From 2013-17, Travis Frederick was arguably the best center in all of football, making four Pro Bowls and three All-Pro teams (first team in 2016; second team in 2014-15) during that span.

Frederick’s Hall of Fame-caliber start to his career was derailed in 2018 when he was diagnosed with Guillain-Barre syndrome, an autoimmune disease in which the body’s immune system attacks the nerves.

There was some flirtation with the possibility Frederick would be able to return in 2018 as the Cowboys made a run to the divisional round of the playoffs, but ultimately the effects of his disorder didn’t allow him to play.

Frederick, unfortunately, wasn’t able to enjoy a full offseason after recovering from Guillain-Barre, undergoing surgery on his shoulder and abdominal area. This limited him throughout the offseason, as he rarely participated in one-on-one pass-rush drills and was occasionally held out of practice.

Convalescing from a disorder as debilitating as Guillain-Barre is difficult enough, but when you add in recovering from shoulder and abdominal surgeries on top of not playing any football for about a year, coming back is like preparing to climb Denali only to realize you’re actually at Mount Everest – a tough task got much tougher.

To his credit, Frederick did an outstanding job of getting his body ready for the pounding of the NFL season. Through Week 10, Frederick has played in 99.5% of the team’s offensive snaps, missing only a handful of snaps at the end of Dallas’ blowout win against the Giants in Week 1.

Being able to play 99.5% of the snaps is one thing, but doing it at an All-Pro level is another. And Frederick hasn’t quite regained his old form.

The problem for Frederick is that his performances lack the incredible consistency he had heading into 2018. He will still flash All-Pro-caliber play from time to time (more on that later), but he seems to particularly struggle in his ability to strain and sustain blocks. Also, Frederick’s pad level seems to rise more often, which inhibits his ability to win the leverage battle during hand-to-hand combat and limits his ability to displace defenders at the point of attack.

Furthermore, given he missed a year, Frederick’s technique has been rusty in certain situations. His footwork has been particularly rusty this year, which has caused him to trip over his teammates’ feet more than he has at any other point in his career.

Also, defenders are having an easier time manipulating Frederick’s balance and are much more successful when attempting to pull him off his base.

Luckily for Dallas, a Frederick who hasn’t returned to All-Pro form is still a good starting center by NFL standards, and yes, he’s still a major upgrade over Joe Looney.

Although Frederick isn’t quite what he used to be, his presence has still been a huge net positive for the Cowboys’ offensive line.

In pass protection, it has meant a lot less pressure on the franchise’s crown jewel – quarterback Dak Prescott.

Travis Frederick lookin for work 💪 Gets a nice 2 for 1. #Cowboys pic.twitter.com/zulyvaxKlg — John Owning (@JohnOwning) October 9, 2019

In 2018 without Frederick, the Cowboys finished 22nd in the NFL in pass-blocking efficiency (84.1), which measures pressure allowed on a per-snap basis with weighting toward sacks allowed, according to Pro Football Focus. This year, with Frederick in the fold, they rank 13th (85.3; a substantial 1.2-point improvement).

Moreover, Prescott in 2018 was sacked 56 times (second most in the NFL) while the Cowboys’ offensive line finished 28th in adjusted sack rate (9.7%), which represents sacks divided by pass plays and adds adjustments for opponent quality, as well as down and distance, according to Football Outsiders. There has been a precipitous drop in both categories this year, as Prescott is on pace to be sacked around 20 times (currently at 11) while the O-line currently ranks second in adjusted sack rate (4.0%).

While a good portion of this should be attributed to Prescott’s improvement in manipulating the pocket, Frederick’s individual play and ability to get the O-line lined up correctly and on the same page also deserves a good bit of credit.

Frederick’s presence has also been an enormous boost to the run game.

In 2018, the Cowboys’ offensive line finished (according to Football Outsiders):

-- Eighth in adjusted line yards (4.61), which attempts to separate the ability of a running back from the ability of the offensive line.

-- Third in power success (75%), which is the percentage of runs on third or fourth down, 2 or fewer yards to go, that achieved a first down or touchdown.

-- 11th in stuffed rate (17.9%), which is the percentage of runs where the running back is tackled at or behind the line of scrimmage.

While those marks were certainly impressive, the Cowboys have improved almost across the board so far this season, ranking third in adjusted line yards (4.92), fourth in power success (74%) and first in stuffed rate (12%), according to Football Outsiders.

The fact that the Cowboys’ offensive line has improved dramatically since Frederick returned, even though he’s hasn’t regained his prior form, is incredibly encouraging.

Nonetheless, what’s more encouraging is that Frederick is flashing All-Pro-caliber play, and those flashes are slowly increasing as the season moves along.

Let’s take a look at a few examples. Here’s the first:

Arguably the most difficult block for a center to make is a reach against a 2i technique on a zone run, which is exactly what Frederick has to do here.

After snapping the ball, Frederick shows incredible quickness out of his stance to open his play-side hip, step laterally and cross the face of New York Jets defensive tackle Quinnen Williams, who was the third overall pick in the 2019 draft.

Once he crosses face, Frederick shows outstanding body control to wheel his hips around to attain outside leverage and wall off Williams from where the run is intended to go.

Pay close attention to how Frederick re-leverages his hands to attain superior placement as he’s wheeling himself around to reach and seal Williams. After initially giving up inside hand placement, Frederick’s expertly re-fits his hands underneath Williams’ as he sinks his hips, which not only allows him to control the inside space but also allows him to generate leverage.

Notice that when Frederick sinks his hips, he maintains tight elbows with a strong base to create the necessary torque to anchor on his spot, which stymies Williams’ forward momentum.

This is the type of block only a handful of centers in the NFL can consistently execute, so it’s very reassuring that Frederick was able to pull it off so flawlessly.

Let’s take a look at another:

MONSTER block by Travis Frederick on Leonard Williams. Creates torque with the backside hand and sends Williams to the turf 💪 pic.twitter.com/ddbHakdf2t — John Owning (@JohnOwning) November 6, 2019

On this play, the Cowboys are again running a zone concept, meaning Frederick is once again responsible for performing a reach block on a shaded defensive tackle (the defender has a tighter alignment this time).

After snapping the ball, Frederick again displays outstanding initial quickness to open up his play-side hip, step laterally and cross the face of New York Giants defensive tackle Leonard Williams. But because Williams did a nice job of mirroring Frederick’s lateral movement after the first step, Frederick is unable to work his hips around to attain outside leverage like he did in the previous play shown.

So, Frederick does the next best thing. Using Williams’ lateral momentum against him, Frederick uses his backside (right hand) to create torque and shove Williams out of his gap and to the turf, clearing Ezekiel Elliott’s read and allowing him to cut upfield. The tight end’s inability to reach the edge defender prevents what could have been a big run behind Frederick’s block.

Not only did Frederick execute a tough block, but this play showcased his ability to make split-second adjustments on the fly against great competition, which is as good a sign as any that he will continue to improve until he regains his old form.

Frederick hasn’t been perfect this season and has a little ways to go before he can truly be considered back to his All-Pro form, but his stabilizing presence proved his value to the unit’s overall success. The increasing frequency of impact blocks should comfort those who are afraid the Frederick of old will never return.

He’s not quite there yet, but he is well on his way.

Enjoy this post? More film studies:

— 3 takeaways from Cowboys-Vikings, including an outstanding Dak performance gone to waste

— Cowboys mock draft: What the film says about 2020 prospects Dallas should be targeting

— Here’s what defensive lineman Michael Bennett brings to the Dallas Cowboys