ONXARD, Calif. 鈥� As the Cowboys offense looks to take the next step under Brian Schottenheimer in his second season as head coach, their success as a unit begins up front with players like Pro Bowl guard Tyler Smith.
Through two padded practices, which give Smith and his fellow counterparts in the trenches a better feel for getting in football shape, Smith sees the unit trending in the right direction.
"I feel like things are going well," Smith said. "Obviously, putting on the pads is just getting back into the physicality that the football season entails, but I feel like we're off to a great start. Obviously, there are things to clean up, every day is not perfect, but I think we're building towards what we're trying to be."
That doesn't mean it's been easy. Facing him on the other side of the line now are Quinnen Williams and Kenny Clark, two veterans who have won Pro Bowls in their career and weren't lining up across from Smith at camp last year. They did see each other in practice during the season, but battling in Oxnard is different.
"I feel like where we were at last year, I didn't feel like we had as many live reps," Smith said of facing Williams and Clark. "But definitely getting the training camp experience has definitely been better. I feel like it's a whole different brand of physicality. We get way more good on good reps than we do during the season, because there's not as much load management there. I feel like it's really great work."
Smith's battles with Williams have been the ones that have drawn a lot of attention from on-lookers, as the pair are both among the best players at their position. From Smith's perspective, the two are only getting better by playing one another.
"I think it's great for me and great for him as a player," Smith said. "I think just being able to go against somebody every day that's going to push you to be your best and like, there is going to be times when you win. There's going to be times when you lose. But ultimately what are you learning form that rep? What are you learning from those experiences? And that's something even in year five, and he's [year eight], that's something that we're both learning and both going through."
Are these the best interior defensive linemen Smith has faced during camp to get ready for a season?
"I absolutely feel that way," Smith said. "I feel like all my years in the league, and I've had great interior d-linemen, don't get me wrong. We had Osa [Odighizuwa], Linval [Joseph], [Jonathan] Hankins, all those guys. I feel like these guys are really extremely talented players. I feel like they're top tier. I feel like this is the best work you can possibly get."
Speaking of the best work possible, Smith has been getting all of his work at left guard, where he's been an All-Pro and Pro Bowler over the course of his career. After starting at left tackle in the Cowboys' final three games of 2025, there was a conversation about moving Smith to left tackle. Since then, he's gotten clarity from Brian Schottenheimer that the team's preference is to keep him at left guard.
"Just having that clarity, I don't think we should ever ease our minds, because anything could happen," Smith said. "Guys go up, guys go down, ultimately, you've got to be ready and playing many different positions. I do think just knowing what he wants, that definitely helps me out."
As Smith pointed out however, he does have to be ready for anything and could be asked to slide over in a heartbeat. Still, he's confident in his fellow namesake Tyler Guyton to hold his own at left tackle, which he seems to be doing after Brian Schottenheimer said Tuesday he'd be sticking with the first team at the position.
"I think we've got to stay ready for anything," Smith said. "I'll just say this, I have the utmost confidence in Tyler. Not everybody sees it, but we work together in the summer, we work together in the offseason, the body of work he's put forward, I feel like it's going to pay dividends and people are going to truly see who he is."
With all 11 starters returning from a year ago and the potential for positional moves on the offensive line seemingly in the rear view mirror, the focus now for Dallas' offense is to continue to evolve.
"I think just getting better every day," Smith said. "I think you do great things, you have good days, you have bad days, but let's keep stringing together those good days. Let's just get really consistent in what we do and how we do it, and ultimately consistency will stand the test of time."
