It wasn’t just one thing. It was lots of things. And in the end, it was just time to part ways.
That’s the gist of the explanation given by Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy on Wednesday after the release of linebacker Jaylon Smith. A team captain for the Week 4 game versus Carolina on Sunday, the former Pro Bowler found himself out of a job by Tuesday night.
Many observers and fans alike have long suspected that Smith’s time in Dallas was running out, that his seemingly diminishing level of play and decreasing usage no longer warranted the huge payday he was earning from the club. But those looking for a single concrete reason to explain the timing of the cut aren’t getting it. At least not from McCarthy.
“There’s obviously multiple factors that go into these decisions. That was definitely the case with Jaylon,” the coach said to open his Wednesday press conference. “Had a chance to visit with him last night. Very thankful for my time with him here. We talked about his experience here in Dallas. We just felt that this was the best time to make this decision. Obviously, there’s not really ever a good time for these type of decisions. But basically, just with all of the factors involved is why the decision was made yesterday.”
When pressed to outline those factors, McCarthy declined.
“I’m not going to get into all of the specifics of it. I mean, this is a big-picture roster move. As far as us moving forward, we just felt that this was the right time.”
But the Cowboys were trying to unload Smith as early as last season, according to several insiders.
“They didn’t find any trade partners,” Jane Slater told NFL Network. After an offseason wrist surgery triggered a $7.2 million injury guarantee, the Cowboys “decided to keep him around, see how these younger players started to play, while continuing to find suitors for him. I had one team tell me that those trade talks, Cowboys picking up the phone, were really aggressive in the last two weeks.”
Smith played just 40% of the team’s defensive snaps in Week 4’s matchup with Carolina. With rookie Micah Parsons playing so exceptionally (and not needing to moonlight at defensive end), Keanu Neal about to return to action, and Leighton Vander Esch back in form, Smith’s usage seemed primed to take a further drop in the coming weeks.
“I think it’s clear now after four games how we’re playing,” McCarthy said, “and we just felt, with all the factors involved, that this is the decision that we needed to make.”
But the Dallas brass apparently tried one last time to make Smith’s contract more palatable.
“It’s my understanding the Cowboys then tried to go to his camp,” Slater reported, “and see if they would waive this injury-clause guarantee in his contract that guarantees him $9.2 million next year if he has another clean-up surgery or if he happens to get hurt. I was told he ‘refused that.'”
And that made Smith a liability to a team that was already prepared to move on without him. (And has been doing so on the field.) By releasing him now, the Cowboys eliminate the risk of being on the hook for any more money than they already owe Smith. And they also ensure that there is no distraction moving forward, the kind that could come from a prominent team leader riding the bench or simply being declared inactive.
“You’re evaluating your roster all the time,” McCarthy explained. “We had an extensive personnel meeting yesterday, and we talked through every single player on the roster. Frankly, that’s a normal process I’m sure every team goes through. Once again, it was a big-picture roster move, and we felt this was the time to do it.”
Smith is expected to draw interest from several NFL squads, especially since he’ll now come at the league-minimum price. (The Cowboys are responsible for his 2021 salary.) As Ian Rapoport told The Rich Eisen Show, “The Packers have a need there, possibly. Washington just lost [Jon] Bostic for the season; they have a need. The Cleveland Browns have had some injuries. The Las Vegas Raiders have had some issues at linebacker.”
McCarthy believes Smith could still make an impact on the field in another uniform.
“Jaylon’s an excellent football player,” he told reporters. “Like I said, there’s other factors involved in this decision. He played good football for us. In my time with him, he totally bought into the new direction of the program, everything we’ve done. The guy practices every single day, plays his ass off. I have nothing but respect for him.”
But now that respect will come from the opposite sideline. The Clear-Eye View Era has gone dark in Dallas, and that will open the door for someone else to swipe some playing time on the Cowboys defense.
“If you’re on the 53, and, really, if you’re on the practice squad also- with the exempt opportunity- everybody’s available. I think we’ve proven that. We’ve shown that. We want to have competition throughout the week. I think that’s very important, particularly for as young as we are. I want these players to see that they have an opportunity to continue to grow and hope to fight to have that opportunity on the 48. How that shakes out, and I mean this, is really up to the players. It’s up to all the young players, all the veterans. It’s up to them to show and compete and create the opportunity for themselves.”
McCarthy says the sudden release of one of its highest-profile stars was not intended to send a message to the rest of the Cowboys roster. But it has certainly delivered one just the same.
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