Why the Cowboys Future at the Center Position is Secured for Years
In the 2024 NFL Draft, the Cowboys traded back five spots in the first round with the Detroit Lions, a tactic they love to do, where they would select Tyler Guyton with the 29th overall pick and would also receive an early third-round pick. That third-round pick would end up being Kansas State guard Cooper Beebe, who would be selected to play center. Beebe rarely played center at his time at Kansas State, but all the intangibles were there, and in his rookie season, Beebe proved why they were right to play him there. Now, Dallas hopes they can have another elite center like they previously did before losing Travis Frederick.
Dallas had a slight center issue since Frederick had to retire due to his career-ending sickness. Joe Looney took over for three seasons from 2018-2020, and did a solid job, but was not at the elite level that Frederick displayed. Then, in 2020, the Cowboys drafted Tyler Biadasz out of Wisconsin to play the center position. For what it was worth, Biadasz had a decent career in Dallas. He was a Pro Bowl alternate in 2023 and was a part of an offensive powerhouse for the Cowboys. Despite the solid play, Dallas always felt they could get better at that position, which is why they were fine with letting him go to the division rivals in Washington after the 2023 season.
It was a small struggle for Beebe in his first couple of weeks as the starting center, getting used to making calls at the line of scrimmage and being the leader along with Tyler Smith on the line, but his improvement throughout the season is exactly what Dallas wanted. His run blocking and movement upfield looked better as the weeks went on, and that’s what helped Rico Dowdle become a 1,000-yard rusher. Compared to Biadasz and Looney, Beebe's raw strength is way more powerful than theirs, which is important for the run game that the Cowboys want to establish. The cherry on top for the Cowboys is the age of Beebe and this offensive line group being so young that they can grow together and have the chance of being the offensive line unit for years to come. Now, all Dallas has to do is properly develop these young players so they can create another great wall of Dallas with Beebe being front and center.
