Weight Gain
When Cowboys Wire first reported the signing of Smith, his weight was reported as what it was the last time he played, around 260 pounds. Whoa, kemosabe.
It turns out that Smith has ridiculously bulked up since his last playing days, checking in at 287 pounds according to his personal trainer and Fox Sports analyst Jay Glazer, via The Athletic.
The article is a must read for those with a subscription as it mentions the bond Smith formed with a marine veteran and Cowboys fan during his nine months of training with Glazer’s Merging Vets with Players program, but here’s the interesting tidbit about how Smith has gotten rocked up.
He has trained his butt off. His conditioning is great. I think he played at 260. We got him to 287. He is just freaking monstrous. We do this hand-fighting drill, me and the guys. We had him on these resistance cords connected to the wall on a machine called the Raptor. I’ve had a ton of guys on it — big huge guys, monsters. Smith ripped it off the wall, doing hand-fighting and exploding off the line. No one has ever done that. He is an absolute freak of nature. I don’t know who to compare him to because he’s 287 with a V. It’s ridiculous. I’m excited to get him back there.
I’m more excited to get him to Dallas so I don’t have to wrestle and box with the freakin’ guy anymore. We get a little too rambunctious and, well, there’s quite a size difference between us, so yes, Dallas, please get his ass down there and let my body heal up!
Current defensive front depth
The Cowboys certainly present Smith with an opportunity to earn snaps if he is in peak football condition. Dallas has yet to sign a starter to play opposite DeMarcus Lawrence at right defensive end. Lawrence is a fantastic two-way player, capable of stopping the run just as well as he can rush the passer.
The new defensive, coordinated by Mike Nolan, will now see Lawrence play from a two-point stance on a frequent if not regular basis. If Dallas does go with three down-linemen with regularity, Smith seems like the perfect rush-end size while Lawrence and perhaps a mixture of other players rush from a standing up position.
Of course, standing up and rushing was what Smith did during his time with the 49ers, albeit at the lighter weight. In his most productive season, 2012 when he registered 19.5 sacks, he played ROLB in a 30-front 651 snaps, but also played what would be considered in Dallas’ new defense the designated pass-rushing linebacker for another 300 snaps.
This versatility now must include the possibility of rushing from the inside, where one would have to think his cat-like quickness and newfound girth would make him an absolute nightmare to rush from the 3-tech position in a 40-front. Dallas has spent major resources there, drafting Neville Gallimore to pair with free-agent signing Gerald McCoy. However adding Smith to a rotation provides so much flexibility, again, if he’s capable of being some semblance of the player he was four years ago.
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