This is going to be an interesting offseason for the Cowboys with how they handle their tackle situation.
2024 wasn’t a good season for plenty of position groups in Dallas, but offensive tackle may have had some of the greatest struggles. Growing pains for some, physical pain for others, and a general lack of cohesion led to inconsistent play, lots of penalties, and plenty of questions about what the Cowboys should do with their tackles going forward.
Under Contract
Tyler Guyton, Terence Steele, Matt Waletzko
Nathan Thomas, Earl Bostick Jr.
Potential Departures
Terence Steele, Chuma Edoga
Terence Steele fits the profile of a potential salary cap casualty. He’s not performing up to his contract, counting $18.6 million in 2025. But as we broke down recently, Dallas’ overall landscape at OT adds some challenges to cutting Steele. You’d get some cap room, but you’d lose a starter without any clear way of replacing him. Dallas would likely have to spend more than the potential cap relief to sign an adequate replacement, let alone an upgrade.
Additionally, Guyton presents uncertainty in the other starting spot. Many left tackles struggle in their rookie seasons, and Guyton was considered a raw prospect when he was drafted. Dallas took some assumed lumps by putting him out there with the hope that it would speed his development for the future. The hope is that Guyton’s first full offseason and that valuable experience will produce a much-improved player in 2025, but it’s going to be a while until we see the results.
One potentially helpful factor for both of them, and all of the offensive line, are the changes to Dallas’ coaching staff. We’ll see how new OL coach Conor Riley does working with pros, but one thing we can expect is a renewed focus on the run game in Brian Schottenheimer and Klayton Adams’ offense. That’d be great news for Steele, who’s always been much stronger blocking for runs than passes, and should reduce the pressure on Guyton as well.
Even if Dallas keeps riding with Guyton and Steele in 2025, they’ll still want to give attention to the backups. Chuma Edoga will be a free agent and would likely be an easy re-sign, but his value as a swing tackle is pretty limited. Guard Asim Richards should be able to offer what Edoga has as a versatile backup. And while there’s always the option to play Tyler Smith at left tackle in a pinch, the Cowboys could consider adding someone who provides depth now and potentially replaces Steele in 2026.
Free Agency
Sure, the Cowboys could open up their wallets for a new starter like Morgan Moses or Ronnie Stanley. Moses would be an instant upgrade at right tackle over Steele, and Stanley could take over on the left side and let you move Guyton right. But these guys should be looking for at least $25 million per year based on the current market, which would be a huge leap from what Steele makes.
Dallas’ more likely free agent expense at OT, if any, will be signing a new swing. They could just bring Edoga back, but the new coaches may have tackles they’ve worked with at past stops or just different views on the type of player they want. Maybe a veteran like Kelvin Beachum, who new OC Klayton Adams had in Arizona, would get some interest.
2025 NFL Draft
Drafting a future starter at offensive tackle would make lots of sense. It’s obviously a big deal if Steele does get released. But unless he returns and has a huge season, Dallas will still be looking to shed his contract within the next few years. Not only does a strong OT prospect give you some immediate depth a ready replacement, but he would also provide insurance against any lack of development from Guyton.
It’s an interesting thought in the first round because a couple of options should be there at the 12th pick. LSU’s Will Campbell could fall out of the top 10 and either OSU’s Josh Simmons or Texas’ Kelvin Banks could be a BPA candidate when Dallas is on the clock. It would mean consecutive drafts with the first pick going to offensive tackle, but would that be the worst thing? Dallas spent three firsts on Tyron Smith, Travis Frederick, and Zack Martin from 2011-2014 and it carried the offense for several seasons.
If not in the early rounds, more opportunities should be there on Saturday. Given the poor returns Dallas got from recent Day 3 picks like Josh Ball and Matt Waletzko, it may make new developmental projects a little scary. But again, there’s a new OL coach in town who will hopefully do a better job of maximizing their potential.
Final Thoughts
There’s no question that Tyler Guyton and Terence Steele held the offense back in 2024. But Guyton’s issues were not surprising given his inexperience, and Steele’s struggles coincided with Mike McCarthy’s increased influence on offense. Guyton should be better in his second season, and Steele could be salvageable with a more run-focused offense and new coaches in his year.
Steele presents a major question mark to the coaches and front office. He’s a sixth-year veteran who’s done very well for an undrafted player, but has never been a great pass protector and only stood out for a couple of years in his run blocking. But he’s making top-10 money for his position, so are you willing to keep paying that for “just okay” performance or is it time to invest in an upgrade?
This also comes down to what opportunities present themselves in March and April. If there’s a free agent they love and are willing to pay, maybe they dump Steele for him. If something comes along in the draft, maybe you release Steele on June 1st and use that money on the next big contract for Micah Parsons or DaRon Bland. The decision doesn’t have to be made before March 12th.
