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The Dallas Cowboys appear to want to keep Tyler Smith at guard. Klayton Adams does, at least.
In case you forgot, the Cowboys threw it back to 2022 near the end of the 2025 season by sliding Tyler Smith out to left tackle. It seemed as is if the team was going to consider waffling back and forth between positions with Smith (he played tackle for a majority of his rookie season in 2022 when Tyron Smith was hurt), but at the season-ending press conference they committed to him sticking at guard where he has blossomed as an All-Pro.
You can count offensive coordinator Klayton Adams among the people who thinks this is the best idea as noted. Adams joined 105.3 The Fan out at the NFL Combine on Wednesday and touched on the subject.
As transcribed by The Athletic’s Jon Machota:
“I don’t know exactly what the answer is for the future. (But) I know this, when we have those three inside guys (Smith, Cooper Beebe, Tyler Booker) playing together, it’s one of our greatest strengths. So do we kinda want to soften one of the things we’re really good at to try to make up at another position? I think in an ideal world, no.”
“Where we were at at the end of the season last year was: This is how we get our best-five (offensive linemen) on the field. And I believe in that pretty firmly as a coach. But I think going into this offseason, in my mind, the way I see it is: How do we get a little bit better and more consistent play out of the tackles? Well, we need to get those guys on the field and they need to play.”
“That’s one of the things that I know Tyler Guyton has been frustrated with is he had a great offseason, he’s starting training camp good, and then he’s on the shelf for a little bit. And then he comes back and he’s doing some good things and he’s flashing, and then he’s on the shelf for a little bit.”
“I generally use this metric in my mind, and I believe it. You got to get these young players through start 20-25. Then you start seeing those guys kind of self-monitor and see some of their own things they need to fix or be able to help themselves a little bit. You get through that number and now you start seeing a player that’s going to improve from coaching and also from self awareness.”
Doing everything possible to get a team’s five best offensive linemen on the field is not a new concept. It is smart to try and do this and even though it was shocking to see Smith at tackle once again, given the injury that Tyler Guyton was dealing with the team was simply stuck.
Perhaps the Cowboys decide to move back in that direction at some point, but right now the most influential people relative to football operations appear to want Smith at guard.