![\"Tyler](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2196858556-e1785207409158.jpg\")
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGetty\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
Tyler Smith #73 of the Dallas Cowboys <\/p>\n
The Dallas Cowboys<\/a> have arrived at Oxnard for the 2026 training camp, and that means we are just 48 days away from the start of the NFL<\/a> season against the Giants on a Sunday night in New York.\u00a0 While this offseason has been blessedly quiet in terms of distractions and other issues, with no weighty contract and holdout issues\u2013as with Micah Parsons<\/a> last year, plus Dak Prescott<\/a> and CeeDee Lamb<\/a> the previous year\u2013there is still plenty to be determined over the coming seven weeks. And one of the Cowboys\u2019 best players, guard Tyler Smith<\/a>, could be central in that regard.<\/p>\n That\u2019s because Smith, despite being an All-Pro at left guard, was moved to left tackle briefly at the e3nd of last season following an ankle injury to Tyler Guyton<\/a> and underperformance from former seventh-round pick Nate Thomas at the position. As the season was ending, coach Brian Schottenheimer said that Smith could potentially make a more permanent move out to left tackle, a remarkable statement considering how good a guard Smith is.<\/p>\n Cowboys Not Expected to Move Tyler Smith to Left Tackle<\/p>\n As the offseason progressed, though, the Cowboys seemed to wind back the notion that Smith could be bumped out to tackle if Guyton\u2013a first-round pick in 2024\u2013is overmatched in the job. That was the case at multiple points last year for Guyton, who injured his knee in training camp, and never really looked comfortable after that before finally going out in Week 12 with the ankle sprain.<\/p>\n That was, at least, until Smith stopped to talk with reporters on Monday evening as the team arrived for camp. He was asked if he had been assured he would remain at guard, which is his preference, and the assumption was that he\u2019d affirm that. Except that he did not.<\/p>\n GettyTyler Guyton of the Dallas Cowboys<\/p>\n Tyler Smith: \u2018We\u2019ll See What Happens\u2019<\/p>\n Here\u2019s what Smith told gathered Cowboys reporters about a position change: \u201cWe\u2019ll see what happens. Ultimately, Schotty makes those decisions. Wherever I do line up, I\u2019m going to be at the best of my abilities. I haven\u2019t been told anything.\u201d<\/p>\n Now, neither Schottenheimer nor offensive coordinator Klayton Adams has firmly ruled out a Smith move to left tackle, but both have indicated that\u2019s not the plan\u2013they want Guyton to earn the job. The problem is that his only real competition thus far is Thomas, who was unimpressive last year, too.<\/p>\n Guyton allowed 10 pressures in the first two weeks of the season, and allowed a total of 31 for the season. Thomas, who is massive at 6-foot-5 and 334 pounds, allowed eight pressures in 60 snaps<\/a> as a starter at left tackle in Week 14, and was pulled in Week 15, giving up four pressures in 30 snaps.<\/p>\n A Guyton vs. Thomas competition at the position is the starting point, but it is possible the Cowboys well be a thumbs-down on both players and turn to Smith.<\/p>\n Cowboys Have Improved Defensive Front<\/p>\n Either way, Smith says he is impressed with what the Cowboys have done defensively\u2013and maybe a refurbished group of pass-rushers in practice will toughen up Guyton.<\/p>\n Said Smith<\/a>: Obviously I think we made a lot of acquisitions in the offseason particularly on defense. I think we got a lot of young guys, that I\u2019ve seen through OTAs that have got a lot of juice. I think we made some great additions in terms of our edge groups, and to our interior D-line. A lot of other positions, too, and I think that is going to show up.<\/p>\n \u201cI think the iron sharpening iron in the trenches will be very prevalent this training camp.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tSean Deveney<\/a> is a veteran sports reporter covering the NBA, NFL and MLB for Heavy.com. He has written for Heavy since 2019 and has more than two decades of experience covering the NBA, including 17 years as the lead NBA reporter for the Sporting News. Deveney is the author of 7 nonfiction books, including “Fun City,” “Before Wrigley became Wrigley,” and “Facing Michael Jordan.” More about Sean Deveney<\/a>\t\t<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Getty Tyler Smith #73 of the Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys have arrived at Oxnard for the 2026…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":388615,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[102,104,103],"class_list":["post-388614","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-dallas","tag-dallas","tag-dallas-headlines","tag-dallas-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/388614","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=388614"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/388614\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/388615"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=388614"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=388614"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=388614"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"Tyler](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Tyler-Guyton-Punishment-NFL-Tripping.jpg\")
<\/p>\n