Dallas Cowboys: Is Cameron Fleming the answer at right tackle?

The Dallas Cowboys this offseason potentially improved the right side of their offensive line with the signing of tackle Cameron Fleming.

In what can be described as a very nice move by the Dallas Cowboys this offseason, they added to and improved their offensive line by signing right tackle Cameron Fleming to a one-year contract via free agency.

This move by the Cowboys does improve their offensive line for the short term as it was just a one-year contract. But Fleming comes from a very good team in the New England Patriots and has worked his way from being a backup in the NFL to a starter, as he was the Patriots’ starting right tackle in the Super Bowl this past season.

Fleming is a former fourth-round pick by New England and played in 12 regular games last season, plus the playoffs. Of the 12 games played in this past regular season, Fleming started six games, and for his four-year career he has made 20 starts and also has time at right guard, left guard, left tackle and right tackle during his NFL tenure.

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What makes this move stand out for the upcoming season is this allows the Cowboys to possibly move La’el Collins back to left guard, which makes the Cowboys a better offensive line as Collins is more suited to be a guard on the Cowboys’ offensive line.

With the Cowboys looking to get back to their past form on the offensive line, the question that remains is whether Fleming is the long-term answer at right tackle. The right tackle spot will be of much interest as Fleming could have more competition at the position depending on what other moves the Cowboys make this offseason by trade, free agency or whom they draft in the 2018 NFL Draft.

Again, Fleming is an improvement over the injury-prone season had by the Cowboys’ offensive line had last season, but there is still much to be proven by Fleming as well. Stats posted on WashingtonPost.com have Fleming allowing just 2.5 sacks last season, along with two false start penalties during the 2017 regular season.

The Cowboys made a change within their coaching staff for the offensive line by bringing in former Cincinnati Bengals o-line coach Paul Alexander, so a new face within the coaching staff might being some changes to the front five as well.

In an ESPN.com article on Fleming and the Cowboys, it states the following on the tackle:

"“His presence as a powerful blocker on the edge, which he had shown in Stanford’s pro-style offense, is one of his primary assets.”"

Fleming most likely isn’t the long-term answer for the Cowboys at right tackle, as he has just the aforementioned one-year deal, but for at least this upcoming season, he could be the right fit to try out at the spot and see what happens from there with his contract status.

Fleming will be looked at heavily to produce for the Cowboys offensive line as most of the offense is a sure thing at the starting spots if players stay healthy, leaving Fleming and Jarron Jones as probably the two currently on the roster who will compete for the starter’s role.

This offseason, the Cowboys have also added Marcus Martin to the offensive line and re-signed Joe Looney, so it is no secret the Cowboys are taking not just the right tackle spot seriously, but the overall depth of their offensive line seriously, too.

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If anything comes from the Fleming signing, it is the fact the Cowboys know they had a problem at right tackle last season, and this year they don’t want to be in the same tough situation at offensive line as they were a year ago when it came to players who weren’t the core of the unit.