The Dallas Cowboys have made four trades this offseason, with the George Pickens blockbuster sticking out as a potential game-changer for the offense.
Cowboys fans wouldn't say no to another big trade, but the front office has an opportunity to be on the other side of a notable deal after Lions star center Frank Ragnow shockingly announced his retirement on Monday.
This puts the Lions' offensive line in a bind. Head coach Dan Campbell may look internally to replace Ragnow, but the Cowboys' have a few expendable interior blockers on the roster.
Cowboys should cash in on Lions' desperation after Frank Ragnow retirement
Assuming the Cowboys start Tyler Guyton (left tackle), Tyler Smith (left guard), Cooper Beebe (center), Tyler Booker (right guard) and Terence Steele (right tackle), they have plenty of backup guards who could theoretically play center in a pinch.
Nobody fits that bill more than Brock Hoffman, whose natural position is center.
Entering his fourth year in the league as a former undrafted free agent, Hoffman started seven games for Dallas last season as an injury replacement. The majority of his snaps came at right guard (387 to be exact, per PFF), but he saw a healthy 109 reps at center. He seven saw 19 snaps at left guard, so he can play all three interior positions.
Read more:Cowboys’ first-round pick already in danger of getting leapfrogged
Hoffman was not overwhelmed by the increased role. He ranked sixth with a 98.7 pass-blocking efficiency among guards and centers who played at least 500 snaps, per PFF (subscription required). He allowed just one sack, six pressures, two hurries and three quarterback hits.
Again, the Lions have some internal candidates to experiment with. That includes 2025 second-round pick Tate Ratledge out of Georgia, veteran guard Graham Glasnow and second-year pro Christian Mahogany, who appeared in seven games as a UDFA last season.
Hoffman still has value to the Cowboys, but his path to playing time got extremely murky following the selection of Tyler Booker at No. 12 overall. If traded, Dallas would still have Asim Richards, T.J. Bass, Robert Jones, Saahdiq Charles, and Nathan Thomas as depth options.
Maybe Campbell and Lions general manger Brad Holmes laugh Jerry Jones off the phone. But it is absolutely worth a try.