Cowboys might have legitimate backup plan to one of league's most expensive positions

USA Today

3 hours ago

It might not be unfolding how most thought it would. It might not have been under the most ideal conditions, either. It's definitely not the player everyone thought it would be, but the Dallas Cowboys might have finally found their Plan B to the all-important left tackle position.
Nate Thomas, the forgotten rookie from the 2024 NFL draft class, has seemingly come from nowhere and laid early claim to the backup LT spot. With Tyler Guyton possibly missing regular season action, the backup title probably means Week 1 starting offensive lineman.
Finding a capable Plan B at LT isn't just about injury replacement on this Cowboysteam. Until proven otherwise it's also an alternative solution should Plan A never come to fruition.
Guyton struggled mightily in his first year with the Cowboys. The 2024 first rounder from Oklahoma looked every bit as raw as scouts pegged him to be as a prospect. And while the potential and skillset is high, the performance has a long way to go before it can even be considered average.
Though Guyton showed improvement early on in training camp, a fracture to his right knee robbed him of much needed practice time and development. He may pick up right where he left off or he might take a step back and take time to reach a modest level of play. Since there's no telling how well Guyton will be playing when he returns in September, having a solid option to fall back on is extremely important.
When training camp kicked off late last month, everyone thought Asim Richards would be the guy providing insurance. Richards was steadily working his way up the depth chart and he was an improving player with a wealth of LT experience. But as things unfolded, it quickly became apparent the Cowboys had different things in mind for their offensive line. They saw Richards as a versatile swing option with OL6 capability in jumbo formations. They saw Thomas as the next man up at LT.
Early returns have been understandably mixed. Thomas struggled against the LA Rams' all-star D-line in practices, but he posted a solid game against their rotational players in the first preseason game. It would be unrealistic to think he'd be a plug and play talent as a seventh rounder with no NFL experience to his name, so that itself constitutes a major victory. Not to mention, the preseason is far from over and there's plenty of development that can happen between now and the start of the regular season.
Plan Bs are never ideal but they are often necessary. There are a number of scenarios that could involve Thomas playing a critical role for Dallas in both the short-term and long-term.
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