The Dallas Cowboys won’t make another trade on par with Micah Parsons anytime soon, but the team could make another trade before the trade deadline this year.
Bleacher Report’s Alex Kay suggests that the Cowboys ought to trade defensive tackle Mazi Smith, who has a four-year, $13.27 million deal with the team. Smith hasn’t lived up to that contract thus far amid 18 defensive snaps in one game, and Kay projects that the Cowboys could get a sixth-round pick from him.
Kay named the Buffalo Bills and the Indianapolis Colts as potential suitors. A former first-round pick from Michigan, Smith could give either AFC playoff contender depth on the offensive line.
“The start to Smith’s career has been underwhelming, to say the least, even though Dallas has given him plenty of opportunities,” Kay wrote. “Smith has appeared in 34 games and played 848 defensive snaps since being drafted but has recorded just 54 tackles.”
“It’s clear that he’s fallen out of Dallas’ game plan, especially since the team added Kenny Clark in the Micah Parsons trade,” Kay added. “The fact that Dallas has a (mostly) new coaching staff this season does nothing to increase Smith’s chances of becoming a long-term building block.”
“Smith is a 6’3″, 337-pound 24-year-old who could interest teams seeking a developmental interior defender,” Kay continued. “If the Cowboys aren’t going to develop him, they should be interested in getting whatever they can in return.”
Mazi Smith Addressed Early-Season Benching
Smith talked with the media earlier this season about not getting playing time ahead of the Cowboys’ Week 2 game.
“I’m just trying to do what’s best for the team and listen to my coaches and do exactly what they say, whether I’m playing or not,” Smith told reporters on Sept. 12 via The Dallas Morning News.
Smith also addressed what first-year head coach Brian Schottenheimer told him regarding the matter. The former Wolverines star said he is taking Schottenheimer’s call for consistency seriously.
“Yeah, it was something I needed to hear from him.” Smith acknowledged. “I do, but you can definitely have a real conversation with him and what’s going on.”
“He told me he believes in me and he knows what type of player I can be,” Smith added.
Smith had his first playing time of the season when the Chicago Bears routed the Cowboys 31-14, and Smith didn’t tally any stats in his 18 snaps. Overall, he has two sacks and 31 tackles through 35 career games.
Mazi Smith Ignoring Social Media
Before the season, Smith wanted to make strides in year three with the Cowboys. Part of that involved ignoring the chatter about his play on social media — often a burden for professional athletes.
“The only people that should be expecting anything out of me is our fair base and the people in this building, you know?” Smith told reporters in July. “If you ain’t that, I ain’t trying to hear it. And even with a lot of people on social media, I really ain’t trying to hear it.”
That said, Smith doesn’t minimize the reality of where the Cowboys selected him in 2023.
“I’m a first-round pick. There’s expectations, and all that,” Smith said.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Cowboys Urged to Trade $13.27 Million Draft Bust appeared first on Heavy Sports.