Better: Offensive Line
When Jason Garrett took over as the head coach full-time before the 2011 season (following his interim stint) he made it clear that he wanted to win with a physical style of football. He’s often called a ‘puppet’ for team owner Jerry Jones, but this claim ignores the shift in philosophy that came after Garrett’s tenure began.
Up until that point, Jones had never spent a first round pick on an offensive lineman. Since then, Dallas has done so three times as they took Tyron Smith in 2011, Travis Frederick in 2013, and Zack Martin in 2014. All three have become Pro Bowl players but they also all battled injuries this past season which severely affected the offense as a whole.
Smith missed three games at left tackle whereas Martin missed two contests. Not only that, but rookie Connor Williams also battled a knee injury that cost him some time at left guard. Replacing them wasn’t easy, but it was even more difficult with them already missing Frederick who was out for the entire 2018 season as he battled Guillain–Barré syndrome.
The injuries led to Dallas adding depth in the form of Penn State’s Connor McGovern with their third round selection. They also gave backup tackle Cameron Fleming a two-year deal to make sure they stay strong behind Smith.
As for Frederick, reports suggest he should be back this season. His return alone will improve the play of the offensive line for Dallas, but they also know that turning to McGovern will be an upgrade over Xavier Su’a-Filo who had to help replace both Martin and Williams last year.
The strength of this offense has become their offensive line, but that wasn’t the case last year. Thankfully, things appear to be shaping up much better and this area should once again be one where they’re successful.