Cowboys guard roster review: Depth is the only concern this offseason

Thanks to Tyler Smith and Zack Martin, the Cowboys have little to worry about at guard this offseason.

You’ll take stability wherever you can find it during an NFL offseason, especially when it comes in the form of two All-Pros. That’s what guards Zack Martin and Tyler Smith bring to the Dallas Cowboys in 2024, and their presence is highly welcome with uncertainty throughout the rest of the offensive line.

First- and Second-Team All-Pros last season, respectively, Martin and Smith are the bedrock of the offensive line moving forward. Despite being over 10 years apart in age, they’re still among the league’s best at the position. They’re equally marvelous on opposite ends of the spectrum; Martin is still dominating even after 10 seasons, and Smith is already dominating after just two.

Their greatness is sorely needed with question marks around them. Earlier this week, we discussed the impending free agency of center Tyler Biadasz. We’ve also looked at Tyron Smith’s free agency and concerns about Terence Steele continuing to recover from his 2022 ACL injury. Clearly, Dallas needs Martin and Tyler Smith to continue to provide strength to the guys around them.

Guards Under Contract for 2024

• Zack Martin – $28.5m cap hit
• Tyler Smith – $3.65m cap hit
• T.J. Bass – $918k cap hit
• Dakoda Shepley – $985k cap hit

We already know, thanks to ESPN’s Todd Archer and good old common sense, that Martin’s cap figure will be brought down through restructuring at some point over the next month. You might be leery of giving continued job security to a 33-year-old, but not when that guy keeps churning out All-Pro seasons. While the wheels could come off Martin’s elite status at some point, Dallas can feel comfortable about extending that relationship a while longer.

The only real question at guard this spring is how much depth, if any, the Cowboys will add. Second-year prospect T.J. Bass received good marks in limited playing time this year, and other young depth options like C Brock Hoffman and G/T Asim Richards have position flexibility. But if Hoffman does wind up moving into Biadasz’s starting role, Dallas would be down to two very inexperienced players.

As they did with Chuma Edoga last season, Dallas will likely look for a versatile veteran who could help at either tackle or guard. They could re-sign Edoga, who had just a one-year deal, or look elsewhere. It’s possible that Richards could step into that role but adding some veteran insurance would be consistent with the Cowboys’ longstanding strategy.

Thankfully, with the two standouts in the starting lineup, the Cowboys can give guard less attention and deal with the bigger fish in their offseason. Zack Martin is still as good as they come among NFL guards and Tyler Smith is quickly closing the gap. They will be among the team’s biggest strengths in their 2024 campaign.