Cowboys Pushed to Sign ‘Underrated’ Ex-Pro Bowler to Replace Tyron Smith

Getty The Cowboys could be an ideal destination for Patriots tackle Trent Brown.

The Dallas Cowboys could consider a move from one of their longtime starters onto another veteran.

As suggested by Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine, the Cowboys could be an ideal landing spot for former Pro Bowl and Super Bowl champion offensive tackle Trent Brown. The 30-year-old tackle serves as the New England Patriots‘ starting left tackle, currently in the midst of his second stint with the team.

Ballentine argues that while Brown is having a banner season, he may be pricing himself out of a return to New England. He mentions the Cowboys — along with the Patriots and New York Jets — as a possible landing spot for the 2024 season when he enters free agency.

“The Patriots should be interested in re-signing him, but that’s getting more expensive by the week,” writes Ballentine. “The New York Jets should be willing to do whatever it takes to improve their pass protection, while the Dallas Cowboys could pivot from Tyron Smith to Brown.”

Trent Brown Ranks as One of Best Tackles in NFL in 2023

As Ballentine mentions in his article, Brown has posted an 84.2 overall offensive grade (according to Pro Football Focus), 10 points higher than his previous career high of 74.4 during the 2021 season. Among all tackles this season, Brown ranks second in offensive grade and ninth in pass blocking (82.3 grade) grade.

Brown is in the midst of a two-year, $13 million deal. He’s currently earning a $4 million base salary with a $12.25 million cap hit for the 2023 season. According to OverTheCap’s contract valuation based upon Brown’s play this season, Brown ‘s value is over $15 million per year. That would make Brown one of the top 11 highest-paid tackles in the NFL.

Why It May Be Time for Cowboys to Replace Tyron Smith

The Cowboys are a potential landing spot because Smith continues to deal with nagging injuries as he plays through his 13th season. While Smith is on track to play in Week 5 against the San Francisco 49ers, he has missed the past two games due to a knee sprain. Between 2020 and 2022, the eight-time Pro Bowler appeared in just 17 of a possible 50 games.

Smith remains a quality tackle when he’s on the field, posting a 78.8 offensive grade and 88.6 pass-blocking grade during his two starts at left tackle this season. Among all tackles this season, Smith’s pass-blocking actually ranks second.

However, his persistent injuries and wear-and-tear on his body — he has started 150 games since 2011 and will turn 33 years old in December — may mean it’s time to move on from the longtime franchise tackle. By comparison, Brown has appeared in 92 games since entering the NFL in 2015.

Smith is in the midst of the final year of his Cowboys deal, meaning he’ll be a free agent in the offseason.

Smith’s durability concerns even caused one Cowboys writer to ponder whether or not Dallas should move on from Smith in the middle of the 2023 season.

Via Tim Kelly of Sports Illustrated:

“Cut Tyron? Dallas would actually waste $4 million in cap space by doing that, so it’s not practical,” writes Kelly. “Cowboys SOO Stephen Jones said this week that Dallas won’t move Tyron to IR, either, because of the believe that he’ll soon get healthy. But …”

While Kelly makes sure to mention that cutting Smith isn’t “practical,” the fact that Smith is spending more time on the sidelines than on the field is cause for concern.

Smith will obviously finish the season — barring injury — as the Cowboys’ starting tackle. However, it’s worth pondering how Brown could be a worthy replacement for Smith entering the 2024 season.