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2010 Offensive Line Analysis - Dallas Cowboys

2010 Projected Starters:
Left Tackle: Doug Free
Left Guard: Kyle Kosier
Center: Andre Gurode
Right Guard: Leonard Davis
Right Tackle: Marc Colombo

2009 Injuries:
T Marc Colombo: Weeks 11-17

2009 Statistics:

Overview:
The Dallas Cowboys have made the playoffs three times in the last four years, ever since Tony Romo became the starting quarterback, and have also been in the top five in yards of offense in three of the last four years. The Cowboys always had a pretty good running game but last year, they had one of the best in the NFL and it’s one of the main reasons why they won 11 games.

Starting left tackle Doug Free will have a very difficult task in 2010 as he will be replacing a five-time Pro Bowler and a starting tackle for 12 years, Flozell Adams. This change makes sense because last year, at 34 years old, Adams was in the bottom five at his position in sacks allowed and penalties. However, he was still amongst the best in run blocking and this could hurt the Cowboys running game in 2010. Doug Free will be entering his fourth NFL season but he only started his first NFL games in the second half of the 2009 season when Colombo went down with an injury. Free has very good size at 6’6” and 315 lbs and played surprisingly well in his seven starts last year. He was average in both run blocking and pass protection but starting at left tackle will be a totally different thing. He could surprise us but it’s hard to believe that he will, if we consider that the Cowboys acquired Alex Barron, starting left tackle for the Rams in 2009, and were believed to be in the running to acquire Jammal Brown from the Saints. Opposite of Free will be the 31-year old Marc Colombo. Colombo is a very tall lineman who uses his wingspan very well in pass protection but he lacks the lower body strength to overpower defensive linemen and the quick feet to play at left tackle. He played pretty well in 2009 but we have to believe that he will start slowing down sooner rather than later at 31 years old. Nonetheless, Colombo is still an average starting right tackle who should continue to start for a few more years. Alex Barron will be the top backup at both tackle positions; fifth-year veteran Pat McQuistan and sixth round pick in 2010 Sam Young also add depth.

At guard, Kyle Kosier will be returning as the starter on the left side for a fifth consecutive season after being acquired as a free agent from the Detroit Lions. Many felt that Kosier was the weakest link on the line a few seasons ago but he played very well in 2009 after starting only three games in 2008. He is a very good run blocker and has the ability to get to the second level but has struggled in pass protection in the past few years. The downside with Kosier is that he will also be 31 years old when the season begins but, based on the way he played last year, he definitely still has a couple of years left as a starter in the NFL. On the right side, the Cowboys can count on the very strong and versatile Leonard Davis. Davis was the starting left tackle for the Cardinals but switched over to guard after being signed by the Cowboys in 2007. Since then, Davis has not missed a single start and has missed only five in his nine-year career. At 6’6” and 350 lbs, Davis is an overpowering guard who will open up big holes in the running game. He is a much better fit as a guard because of his lack of speed so he will occasionally struggle if he is required to pull to the outside. At 31 years old, he is still one of the five or ten best run blocking guards in the NFL but his struggles in pass protection will continue over the next few years. The 30-year old Montrae Holland will likely be the top backup at both guard and center.

Andre Gurode will be the team’s starting center for a fifth consecutive season. Gurode has great strength to open up holes in the running game and will rarely get pushed into the backfield. He has struggled with his shotgun snaps at times but he is still a very good center who deserved his fourth straight Pro Bowl selection last year. Gurode is still one of the best centers in run blocking at 32 years old but he is also well below average in pass protection.

2010 Outlook:
The Cowboys offensive line was a nice surprise in 2009 but there are some big concerns for this line entering the 2010 season. Doug Free has only started seven NFL games in his career, all of them as a right tackle, and he will be the starting left tackle in 2010. It’s a change the Cowboys had to make but, we expect him to be below average in pass protection and average in run blocking in his first year, which would make him a downgrade compared to Adams last year. The offensive line will be the same as it was for the first eight games of 2009 with the exception of Adams but the four returning starter are now all 31 or 32 years old. This line should continue to be very good in run blocking but pass protection could become more of an issue with the aging linemen. Alex Barron provides good depth at tackle but there would be a pretty big downgrade in run blocking if any of the inside three were to get hurt with Montrae Holland stepping in. Overall, we expect this line to be slightly worse in pass protection because of the aging linemen and to also be slightly worse in run blocking because of Free replacing Adams. Despite that, the Cowboys offensive line will still remain above average in run blocking and the Cowboys will once again have a dangerous running game in 2010.

See all of our 2010 Offensive Line Analysis Articles