If you've been reading my work for a while now, you might know how much I disapproved the Dallas Cowboys' decision to move on from Tyron Smith earlier in the year.
If you're new around here, no worries. I'll catch you up with a blurb from my reaction piece to Smith signing with the New York Jets:
"In the same year the Cowboys are claiming to go "all in," they're actively choosing to head into the 2024 season without a clear picture of what the offensive line looks like on Dak Prescott's final year of his deal. They're turning their backs on a franchise legend who consistently was a class act with the organization in a year where he more than earned a payday. More significantly, they're passing on the opportunity to retain one of the best lineman's in the league who more than produced in 2023"
A few days later, I wrote: "It's difficult to evaluate this decision in a positive light when understanding signing Smith wouldn't have broken neither the salary cap nor the bank account."
In other words, I believe the Cowboys made a big mistake letting him go.
But I'm going to be fair here: The rest of the NFL is seemingly understanding of the team's thought process as Tyron Smith was left off ESPN's Top 10 offensive tackles ranking, which is put together by polling league coaches, execs, and scouts.
Not breaking into the Top 10 despite earning second-team All-Pros in 2023 is a surprise and could be seen as unfair ahead of the 2024 NFL season. But it seems like durability is a big enough concern to rank him below players he's better than.
Smith did get an honorable mention, with a current coordinator saying ""He's still great when he's out there, it's more of a durability and age thing at this point. But I thought he played really well last year. He's got to be a Hall of Famer."
I guess when you look at how the Cowboys have done things in 2024, it's clear they're thinking more about the long-term future rather than focusing on taking the next step and winning at all costs this year. With that in mind, it's easier to digest why they decided to move on from the high-end tackle.
If they had truly gone all-in this year though, it would've made very little sense for Dallas to move on from someone like Tyron despite the injury concerns. They should've swung for the fences with one of the best in the game.
So in a way, second-guessing the Cowboys' decision to part ways with their long-time standout lineman is second-guessing the direction the front office is taking from an overall perspective. Should they have been more aggressive? I believe so. But if the plan was always to "reset," the rest of the NFL has a good point as to why they got things right.
