The Dallas Cowboys might be getting one of their best players back on the football field. Longtime center Travis Frederick missed the 2018 season while recovering from his Guillain-Barre syndrome. For those unfamiliar, the Mayo Clinic defines Guillain-Barre syndrome as “a rare disorder in which your body’s immune system attacks your nerves” and, if not treated, could eventually lead to full paralysis.

This diagnosis obviously had implications far beyond the football field, but this diagnosis put Frederick’s career in jeopardy. However, the four-time Pro Bowler is scheduled to have a “sort of final check-in” in the coming weeks to confirm there’s no long-term damage. If he passes said test, he should be able to return to the football field. This is fantastic news for Frederick the person and the Cowboys offense as a whole, but can Frederick recapture his elite form?

Taco Charlton – Dallas Cowboys X-Factors

Dallas Cowboys X-Factors: Travis Frederick

At his peak, there aren’t many centers better than Travis Frederick. The Cowboys took the Wisconsin product in the first round of the 2013 NFL Draft, and the selection immediately paid dividends. Frederick earned the Day One starting job, playing in every game and earning NFL All-Rookie honors.

Frederick’s rookie season foreshadowed greatness, and Frederick delivered on said promise over the next four years. The former first-round pick continued to solidify the interior of the offensive line, earning Pro Bowl nods in every year from 2013 to 2017 without missing a game. His best season came in 2016, when he earned First-Team All-Pro honors while helping rookie running back Ezekiel Elliott lead the league in rushing yards.

It’s no secret that the Cowboys offensive line took a step back in 2018. According to Football Outsiders, Dallas finished the year with the eighth-best run blocking line and the 28th-best pass blocking line. By comparison, the Cowboys ranked 4th and 15th in 2017 and 4th and 13th in 2016. Frederick’s absence isn’t entirely responsible for this dip in play, but there’s no denying he makes a quantifiable impact across the line. Joe Looney filled in admirably, but this team is at its’ best when Frederick is snapping the ball.

Possible Obstacles

Travis Frederick is facing a ridiculously difficult path back to stardom. For one, there’s the Guillain-Barre syndrome. Assuming Frederick checks out, he shouldn’t suffer any permanent damage. However, we are very much in uncharted territory here. A professional football player has never had this condition, and therefore we have no idea how Frederick’s body will respond to an NFL workload.

(Edit: Mark Schlereth was diagnosed with the disease in 1993 and played until 2000. Hugh McElhenny of the San Francisco 49ers and William Perry of the Chicago Bears were both diagnosed with the disease after retirement. Still, it’s a small sample size.)

Unfortunately, the Guillain-Barre syndrome isn’t the only ailment affecting Frederick. In a recent interview, Frederick mentioned that he’s also returning from other football-related injuries, and is behind schedule in his recovery. The All-Pro center had umbilical hernia repair and minor shoulder maintenance. Because of this, he couldn’t work his upper or lower body for portions of the off-season. He still has time to bulk up, but this represents yet another obstacle for a man trying to overcome an absurd amount of challenges.

Even if Frederick can return to his old physical form, he still hasn’t played football in a year. The All-Pro center will need time to knock off the rust and get used to taking and delivering hits.

Last Word on Travis Frederick

At his best, Travis Frederick is one of the best players on the Dallas Cowboys. He’s an elite center and positively impacts the run and pass games. Joe Looney did the best he could in Frederick’s absence, but getting the former All-Pro back on the field could provide a massive boost to the offense.

However, Frederick’s path back to stardom is anything but an easy road. For one, Frederick needs to be the first person in NFL history to return from Guillain-Barre syndrome. While the recurrence rate is low in non-NFL athletes, there’s limited data on whether an NFL lifestyle increases those odds. The worst-case scenario for Guillain-Barre is lifetime paralysis, so Frederick and his trainers will justifiably be cautious in his return.

Recovering from Gullain-Barre is hard enough, but Frederick needs to get his body ready for an NFL workload. The former All-Pro underwent some maintenance surgery and is behind-schedule with respect to his weight training. Frederick will need to add muscle at an accelerated pace AND knock off the rust from his extended absence all while recovering from an incredibly rare and dangerous syndrome.

No ordinary human being could ever do all this, but Frederick is anything but ordinary. The four-time Pro Bowler believes that he can return to the field, and hopefully, he can find his old form. However, the most important thing for Frederick and Cowboys fans alike is that Frederick can live a normal, healthy life. He probably won’t come out of the gate looking like an All-Pro, but he can probably remain a productive starter.

Taco Charlton – Dallas Cowboys X-Factors

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