Tyron Smith being regarded as best tackle in free agency
Tyron Smith is generating a lot of buzz entering free agency.
It is often said that free agents are available for a reason. Assuming Tyron Smith does, in fact, reach the open market, the reason we will tell those who ask is the injury concerns that he carries prior to a stellar season in 2023.
On one hand it is terrifying letting someone of Smith’s legend walk out the door, especially given how wonderfully he played this past season. But it is hard to forget how much football he has missed. After all, he has missed more games than he hasn’t in the Mike McCarthy era and we are already four years into it.
On the other hand, it would probably behoove the Cowboys to up the ante in the name of keeping their future HOFer around. If Smith walks then it becomes almost a necessity to spend pick number 24 on a tackle, unless they decide they are kicking Tyler Smith out to tackle.
So there is debate here. If the team does make the emotionally difficult decision of saying goodbye, just know that there are a lot of people - as in a lot a lot - ready to say hello from a new home.
Tyron Smith is being regarded as the best tackle set to hit free agency
Like we are with our team, there are other people doing their best to will their own squads into signing this or that player once free agency begins next week.
Given the news that Smith is “unlikely” to return to Dallas. it has led to a number of people clamoring for their team to sign him in the hopes that he is more like his 2023 self in 2024 as opposed to who he was from 2020 through 2022.
Which player he winds up being is obviously the big unknown, but he appears to be someone that teams are willing to bet on. Brandon Thorn, one of the best evaluators of offensive linemen on the internet, has Smith ranked as his top free agent tackle.
My annual OL free agency rankings (top 40) broken down into tiers with a snapshot of the player, how they win and/or what role they can fill.https://t.co/fh0cWLwGR9 pic.twitter.com/J1ITGgbxGA
— Brandon Thorn (@BrandonThornNFL) March 8, 2024
Context matters and it is worth mentioning that this year’s draft class carries a ton of promise at the tackle position specifically. In that sense it is logical for the Cowboys to be ready to cut the cord, but nothing like that is ever a guarantee. Pick number 24 could be Tyron Smith to borrow a former plight of Peter Griffin’s when you could just choose to keep Tyron Smith around.
It is not proof that the Cowboys are 100% doing the wrong thing, but that Smith is generating so much buzz does make this all feel a little bit more stressful. Thorn is not the only analyst to think highly of Smith hitting the open market, NFL Media’s Gregg Rosenthal has Tyron as his fifth overall free agent to be (and obviously top tackle).
Rank 5
Tyron Smith
OT · Age: 33
One of the most underpaid players in the NFL last season, Smith is due a massive raise after a return to elite form. He played 942 snaps (including playoffs), which is his highest total since 2018, per Pro Football Focus.
The definition of going “all in” has been quite the theme of the offseason so far but however you define it, having Smith around likely makes pursuing that path easier, no?
Again it is worth mentioning that there is some fairness to Dallas considering life without Smith given that they are the team - nobody else - who has been bitten by his injury history over the last few seasons. It is difficult to plan for things when you never know how long you can depend on certain elements.
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