Aldon

Smith

Smith, 32 next month, inked a one-year deal with Seattle in April but now faces battery charges in New Orleans stemming from an incident shortly after he signed with the Seahawks. After being suspended for four years, Smith returned to the NFL last season to record five sacks for Dallas across 16 games.

Per ESPN’s Brady Henderson, Smith has also “worked himself back into shape.” Smith was arrested less than 48 hours after signing with the Seahawks in April. His arraignment date has since been pushed back to August 24. Headed into his age-32 campaign and sadly almost always in some trouble with the law, Smith notched five sacks as a 16-game starter for the Cowboys last season. He has a legitimate shot at making the Seahawks’ 53-man roster if they are satisfied with his off-the-field standing. Before last year, Smith had not appeared in a game since 2015.

He was booked on a battery charge and released on $25,000 bond. The alleged incident occurred at the French Press Coffee House in Chalmette, Louisiana, where Smith has family. There’s reportedly video of the incident, which will prove crucial in how the case plays out. Smith played for Dallas in 2020 after being out of NFL for nearly five years with off-the-field and substance abuse issues. The Seahawks, who signed Smith to a one-year deal April 15, could cut ties with the troubled Smith in the coming weeks.

That date was only 48 hours after Smith signed a one-year deal with Seattle. The alleged incident occurred at the French Press Coffee House in Chalmette, Louisiana, where Smith has relatives at. It’s a developing story that could quickly lead to the Seahawks cutting ties with him prior to the draft.

Smith, who finished with five sacks across 16 appearances in his first year back on the field since 2015, was arguably Dallas’ best linebacker last year and will immediately inject a much-needed pass rush into Seattle’s front-seven. Although the 31-year-old faded over the last half of 2020, one could simply chalk that up to fatigue as his conditioning caught up to game speed. It’s a terrific opportunity for Smith to fight for one last multi-year contract next offseason.

It’s the first time Smith, who started all 16 games in 2020 and had five sacks in his first season since 2015, has been linked to another team besides the Cowboys. Dallas and Seattle last year had talks about trading Smith. Dallas head coach Mike McCarthy said last month that the team hadn’t discounted brining back Smith for the 2021 season, though there’s been no official progress in re-signing him. He posted five sacks and 12 pressures during the first half of last season before fading down the stretch. Thirty-two in September, Smith would likely sign a one-year deal with Seattle if the sides can come to an agreement. Pro Football Focus graded Seattle’s pass rush as the NFL’s eighth worst in 2020.

“That’s still fluid. I personally haven’t moved on. I was in a conversation yesterday about Aldon, so we’ll see how that works out moving forward,” McCarthy said at his first offseason press conference. “When I talk about the growth, talking about 3-4 versus 4-3, the variation of guys being able to play multiple techniques and have the length, Aldon fits that. So we’re still talking there.” Smith started all 16 games and had five sacks in his first season since 2015, though he trailed off late, with all of his sacks and nine of his 14 QB Hits coming in the first half. Smith hasn’t taken any visits and has yet to be linked to any teams since the start of free agency.

“We want to maximize our relationship with him,” Jones told 105.3FM the Fan. “Proud that he’s given himself this chance and we’re going to help him do it. I’m a fan of his.” Smith drew interest at the trade deadline, but the Cowboys view him as part of their 2021 plans. The former All-Pro has been one of the comeback players of the year, posting five sacks and 12 pressures in nine starts. Smith’s role has taken a hit the last few weeks with the return of Randy Gregory, but he’s still playing 66 percent of snaps. With Smith on a one-year contract, extending him with a short-term deal would make sense for both sides.

Garafolo named the Seahawks as one club that checked in on Smith’s trade status. This suggests the Cowboys could look to lock Smith into a long-term contract after giving him a second chance to find his NFL footing. Smith has eight quarterback hits and two sacks to his name this season.

Smith, 31 in September, is now eligible to participate in all team activities immediately. Reportedly weighing in at 287 pounds (up from 265) after training with NFL insider Jay Glazer throughout the offseason, it’s still a concern that Smith hasn’t taken the field since 2015. There’s really no telling what to expect from Smith during his one-year comeback contract in Dallas.