Training camp should answer a lot of questions about the Cowboys offensive line.
The wheels have touched down in Oxnard, California and training camp for the Dallas Cowboys is officially underway. Things are starting to get serious around Cowboys Nation and answers to all the questions we have about this team heading into the 2025 NFL season should start pouring out.
There are unanswered questions at many positions on the roster for the Dallas Cowboys, but today we are going to focus on the offensive line. This group’s play in 2025 will be a huge deciding factor in the team’s overall success or failure this season.
In Tyler Guyton, Tyler Smith, Cooper Beebe, Tyler Booker, and Terence Steele, the Cowboys seem to have their starting five already in place. However, not only are there unanswered questions about the projected starters, but with the depth behind them as well.
After a disappointing rookie season, will Tyler Guyton show the much-needed improvement in Year 2?
Whether it was the lack of starts in college or making the position switch from right to left tackle as a rookie with the Cowboys, Tyler Guyton clearly wasn’t ready to take over for Tyron Smith as Dallas’ new blindside protector last year. He was inconsistent throughout the season and had too many penalties. He needs to improve by leaps and bounds and the early indicators seem to provide encouragement he’s done just that with a full off-season in the strength and conditioning program. Hopefully all of that ends up translating to the field.
After Micah Parsons, Tyler Smith should be the next in line for a contract extension. When will Dallas get this deal done?
It’s completely mind-boggling to see how the Cowboys brass has continually cost themselves millions of dollars by taking a wait-and-see approach to sign several key players to contract extensions. Instead of being preemptive and signing them early, they’ve waited and let other teams reset the market. They did it with Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, and with Micah Parsons as well. We all know they plan on making Tyler Smith a longtime fixture along their OL for years to come, so why not go ahead and extend him sooner rather than later?
Will Cooper Beebe pick up where he left off after finishing the 2024 season strong?
In his first year with the Cowboys and his first to play center, Cooper Beebe continued to improve his play from week to week throughout his rookie season, finishing the year on a high note. He has already proven he’s a quality starter and with his work ethic he should be even better in 2025. That’s especially true considering his college OL coach (Conor Riley) has joined the Cowboys this year and should know exactly how to get the best out of him like they were able to accomplish together during their time a Kansas State.
How will Tyler Booker fare in his rookie season as Zack Martin’s replacement at RG?
Father time and injuries finally caught up to Zack Martin leading to his retirement. This prompted the Cowboys to use their first-round pick on Tyler Booker to hopefully fill the void at RG. Booker was considered the top-ranked guard in the 2025 draft class and should be a plug-and-play starter as a rookie. He is making the switch from college LG to RG with the Cowboys, which is somewhat of a concern. He will be tested early and often in his rookie season and hopefully he also better than what Tyler Guyton did last year.
Could Terence Steele be in jeopardy of losing his starting job?
The Cowboys clearly aren’t happy with their starting RT Terence Steele and seem to be having some buyer’s remorse. His big-money contract isn’t living up to his play on the field and it could put him on thin ice this season. He should retain his starting job and really isn’t in jeopardy of being pushed aside by anyone behind him on the depth chart. But, Asim Richards, and maybe rookie Ajani Cornelius, both have youth and upside on their side and could get a shot at starting if Steele plays poorly this year.
Which presumed backups could push for a starting job at some point in 2025?
Dallas has done a better job improving the OL depth this year to the point where they have a few starting quality players who may have to accept backup roles. The depth along the interior is particularly interesting with Saahdiq Charles, Rob Jones, T.J. Bass, and Brock Hoffman all with starting experience to varying degrees. If Tyler Booker was to struggle any one of them could be in line to start.
Asim Richards could potentially be a wildcard to start at some point this season. Neither Tyler Guyton or Terence Steele played particularly well last year and if they continue to play poorly Richards has shown flashes of being a starting quality player. As the expected swing tackle this year, he could get the nod if things don’t work out as planned for the Cowboys projected starting OTs.