent lost his job. The Rams are going with Alaric Jackson at left tackle, per The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue, who adds Noteboom is back at guard (subscription required). Noteboom worked at guard early in his career and was mentioned as a guard option this offseason, but he had played on the outside since becoming Los Angeles’ swing tackle in 2020. The Rams also added Kevin Dotson from the Steelers, and while Dotson has started 30 career games (including 17 last year), Rodrigue adds the team views him as a depth piece. A former UDFA, Jackson started six games last season before becoming one of the many Ram blockers forced off the field due to health issues. Blood clots ended Jackson’s 2022 slate.
  • Previously set to shift back to center, Cody Whitehair is at guard to start his eighth Bears season. Teven Jenkins‘ injury will shift Whitehair to left guard and Lucas Patrick to center, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune notes. Recent trade acquisition Dan Feeney is in place as Chicago’s backup center. Jenkins is on IR to start the season. Whitehair spent the past four seasons at guard but began his career with three slates at center. Patrick has played both guard and center. The 2022 free agency addition was ticketed to start at center last season, but injuries limited the ex-Packer to seven games.

Latest On Zack Martin’s Reworked Deal

August 16th, 2023 at 12:04pm CST by Ben Levine

AUGUST 16: This reworking will come out to $36.85MM guaranteed for Martin over the next two seasons, Archer tweets. The Cowboys already restructured Martin’s deal this offseason, and after authorizing this significant guarantee bump, the team may need to address the contract again in 2024. While Martin’s 2023 cap number checks in at $11.75MM — up $710K from where it was coming into this week — Archer adds the All-Pro guard’s 2024 cap hit is now $28.5MM (Twitter link). To secure this payout, Martin incurred $850K in fines for his holdout.

AUGUST 15: Zack Martin‘s holdout came to an end yesterday, with the Cowboys inking the lineman to a revised contract. The two sides finally broke their impasse this past weekend, with ESPN’s Todd Archer writing that Martin’s meeting with Jerry Jones this past weekend helped bridge the gap.

[RELATED: Cowboys, Zack Martin Agree To Revised Deal]

“He was great,” Martin told Archer. “We were able to have that one-on-one time, and I think that helped, just being able to talk face-to-face. I think ultimately that’s what made me feel more comfortable and how he felt more comfortable and then we started talking about this and numbers and where we eventually headed.”

Jones made it pretty clear that a Martin raise wasn’t atop the front office’s list of priorities, but the owner/GM was apparently instrumental in getting the new pact over the finish line. While Martin is still in the midst of a six-year, $84MM deal that once made him the NFL’s highest-paid guard, he’ll now get $36MM in guaranteed money over the next two years vs. the $27.5MM he was set to make.

“I just think I’ve been here a long time. I’ve accomplished some great things but just felt like where I was in the market that it’s something that had been deserved and felt strongly about it,” said Martin. “Obviously it took a little time, but I’m super grateful to the Joneses. Once we started talking and having that connection we were able to figure something out that worked for both of us.”

It sounds like guaranteed money was always the holdup. Martin told reporters today that he wasn’t looking to reset the market at his position (per Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News on Twitter). The veteran still ranks eighth at his position for average annual value, but his guaranteed money now ranks third (behind Chris Lindstrom and Quenton Nelson).

While Martin’s three-week absence has come to an end, the lineman will still have to wait for punishment regarding his holdout. As David Moore of the Dallas Morning News writes, the Cowboys are seeking clarification from the league office on whether the lineman will be fined for three off-days that took place during his absence. The Cowboys couldn’t forgive his $50K fines, meaning Martin is either facing punishment of $1M or $850K.

With Martin solidifying right guard, focus will shift to the other side of the line. As Moore writes in the same piece, the Cowboys feel good about Tyler Smith at LG despite the lineman having never played the position. However, the 2022 first-round pick could easily go back to his more natural OT position if Tyron Smith or Terence Steele suffer injuries.

Cowboys Rumors: LG, Elliott, Turpin

June 11th, 2023 at 7:53pm CST by Ely Allen

The Cowboys fielded a revolving door at left guard last year and, for now, it looks like it may continue revolving through the summer. According to Michael Gehlken of The Dallas Morning News, Dallas is looking into multiple possibilities to replace Connor McGovern, who departed for Buffalo in free agency back in March.

The favorite to man the newly open starting spot is Tyler Smith, who manned the position at times last season when he wasn’t at left tackle. With Tyron Smith back to healthy, Tyler can shift inside for good this season. The younger Smith embraced the opportunity to work at guard recently, asserting that being elite at both positions will ultimately help the team the most.

The Cowboys haven’t limited the versatility training to Smith. Gehlken reports that multiple other linemen have received time at both guard and tackle this offseason. Matt Farniok, who has worked mostly at interior line positions so far in Dallas, has been working outside. Chuma Edoga has worked at right tackle and left guard, as well. Even second-year lineman Matt Waletzko was approached by offensive line coach Mike Solari to work at guard for the first time in his life.

As of right now, it looks to be a starting lineup of Tyron Smith at left tackle, Tyler Smith at left guard, Tyler Biadasz at center, Zack Martin at right guard, and Terence Steele at right tackle. With Steele still coming back from a late season-ending ACL and MCL tear, many in the building would like to see Tyler Smith continue to develop at tackle. In the meantime, it seems that Dallas is keeping its options open for both positions.

