LANDOVER, MD - NOVEMBER 20: Jermey Parnell #78 of the Dallas Cowboys looks on from the sidelines during the second half against the Washington Redskins at FedExField on November 20, 2011 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)

Dallas Cowboys: A new deal for Dak Prescott should be off the table

Dallas Cowboys: A new deal for Dak Prescott should be off the table by Nicholas Raymond Gonzalez

If the Dallas Cowboys need a swing tackle this offseason, perhaps they can turn to an all to familiar face who held the role previously.

Last season, depth played a major role along the offensive line for the Dallas Cowboys. Despite having three perennial Pro Bowlers in left tackle Tyron Smith, right guard Zack Martin and center Travis Frederick as starters heading into the season, injuries decimated this group.

Frederick ended up not playing a single snap in 2018 after the discovery of a autoimmune disease (Guillain-Barré syndrome) stripped him of his strength and relegated him to the sidelines. Martin, who hadn’t missed a single game in his previous four-year career, struggled with a knee injury all season and missed his first two full games.

Smith continues to struggle with nagging injuries, specifically to his back, that keep cropping up and will likely only get worse as his career progresses. And although all three are expected to return in 2019, last season’s injury troubles have to be a major concern moving forward.

Key backups like center Joe Looney, tackle Cameron Fleming and guard Xavier Su’a-Filo all played important roles last season. Still, this unit allowed quarterback Dak Prescott is be sacked a whopping 56 times in 2018, the second most of any passer in the league. And now Fleming is scheduled to become a free agent next month.

If Dallas decides to move on from Fleming, there could be a familiar face possibly available for the Cowboys to welcome back. For five seasons, Jermey Parnell was the team’s swing tackle and played well in spot duty. So well, in fact, Parnell landed a lucrative five-year, $32 million deal contract to join the Jacksonville Jaguars via free agency back in 2015.

Now, there is speculation that the Jaguars might be willing to part ways with the 32-year old veteran this offseason. The move would save Jacksonville $6 million.

For the Dallas Cowboys, landing a familiar face like Jermey Parnell to be their swing tackle would be a perfect windfall on a team that needs players with experience to support their offensive line.