FRISCO, Texas – A surprising mid-season turn of events ensued on Tuesday evening. The Dallas Cowboys made a significant move on the defensive side of the ball and released linebacker Jaylon Smith, a source confirms to D210SPORTS. The move will not become official until Wednesday. ESPN first reported the news.
Smith is still owed $7.2 million in base salary for the 2021 season, in addition to $9.2 million in injury guarantees in 2022. The latter is a contributing factor in the club parting ways with Smith.
The Notre Dame product saw a limited snap count this season in both base packages and in Dan Quinn’s nickel defense. He played fewer than 50 percent of the team’s defensive snaps in two of four games this season. A stark contrast from playing 92 percent of the squad’s defensive snaps the past three seasons in Dallas.
Against the Panthers on Sunday, rookie Micah Parsons and veteran Leighton Vander Esch were the team’s starting nickel linebackers. The Cowboys are likely to get reinforcements back this week including Keanu Neal off the Reserve/COVID-19 list. His emergence throughout training camp/beginning of the season, along with Parsons’ playmaking ability and selection 12th overall, sealed Smith’s fate in Dallas. The club has valuable depth at the position and a promising coverage player in Jabril Cox.
More details to come.