Here are a few other rumors coming out of Arlington:

  • Rookie second-round tight end out of Michigan Luke Schoonmaker has been dealing with a plantar fascia issue, reportedly wearing a walking boot on his right foot last week. According to Jon Machota of The Athletic, Schoonmaker was out of the boot this week but was still limited to just sideline work. The injury isn’t considered serious, as he’s expected to be ready for the start of training camp, according to head coach Mike McCarthy.
  • Owner, president, and general manager Jerry Jones continues to leave the door open for a reunion with veteran running back Ezekiel Elliott, according to Machota. His son, and team CEO, Stephen Jones says that the team is looking into adding a bigger back. They signed fullback Hunter Luepke undrafted out of North Dakota State and signed the stout Ronald Jones in free agency, but Elliott could always find his way back to Dallas despite both parties continuing to explore their options.
  • Lastly, another report from Machota claims confidence that wide receiver and return specialist KaVontae Turpin should find a spot on the Cowboys’ eventual 53-man roster. While rookie running back Deuce Vaughn and Malik Davis got some opportunities to handle return duties in recent weeks, Turpin is a much more explosive and proven option. It also doesn’t hurt that Turpin has been getting some serious run with the second-team wide receiver group.

Tyron Smith Expected To Play Right Tackle

June 3rd, 2023 at 12:29pm CST by Ben Levine

The Cowboys current first-team offensive line may look a whole lot different come Week 1, but we’re starting to get clarity on some of the team’s plans. As Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News tweets, “it would be a surprise” if Tyron Smith isn’t starting at right tackle. Meanwhile, Clarence Hill of the Dallas Star-Telegram writes that the Cowboys are “focused” on keeping Tyler Smith at left tackle.

The Cowboys have stated all offseason that they intend to start their best five offensive lineman, regardless of position. That five-man grouping should eventually include Terence Steele, who is still working his way back from a torn ACL. He could get a look at right tackle and left guard, potentially pushing one of Matt Farniok or Tyron Smith out of the lineup.

However, it sounds like the team intends to stick with the veteran Smith at RT, assuming the lineman is healthy enough to play. The 32-year-old has been limited to only 17 regular season games over the past three years, including a 2022 campaign where he appeared in only four games thanks to a torn hamstring. That injury kept Smith off the field until December, and by the time he returned, he had been pushed out of his normal LT role by Tyler Smith.

The younger Smith was thrust into the LT role after being selected in the first round of last year’s draft. He more than held his own during his rookie campaign, earning PFWA All-Rookie Team honors after starting all 17 games (plus two playoff contests). He ended up finishing the season as Pro Football Focus’ 25th offensive tackle (among 81 qualifying players), with the site preferring his run blocking over his pass blocking.

Elsewhere on the line, Chuma Edoga is expected to get a look at left guard, per Hill. Zack Martin has his position secure at right guard, while Tyler Biadasz will return for his third season as the Cowboys’ starting center.

Latest On Cowboys’ Left Guard Situation

May 19th, 2023 at 10:50am CST by Sam Robinson

After another free agency period featured the Cowboys’ starting left guard leaving in free agency, the team will be faced with a decision. How Dallas goes about that will determine if the team rolls out an O-line featuring its best five blockers or a group that features more positional familiarity.

Connor McGovern followed Connor Williams to the AFC East, signing with the Bills on a three-year deal worth $22.35MM. The Cowboys have Dak Prescott tied to a big-ticket deal, and Zack Martin‘s 2018 extension remains in the upper tier at guard. They are also preparing for CeeDee Lamb and Trevon Diggs payments, making the departures of McGovern and Williams the cost of doing business.

As for how the team replaces McGovern, multiple avenues look to exist. Both involve in-house solutions, per executive VP Stephen Jones. Door A would involve a backup rising into the starting role. The Cowboys are planning to move backup tackle Josh Ball to the interior this year, and the team drafted Asim Richards in the fifth round. Former Jets third-round pick Chuma Edoga also signed with the team, after having played for the Falcons last year.

“I think we’ve got a talented group of linemen,’’ Jones said, via the Dallas Morning News’ David Moore. “I mean Josh Ball is here today. He’s certainly going to get an opportunity to compete for that spot. As we’ve said, we’re big fans of Chuma. [VP of player personnel] Will [McClay] and his pro staff did a lot of work on him. Probably the only thing holding him back in his career has been some medical challenges that he’s had. We really feel like he can come in there and help.”

A 2021 fourth-round pick, Ball has 41 career offensive snaps on his resume. Edoga 13 career starts but ahs primarily worked as a tackle. Jones also brought up Richards, North Carolina’s left tackle last season, as a potential entrant in this competition. However, he also mentioned the “best five” scenario that would bring a more intriguing configuration.

“Our top five linemen are our top five linemen. Tyron Smith, Tyler Smith, Tyler Biadasz, Terence Steele, Zack Martin,” Jones said, via The Athletic’s Jon Machota. “Really felt like if you’re gonna get your best five who have played in this league, those are our best five. We’ll see what happens from there.”

The issue with that quintet would be Steele’s lack of guard experience. The former UDFA has been a tackle with the Cowboys and at Texas Tech. But with Tyron Smith back (and expected to slide to the right tackle spot he played last season), the Cowboys do not look to have a tackle job available. The team placed a second-round RFA tender on Steele, who has made 40 starts during a three-year career, earlier this offseason. Last year’s Week 1 right tackle is also rehabbing ACL and MCL tears. That stands to delay a Cowboys decision on where to use the contract-year blocker.

A third option would be moving Tyler Smith back to left guard, where he began his career before Tyron Smith’s avulsion fracture changed the team’s plans last summer. The younger Smith played left tackle for most of last season but started two games (Week 18 and Dallas’ wild-card win) at left guard. The second-year lineman said (via ESPN’s Todd Archer) he would be fine playing anywhere on the offensive front. With Jerry Jones labeling Smith a tackle, however, the prospect of the former first-rounder playing guard at Steele staying at right tackle might be a last resort.

McGovern’s experience gave the Cowboys an easier answer to replace Williams. The team may not know its McGovern replacement for a while.

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