Perhaps the Dallas Cowboys should have held onto veteran centre and guard Matt Farniok when the team let him go in August on the NFL’s 53-man cutdown day, given the problems they’ve had keeping their offensive line intact over the last year. But, Farniok has an opportunity for retribution because he now has a shot to participate in Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas in two weeks. The Detroit Lions re-signed him this week, but only to reserve a position on the practice squad.
After being selected by the Cowboys in the seventh round of the 2021 draft out of Nebraska, Farniok displayed some promise by playing on special teams and seeing some action on the offensive line. In his 12-game career, he
rookie, logging 72 special teams snaps; in his second season, he played seven games, starting two of them at guard and manning all three interior line positions.
Matt Farniok was defeated by TJ Bass.
Regretfully, Farniok had trouble protecting the quarterback throughout the preseason, and the Cowboys shocked many by selecting youngster T.J. Bass, an Oregon native. Due to injuries sustained along the line, Bass ultimately played a major part, totaling 204 plays at right guard and 137 at left guard. Bass had two starts: one in the Week 3 loss against Arizona and the other in the Week 18 victory over the Commanders.
Despite not having the best season grades (54.1 overall, 54.9 in pass blocking, and 54.2 in run blocking) at Pro Football Focus, Farniok’s results during his stint in the rotation the previous year were better.
Farniok scored a 41.7 in run blocking and a 31.4 in pass blocking, for an overall grade of 39.1. After allowing seven rushes and thirteen pressures in three weeks, he saw a decline in playing time.
Following his release in September, Farniok was first signed by the Bears. He spent two months with their practice squad before being signed by the Lions in December and released just before the postseason began. He is, however, back on the practice squad in Detroit as a backup.
Unsettled: Cowboys’ Offensive Line
Naturally, the Cowboys will not view the offensive line as a glamorous position, and any developments there won’t garner the same media attention as the team’s decisions about Dak Prescott, Tony Pollard, CeeDee Lamb, and Micah Parsons’ contracts. However, it is a unit that ended the season and needs further explanation in the future.
Tyron Smith, an offensive lineman, was the most with four missed games throughout the season. Due to his injuries, Smith, a 33-year-old free agent, is expected to be replaced on the line; however, when healthy, he is still one of the best in the league.
Centre Tyler Biadasz, who has spent four seasons with the Cowboys and is coming off of his best year, is also a free agent.
With Josh Ball (who missed the season due to a hip injury) and Chuma Udoga both set to enter free agency, the Cowboys have committed almost $80 million to Terrence Steele, who struggled after undergoing ACL surgery.