The Cowboys were recently said to be weighing their options with right tackle Terence Steele with respect to a restricted free agent tender. A decision has reportedly been made on that front. 
Dallas will place the second-round RFA tender on Steele, per Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News (Twitter link). Doing so carries a value of $4.3MM for 2023, a figure which comfortably surpasses the $2.295MM he has earned to date on his rookie contract. The first-round tender would have cost the team just over $6MM.
Steele, 25, has played in 45 games across his three seasons with the Cowboys. He has logged 40 starts over that span, primarily at right tackle. His level of play at that spot allowed Dallas to move on from La’el Collins and commit to the Texas Tech alum full time in 2022. Steele took a step forward in PFF rating for the third straight year, generating an overall grade of 73.9. That figure ranked 23rd out of 81 qualifying tackles. As Gehlken notes, that makes him part of the Cowboys’ long-term o-line plans.
Steele’s 2022 campaign was cut short by ACL and MCL tears. However, his recovery is going well so far, and a return in time for training camp is expected. Before that point, Steele’s financial future will likely become clearer. Their chosen tender will earn the Cowboys a second round pick if Steele signs an offer sheet with another team and they decline to match it. Given his age and experience, it will be interesting to monitor if a multi-year deal worth notably more than the tender’s value is put on the table, and how the Cowboys would respond to it. Steele can negotiate with teams up until April 21.
This news comes as Dallas faces the problem of trying to keep all three of their top tackles in the fold for 2023. Longtime blindside protector Tyron Smith has just one year remaining on his current deal, at a cap hit of over $17.6MM, while 2022 first-rounder Tyler Smith filled in at LT for much of his rookie season. Deciding on the elder Smith’s future and the latter’s best short-term position could become part of their offensive line equation if Steele draws considerable outside interest.
Aka Fat Zach LaVine