Is Dallas Cowboys O-Line Back To Being 'Elite'?
FRISCO - The Dallas Cowboys take great pride in O-line excellence, a concept that features the thoughts on the matter from none other than owner Jerry Jones.
"Let's keep a strength strong,'' Jerry likes to say every time Dallas makes an effort to upgrade its offensive line.
Maybe as a result of this philosophy, in PFF’s offensive line rankings before the 2021 season, Dallas has risen back near the top of the league at No. 16.
The Cowboys-related thoughts of Pro Football Focus, having ranked every offensive line in the NFL:
"The good news is that when he’s on the field, (Tyron) Smith is still a solid option, grading between 76.0 and 82.0 in his past three full seasons, it’s just a matter of staying healthy, as he hasn’t played a full campaign since 2015. ... On the right side, La'el Collins returns after missing all of 2020 due to hip surgery. Collins broke out with an 86.4 overall grade in 2019, the fifth-best mark among tackles. ... Zack Martin is as good as it gets at right guard ... Left guard Connor Williams finished with the No. 17 grade among guards last season ... The biggest question mark on Dallas' offensive line outside of health is at center, where the team has struggled ...''
We think PFF is underrating what a healthy Tyron can be at just age 30. And we've got a long-standing disagreement with PFF over what Tyler "French Toast'' Biadasz did at center last year as a rookie. But otherwise?
READ MORE: A Happy Tyron Talks
READ MORE: La'el Collins: 'Protect Dak At All Cost'
It's worth noting that the Cowboys finished just 27th in PFF's final 2020 offensive line rankings. And now Dallas is No. 6? All the Cowboys really did during this time is get healthy - reason enough for Jerry Jones to feel like they've strengthened a strength.
READ MORE: Dallas Cowboys Top 10: Best Players In Minicamp