The Dallas Cowboys made a ton of moves this offseason in an attempt to get back into Super Bowl contention. After an embarrassing finish to the 2019 NFL season that saw them miss the playoffs, the franchise and owner Jerry Jones decided to make some major changes.
First and foremost, the Cowboys decided to move on from head coach Jason Garrett. To replace him, Dallas brought in former Green Bay Packers head coach Mike McCarthy. He has a Super Bowl win to his name and will bring about positive change for the Cowboys.
Dallas also went out and spent quite a bit of money this offseason. They re-signed superstar wide receiver Amari Cooper to a big deal, signed Gerald McCoy, Dontari Poe, and Ha Ha Clinton-Dix to beef up their defense, and made another intriguing move to improve defensively.
That move was the signing of former superstar pass rusher Aldon Smith. He has had a ton of off-the-field issues throughout his career, but has been an absolute monster on the field when available. Since signing with the Cowboys, Roger Goodell and the NFL has reinstated Smith and he will be eligible to play.
Smith may not have played a single NFL snap since 2015 when he was with the Oakland Raiders. He may not end up reverting back to being a lethal pass-rushing threat. However, Smith is ready to prove all the critics wrong and end up being a massive X-Factor for the Cowboys in 2020.
The 30-year-old edge rusher opened up a bit about wanting to pick up where he left off. He has big plans to be a positive presence in Dallas and to help the team get back to being a contender.
“My goal is to pick up where I left off,” Smith said. “That just means I always work hard. I always play hard. I want the same thing out of my teammates and I’m sure those guys in the locker room feel the same way, and with that mentality, the sky is the limit. I think as long as we do what we need to do and everybody plays to their potential anything’s possible.”
Throughout his five-year NFL career up to this point, Smith had played in 59 carries games. He racked up 180 total tackles to go along with 47.5 sacks, five forced fumbles, an interception, and eight defended passes.
Granted, we truly don’t know what version of Smith we’re going to see. We also aren’t going to say that he will stay completely out of trouble. However, the potential is there for him to come back, stay away from off-the-field issues, and become a major presence for the Cowboys.
Smith seems to have his head right this time around. He seems to have realized how lucky he is to have the ability on the field that he has. Perhaps he will finally put everything together.
Dallas made a good football decision by signing Smith. They are also giving him what is likely his final chance in the NFL. If things don’t work out with the Cowboys, Smith’s NFL career will likely be over.
Expect to see Smith come in and make the most of this opportunity. He may not end up being a double-digit sack producer again, but he should be able to make a difference and become a major X-Factor for the Cowboys.
This is certainly going to be a storyline to keep an eye on throughout the entire 2020 NFL season.