A key offensive lineman signs a lucrative deal, yet speculation swirls. Could this "stud" be Dallas's next major trade bait?
FRISCO - The Dallas Cowboys are retaining a player who is being called “a key offensive piece.”
But depending on the coming roster shuffle, he might transform into a key trade piece.
T.J. Bass signed his second-round, $5.76 million tender on Tuesday, which guarantees his salary for 2026.
But there is open speculation that the contract does not guarantee him a spot on the team this year.
Indeed, even the team website suggests Bass “could still be traded.”
It’s an unusual setup, to be sure.
Here’s how it’s come about …
On March 7, the Cowboys officially placed the second-round tender on Bass (along with kicker Brandon Aubrey).
That speaks volumes about the value of Bass, a “self-made” guy who came out of nowhere to work himself into a spot at an interior swing lineman.
Dallas coach Brian Schottenheimer recently characterized Bass as a “stud” who “could start for other teams in the league.”
That explains why Dallas signed the scrappy 6-4, 325-pound former 2023 undrafted free agent out of Oregon.
But how to explain why everybody is talking so openly about the possibility that he is trade bait?
As the offensive line is presently constructed, the Cowboys project bass to be a backup guard once again behind All-Pro left guard Tyler Smith and behind young first-round standout Tyler Booker.
But Dallas has some concerns at the tackle position, where Tyler Guyton on the left side and Terence Steele on the right side have not excelled. So Smith (who possesses Hall of Fame-level talent wherever he lines up) could kick out to left tackle, leaving a hole at left guard …
A hole that Bass - ranked as the 30th-best guard in the NFL last year by Pro Football Focus - would fill.
So Bass, 26, really represents three things here. He’s a potential starter. He’s a valuable piece of insurance. And he’s a possible trade lure.