Can the Dallas Cowboys trust this All-Pro player to stay healthy for a full season?
The hold out of All-Pro guard Zack Martin is the early talk of the Dallas Cowboys training camp.
But fewe believe Martin will continue to incur $50,000 daily fines and not be with the team when the regular season starts on Sept. 10.
The player on the offense line whose presence should give the Cowboys pause is 12-year veteran Tyron Smith.
Smith finished the 2022 season at right tackle after Terence Steele went down with a torn ACL in December.
But Smith is back at his familiar left tackle spot, where he has earned eight trips to the Pro Bowl. Ordinarily, that would put the Cowboys at ease.
His history, however, suggests that the Cowboys put the plan in pencil rather than permanent ink.
Smith has not played a full season since 2015, missing 45 games from 2016-2022. He has played just 17 of 50 games in the last three seasons.
The only reason he ended last season at right tackle is because he missed the first 13 games with an avulsion fracture he suffered weeks before the season, forcing the Cowboys to scuttle the plan of first-round pick Tyler Smith played left guard and making him the starter at left tackle.
The 2022 plan is back in play with Tyron at left tackle and Tyler at left guard. Two weeks into training camp, so far, so good.
“I’m back [to being] comfortable,” said Smith. “I’ve been playing left for a long time. I’m just back to my normal spot and I’m knocking the rust off right now.”
The Cowboys are saying all the right things about Smith. They don’t want to call him injury prone. And they are holding on the premise that injuries are a part of the game.
But in the NFL, you always follow the money.
And the team forced Smith to take a pay cut in the off season to return in 2023.
Smith was set to have a base salary of $13.6 million with a cap hit of $17.605 million. The Cowboys restructured his contract, giving him a $3 million signing bonus and a $3 million guaranteed base salary — $7.6 million less than before.
Smith can earn up to $9 million more in playing time incentives and another $2 million in playoff incentives in a pay-as-you-go enticement.
Smith can make $1 million each for playing in 50%, 55% 60%, 65%, 70%, 75%, 80%, 85% and 90% of the snaps, respectively in 2023.
But money aside, it’s still a gamble when it comes to protecting the blindside of $40 million quarterback Dak Prescott.
Owner Jerry Jones said its a risk the Cowboys are willing to take because of the upside of Tyron Smith being able to stay healthy. And they adjust on the fly, if necessary, and move Tyler Smith back to left tackle in Tyron Smith gets hurt again.
Coach Mike McCarthy said the team will monitor his work in practice in hopes getting him to the regular season and keeping on the field.
They are also encouraged by the work he has done in the off season. Smith took no time off after the end of the 2022 season.
“He’s played a lot of football,” McCarthy said. “I’m well aware of how much time he’s missed, but Tyron has been in the building every single day, pretty much, since the season was over. So he’s put a tremendous amount of time in addressing some of the challenges he had last year.”
Smith understands the challenge before him.
He refuses to consider himself snake bit because that’s not part of his mindset. He called it waste of his energy.
Smith took the pay cut because “these guys are on the team are my family and I wanted to do whatever it takes to stay here.”
His only focus now is staying on the field.
“I’m concentrating on the small things and getting the work I need, and getting the work after practice to stay on track and stay healthy on the field,” Smith said.
Forgive the Cowboys for crossing collective fingers.
