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by Rainer Sabin / Reporter
INDIANAPOLIS -- Earlier this week, the Cowboys announced that tackles Tyron Smith and Doug Free would switch positions. It was the latest initiative the Cowboys have undertaken in their ongoing attempt to rebuild an offensive line that allowed 39 sacks last season and showed susceptibility to pressure.
The problems the Cowboys have experienced in pass protection is one of the primary reasons why Dallas has failed to make the playoffs each of the last two seasons, according to owner Jerry Jones.
"I can say the offensive line has been a significant contributor to us being a mediocre team," Jones said. ".... It helped create ambiguity at times for our quarterback and our awareness that he had guys who could come free or someone up there get beat. When that's on the quarterback's mind, then he makes adjustments."
Last year, the unit charged with shielding Tony Romo was overhauled. Before releasing veterans Leonard Davis, Marc Colombo and center Andre Gurode, the Cowboys took an unprecedented step in Jones' tenure as owner, selecting a lineman in the first round when they drafted Smith. They then replaced Gurode with second-year player Phil Costa, who joined the team in 2010 as an undrafted free agent. They also installed rookie Bill Nagy at left guard.
"I think we made some really important moves last year." Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said. "We had a lot of players who had been really good players for us for a long time, and we had to move on from a few of them. They were older guys, they were guys who were making a lot of money, they were guys who we had a tremendous amount of respect for, guys we felt could still play, but we needed to take a little bit of a different direction, and we made some hard decisions."
The Cowboys experienced some uncomfortable aftershocks following the transfusion of youth. Costa was rated the sixth-worst center among players who were on the field for at least 25 percent of their team's snaps, according to ProFootballFocus.com. Nagy was overwhelmed at times before suffering a season-ending ankle fracture in a loss to New England in October. And while Smith excelled, Free regressed. He yielded 9.5 sacks and committed a team-high 10 penalties.
"I am not at all dismayed by the year Free had," Jones said. "But certainly we want him to do better."
Yet Jones added that he thinks "we've been too tough on Free" and attributed the offensive line's struggles to growing pains, which he said contributed to the team's two losses against the Giants.
"Our size and inexperience really showed up there," Jones said. "We paid the biggest price for the change we made in the offensive line in those Giants games. I think that's fair to say...Ultimately, that falls on my shoulders."
As a result, Jones said he wouldn't be opposed to expending a high pick on a guard, center or tackle for the second consecutive year as the team continues to rebuild the group tasked with keeping Romo upright.
"I really am pleased with everything we've done with the future of our offensive line," Jones said, "and we're not through."
by Rainer Sabin / Reporter
INDIANAPOLIS -- Earlier this week, the Cowboys announced that tackles Tyron Smith and Doug Free would switch positions. It was the latest initiative the Cowboys have undertaken in their ongoing attempt to rebuild an offensive line that allowed 39 sacks last season and showed susceptibility to pressure.
The problems the Cowboys have experienced in pass protection is one of the primary reasons why Dallas has failed to make the playoffs each of the last two seasons, according to owner Jerry Jones.
"I can say the offensive line has been a significant contributor to us being a mediocre team," Jones said. ".... It helped create ambiguity at times for our quarterback and our awareness that he had guys who could come free or someone up there get beat. When that's on the quarterback's mind, then he makes adjustments."
Last year, the unit charged with shielding Tony Romo was overhauled. Before releasing veterans Leonard Davis, Marc Colombo and center Andre Gurode, the Cowboys took an unprecedented step in Jones' tenure as owner, selecting a lineman in the first round when they drafted Smith. They then replaced Gurode with second-year player Phil Costa, who joined the team in 2010 as an undrafted free agent. They also installed rookie Bill Nagy at left guard.
"I think we made some really important moves last year." Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said. "We had a lot of players who had been really good players for us for a long time, and we had to move on from a few of them. They were older guys, they were guys who were making a lot of money, they were guys who we had a tremendous amount of respect for, guys we felt could still play, but we needed to take a little bit of a different direction, and we made some hard decisions."
The Cowboys experienced some uncomfortable aftershocks following the transfusion of youth. Costa was rated the sixth-worst center among players who were on the field for at least 25 percent of their team's snaps, according to ProFootballFocus.com. Nagy was overwhelmed at times before suffering a season-ending ankle fracture in a loss to New England in October. And while Smith excelled, Free regressed. He yielded 9.5 sacks and committed a team-high 10 penalties.
"I am not at all dismayed by the year Free had," Jones said. "But certainly we want him to do better."
Yet Jones added that he thinks "we've been too tough on Free" and attributed the offensive line's struggles to growing pains, which he said contributed to the team's two losses against the Giants.
"Our size and inexperience really showed up there," Jones said. "We paid the biggest price for the change we made in the offensive line in those Giants games. I think that's fair to say...Ultimately, that falls on my shoulders."
As a result, Jones said he wouldn't be opposed to expending a high pick on a guard, center or tackle for the second consecutive year as the team continues to rebuild the group tasked with keeping Romo upright.
"I really am pleased with everything we've done with the future of our offensive line," Jones said, "and we're not through."
