The Las Vegas Raiders have added depth to their defense by signing a former second-round pick of the Dallas Cowboys. Linebacker Jaylon Smith was drafted in 2017 and became a Pro Bowler while with the Cowboys.
“After a weekend tryout, the Raiders are signing former Cowboys and Giants LB Jaylon Smith, per source.” tweets Schefter. “Smith now returns to the Raiders, where he played in 2023, his last NFL season.”
Smith made the Pro Bowl in 2019 after the Cowboys drafted him 2017, but he hasn’t played a single snap in the NFL since November 5th, 2023. He was projected to be a first-round pick the year he was drafted, but a devastating knee injury in a bowl game saw him slide to the second.
When healthy, Smith was an incredible player
The Raiders obviously signed him hoping that he can regain his form as a Pro Bowler. At the very least, they are hoping he can be a reasonable facsimile thereof. During his last stint with the Raiders in 2023, he played in just one game.
“That was the only game he played in that season but after being away from the NFL fully for a season, he now looks to secure a spot on the roster as Pete Carroll looks to install a new era of success in Las Vegas,” writes Brock Vierra of Sports Illustrated.
“Smith was a starter for the Cowboys, being named a Pro Bowler in 2019, signing a massive extension that year. During his time in Dallas, Smith was part of a formidable linebacker room with Sean Lee and Leighton Vander Esch, helping Dallas make the playoffs under Jason Garrett make the postseason in 2018.”
His extension with the Cowboys at that time was a five-year, $64 million deal. Obviously, that didn’t work out.
Injuries have plagued Smith’s career
Smith suffered a torn ACL and LCL in the 2016 Fiesta Bowl while at Notre Dame and it was a brutal injury.
Smith was released by Dallas following his sixth season as his production dwindled.
“Since then, Smith has bounced around the league since,” writes Vierra.
“In his junior year at Notre Dame, Smith was a projected top 5 player. However, in the Fiesta Bowl, Smith tore both his ACL and LCL, requiring surgery. His draft stock fell and he went from top 5 pick to falling to the Cowboys in the second round.
“In fact, Smith was lucky he didn’t drop further as he had to miss his entire rookie season due to rehabilitation and was only selected by the Cowboys because he was operated on by Cowboys’ doctor Dan Cooper, thus the Cowboys had better health information come draft day.
“His injury led to massive changes in college football, including the practice of bowl game opt-outs and helped expand the college football playoff.
“Since leaving the Cowboys after four games in 2021, he played two with the Green Bay Packers before finishing his season with the New York Giants.”
Smith will have plenty of rust to knock off, but an optimist will say that during his time off he hasn’t endured the repeated pounding that NFL linebackers typically take.
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