The Cowboys appear eager to move into the second round of the draft if possible. But they knew they had to give something up to do that.
With reports that the team plans to place a second-round tender on All-Pro kicker Brandon Aubrey, the front office could adopt the same strategy with backup offensive lineman and restricted free agent T.J. Bass. This is ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
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Bass went undrafted out of Oregon State, but he appeared in 46 games over three seasons for the Cowboys and was on the field for more than a quarter of the total snaps each year. A versatile and reliable depth option even on a team filled with big-name players, Buss has made 10 starts with the star.
Just this week at the scouting combine in Indianapolis, Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer said the 26-year-old could definitely play a bigger role, but acknowledged that might not be the case in Dallas.
“Those two guys are tough guys,” he said of Bass and backup forward Brock Hoffman. “They’re our glue. They’re always ready, they’re ready. Both of those guys can start for every other team in the league.”
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That’s exactly what the Cowboys are hoping to do with a second-round tender to acquire Buss, tentatively setting his 2026 salary at $5.8 million. If an interested team makes him a better offer, Dallas will have the opportunity to match the offer and keep him on the roster at a higher price. Otherwise, the Cowboys would let Buss walk and receive a second-round pick in return.
The Cowboys’ apparent willingness to let teams court Buss could provide clues to three-time Pro Bowler Tyler Smith’s plans. Smith primarily plays left guard but will move to left tackle when needed; Bass sees most of his playing time in these moments, filling in for Smith at guard.
Smith has been rumored to be permanent at tackle, although Smith has said he prefers linebacker and his coach now seems to have downplayed the idea of such a move. However, such a position change – using existing personnel – would almost certainly elevate Buss to the Cowboys’ starting cornerback role. So if the Cowboys are willing to let other teams compete for Buss, that could mean they decide to keep Smith on his toes.
A starting-level offensive lineman for relatively cheap… or with extra draft capital in the second round. Either way, the Cowboys will likely take the lead with this move.
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This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wired: Cowboys plan to use second-round tender to acquire backup linebacker TJ Bass
