Unless something changes through free agency or the draft, a ripple effect at left tackle could make guard T.J. Bass could be a starter for the Cowboys next season.
While there’s still plenty of free agency left and an entire NFL draft to come, the Cowboys remain without Tyron Smith or any other clear replacement at left tackle. This could certainly change within the next few months, what if they already have a plan using current talent? If so, it could mean that second-year prospect T.J. Bass will be Dallas’ starting left guard in 2024.
Wait, weren’t we talking about left tackle? Yes, and right now the best in-house candidate to replace Tyron Smith there is All-Pro guard Tyler Smith. We’ve already seen Tyler’s OT work from his rookie season and even then he was adequate, albeit not the rising superstar he’s proven to be at guard. Still, in an offseason with limited resources for roster moves, sliding Smith back outside could be the Cowboys’ best option for protecting QB Dak Prescott’s blind side.
If Tyler Smith does go left, his starting job at guard now becomes open. Based on last season, T.J. Bass feels like the next man up if the Cowboys don’t bring in outside help. Despite being an undrafted rookie he started two games last year, one in the Week 3 loss to Arizona and the other in the Week 17 finale when Dallas rested many starters.
Bass has come away from his limited playing time with positive buzz about his potential. Even during the pre-draft process, he was scouted as a mid-to-late-round pick but wound up available in free agency. He was a left tackle at Oregon so brings some extra pass-blocking prowess to the guard position, and it showed last year in the few opportunities he received.
While Tyron Smith is still a free agent and could yet return to Dallas, we know that center Tyler Biadasz is now a Washington Commander. We recently discussed how Brock Hoffman could be a new starter if Dallas looks to in-house options. If the team feels good about Hoffman going forward, they could devote their energy to either finding a new left tackle or guard in the remaining offseason activity.
But, and this is entirely possible, what if Dallas likes Bass’ upside over Hoffman’s? Then the strategy could be to deploy Tyler Smith at left tackle, Bass at guard, and instead look for a better option at center. It’s a welcome bit of flexibility for the Cowboys as they try to navigate this offseason with, at least for now, limited salary cap space until they make some moves on contracts for Prescott and CeeDee Lamb.
While we now know that Jerry Jones’ “all in” comment from February was little more than a farce, the Cowboys aren’t tanking in 2024 either. It’s hard to believe they’d be comfortable starting both Bass and Hoffman, so it’s pretty certain that offensive line help is coming at some point between free agency or the draft. And even form within, other prospects like G/T Asim Richards and OT Matt Waletzko could be factors once we get to training camp.
For now, though, if Dallas had to play a game tomorrow, you’d probably see Tyler Smith at left tackle and T.J. Bass at left guard. Coming out of last season, Bass was the backup who seemed to have the most positive feedback about his play. Was that enough to make him a viable option for a starting role next year? It’s another wrinkle in this critical Cowboys offseason.
