Dallas Cowboys: 5 offseason needs

3. Address the hole at left guard

Dallas went from having an elite offensive line in 2016 to elite players on the offensive line in 2017. They lost Ronald Leary to free agency and the Denver Broncos. Then Doug Free, the right tackle, retired. That moved La’el Collins from guard to tackle, his position in college. While Collins looked strong, especially as the season progressed, the line did not gel like it did the year previously.

Mid-season the unit lost one of the league’s best in left tackle Tyron Smith. His loss was huge as Dallas simply did not have the depth to make up for it. The following game after losing Smith Dak Prescott was demolished against the Atlanta Falcons and Adrian Clayborn. This was the start of Dallas’ midseason swoon that cost them a playoff spot.

Collins now gets another offseason at tackle. Travis Frederick and Zach Martin, two Pro Bowl players, remain with the team. Smith should enter the season healthy after rehabbing his back that plagued him most of the season. The only glaring spot that needs to be addressed is at left guard.

To go back to being an elite unit they must find someone to fill that hole. Luckily for Dallas this is a deep class in the interior offensive line. Players like Georgia’s Isaiah Wynn and UTEP’s Will Hernandez are on the Cowboys’ radar with their first round selection. It would surprise me to see them address this position in free agency with Zach Martin due for an extension.

There would be a lot of money spent on the interior offensive line, not a position typically highly valued by NFL front offices. With a new player in that spot, Dallas can return to being the best in the NFL and the offense will likely return to the elite status it showed in 2016.