Cowboys Three Options Emerge For Massive Change After Tyler Guyton Injury

When the Tyler Guyton news dropped for the Dallas Cowboys, and with a 4-6 week period of recovery with a bone fracture, many are now wondering who slots into the left tackle role in Oxnard.

If there is a silver lining, it is that the injury occurred early, allowing the backups to gain valuable reps in case they are needed in Week 1 against the Philadelphia Eagles.

The two main players who will get reps at left tackle will be Asim Richards and veteran Hakeem Adeniji, and that will be a battle to keep an eye on.

But there is a third option here, too ... and a massive one.

While neither of the aforementioned guys are seen as bona fide starting-caliber linemen, they are solid backups and if needed for a game or two, which they might, the Cowboys can feel confident they can step in and do a job.

“Big powerful man,” Schottenheimer said of Adeniji. “Uses his hands really well. He's one of those guys that because of his size and width and things like that, he's hard to get around if the speed rushers don't get him off the jump. It's hard because he's so big and strong. But he can anchor.

"He can absorb the bull rush and kind of sit down and stop movement and in the run game. I mean, just a big powerful man that can move people, plays with good low pad level and gets his chin under the face mask and he's able to lift people.”

Now, with Guyton set to be sidelined, we are going to be seeing a lot more of Richards and Adeniji in Oxnard, and while the injury isn't great for Tyler, now opportunity presents itself for both backups to be Dak Prescott's blindside protector in Week 1.

Or ... maybe Dallas considers taking All-Pro guard Tyler Smith and shuffling him over to tackle?

Our argument against that: Guyton's problem is short-term enough that drastic measures don't seem necessary.

By the way ...

Granted, Guyton could still recover in time, but the more logical step is to keep him in cotton wool until the home opener in Week 2 against the New York Giants.

So, most likely? When one door closes (albeit briefly), another opens, and opportunity has knocked on Richards and Adeniji's door.

Can they take advantage of it?