Cowboys urged to sign Pro Bowler, 10-year veteran to solve 'biggest weakness'

When the Dallas Cowboys get blown out like they did on Sunday, it sometimes feels like the rest of the NFL world comes to a stop.

The Cowboys received a 47-9 thrashing from the Detroit Lions on their own home turf, and it was far from the ideal time to take such a loss. The Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers, San Francisco 49ers, and Philadelphia Eagles all won this week, leaping over the Cowboys in the playoff picture in the process.

Dallas' pass protection hasn't been very good for most of the season, and rookie left tackle Tyler Guyton missed Sunday's game with a reported knee injury, though he practiced all week.

If Guyton isn't ready to shoulder the starting duties the rest of the way, the Cowboys will have to make a midseason addition. Bleacher Report's NFL Scouting Department suggested 10-year veteran and former Pro Bowler Charles Leno Jr., most recently of the Washington Commanders

"Tyler Guyton also suffered an injury in Week 5, and Guyton has struggled to begin his career, getting benched this past weekend," the authors said. "So, the front office should explore adding a veteran like Leno who has a strong track record in pass protection throughout his career."

Leno, 33, has had an extremely productive career. He spent seven years with the Chicago Bears, six of which he played every game, then moved to Washington and immediately became the full-time starter there until suffering an injury 13 games into 2023.

Leno had hip surgery in March after he was cut by the Commanders, so Dallas would need to receive assurance that the vet is fully healed. If he's at peak form, it's hard to imagine a better free-agent replacement at such a key position than Leno would be right now.

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