FRISCO, Texas — Broderick Jones is taking reps at right tackle only, and the Dallas Cowboys are retraining a technique he was taught in Pittsburgh. Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer confirmed both Thursday, five days after the trade.
Asked directly whether Jones is working only on the right side, Schottenheimer said yes.
Jones practiced in shells his first day and in pads Wednesday, learning to play lower.
“Doing a great job learning the system,” Schottenheimer said. “Very athletic, all the things that we saw. I love how coachable he is. That’s one of the things that we heard from one of the people that we talked to, is that he would just eat up all the coaching that you could give him, which is usually a great thing.”
The Technique The Dallas Cowboys Are Changing
Jones was taught a high-leg technique for fitting double teams. Dallas does not use it.
“He’s just doing terrific,” Schottenheimer continued. “One day was in shells. That was the first day. Yesterday was in pads, learning to play lower. There is some techniques that he’s been taught that we’re having to retrain. The high-leg technique is the way you fit double teams and things like that. We don’t do that, so he’s going to have to learn that. Usually, it takes a minute to do that, but in terms of the athlete and the young man, I’m sold for him being a Cowboy.”
Broderick Jones And The Cowboys’ Right Tackle Competition
Dallas acquired Jones from the Pittsburgh Steelers on Aug. 29, sending 2027 third- and sixth-round picks for Jones and a 2027 fourth-rounder.
Schottenheimer said Monday that Jones will compete with Terence Steele for the starting job and that Steele is right tackle 1A. Steele has started all 17 games in each of the last two seasons and played 1,162 offensive snaps last year, 98% of the team total.
Pittsburgh took Jones 14th overall in 2023 out of Georgia. He played 45 games with 38 starts across three seasons and moved between both tackle spots. A neck injury in Week 12 last season ended his year, and he had spinal fusion surgery in March. He did not practice until July 30 and said Monday he is at 85% to 90%.
Tyler Guyton opens at left tackle, with Drew Shelton behind him. Jones wears No. 77.
The Cowboys open the regular season Sept. 13 at MetLife Stadium against the New York Giants. Kickoff is 7:20 p.m. CT on NBC.
