The Cowboys feel more powerful at the center position than they have in a long time, even though it’s still only expected.
The Dallas Cowboys are experiencing a fair amount of concern at the moment due to their poor performance in the previous season and their lackluster offseason. However, center is one spot on the roster that doesn’t appear to be giving them anxiety. Even with a rookie starter expected to start and a depth chart that lacks experience, many have high expectations for Dallas’ centers in 2024.
Tyler Biadasz has successfully maintained the starting position for the previous three seasons. In 2022, he was selected to the Pro Bowl and has performed admirably throughout his career. Despite graduating from the same college and following on the heels of Travis Frederick’s tragic retirement, he was unfairly doomed by the shadow of Frederick. He could never measure up to the continual comparison.
There’s hope that Cooper Beebe, a rookie, may bring the Cowboys back to more memorable times. It would be unrealistic to expect the Kansas State product to be a perennial All-Pro like Frederick, but he enters the league with higher grades than Biadasz and recognition even from outside the organization.
Beebe benefits from a lower bar and being positioned between two All-Pro guards in Zack Martin and Tyler Smith, whereas Biadasz faced the memories of Frederick. Although he is in the best circumstances possible for a young center, training camp is about to begin, so it will soon be time for all of the excitement to translate into something real. The Cowboys can’t afford for Beebe to have many growing pains because of their demanding schedule and other positions going through changes.
Frederick wasn’t the only strong player at center back then. Joe Looney, Dallas’s excellent backup, additionally offered adaptable depth at guard. When Guillan-Barre syndrome forced Frederick to miss a year of play in 2018, Looney’s worth became evident as he was thrown into starting duty full-time. He wasn’t a liability, leading the Cowboys to a division title, ten-win campaign, and postseason triumph in the first round.
With Beebe’s arrival and likely first duty, Brock Hoffman is now expected to be the backup. Many people were cool with Hoffman starting in 2024 before to the draft. Like Looney, he now provides good depth at guard with positional flexibility. T.J. Bass, a second-year lineman who has primarily played guard, is also trying his hand at center to boost his worth.
Hoffman and Bass should compete for a spot on the roster, and the winner should be a capable backup. Although both have a good chance of making the squad, Dallas will also be working with a number of guard-tackle prospects this summer. The Cowboys may have to choose between Hoffman and Bass, and their ability to play center would be crucial in making that choice, depending on how much they like both men.
In any case, the Cowboys appear to have more center talent than they have in a long time. Although it remains to be seen if the draft fervor surrounding Cooper Beebe was warranted, a setback there ought to have a knock-on impact for the entire position. Although it won’t be easy to equal the glory days of Travis Frederick and Joe Looney, Dallas’ young centers believe they have a real chance to catch up.