Tyron Smith Return? Cowboys Reveal O-Line Move Plans

What is the plan with Tyler Smith when Tyron Smith makes his planned regular-season return from his season-starting hamstring-torn-off-the-bone injury? For the Cowboys, same as it ever was.

FRISCO - The Dallas Cowboys rightly view Tyron Smith as one of the handful of best left tackles of this NFL era.

At the same time, the Cowboys view the present left tackle, rookie Tyler Smith, as a versatile valued prize from the 2022 NFL Draft.

So what is the plan when Tyron makes his planned regular-season return from his season-starting hamstring-torn-off-the-bone injury?

Same as it always was.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones on Tuesday, reflecting on Dallas' 7-3 start, the team's chances of signing Odell Beckham Jr., and the possibility that it all adds up to a "chance'' at the Super Bowl, revealed a sort of open secret about Tyron and Tyler, telling @1053thefan that the future Hall of Famer Tyron will be the Cowboys' left tackle when he is back on the field.

Part of that is the brilliance of Tyron.

Another part is the versatility of the rookie Tyler, who Jones swill "easily" make the transition from left tackle to left guard - the exact move that was planned for the younger Smith when he was drafted out of Tulsa.

The idea then: Tyler will begin as a guard, playing alongside Tyron and learning from the 31-year-old All-Pro ... and then eventually slide outside whenever Tyron - who has vowed to play "until the wheels fall off'' - opts for retirement.

Tyron's injury history is, unfortunately, part of his legacy. So "the wheels falling off'' is a concern, which is among the reasons Dallas drafted Tyler (the right thing to do, as it's turned out, even amid much draft-time criticism.) 

When will this all happen? There is no firm timetable yet, though some here inside The Star can imagine Tyron playing against the Houston Texans on Dec. 11.

In the meantime, in a subtle way, the Cowboys just took a step toward the move as in Sunday's 40-3 blowout at Minnesota, the rookie actually moved inside to take some guard snaps.

"It felt to get some reps in the game (at guard)," Tyler Smith said. "I was able to practice a little bit there during the week. It was fun to be able to do that. And to have (Jason Peters) next to me at tackle, he helps me through those things. Overall, it was a good experience."

The vet Peters is already working as the swing tackle, another part of the preparation for Tyron's return, with present left guard Connor McGovern - assuming Tyler beats him out - moving into a role as a top-notch interior backup.

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