The Lions signed an ex-Cowboys starter prior to the NFC Championship.
Considering the difficulties the Dallas Cowboys experienced maintaining their offensive line in the previous season, perhaps they ought to have held onto guard and center Matt Farniok when the team released him in August in preparation for the NFL’s 53-man cutdown day. But Farniok has an opportunity for retribution because he now has a shot to participate in Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas in two weeks. The Detroit Lions re-signed him this week, but only to reserve a position on the practice squad.
After being selected by the Cowboys in the seventh round of the 2021 draft out of Nebraska, Farniok displayed some promise by playing on special teams and seeing some action on the offensive line. In his first season, he participated in 12 games and had 72 special team snaps. In his second season, he started two games at guard and filled all three interior line positions.
His involvement began with OTAs in May and continued with a complete committee approach to determining how the second-string lineman would develop. At the time, Farniok stated that his objective was to “just carry on with my work, doing it better than I did yesterday.” Learn from each mistake I make, don’t repeat it, and simply continue to be a better football player than I was.”
Matt Farniok was defeated by T.J. Bass.
Regretfully, Farniok had trouble protecting passes throughout the preseason, so the Cowboys surprised several by selecting rookie Oregonian T.J. Bass instead. Due to injuries sustained along the line, Bass ultimately saw plenty of action, recording 204 snaps at right guard and 137 at left guard. Bass made two starts: one in the Week 18 victory over the Commanders and the other in the Week 3 defeat to Arizona.
Though not very good (54.1 overall, 54.9 in pass blocking, and 54.2 in run blocking), his season grades at Pro Football Focus were better than those of Farniok during his stint in the rotation the previous season.
Farniok scored 41.7 in run blocking and 31.4 in pass blocking for an overall grade of 39.1. After allowing seven rushes and thirteen pressures in three weeks, he saw a decline in playing time.
Following his release in September, Farniok was signed by the Bears at first. He spent two months with the team’s practice squad before being signed by the Lions in December and released shortly before the postseason began. He is, however, back on the practice squad in Detroit as a backup.
Unsettled: Cowboys’ Offensive Line
Naturally, the Cowboys will not view the offensive line as a glamorous position, and any developments there won’t garner the same media attention as the team’s decisions about Dak Prescott, Tony Pollard, CeeDee Lamb, and Micah Parsons’ contracts. However, it is a unit that ended the season and needs further explanation in the future.
Tyron Smith, an offensive lineman, had the most missed games throughout the season. Due to his injuries, Smith, a 33-year-old free agent, is expected to be replaced on the line; yet, when healthy, he is still one of the finest in the game.
Center Tyler Biadasz, who has spent four seasons with the Cowboys and is coming off of his best year, is also a free agent.
The Cowboys committed more than $80 million to Terrence Steele, who struggled after undergoing ACL surgery. Josh Ball, who missed the season due to a hip injury, and Chuma Udoga, who is a backup, are also set to hit free agency.Veteran sports writer Sean Deveney works for Heavy.com, covering the NBA and NFL. With over 20 years of NBA coverage experience, including 17 years as the lead NBA correspondent for Sporting News, he has been writing for Heavy since 2019. Deveney is the author of seven nonfiction works, including “Fun City,” “Before Wrigley Becomes Wrigley,” and “Facing Michael Jordan.”
