One of the best offensive coordinators in Dallas Cowboys history is  Brian Schottenheimer. He was chosen eight times to play in the Pro Bowl. Twice, he was named a first-team All-Pro. He ought to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame eventually.

Given that free agency begins next week, it seems improbable that Smith would sign a 14-year contract extension with Dallas. Many people think Smith will don a different helmet for the upcoming season after an organization-agent meeting at the scouting combine.

Although there appears to be a significant hole on the Cowboys’ offensive line, the team has spent the last two seasons preparing for this possibility.

The Cowboys selected Tyler Smith in the first round of the 2022 draft and immediately dubbed him the left tackle of the future. Tyler Smith took over as the starting left tackle of the present when Tyron Smith sustained a hamstring injury so bad that surgery was necessary.

Tyler Smith started one game at left guard and sixteen at left tackle as a rookie. He was the first offensive line rookie in the team’s history to start at left tackle in the opening game of the season. In 2011, Tyron Smith was a rookie right tackle.

The Cowboys shifted Tyler Smith to left guard in 2023 after Tyron Smith returned to health; he started all 14 of his games and was selected for the Pro Bowl.

Executive vice president Stephen Jones responded, That remains to be seen, before bringing up the name of the greatest offensive lineman in team history in response to the question of whether the team preferred to keep Tyler Smith at left guard.

According to Jones, it’s beginning to feel like Larry Allen all over again. Tyler’s versatility is a fantastic asset; he has the potential to be a terrific left tackle as well. I believe Larry Allen was named to the All-Pro team during his one or two seasons as a left tackle. Tyler has that quality. We’ll have a nice location for him when we’re done massaging it at the end of the day. We have Tyler Smith, which is fantastic news. His adaptability undoubtedly adds choices to the table as we assess this squad going forward.

In April, Tyler Smith will turn 23. In December, Tyron Smith turns 34. Tyron Smith is an expensive player, so the Cowboys need to consider both his age and value before committing to him.

In 2023, Tyron Smith had good play. It was the best Smith had played since he took over as head coach in 2020, according to coach Mike McCarthy. It was also the most games he had played since making 13 starts in 2019. He had played 13 total. However, McCarthy has coached 67 regular-season games, and Smith has only started 30 of them.

He has experienced injuries to his elbow, hamstring, knee, ankle, neck, and back. Smith’s practice schedule from the previous year, which had him training off to the side on Wednesdays and Thursdays, was beneficial. He participated in every walk-through meeting. With an 89.1% pass block success rate and a 78.8% run block win rate, the player was ultimately selected for the second team of the All-Pro team.

Despite taking a pay cut, Smith made $11 million in play-time incentives last season in addition to $3 million in base salary, $3 million in signing bonus money, and $5 million in play-time incentives. He inked a $98 million, eight-year agreement in 2014, which many considered to be a steal for the Cowboys.