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Is former Bucs, Patriots lineman the Cowboys answer at backup center?
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- Is former Bucs, Patriots lineman the Cowboys answer at backup center?
As they approach the end of training camp in Oxnard, the strengths and weaknesses of the Dallas Cowboys are becoming evident. The offense, with quarterback Dak Prescott throwing to elite wide receivers CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens , will be the team's best attribute.
The questions for the offense revolves around the offensive line and its depth. The starting five are entrenched, but the Cowboys are still trying to find out where the backups line up best. After the first preseason contest, the Cowboys have found themselves changing things around to see where the pieces fit.
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One of the positions where the team needs to find an answer is at backup center. The plan was to have veteran Matt Hennessy be the next man up if anything should happen to starter Cooper Beebe , but he was put on season-ending IR with a neck injury before training camp arrived. That left a hole in the OL depth that could be a bigger deal than anticipated.
The response from the Cowboys was to use veteran T.J. Bass as the primary second-string center, despite never playing there in his career. Bass is also the best backup offensive lineman on the roster, regardless of position. The fourth-year undrafted free agent excels at playing guard and would likely be a starter on some OL deprived teams throughout the league.
Bass was recognized as such a valuable part of the Cowboys, the team gave him a second-round tender in the offseason, which came with a guaranteed salary of $5.76 million. That's a hefty amount for a backup, but Bass has proven his worth, starting in 10 games at guard over the last three seasons. He's performed so well, the Cowboys believe he can handle the duties at center.
In the first exhibition game, Bass got the start at center and played two series before giving way to another option, veteran Nick Leverett . The Cowboys signed Leverett to their practice squad in November, and kept him with a futures contract in January . In his career, Leverett has much more experience at guard, but he does have one career start at center, coming in 2024.
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The team must be intrigued with Leverett, because in their first practice after the preseason win, Leverett was working extensively as the backup center with Bass back at guard.
That's an interesting development, and something to monitor moving forward. The Cowboys can have Bass as the primary backup at all three interior spots on the OL, but the team might prefer a more stable answer behind Beebe. Last year, Beebe missed six games with a high ankle sprain and veteran Brock Hoffman filled in admirably.
However, the team allowed Hoffman to leave during free agency , choosing to sign Hennessy instead.
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That course of action has bit the Cowboys in the butt and left the interior of their offensive line shorthanded. Currently, Bass looks like he's the second-string center, but Leverett could be making a case to stick on the roster and secure the backup center job.
It's a big few weeks for Nick Leverett and the Cowboys' quest to find a backup center. Finding the right one would allow Bass to go back to guard, the position he plays best.
This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Is former Bucs, Patriots lineman the Cowboys answer at backup center?
