The expected competition for the starting spot at left tackle is over, at least for now, per Dallas Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer.
Tyler Guyton, the 2022 first-round pick who has struggled for consistency and injuries, will remain with the first team. He has had a solid offseason and strong start to camp.
Nate Thomas, who was supposed rotate in with the starters, needs to be more consistent, Schottenheimer said. The team was expected be on a four-day rotation at left tackle.
No more.
“Yeah, I think he’s doing some really great things,” Schottenheimer said. “I think his sets are very compact. He’s in control. He’s not overset and he’s playing the leverage game. His punches have been good. But I don’t think that that’s anything new to the pads. I think that started with him being one of the first guys back in the building. I think February whatever I saw him. He was an off-season award winner. I think you feel confidence.”
“Obviously we’re allowed, we have the right to adjust some things. And so we’re going to keep him at starting left tackle right now. We talked to Nate and Nate needs to show us a little bit more consistent play to push for that. And so I know we told you guys about the rotation, so Tyler will stay at left tackle. Excited to see how Nate handles that challenge. But Tyler’s playing really, really well.”
Guyton did have a setback of sorts on Tuesday as he missed to reps to due to elbow soreness, allowing Thomas to work with the first team.
Schottenheimer said it wasn’t anything serious.
Even more notable is that Pro Bowl left guard Tyler Smith has taken no reps at left tackle as of yet. Moving Smith to left tackle was one the options Schottenheimer talked about considering if they didn’t like what they were seeing at left tackle with Guyton.
So far so good for Guyton and Smith, who prefers to stay at guard where is considered the best at his position in the NFL.
“I think we got to stay ready for anything,” Smith said. “But I’ll just say this, I have the utmost confidence in Tyler. Not everybody sees it, but we work together in the summer. We work together in the offseason. I know the body of work he’s put forward. I feel like it’s gonna pay dividends and people are gonna truly see like who he is.
What should people know about that work that Guyton did in the offseason to maximize what he could do out here? Smith said it was the way Guyton trained, changed his eating habits and workouts before bed.
“I think it was all inclusive,” Smith said. “He took a step back and like saw what he needed to get better at. He truly attacked that on all fronts.”
