FRISCO, Texas – The Cowboys have added nearly 30 new players to the roster over the last two months, from a collection of free-agent signings, draft picks, undrafted free agents and even a few trades.
All in all, a third of the 90-man roster has been overhauled since mid-March, creating quite a few changes to each position.
Over the next few weeks, we'll take a closer look at where things stand at each position. The Cowboys won't release a depth chart until the first preseason game in August, so the following order of players is simply a projection, which of course, is always subject to change. Let's start the series with the guards and center position:
- Tyler Smith (G)
- Cooper Beebe (C)
- Tyler Booker (G)
- Brock Hoffman (G/C)
- Rob Jones (G)
- J. Bass (G)
- Saahdiq Charles (G)
- Hakeem Adeniji (G/T)
- Dakoda Shepley (G/C)
- Nate Thomas (G/C)
Battle to Watch: From a starting standpoint, everything seems to be solidified at this point, although the coaching staff would probably beg to differ, citing the importance of competition with all players. But the drafting of Tyler Booker suggests he will start at right guard. Cooper Beebe seems to be the leader at center and we know Tyler Smith will be the left guard, seeing that he's one of the best guards in all of the NFL. As far as a battle, everything behind them should be interesting. Rob Smith (30), Saahdiq Charles (18) and Hakeem Adeniji (15) have 63 combined starts so that's plenty of experience in terms of depth and won't give up a spot without a fight.
Time is Now: If your name isn't Tyler or Cooper, then you probably fit into this category. We know Tyler Booker, Tyler Smith and Cooper Beebe are going to be the main three in the middle. Everyone else is fighting for a spot. I'd say T.J. Bass and Brock Hoffman are the headliners here for this spot. Anytime there is a new coaching regime, the guys brought the following offseason get an advantage. So Bass and Hoffman have to beat out the likes of Rob Jones and any other rookies and new players signed for backup depth.
Trait-Mark: In the trenches, you'll often hear phrases like "when he gets his hands on a defender… it's over." Well, for a player like Tyler Booker, his hands are on another level. Booker was sized with the biggest hands of any guard in the NFL Draft and the second-biggest of any drafted player overall at any position. Booker has 11 1/8 inch hands, meaning his grip on opposing defenders should be stronger than anyone else. Now, Booker has to take that to the field and use that, combined with his strength and quickness, to his advantage.
Don't Forget About … In between the two Tylers, center Cooper Beebe is getting some familiarity in the his college offensive coordinator – Conor Riley, who is now the Cowobys' offensive line coach. If anyone knows how to utilize Beebe's strength, it would be Riley. Now Beebe was playing guard at Kansas State in college and has since moved to center. Let's also not forget that Beebe's rookie season was the only time in his football career to snap the ball. So he's got plenty of room to grow and some familiar voices to help him.
