The Dallas Cowboys have taken a roll of the dice on pass-rusher Aldon Smith and, if they can recapture the magic, it’s an easy gamble to make.
Despite what some may say, the 2020 offseason has been productive for the Dallas Cowboys as they retained two big fish in Dak Prescott and Amari Cooper while working the margins in free agency. However, detractors will point to the key losses of Byron Jones and Robert Quinn as reasons why the Cowboys have missed the mark this offseason.
It’s clear that Dallas believes that Jourdan Lewis, Chidobe Awuzie and re-signed Anthony Brown, perhaps along with an early-round draft pick, can contend with the loss of Jones. However, the questions about what to do without Quinn opposite DeMarcus Lawrence have been looming. Which is why signing Aldon Smith is a brilliant gamble — one that may not incur much risk at all.
Whenever the Cowboys signing Smith was first announced, the figure said it was a one-year, $4 million deal. At first look, that looks absurd considering Smith hasn’t seen an NFL field since 2015 due to suspensions. However, as Todd Archer of ESPN broke down, the deal is essentially all based on Smith both being with the team and being on the field.
In the simplest terms, Smith will only be due $440,000 if he’s reinstated but fails to make the final roster. Furthermore, if he plays in all 16 games, he’ll still only hit $2 million in base salary. The other $2 million of the deal is incentive-based, meaning he has to perform well to see that money. It’s clear the financial risk is minimal for the Cowboys.
What’s more important is that the payoff could be huge. Despite his time away from the NFL, Smith’s issues have never been on the field. He burst onto the scene in San Francisco with 14 sacks as a rookie then earned First-Team All-Pro honors in year two with 19.5 sacks.
That, unfortunately, is when off-field issues surfaced for Smith. He was gone from San Francisco after his third season and, despite another opportunity with the then-Oakland Raiders, he only spent one year in the silver and black. But even then, he still flashed his talent with 3.5 sacks in nine games.
Jay Glazer of FOX Sports said in his initial report of the signing, Smith is reportedly clean and sober now, ready to get his career on track. That’s good news in itself and especially if he can maintain that given multiple DUI arrests in his past. But as Patrik Walker of CBS Sports noted, it was Dallas’ new defensive line coach, Jim Tomsula, who played a pivotal role in bringing Smith to the Cowboys.
Tomsula was the defensive line coach for the 49ers when Smith broke out in the league, now serving in the same role with the Cowboys. Thus, he pushed for the team to make the signing and, with the blessing of head coach Mike McCarthy, Jerry Jones went out and made the move.
After adding Gerald McCoy and Dontari Poe at defensive tackle, the potential of Smith reuniting with Tomsula is massive. If he’s able to get back on the field after a long absence and produce, he has the raw talent to be the answer opposite Lawrence. Furthermore, if the team is willing to take a chance on Smith, who has yet to be reinstated, that could be good news for bringing back Randy Gregory as well.
Overall, this move is a massive win for the Cowboys. Best-case scenario, they get a highly productive pass-rusher to fill a void. Worst-case scenario, they lose less that $500,000 and are sitting where they would be otherwise. But if you like comeback stories, you have to be rooting for Aldon Smith to rejuvenate his career in Dallas.