OXNARD, Calif. – That all changes this season when the Dallas Cowboys open the season against the Cleveland Browns, but for the first time since 2011, two offensive rookies will be on the roster. beginning At the time, Tyron Smith was the No. 9 pick at right tackle against the New York Jets, and Bill Nagy was the No. 7 guard at left tackle.
Smith had a Hall of Fame career with the Cowboys. Nagy started four games and did not play in another regular season game in his career. With the Browns this season — with All-Pro pass rusher Myles Garrett and defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, known for odd looks designed to confuse the offense — Tyler Guyton, the 29th final on the left, and Cooper Baby . , third-round pick, in center.
“There’s two of us coming in who don’t know a single sport and going into this situation and trying to get to this point,” Guyton said. “I think it’s very important, and I think it’s very interesting.” Teachers may be concerned about using newcomers in these important positions.
Guyton is responsible for blocking some of the best receivers in the NFL. Beebe was responsible for the call in the past. Quarterback Dak Prescott, who was guarding the rookies, had that one season. In 2016, he took over for Tony Romo who was injured in the preseason and was never given the job back. Pro Bowl veterans like Jason Witten, Smith, Zach Martin, Travis Frederick and Dez Bryant looked up to him.
Prescott had a lot of advice
“Just tell those guys to be clear. Trying to communicate, one, my trust in them, my belief in them. Two, that they have a job and the first part of them doing their job is believing in themselves,” Prescott said, “and understanding that they’re going to make mistakes, but what you need to do is wipe that off.”
When Mike McCarthy was a first-year head coach with the Green Bay Packers in 2006, he had to start three rookie offensive lineman: Daryn Colledge (15 games), Jason Spitz (13) and Tony Moll (10).
The Packers went 8-8.
Guyton was likely destined to be an opening-week starter based on his draft status, but when Chuma Edoga suffered a dislocated left big toe in the first preseason game, his path was cleared.
Beebe is battling Brock Hoffman to replace Tyler Biadasz, the starting center the past three seasons before departing for the Washington Commanders in free agency. Hoffman started the first two games of the preseason, but after the first game, Beebe got his first crack at practice.
“Every situation is different. These things happen, sometimes they happen because of an injury,” McCarthy said. “I just think that by adapting to this situation, we have to make sure that the rookies and our players are ready to play … We’ve all been through this before, so we have to do it well. We have to do it like these children.”
Both players are asked to learn different positions.
At Kansas State, Beebe played every position except center. Since the draft, he has worked hard to perfect his hunting career.
“It’s become second nature,” he said. “I just know that if it doesn’t tell me anything, it’s just a photo. So I don’t try to worry anymore.”
Guyton started at right tackle last year at Oklahoma, guarding his quarterback’s left side. It has gone well to the left. Guyton approached the job as if he were a novice.
“In this league, you can’t think like, ‘Yeah, I’m 2,’ because something happens on any day or any game,” Guyton said. “You have to be ready to do this.”
Guyton sat out four practices in pads because of the virus, and after he returned, the Cowboys were careful to give him the best possible effort. Still, they liked what they saw.
“He’s a tremendous athlete,” offensive lineman Brian Schottenheimer said. “There’s some things to wash hands, hands and stuff like that. But he’s got that character and energy on game day that I don’t think a lot of people see.” He plays with bad shots and plays like that, he loses energy, and he needs a lot of seats.”
In 2014, Zach Martin joined an offensive line that included Smith and Frederick along with veterans Doug Frey and Ronald Leary. Like Guyton and Beebe, he changed positions from left back to right guard.
He intended to be the same for those around him. “The reality is when you’re thrown out there, you don’t want to be the one taking the blame,” Martin said. “Yes, I took pride in making sure I was on top of my stuff and trying to raise the bar for the people around me.”
Martin is the third rookie in franchise history to be named an All-Pro. He became the first offensive lineman in team history to make the Pro Bowl.
Guyton and Beebe aren’t asking for it to happen right away, but Martin said their approach is important now.
“They’ve been great,” Martin said. “That’s something we’ve tried to continue here is try to include everyone when they come in here. We’ve got a tightknit room. And really the best offensive lines I’ve been around have been those rooms that are very tight — not only on the field but off the field.”
