If the Dallas Cowboys make any significant moves on the offensive line this offseason, it will likely be at tackle. While they could stand pat with the current players, there may be an opportunity for
upgrades. If nothing else, Dallas may be able to maintain the same level of performance while also creating some salary cap space.
Under Contract
Tyler Guyton – It’s been a mixed bag from Guyton in his young NFL career. He’s been far from a bust, but also hasn’t been as consistent or immediately impactful as you’d like from a first-round pick. Missing nearly all of last year’s training camp with a knee injury, and then seven games last year with other issues, certainly didn’t help. The Cowboys are banking on Guyton to blossom in his third season, and he’s flashed enough at times that it’s a reasonable expectation.
Terence Steele – Another offseason, another discussion about whether or not Steele should keep his job. This annual exercise gets more intriguing as he turns 29 this summer, offers major potential cap relief, and could be replaced by in-house options. We’ll dive deeper into these scenarios shortly. But suffice to say, Steele’s immediate future is one of the murkiest of any Cowboy under contract for 2026.
Nathan Thomas – We heard the team was high on Thomas in 2024 when the seventh-round rookie was stashed on injured reserve. We saw why last season as Thomas, essentially a redshirt rookie, emerged as the swing tackle. He started four games while Guyton dealt with injuries and wasn’t awful given his inexperience. As with Guyton, more is needed for him to find a lasting home. But the potential is there, and hopefully another full offseason will yield results.
Ajani Cornelius – The sixth-round rookie was carried on the roster most of the year, only dressing for one game and taking a few special teams snaps. He was eventually placed on IR with a knee issue. The team obviously thought enough of Cornelius’ potential to protect him with a roster spot and preserve his rookie contract. He’ll be one to watch this summer as the competition for OL depth resumes.
Marcellus Johnson – A late-season addition to the practice squad, Johnson went undrafted in 2024 and has bounced around other squads the last two years. He’s agreed to a futures deal to return this year. While on the small side for a tackle, Johnson is credited with the athleticism and versatility to play either side. Those could help him compete for a roster spot, speaking to depth and special teams potential.
Free Agents
Hakeem Adeniji – The veteran journeyman signed with Dallas as a depth option last spring and ended up playing in 12 games, mostly on special teams but with one start on offense. Still just 28, he could easily be re-signed to compete for a similar role against the younger prospects. His odds improve if the Cowboys do move on from Steele.
What’s Needed?
If the Cowboys decide to keep rolling with Terence Steele, then probably not much. They’ll also likely continue to work with Tyler Guyton on the left side, knowing they have Nathan Thomas to compete and also the emergency option of sliding Tyler Smith over. Given the youth of Guyton and Thomas, plus the welcome consistency of the offensive staff carrying over from last year, there’s a case to be made for preserving what you have and banking on development.
However, there’s also a case to be made for finally moving on from Steele and trying to get stronger on the edges. Steele continues to be what he’s always been, a solid run blocker with very limited pass protection ability. We kept hoping the latter would improve with experience, but that ship has sailed after five seasons. Now turning 29 this summer, Steele’s liabilities will only worsen with any athletic decline.
If Dallas does want to move on, it could be beneficial to the salary cap. Steele is scheduled to count about $18.1 million in 2026 and only has $9.4 million in dead money left. They could cut him outright for $8.75 million in cap space, usable in this year’s free agent market, or get $14 million with the June-1st provision.
That said, Steele’s cap hit isn’t that unreasonable for a decent starting tackle. As the game has evolved and right tackles are generally making the same as the lefties, Steele makes about $10 million less per year than the league’s top tackles. So, depending on how much they value his run blocking over how he limits you in the passing game, the front office could be okay with his compensation level.
The big question is whether Dallas thinks it can get the same level of play while reducing costs. Could they run with Thomas as the new RT, or maybe play him at left and move Guyton to the right side? Would they decide to move Tyler Smith to tackle permanently and let Guyton and Thomas compete for the right job? We can argue all day about the pros and cons of converting Smith to tackle over keeping him as an All-Pro guard, but the narrow view is that it would likely upgrade the LT position from the last two years. And Guyton, who played right tackle in college, could maximize his upside returning to that spot.
The Cowboys could also use some of the funds from cutting Steele to sign his replacement. One guy to watch is Jonah Williams, a former first-round pick by the Bengals, who was with Arizona in 2024 when Klayton Adams was their offensive line coach. He’s battled injuries the last two years with the Cardinals, but has been named the starting right tackle both seasons. He’s set to become a free agent and could be a bargain coming off the injuries, which we know Dallas’ front office is always intrigued by.
Again, they could easily decide to run it back with the current group. They’ve been content with Steele for a while now, so only the lure of cap space will likely change that. But it’s easy to see them sticking with the veteran and hoping for development from Guyton and Thomas to solidify the group. Upgrades are possible, but also not the most dire need. With a defense to makeover and even bigger offensive concerns at receiver and running back, tackle is a position that could go either way for offseason attention.
