Cowboys Plan to Replace Travis Frederick Should Be Simple
By Mark Powell
While Travis Frederick's retirement at just 29 years old might have surprised Cowboys fans, Jerry Jones and Co. have seemingly been prepared for this moment for quite some time.
Guillain-Barré syndrome forced Frederick to sit out the entirety of the 2018 season, and left his football future at risk. Despite the fact that he came back and made the Pro Bowl in 2019, the Cowboys thankfully re-signed his replacement this offseason just in case.
In terms of how the Cowboys can look to replace Travis Frederick in the starting lineup, they recently re-signed Joe Looney, who started every game there in 2018. They also have Connor McGovern, who started every game at center for Penn State in 2017
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) March 23, 2020
Dallas could sign a center or draft one this April, but Joe Looney has proven himself capable. Should Looney not be the caliber of player the Cowboys are hoping for to replace Frederick, former Penn State center Connor McGovern could get a shot as well. The solid foundation the Cowboys have in place around the center position, which includes Zack Martin, La'el Collins and Tyron Smith on a stacked offensive line, proves Dallas will be fine in time.
Cowboys have four locked in starters along the offensive line:
— RJ Ochoa (@rjochoa) March 23, 2020
- Tyron Smith
- Connor Williams
- Zack Martin
- La'el Collins
With Joe Looney, Connor McGovern, and Brandon Knight, they have more than enough reason to be optimistic.
But Travis Frederick retiring is huge.
The loss of Frederick is a significant one -- no player can replace such an impact talent. Yet, it's not like the Cowboys are completely lost at the position.