The Dallas Cowboys are still without Ezekiel Elliott, who is waiting on getting paid, as is quarterback Dak Prescott, despite him still playing. Well, the Cowboys went off and took care of someone else on Tuesday, paying linebacker Jaylon Smith with a new five-year contract. The new deal is worth $65 million in total, which includes $35.5 million in guaranteed money, keeping a key piece of their defensive future.
After missing his entire rookie season due to injury, Smith has played in every game over the past two seasons. The 24-year-old is now the third-highest paid inside linebacker in the league. This deal comes one week after team owner Jerry Jones hinted at a deal being finalized on August 13th. The linebacker was set to become a restricted free agent, but neither side wanted to go through a contract negotiation process in 2020.
He was once a projected top-five pick in 2016 coming out of college, but suffered a major knee injury, where he tore two ligaments and suffered nerve damage, which knocked him down an entire round. He was taken in the second round with the 34th overall pick by the Cowboys, as they were ready to be patient until he was ready to return. That was a good choice on the Cowboys' end, as Smith has since recorded 249 tackles, including finishing second on the team with 150 tackles, along with four sacks, five tackles for loss, 13 quarterback pressures, two forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries in 2018. Now that they have the defensive force locked in, it is now time for Dallas to figure out the cornerstones of their offense.
After missing his entire rookie season due to injury, Smith has played in every game over the past two seasons. The 24-year-old is now the third-highest paid inside linebacker in the league. This deal comes one week after team owner Jerry Jones hinted at a deal being finalized on August 13th. The linebacker was set to become a restricted free agent, but neither side wanted to go through a contract negotiation process in 2020.
He was once a projected top-five pick in 2016 coming out of college, but suffered a major knee injury, where he tore two ligaments and suffered nerve damage, which knocked him down an entire round. He was taken in the second round with the 34th overall pick by the Cowboys, as they were ready to be patient until he was ready to return. That was a good choice on the Cowboys' end, as Smith has since recorded 249 tackles, including finishing second on the team with 150 tackles, along with four sacks, five tackles for loss, 13 quarterback pressures, two forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries in 2018. Now that they have the defensive force locked in, it is now time for Dallas to figure out the cornerstones of their offense.
