Cowboys fans expected that Jaylon Smith was going to be moved at some point, but nobody expected the move to release him during the season.
The move is surprising because Smith did not miss a game in his career and the Cowboys have his entire $7.2M base salary. There were trade discussions earlier in the season, per sources, but no deal was made. By releasing him, they free up the entirety of his $9.2M base salary in 2022 that was only guaranteed for injury.
Team owner and general manager Jerry Jones met with the former Pro Bowler to discuss the team’s decision, per a source.
Previously thought to be worth his contract of a five-year, $64M extension before the 2019 season, he later became the odd man out of the Cowboys’ linebacking core, having started just two of the team’s four games in the 2021 season.
This move is now more confusing given that his guaranteed salary for this season, which could have been nullified had he been released in March, per Over the Cap.
The why to his release is clearer, though.
With Micah Parsons making a huge impression early in the season, the Cowboys got more comfortable with the move, even for the financial ramifications. Smith simply was the odd man out in Dan Quinn’s defense, as it simply was not enough in comparison to the play of Parsons, Leighton Vander Esch, and Keanu Neal.
Although Parsons got some reps as a pass rusher, the return of DeMarcus Lawrence pushed Parsons back to the strongside linebacker spot. The increased use of rookie Jabril Cox was also likely a factor in the decision to cut Smith.
Smith drew a lot of notice with an impressive 2018 season where he had 121 tackles, four sacks, two fumble recoveries, two forced fumbles and four passes defended. He appeared to be a versatile linebacker who would be a staple on the defense for seasons to come.
He had an 84.1 season grade from Pro Football Focus that year, but it was an outlier, as his grade fell to 54.2 in 2020, where his struggles, especially on the run defense, was apparent, along with a struggling Cowboys defense. In four games with them this season, he had 18 tackles, no sacks and no takeaways.
It’s true that Smith played in 54 (76%) of defensive snaps in the Cowboys’ Week 2 win over the Chargers, with 9 tackles and seeing his stock rise in this. He would log 50 snaps during the team’s Week 3 win over the Eagles, but the writing on the wall got a bit easier to read following how his snap count got down to only 28 in Week 4, largely in part with Parsons getting moved back to linebacker. And considering that Smith is not much of a special teams player, it appears Quinn found it hard to force him into the rotation because of salary purposes.
From a roster standpoint, the decision on who would start at strong safety when Donovan Wilson is healthy could see either one of him or Jayron Kearse, a recent standout who earned the starter at the position in the absence of Wilson, so there could be a rotation at the position while the other helps in the nickel packages at linebacker. There are multiple ways Quinn can roll the dice at that position, so it makes Smith more expendable but, even more so, more of a liability considering the contractual causes.
Smith was a popular player within the Cowboys locker room, and it was shown by the reaction of some following his teammates. While it’s not a move fracturing the team morale, it serves as a reminder that the NFL, just like every other sports league, is a business league and a “what have you done for me lately” league. It’s not some sort of teaching tool by Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy, but an indicator of what the Cowboys are wanting to build around going forward.
The Cowboys’ decision on this matter was a no-brainer, knowing that they wanted him to do him the favor of having a chance to quickly find another team to play with, as opposed to a disgruntled situation that could potentially cause more drama to a locker room. The Cowboys wanted Smith to seek a fresh start, and he is seeking that elsewhere.
He got that fresh start after signing with the Packers on a one-year deal. The move comes less than 24 hours after news broke through that the Packers would be a potential suitor for Stephon Gilmore. However, the Packers did not have enough cap space to acquire Gilmore since they would take on his $5.8M of his base salary on this year’s salary cap. The Packers have just $6.5M in cap space and still need room for in-season moves that injuries necessitate.
Smith, however, fits under the cap because the Cowboys are on the hook for the entirety of his $7.2M base salary this season because of veteran termination pay rules. The $7.2M base salary is fully guaranteed for 2021, so his compensation for the rest of the season is already covered. The contract that he signed with the Packers would likely be at or near the league’s minimum salary.
While offensive production with Aaron Rodgers has not been a problem, a stronger defense would go a long way as Rodgers is still expected to finish out his final season with the Packers. Smith could work his way to the starting lineup alongside De’Vondre Campbell, who was one of their better defensive playmaker this season, or simply offer backup depth. 2nd-year linebacker Krys Barnes opened the season as the other starting inside linebacker—he missed Week 4’s game against the Steelers with a concussion. Without Barnes, the Packers turned to alternating between Oren Burks and Ty Summers.
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