Getty The Seahawks released ex-Cowboys pass rusher Aldon Smith.
The Seattle Seahawks may not be done making deals with the Tuesday, November 3rd NFL trade deadline fast approaching. NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reported the Seahawks showed an interest in acquiring Cowboys pass rusher Aldon Smith but were turned down.
“One guy who will not be on the move, Aldon Smith,” Garofolo noted on Good Morning Football Weekend. “The Seahawks were amongst the teams that checked in with the Cowboys because they were interested in acquiring the veteran, who, remember, had that absence from the league. Comes back, came off to a great start this year. …He’s playing well. He’s generating pressure and the Cowboys said, ‘We are not trading this guy.’ He is signed for this year. So, likely a lucrative extension to stay in Dallas coming for Aldon Smith.”
Given another blowout loss for the Cowboys, it will be worth watching to see if the team has a change-of-heart on Smith before the deadline. It is unclear what the Seahawks would be willing to give up for a player who will be a free agent this offseason.
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Smith Has 5 Sacks & 9 QB Hits Through 8 Games This Season
This marks the first season Smith has played since 2015 as the pass rusher dealt with multiple off-the-field issues. The Cowboys signed Smith over the offseason, and he was reinstated by the NFL. Smith has notched five sacks, nine quarterback hits and 35 tackles so far this season.
The pass rusher is best-known for the epic start to his career with the 49ers. Smith had 14 sacks in his rookie season in 2011 and followed it up with 19.5 sacks in his sophomore campaign. Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy has been praising Smith since training camp, and the pass rusher has mostly lived up to the hype.
“If you walked away from practice, you would say, ‘Hey, who the hell is No. 58?’” McCarthy noted in August, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. “You can see his power, his length is extraordinary. …I’m very happy with where Aldon is right now.”
During the Week 8 broadcast of the Eagles-Cowboys matchup, NBC Sports’ Cris Collinsworth noted that Smith does not look quite right and is not playing to the level the defensive end displayed at the start of the season. Regardless, it appears the Cowboys are intent on keeping the pass rusher unless Seahawks general manager John Schneider can provide an offer they cannot refuse.
Carlos Dunlap Is Expected to Play in Week 9 vs. Bills
The Seahawks already made a splash by acquiring defensive end Carlos Dunlap from the Bengals. It will be interesting to see if Seattle is able to snag another pass rusher before the deadline. Tight end Jacob Hollister is a name that has been mentioned as a player the Seahawks are willing to trade.
“John’s in on everything that he could possibly know about, and when there was an opportunity there he jumped on it to see if we could work something out,” Carroll said of the deal, per Seahawks.com. “We’re always looking, and there’s other guys that were out there that we’ve been looking at as well, in all spots, that are available—the names start to pop up here at this time of year. So this was one that fit exactly what we needed, and we’re really pleased to get it done. Glad to bring a guy of Carlos’ stature and background to this club. And I’m happy for him to come here, this is a great place to play, he’s going to be excited about all of this.”