Let’s hope he gets plenty of practice reps and the coaches play him in preseason so we can see how effective he can become. It was unlucky he got the injury when he did last season as everyone wanted to see what a guy like Waletzko could bring to this offensive line depth. Waletzko is a mountain of a man and has the skills to be a quality backup tackle. Mike - Of all the down roster players at Dallas this is the one I hope makes the biggest leap. I just don’t want him thrown to the wolves. Waletzko missed his rookie season due to injury, so it’s not like he has a spotless bill of health. However, that seems all but certain to mean he will be starting on one side before the season is out, possibly in week one. I think their ideal situation would be for the second-year man to become the swing tackle. Tom - Contrary to Ball, the staff seems really high on Waletzko.
Photo by Matthew Pearce/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images Hopefully during this offseason he’s worked on technique and we get a player that can be relied upon when the injuries on the line start to roll in later in the season. Mike - Before he got injured last year he looked raw and needed more development.
I see this preseason as a make-or-break situation for him. There is just a vibe the staff is not overly confident in him. He seems to have been a bit of a disappointment to date. Tom - I just don’t get the feeling that Ball is long for this team. Last year he was arguably the best run-blocking lineman the Cowboys had and his effect in the run game was noticeable when the team lost him. The good news is according to reports is he’s ahead of schedule and should be ready for a portion of preseason training, but let’s see that before putting any take on Steele starting against the Giants. How this line looks for the start of the season depends on how quickly Steele can return to health and be football ready. Mike - Keeping an eye on that clock ticking down to Week 1 is all we need to say about the Terence Steele situation. Now we find out if that is going to work out for them. But the offensive line just did not get the kind of attention that was needed. There were a bunch of roster issues that had to be addressed this offseason, and the team did a good job with most. A healthy Steele is at the least a competent tackle, and probably a good bit better than that. With Steele, the question is now will he be ready to answer the bell for the first game? Having health concerns for both your projected starting OTs is not my idea of a fun time for all. Tom - With Smith, the question is how far into the season he will make it. But if he doesn’t miss time then the team gets an elite left tackle for a season, that’s a win-win. His contract is now set up based on games or snaps played, so if he does miss time they can reclaim money back to use on next year’s contracts. The smart move made by the front office this year was adjusting Smith’s contract. During his time in Dallas when he’s been on the field he’s easily one the best left tackles in the league, and for that reason the coaches will keep him as their starter until the time comes for him to miss time. That’s because Smith is such an elite level blocker. The coaches remain fully aware of this situation and are happy to deal with the headache this creates. This year that factor complicates the line structure even more because of the right tackle situation, which then has the domino effect of who plays left guard. Every year since 2015 the Cowboys have to compensate for when Smith has to miss time.
DEAD AGE 2 TERENCE FULL
The last time Smith played a full slate of games was in 2015 and as the saying goes - the best ability in the NFL is availability. Mike - Let’s start with the obvious negative, availability. They are kicking this can down the road, but not very far. There is a tiny chance he will make it the entire season, but I just don’t see it happening. Frankly, that looks too much like a cynical effort to wring whatever games they can out of his battered body.
The plan for now seems to be starting him at LT.
Unfortunately, in recent seasons, that health has been elusive and spotty. Tom - A healthy Smith is one of the best offensive tackles in the NFL. This edition is looking at the offensive tackles for Dallas, so let’s get straight to it.
DEAD AGE 2 TERENCE SERIES
The Position Breakdown Series is taking every position group for the Dallas Cowboys and looking at the players, their rankings, contract numbers and predicting the upcoming season for each player.
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