The second week of NFL free agency is upon us, and Aldon Smith remains without a 2021 home. The Dallas Cowboys previously insisted they would push to re-sign the star-crossed defensive end, who no doubt hopes to spin his successful comeback last season into multi-year contractual security.
But c’est la vie.
There is no current indication that an agreement is likely between Smith and the Cowboys, nor that a deal even is being discussed. That’s because the team seems to have adopted a contradictory stance on the mercurial edge demon.
“Multiple sources” tell Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News that the Cowboys feel Smith “fits their defensive scheme but still trying to figure out if they want him to return.”
It sounds bizarre, but the proof here is in the pudding. Appeasing new defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, the Cowboys plucked several defenders off the open market in recent days, including outside linebacker Tarell Basham and weakside linebacker/safety Keanu Neal. The club also brought back DE Ron’Dell Carter to pair with the likes of DeMarcus Lawrence, Randy Gregory, and Bradlee Anae.
This flurry of activity could represent a well-coordinated hedge against Smith’s potential departure this offseason. “Still trying to figure out” reads like front-office speak for “Can’t agree on money,” which would be surprising considering Smith accepted a non-guaranteed, one-year, incentive-laden $2 million contract in 2020.
Returning from a half-decade-spanning league suspension, he met the challenge for Dallas owner/general manager Jerry Jones, collecting 48 tackles (31 solo), 14 quarterback hits, and five sacks (second-most on the team) across 809 snaps (73%).
“It’s inspirational to see a man like Aldon Smith have the comeback here that he had,” Jones said in January. “He played some outstanding football for us. He certainly was more positive than not, and I think he can take this year and build on it, and we want him to build on it to the benefit of the Cowboys.”
Smith is among eight unsigned Cowboys players toiling away in unrestricted free agency, a pool that includes starting safety Xavier Woods and linebacker Sean Lee.
The team has $10.114 million in available salary-cap space as of Monday afternoon.
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Dallas Called On to Work Out Deal
The Cowboys are wise not to splurge on Smith, who turns 32 in September and whose impressive 2020 output may have been a flash in the pan for a player notorious for disappearing from the radar.
They would be foolish, however, not to at least offer a short-term contract with the necessary protections. And Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport urges the team to make it happen — the one move Dallas must make in free agency, he posits.
Per Pro Football Focus, Smith was one of just 20 edge-rushers to notch 50 pressures on the season.
Granted, Smith cooled way off after a hot start. Odds are we’ll never again see the defensive force who terrorized quarterbacks to the tune of 33.5 sacks over his first two professional seasons. But the 31-year-old proved to be a decent rotational edge-rusher and a solid run defender, piling up the second-most snaps of his career.
The Cowboys are in neither great nor terrible shape relative to the salary cap, with $11.5 million to spend. That’s enough to bring Smith back on a short-term deal.
It’s one he’s earned.
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Follow Zack Kelberman on Twitter: @KelbermanNFL
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Cowboys Leak Surprising News on Free-Agent DE Aldon Smith