The Dallas Cowboys are bracing for life without rookie right guard Tyler Booker, who suffered a high ankle sprain in Sunday’s loss to the Chicago Bears.
Booker played every snap before realizing the severity of the injury, and he is now expected to miss multiple weeks. Whether he ends up on injured reserve remains to be seen, but his absence will be felt immediately.
Here are three key areas the Cowboys must adjust without him.
Interior line depth takes a hit
Booker’s injury comes just one week after starting center Cooper Beebe was placed on IR with the same issue. That means two-thirds of the Cowboys’ interior line is now sidelined. Second-year guard T.J. Bass is expected to replace Booker, while Brock Hoffman continues to fill in at center. The Cowboys began the season believing their offensive line would be a stabilizing force, but that confidence is now under stress.
Robert Jones would’ve been the immediate fix, but the veteran free agent signing was lost for the season during training camp with a neck injury.
Bass was the primary backup to Hoffman at center last week against the Bears. Dallas signed center Wesley French to the practice squad last week. The team has Trevor Keegan, signed after being with the Philadelphia Eagles, and Hakeem Adeniji as depth possibilities currently on the 53-man roster.
Protection for Dak Prescott
With two backup linemen pressed into starting roles, the protection in front of quarterback Dak Prescott suddenly looks shaky. Booker had been solid in both pass protection and the run game, and now Prescott will have to rely on a reshuffled unit against a string of tough opponents, including a Week 4 matchup with the Green Bay Packers.
The Packers have been extremely good in pressuring opposing QBs, but the next two matchups against the New York Jets and Carolina Panthers should allow the team to breath a bit easier provided they survive this test.
Run-game stability at risk
The offensive line had been one of Dallas’ strengths early in the year, especially in creating lanes for Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders. Without Booker and Beebe, that rhythm is disrupted. Bass and Hoffman must step up quickly to keep the ground game from stalling.
The Cowboys already face uncertainty with CeeDee Lamb’s high ankle sprain, and now their once-reliable offensive line is searching for stability just three weeks into the season.
This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: 3 immediate ways Tyler Booker’s injury is going to impact Cowboys’ plans on offense
Reporting by Jazz Monet, Cowboys Wire / Cowboys Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
