The Dallas Cowboys’ offensive line depth has been a source of concern throughout the offseason, and that is unlikely to alter come September. If anything, it’s gotten worse as a result of an injury suffered by Josh Ball.
Ball, 25, was forced to leave the last preseason game against the Las Vegas Raiders on Saturday due to a hip injury. Head coach Mike McCarthy has officially deemed the injury “significant,” requiring the former fourth-round pick to miss “multiple weeks” of recovery time.
“That’s the early diagnosis,” he explained of Ball.
McCarthy and the team’s front management will have to make decisions as a result.
Ball was working out on the interior and as a tackle option this summer, his initial position, but his removal from the depth chart indicates a few things, most notably how the Cowboys will manage his roster slot.
With obligatory cuts due by 3 p.m. ET on Tuesday, the Cowboys must pick between two options:
Place him on season-ending injured reserve before the NFL deadline, essentially ending his 2023 season (season-ending injured reserve).Keep him on the active roster until the NFL deadline, then move him to injured reserve (he could be activated from IR at any time after four games have elapsed).If they choose Option 2, they must decide who they will waive or release in order to keep Ball for 24 hours.
It’s a true debate in Dallas, more so at iOL than tackle (though Matt Waletzko and Asim Richards are the frontrunners there behind Tyron Smith and Terence Steele, despite Tyler Smith’s position flex).
As for who will need to step up and demonstrate their readiness to take on the role of backup interior lineman, the immediate thought will be to lean heavily on T.J. Bass, an undrafted rookie out of Oregon who had one of the best training camps of any player in Oxnard, continuing his strong performance in each of the three preseason games.
Even if Ball had not been injured, Bass has earned a spot on the 53-man roster.
Matt Farniok and Brock Hoffman, two second-year players battling for a spot, are two more existing choices. Keeping with the youth movement, consider rookie fourth-round pick Asim Richards. Richards’ experience is primarily at tackle (where he looked good in preseason outings), but he also got plenty of work on the offensive interior when the team was in Southern California.
Chuma Edoga missed the last two weeks of training camp due to a hyperextended knee, making it unclear whether the Cowboys would rely on their aspirations for him after signing him in free agency this spring, while Earl Bostick Jr. (another rookie prospect) expects to stay in Dallas after roster cuts.
The main lesson is that there was a depth concern on the offensive line, and it has only gotten worse, but there are solutions, including maybe signing a veteran via waivers or outright in free agency.