How the Cowboys Can Fix Their Offensive Line Problems This Season

As I sit here watching the Cowboys struggle through another preseason game, I can't help but focus on that offensive line - or what's left of it. Having followed this team for over twenty years, I've seen some rough patches, but the current situation reminds me of watching someone trying to build furniture without the instructions. They've got pieces that should work together, but the coordination just isn't there yet. The parallels between fixing an offensive line and assembling a cohesive unit in other contexts strike me as remarkably similar to what we see in team-building scenarios, much like the Nightfarer selection process in gaming contexts where discovering which characters work best together requires experimentation and understanding individual strengths.

The Cowboys lost two starting linemen this offseason, and while they drafted Tyler Smith in the first round, he's raw. I've watched every snap of his college career, and he's got the physical tools - 6'5", 332 pounds with 34-inch arms - but his technique needs refinement. The team allowed 41 sacks last season, ranking them 18th in the league, which frankly surprises me because it felt much worse watching the games. When your quarterback is running for his life every third down, those numbers don't tell the whole story. What Dallas needs is exactly what any organization needs when building a unit - the right combination of talents that complement each other, much like how different Nightfarers bring unique narratives and abilities to the table in collaborative environments.

I've always believed offensive line play is about five players moving as one organism, and right now, the Cowboys have individual parts rather than a cohesive unit. Tyron Smith, when healthy, remains one of the best tackles in football, but he's missed 17 games over the past two seasons. Zack Martin is still elite, but he's 32 now. The chemistry that made this line dominant three years ago has evaporated, and rebuilding that takes more than just talent - it requires the kind of narrative cohesion and shared purpose we see in well-constructed teams elsewhere. Each player needs to understand not just their role, but how their personal journey contributes to the collective mission, similar to how each Nightfarer's unique backstory enriches the broader narrative landscape.

The solution starts with experimentation during these preseason games. The coaching staff needs to treat these weeks like an extended laboratory, testing different combinations much like one would test various Nightfarers to discover optimal synergies. I'd particularly focus on finding the right guard-center-guard combination, as that interior trio will determine whether Dallas can establish the running game that made them successful in 2021. They averaged 4.5 yards per carry that season compared to just 4.1 last year - that half-yard difference might not sound significant, but it's the difference between second-and-6 and second-and-7, which completely changes play-calling options.

What fascinates me about offensive line construction is how it mirrors character development in other team-based contexts. Just as different Nightfarers bring specialized skills and narrative purposes to a collective endeavor, each lineman has particular strengths that must be harmonized. Tyler Smith's raw power could complement Zack Martin's technical perfection, while Terence Steele's improvement at right tackle provides stability. But they need to develop the kind of intuitive understanding that comes from shared experience and purpose - the knowledge that each player's individual journey, like those compelling backstories that draw characters together toward a common goal, ultimately serves the team's broader mission.

I'd also look at strategic substitutions situationally, something NFL teams rarely do with offensive linemen. If Biadasz struggles against powerful nose tackles, maybe you insert McGovern for certain running situations. If Steele has trouble with elite speed rushers, perhaps you provide chip help from a tight end. This tailored approach reminds me of selecting specific Nightfarers for particular challenges - understanding that different situations call for different specialized skills rather than sticking rigidly to a single configuration regardless of circumstances.

The financial investment in the offensive line tells an interesting story - Dallas has approximately $48 million committed to their starting five, which ranks middle of the pack. Yet they're spending $27 million just on Tyron Smith and Zack Martin, meaning the other three starters are playing on relatively cheap contracts. This imbalance creates pressure for the highly-paid veterans to perform while asking young players to develop quickly, a challenging dynamic that requires careful management and development strategies similar to balancing experienced and new team members in any collaborative environment.

What I've learned from watching successful offensive lines develop over the years is that the best units often have what I call "narrative cohesion" - each player understands not just their technical role but how their personal journey fits into the team's story. This season, the Cowboys' offensive line story is one of redemption and rebuilding, much like those compelling character arcs where individuals with different backgrounds and motivations come together around a shared purpose. The veterans seeking to prove they still have elite play left, the young players establishing themselves, the coaches demonstrating their ability to develop talent - these individual narratives must merge into a collective identity.

The Cowboys have approximately 35 days until their season opener against Tampa Bay to figure this out. That's 21 practices, 3 preseason games, and countless meetings to develop the chemistry required. I'm particularly watching how they perform in the joint practices with Denver later this month - those sessions often reveal more about a team's progress than the actual games. The Broncos have one of the better defensive fronts in football, providing an excellent test for this developing unit.

Ultimately, fixing the Cowboys' offensive line requires both technical solutions and what I can only describe as philosophical alignment. The players need to buy into a shared identity, understanding how their individual strengths and weaknesses complement each other, much like characters in a well-constructed ensemble where each member's unique qualities contribute to the group's success. If they can find that balance between technical execution and collective purpose, between individual excellence and shared responsibility, this line could surprise people. But if they remain five individuals rather than a single unit, it's going to be a long season in Dallas.