In a possible affirmation that Tyron Smith (questionable) is good to go for Week 6, the Dallas Cowboys waived reserve offensive tackle Brandon Knight, the team announced Saturday.
The Cowboys signed fullback Nick Ralston and tight end Jeremy Sprinkle to the 53-man roster in corresponding moves.
A 2019 undrafted free agent, Knight appeared in 21 games for Dallas. He made nine starts last season as injuries ravaged the offensive line, claiming both Smith and right tackle La’el Collins.
“I thought [Knight and backup RT Terence Steele] had some tough moments in pass protection, obviously, but both battled. Remember, it wasn’t just Smith and Collins getting hurt — it was Cam Erving, the primary backup tackle, missing 10 games due to injury,” Rob Phillips of the official team website noted in February.
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Unsurprisingly, Cowboys Sport No. 1-Ranked OL
Knight’s departure cements free-agent pickup Ty Nsekhe as the permanent swing tackle behind Smith and Terence Steele, who’s replaced Collins amid the latter’s five-game NFL suspension. And adeptly, at that.
Its O-line having returned to elite form — even without Collins — Dallas’ offense currently ranks second in three major categories: total yards (439.6 yards per game), rushing (172.8 YPG), and scoring (34.0 points per game). They’ve allowed only nine sacks on quarterback Dak Prescott, enhancing his MVP candidacy.
Per Pro Football Focus‘ charting, entering Week 6, Martin (92.3) is the club’s highest-graded lineman, and center Tyler Biadasz (54.8) is the lowest. Altogether, the Cowboys’ front-five grades out as the league’s top-ranked unit.
“Even without La’el Collins, Dallas’ offensive line has vastly improved thanks in no small part to Tyron Smith returning to his best play now that he is finally healthy,” PFF’s Sam Monson wrote Wednesday. “Smith boasts a 91.2 overall PFF grade, the second-best mark in the NFL. It’s the first time he has been above 90.0 since the 2015 season. Smith and Zack Martin are two of the best offensive linemen at any position in the league, and the rest of the Cowboys’ group has been solid with no real glaring weaknesses. With the unit being protected by the scheme, playcalling, quarterback and running backs, this is the best offensive line in football right now.”
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Smith Expected to Play vs. Patriots
The seven-time Pro Bowl blocker gave the Cowboys (and its fan base) quite the scare Thursday, requiring an MRI after showing up on the injury report with a neck issue. Smith, 30, missed all but two games in 2020 due to a neck stinger that required corrective surgery.
“Obviously with his history, we’re just being smart,” head coach Mike McCarthy said Friday, per the official team website.
Reportedly precautionary, the test produced “favorable” results, McCarthy revealed, putting Smith on track to start Sunday’s road contest at New England. Taking it a step further, Cowboys owner/general manager Jerry Jones emphatically declared that Smith (and cornerback Trevon Diggs, who’s nursing an ankle injury) will be “ready to go” from Foxborough.
“We’ve gotten full, positive reports on Tyron, and Diggs will be ready to play,” Jones said Friday on 105.3 The Fan. “There’s no being coy about it. There’s every reason to let them get rested, and let them ease off of the issues they might have had. But they’ll be ready to play.”
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Cowboys Dump Offensive Lineman on Eve of Patriots Game