Are the Cowboys Making a Mistake by Letting Tyron Smith Walk?

Jeff Cavanaugh and Jesse Holley of Bleav in the Dallas Cowboys discuss the Cowboys potentially letting Tyron Smith walk in free agency.

The Dallas Cowboys are one of the few teams in the league that invest a lot in their offensive line. However, they are not immune to those players rightfully wanting bigger contracts. One such player is star tackle Tyron Smith. 

The Cowboys spoke to Smith's agent during the combine, and the two parties were nowhere near a deal. This could lead to Smith walking in free agency, and he should fetch a high price given his talent. 

While the Cowboys could draft his replacement at pick #21, the Bleav in the Dallas Cowboys team discusses why this would be disastrous. 

"Losing Tyron Smith doesn't all of a sudden bury your football team. But if going all-in means I can lose one guy, draft a guy, who I'll can get for cheap. We'll get one for cheap. At #24, that's a cheaper sell than giving Tyron a deal."

via Jesse Holley, Bleav in the Dallas Cowboys

Holley is indicating that the Cowboys could draft a starting offensive lineman with pick #24 in the draft, which would be far more cost-effective than having to pay Smith millions of dollars on a new deal. 

While this might sound like the better plan, co-host Jeff Cavanaugh is not convinced this is the right direction to take. 

"This is my problem. This is what I fear. My problem is that if you lost Tyron Smith, that this is what they're thinking. 'We will replace him at #24.' It's the worst way to draft that you could ever draft."

via Jeff Cavanaugh, Bleav in the Dallas Cowboys

Cavanaugh reminds Holley that drafting an OL at #24 does not mean that the player will be an immediate impact player. He also points out that the OL rankings have six players going before pick #24, and the quality dips after that. 

Drafting any player is always a roll of the dice. Some players perform well, and a lot do not. Paying Smith is the better play here, especially if the Cowboys plan to draft a later-round OL they can develop for a year.