Cowboys offensive lineman Terence Steele signs RFA tender

The Cowboys have Terence Steele back in the fold. More than a month after Steele received a second-round restricted free agent tender, ESPN.com’s Field Yates notes the fourth-year tackle signed it to lock in that second-tier RFA price.

Steele will be tied to a $4.3M salary as a result of this signing. While Steele has a ways to go before completing rehab from ACL surgery, he is again under contract with the Cowboys. RFAs have until Friday to sign their respective tenders. Not doing so would allow their teams to rescind the tender and pay the RFA 120% of his 2022 salary. Steele having made $895K last year made this an easy decision.

This will be an interesting year for Steele. The Cowboys reached an agreement to bring back Tyron Smith on a restructured deal, keeping the All-Pro tackle on the NFL’s longest-running contract. They are planning to use the All-Decade left tackle on the right side, where he finished last season. Steele’s injury led to Smith moving to the right side, a move that left first-round pick Tyler Smith at left tackle. This leaves Steele without a surefire starting spot in 2023.

Dallas is planning to give Steele a look at guard once he returns, though it will be a while before Steele receives clearance. He suffered the ACL tear in mid-December, but the Cowboys have said the former UDFA is ahead of schedule on his rehab journey.

While the Cowboys will look at Steele as a guard, the 40-game starter is set to be — assuming both Smiths enter the season healthy — the team’s swing tackle. This would be a significant downgrade for Steele, who is eligible for unrestricted free agency in 2024. The Cowboys lost left guard Connor McGovern in free agency, potentially creating a best-five scenario in which Steele replaces him. But the Texas Tech product has only played tackle as a pro. Pro Football Focus graded Steele as a top-10 run blocker among tackles last season.