Dallas should keep both Tyron Smith and Connor McGovern next year.
With Steele injured, he is going to be in recovery through the entire offseason. It will take a minimum of 9 months for Steele to recover, meaning he’ll likely miss the first month of the 2023 season. Keeping Tyron Smith allows the Cowboys to slide Tyler Smith to a right tackle and gives him a full offseason to adjust to the move.
McGovern is not a great NFL talent at guard. But you cannot afford to have stars at every position. McGovern is likely to be fairly inexpensive to resign. He can play both guard and center, so he provides quality depth at both positions, even if you move Tyler Smith to Guard when Steele returns next October.
Lastly, Steele is a restricted free agent, meaning the Cowboys only need to tender an offer to retain his services. The bigger question is what level of offer they will tender, 1st round, 2nd round, or draft position. I’m betting they offer him a first round tender, and then try to negotiate a long-term deal during the season.
Finally, the Cowboys have to concentrate on developing players like Farniok, Ball and Waletzko. It is debatable if Peters will go back into retirement, but since he lives in East Texas, the Cowboys might offer him a position, if they need him, after the season starts. But I would like to see the Cowboys offer Peters a coaching position.
