Cowboys need more from Tyler Guyton, and he's making significant changes to improve

New York Times

2 days ago

It's hard to find answers to questions about the Dallas Cowboys on the field of OTA practices. Contact is nonexistent and players are just getting back into the groove of team activities after months away from the building.
One of the biggest questions this season for the Cowboys will be how well Tyler Guyton can rebound from a tough rookie season. For nearly a decade, left tackle was the least of anybody's worries, as Tyron Smith anchored the spot at an All-Pro level. Toward the end of Smith's time in Dallas, injuries started to become a bigger factor. After working through it for a few years, the Cowboys let Smith walk in free agency last year.
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A month later, they drafted Guyton in the first round to become the left tackle of the present and the future.
Things went off-kilter from the start. The Cowboys eased Guyton into the starting unit in training camp. Once Guyton assumed the starting role in camp, he was sidelined for a while due to injury. All of that happened before the season even began and the actual trials and tribulations for a rookie offensive lineman in the NFL kicked into high gear.
'Of course, there are going to be ebbs and flows,' Guyton said of last year's errors. 'I understand that it already happened. It's in the past and I'm going to move forward from it and learn from my mistakes.'
The rookie mistakes came in different forms. Guyton struggled on the field as he tried to grasp NFL speed while also handling a position change, going from right tackle in college to left tackle in the pros. The external pressure didn't do him many favors, either. Taking over for an elite player like Smith, who not only possessed a large frame like Guyton but also underwent the same position change when he entered the league, was not an easy task.
In addition to Guyton's struggles against defensive players, he also had an issue with discipline. Guyton finished the season tied for the second-most penalized player in the NFL with 14 penalties. Five of those infractions were false starts, and another five were holdings.
Head coach Brian Schottenheimer went out of his way to praise the work Guyton has done since the end of his rookie season a few months ago. Schottenheimer said Guyton was one of the first players back in the building and expects consistency and stability could help the second-year player out of Oklahoma.
'I think some of the new things that (offensive coordinator) Klayton Adams and (offensive line coach) Conor Riley have brought from a fundamental standpoint really fits him,' Schottenheimer said. 'He hasn't played offensive line a whole lot, then he played right tackle at Oklahoma. Then, we moved him to left tackle. It's obviously a premier position. Then, you miss quite a bit of time last year in training camp.
'He has not missed a day. He was one of the first guys back in the building. … He understands how important this year is for him, not just for him, but for our football team. He looks great and he's playing at a high level right now, going up against some good speed rushers.'
All of the praise comes with an obvious disclaimer: there is no contact at practices right now, unlike the intense practices in training camp. Those training camp practices will differ greatly from the full-speed competition on Sundays.
Guyton isn't just working harder, but he's also taken steps to work smarter. His physique and build are noticeably different than last year. He appears leaner, still carrying muscle in his frame but shedding some of the excess weight. That appearance is not by accident.
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'I think that I figured out a lot about what I need to do to take care of my body, to be able to play at a high level,' Guyton said.
That revelation didn't come on the field or even in the weight room.
'I changed my diet completely around,' Guyton said. 'Fast foods are out. Fried foods are out. I just try to stick to a strict regimen of vegetables and salmon throughout the week of prep. It's definitely changed a lot, actually.'
Guyton said the change in diet wasn't difficult for him, and there are too many things he misses from his previous habits of consumption, like from the Caniac Combo from Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers.
The results he's seen have made things easier.
'It's easy when you feel better,' Guyton said. 'I feel like my body is more pure right now. I can move more freely, my joints feel better. It's been a great transition.'
Guyton described his body as a constant work in progress. He still aims to become faster and stronger, while also adding more flexibility to his toolbox.
Many of the external pressures Guyton faced last year are still there, but their presence has faded in intensity. The upcoming season is no longer about following in Smith's footsteps or dealing with a position change, even if those elements will always be part of Guyton's story.
For Guyton, it's now about being a good player in his own right, and certainly better than what he showed in 2024.