Doug Free making transition to right tackle
GRAPEVINE, Texas -- The Cowboys offensive line has made more changes than any other group on the team.
The transition has included signing free agent guards Nate Livings and Mackenzy Bernadeau and moving Doug Free to right tackle and Tyron Smith to left tackle.
When asked about the changes on Wednesday, Free noted that a full offseason, unlike last year because of the NFL lockout, is making the adjustment much smoother.
"It's nice doing it in the offseason," Free said at the team's annual golf outing at Cowboys Golf Club. "Everybody's got a chance to figure it out, go through training camp, compared to doing during the season, which was last year, we had a lot of rotation with guys. Getting the line set early and getting training camp under our belt with everybody together should help quite a bit."
Free added that he didn't know Bernadeau or Livings prior to their signing with the Cowboys but said from what he has witnessed so far, the two newcomers are hard workers that fit well with the group of linemen that were already on the roster.
"They'll be a great fit," he said.
But what about Free's transition? He played on the right side two years ago before making the full-time move to the left. Now, he's back on the right with Smith now responsible for protecting Tony Romo's blind side.
"Well, there's always a little bit of transition anytime you go to a different side," Free said. "It's mainly just thinking everything different, opposite. It's just kind of getting settled over there and getting used to how things are called. It's just a little bit of flipping things in your head.
"But having this time to get ready for it, it's definitely going to be a positive."
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