In a bit of a surprising turn the Cowboys have actually extended their young linebacker Jaylon Smith. He was not recognized as one of the top priorities by most media outlets with Dak Prescott, Ezekiel Elliott, and Amari Cooper all looking for new deals. The Cowboys obviously wanted to get this deal out of the way, and focus on players who are more inclined to hammer an extension sooner than later. This article will be a breakdown of the deal, and what this means for all the parties involved
The Contract: 5 years 64 million with 35.5 million guaranteed.
Reaction, Analysis, and Grade:
This extension happened fast, and there weren’t any suggestions that this deal was actually in the process of being made. The extension really came out of nowhere, and both sides are happy with the result. For Jaylon Smith, this is a ground breaking moment for a man who saw his football career nearly end in college. Smith suffered a gruesome injury at Notre Dame during the Fiesta Bowl against Ohio State. He tore is ACL and MCL, and many were concerned about the long term nerve damage to his knee. He was considered by many to be a sure top five draft pick before the injury. He ended up being selected by Dallas in the 2nd round of the 2016 NFL Draft, and many experts believed this was too high given his injury. He sat out the entire 2016 season, and made his return in 2017 offering some solid work on the field. In 2018 however, Smith developed into one of the best outside linebackers in football and showed his talent was not diminished. He was snubbed from a Pro Bowl bid, but was listed as the breakout player of the year by Pro Football Focus. Jaylon on the field is an elite talent that brings a multitude of value to his team. He is very athletic, and has the ability to fly across the field especially in stopping the run game. He is a sure tackler, and very rarely misses tackles once he finds the receiver or ball carrier. He also is a underrated pass rusher especially on the blitz racking up four sacks last year and a ton of quarterback pressures. Jaylon also has the ability to cover tight ends, running backs, and other receivers in the passing game. His break on the ball is impressive, and is a key part of the Cowboys defense that is built up front. For the Cowboys, this deal shows they are committed to keeping their top tier defense in tact. They already extended Pro Bowl defensive end Demarcus Lawrence, and obviously has interest in keeping their premier linebacker as well. This is an interesting turn as the Cowboys seem to be more inclined to complete deals with defenders than their offense. I believe this shows they aren’t totally convinced or fully believe in their upcoming offensive free agents. They want to see more improvement from Dak Prescott, and how Amari Cooper competes now that he has real expectations on his shoulders. The Ezekiel Elliott situation is a tricky one, and I have covered this issue in my previous article so please check that out. For Jaylon Smith, this is a quite a turn around for a guy who is lucky to even be playing football. He was motivated to stay with the Dallas Cowboys, and has publicly stated he does not want to play for anyone else. I believe he feels indebted to Dallas because they were the team that took a chance on him when everyone else scratched him off their draft board. The extension is team friendly, and raises his salary to be within the top 5 compared to other linebackers. The extension is added to his remaining contract which makes the total deal actually a seven year pact with 69.7 million dollars. This is quite a bargain for a blue chip talent who has an unlimited ceiling. This deal also allows the Cowboys to use their remaining funds to hand out future extensions. Jaylon Smith is helping the Cowboys out by taking less money than he might have received on the open market. This seems like a deal that rewards both sides, and will ensure Smith will have a star on his helmet barring a trade until at least 2025.
Grade: B+
Final Thoughts:
I am so happy for Jaylon Smith, and there is truly not a more deserving recipient after all he has been through. By all accounts he is a great football player, but an even better person off the field and in the locker room. This deal does have some risk given Smith’s history with injuries, and the fact he plays a very physical style. However, the Cowboys needed to make a move in order to keep their young roster in tact, and gets the ball rolling in that regard. I believe we will look back years from now, and regard this deal as a major steal down the road. Congrats to Jaylon Smith on his hard work paying off, and good luck in the future.
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