On Wednesday, ESPN reported that the Dallas Cowboys won’t be re-signing veteran defensive end Aldon Smith after his one-year deal expired. The 2020 season was Smith’s first on the field since 2015, as he had spent the previous four years suspended for several legal issues and violations of the NFL’s substance-abuse policy.
The 31-year-old was surprisingly productive this season for someone who had been away from the game for so long, as he finished with 47 tackles and five sacks while starting all 16 games.
Though Jacksonville addressed the defensive line with several signings, such as Jihad Ward and Roy Robertson-Harris, if they were to go after Smith, the move could bring a potential starting-caliber edge rusher to town, helping the depth behind the young edge rushing tandem of Josh Allen and K’Lavon Chaisson.
Smith has a prior relationship with Jaguars general manager Trent Baalke, who held the same role in San Francisco previously. He drafted Smith seventh overall in 2011, and the pair worked together until 2015 when Smith signed with the Oakland Raiders.
Of course, Smith has his baggage, as well. His first brush with NFL discipline came in 2013, when he was involved in a single-car accident that resulted in him being arrested for DUI and possession of marijuana. He voluntarily entered rehabilitation and missed five games that season.
Smith was arrested again in 2014 after officials at Los Angeles International Airport alleged he claimed he was carrying a bomb. Though those charges were eventually dropped, he was suspended for nine games that season.
After getting arrested for his third DUI and a hit-and-run in August 2015, he was released by the 49ers and was later suspended for one year after signing with Oakland.
He was denied reinstatement and ended up sitting out the entire 2016 and 2017 seasons. Following an alleged domestic violence incident in 2018, the Raiders released him.
He was finally reinstated last May, and things went smoothly during his one year in Dallas. Though it may attract some media attention, if Baalke (who dealt with some of Smith’s prior issues firsthand) and coach Urban Meyer felt good about bringing him to town, it would be another significant upgrade for the defensive line — though some may feel the Jags would be wise to avoid an addition like Smith due to his overall record.
What do you think? Should the Jags go after Smith? Let us know in the poll down below.
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