Getty Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy shouts during an NFL game.
The Dallas Cowboys have one final preseason game on August 26 before the dawn of the regular season, but one former star says they have problems to fix.
Dallas is coming off an NFC East title, but the offseason has been a hectic one. The Cowboys have only just committed to Brett Maher as the starting kicker(and that could still change,) is facing a crowded but injured wide receiver room, and is now dealing with a major hamstring injury to star tackle Tyron Smith.
As Dallas figures out where to go next at left tackle, one of the Cowboys’ most legendary offensive lineman, Nate Newton, is urging them to get moving. Dallas Morning News reporter David Moore interviewed Newton at the team’s kickoff party for the 2022 season, and he is worried about how the team is leaning on quarterback Dak Prescott.
“We’re hurtin’. This puts a lot of pressure on Dak. Kellen Moore & the coaches don’t need to be at this event tonight. They need to be in the meeting room figuring this out. _ Former Cowboys OL Nate Newton on loss of LT Tyron Smith,” Moore Tweeted on August 26.
Newton could teach rookie guard Tyler Smith a thing or two about offensive line play, whether the Cowboys commit to their first-round draft pick at tackle or not. Either way, being urgent in how they address Tyron Smith’s injury will be important.
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Newton Knows What It Takes
There are many names that come to mind when Cowboys fans think of the Super Bowl-winning teams of the 1990s, and Newton has to be one of them. The now 60-year-old was with Dallas from 1986 to 1998, winning three Super Bowls in the process.
Newton actually began his professional playing career in the USFL, joining the Tampa Bay Bandits for two seasons in 1984 and 1985. When the league eventually shut down, Newton joined Dallas in 1986.
And Newton wasn’t just a part of the team, he was crucial at left guard during the team’s three titles. The Florida A&M alum was selected to the Pro Bowl six times while with Dallas, and was named a first-team All-Pro two times in 1994 and 1995 according to Pro Football Reference.
These days, Newton works with the Cowboys as well as the local area’s ESPN radio affiliate, KESN.
Jerry Jones on Cowboys’ Injury Issue
While Newton has stressed immediate action for Dallas, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has kept a cool head when asked about the situation at left tackle.
When asked about Tyron Smith’s injury on First Take on August 25, Jones did not rule out the idea of adding a new blocker in free agency or a trade. However, he further highlighted rookie Tyler Smith as a key part of the solution.
“It’s a big disappointment, none moreso than for Tyron himself,” Jones explained, per ESPN’s Todd Archer. “But our game really is that and hello Tyler Smith. He’ll be an important part of this puzzle, our No. 1 draft pick.”
Smith is a talented player, but the lack of experience between him and Tyron Smith is gargantuan. Dallas has other options, such as adding a veteran like Eric Fisher in free agency.