It had to happen at some point.

Todd Archer reports the Cowboys will release veteran guard Kyle Kosier. He did a fantastic job for the Cowboys in his seven seasons with the team.

Kosier's health and age led to this.

He's 33 but he played the 2011 season with a nagging plantar fasciitis and suffered a torn ligament in his knee in the regular-season finale against the New York Giants. If the Cowboys had beaten the Giants, Kosier would have been unavailable for the postseason.

You had to wonder just how long the Cowboys wanted to stick with Kosier. He missed 13 games in 2008 with a foot injury and three more with a bad knee in 2010. Kosier would have played through all these things if the team doctors had let him.

He was a tough guy.

Kosier was the good soldier for the Cowboys, moving from his customary left guard spot to the right to help rookie right tackle Tyron Smith get used to the NFL game.

Kosier even thought about moving to center if it was necessary, though he never played it.

But the Cowboys want to get younger.

It's OK to have experience, but when you get in your mid-30s and play a demanding position like the offensive line, NFL teams begin to move you out.

Nothing personal, just business.

It was time.

One of the good things about Kosier was his presence in the locker room. Several of the younger linemen relied on him this season for advice about playing the offensive line. He didn't talk with the media much, but his respect in the locker room and in the media was secure.

You sometimes forgot about Kosier when Pro Bowls were being awarded to Leonard Davis, Andre Gurode and Flozell Adams over the years. Kosier was a steady presence who sometimes was overlooked.

Like we said, it's time to move on and if the Cowboys are going to improve as a franchise, aging vets must be sent home.