The Dallas Cowboys just offered their biggest rival a $50 million gift they desperately need. After the Philadelphia Eagles beat the Cowboys in the NFC Championship Game, owner Jerry Jones offered to help them get better by signing free agent quarterback Nick Foles.
The Dallas Cowboys have been struggling to find a way to get back into the playoffs. They just found their best shot, and it’s a gift they desperately need. Read more in detail here: dallas game.
On Tuesday night, the Dallas Cowboys stunned the NFL world by releasing former Pro Bowl linebacker Jaylon Smith. Despite the fact that Smith hadn’t played as much this season owing to the offseason acquisitions of Micah Parsons and Keanu Neal, Dallas’ decision to release a young LB with five years and more than $50 million left on his deal was a bold one.
One man’s garbage, however, is another man’s treasure, as the adage goes. In this instance, the Philadelphia Eagles, the Cowboys’ greatest opponent, can convert trash into gold by signing Smith off the street and filling their largest defensive need.
Surprisingly, the Cowboys have released Smith, Jaylon
The Cowboys felt confidence in Smith as the future of the linebacker position in Dallas in the summer of 2019. The Cowboys rewarded the Notre Dame product with a six-year, $68.4 million contract deal with $35.4 million guaranteed after he finished his first Pro Bowl season with 142 tackles, 2.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, and an interception.
Jerry Jones, the team’s owner, quickly came to regret his choice.
Smith’s play deteriorated from the 2019 to the 2020 seasons, as he struggled in pass coverage and couldn’t stuff the run as well as he once did. Smith’s problems persisted through the first four games of the 2021 season, and the Cowboys announced his retirement on Tuesday night.
Dallas will save $5 million against the cap in 2022 as a result of the release. It also frees the club from Smith’s $9.2 million basic salary, which was only guaranteed in the event of an injury next season.
According to a tweet from Spotrac on Tuesday night, Smith’s deal has five years and $50.75 million remaining on it.
Inadvertently, the Cowboys give the Eagles a $50 million present that they badly need.
In Dallas, Jaylon Smith has fallen out of favor.
This is a guy that LB-needy clubs, especially the #Eagles, should take a shot on.
6 October 2021 — Jeff Kerr (@JeffKerrCBS)
The Cowboys were hesitant to pay Smith more than $50 million over the next three seasons, but the Eagles may be willing to do so.
All season long, Philadelphia’s linebackers have been terrible to watch. The Eagles’ defense has been gashed as a consequence of the unimpressive starting three of Alex Singleton, Eric Wilson, and Genard Avery, who form one of the weakest LB groupings in the league.
The Eagles have allowed the second-most running yards in the NFL through four games (601). None of their LBs are quick enough to cover the whole field or powerful enough to battle through blocks and stop the run. It’s a concerning mix that may cause problems for Philly’s defense throughout the season.
However, after allowing more than 40 points in back-to-back games, the Eagles got an unexpected gift from an even more unlikely source that may help them address their most pressing defensive issue.
Jaylon Smith must be signed by the Eagles.
The Philadelphia Eagles’ Jalen Hurts attempts to outpace the Dallas Cowboys’ Jaylon Smith | Tom Pennington/Getty Images
The Eagles should be the first club to contact Smith now that he is available on the free market. The Eagles have an obvious need at linebacker, and they have more than $16 million in salary room to deal with.
Smith is still a young man, at the age of 26. Sure, he’s regressed in recent years, but the great athlete who was projected to be a top-five selection in the 2016 NFL Draft is still lurking somewhere within him. Perhaps a change of environment is all he needs to reach his greatest potential.
And what greater incentive is there than going up against the squad that abandoned you and put you out on the street twice a year? For both parties, Smith to the Eagles should be a no-brainer.
Pro Football Reference provided all stats.
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