Dallas Cowboys: Tyrone Crawford moving around could again hurt him

Defensive lineman Tyrone Crawford has been moved around a lot in his career with the Dallas Cowboys, which has hurt his play. And it could happen again.

A lot of eyebrows were raised when the Dallas Cowboys gave defensive lineman Tyrone Crawford a five-year, $45 million contract extension back in 2015. While he’s always been a solid player, he never really had the production that warranted such a pay day.

That doesn’t mean he’s not a valuable player, because he really has been. Crawford has proven in his time with the Cowboys that he can be relied upon each and every week to do the job asked of him, and in the past that has included playing multiple positions.

Originally drafted in the third-round out of Boise State in 2012, Crawford was a defensive end in the 3-4 defense the Cowboys ran. The next year, they switched defenses to a 4-3, but Crawford missed the entire season with a torn Achilles.

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He then was tried at both defensive end and the three-technique tackle spot that year and has seemed to continually alternate the two spots ever since.

In 2017, Crawford seemed to find a home as a right defensive end and he played well for Dallas. Hopes were high that he could continue to play that role this season and see his productivity increase even more.

Recent news out of Dallas could change that though.

On Friday it was reported that the current three-technique tackle, David Irving, was suspended for the first four games of the season. It’s the second year in a row that Irving will start the season suspended.

This is in addition to the team already seeing Maliek Collins have to undergo surgery for a broken foot. That leaves Dallas incredibly thin at a position that had questions to begin with.

Where they aren’t as thin, is defensive end where Crawford plays. Dallas can trot out DeMarcus Lawrence, Taco Charlton, Dorrance Armstrong, Kony Ealy and Charles Tapper at the moment. That could make the prospect of moving Crawford inside incredibly enticing.

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Sadly, his versatility could once again lead to him entering a season moving around on the line again. While he’s capable and would likely be willing, it’s just another problem for him as he’s had to be flexible throughout his entire career.