On Tuesday night, the Dallas Cowboys officially parted ways with veteran linebacker Jaylon Smith. The move itself wasn’t that surprising, but the timing of his release was a bit odd.
Smith was an excellent linebacker for several years, racking up 516 tackles, 9.0 sacks, 15 QB hits, six forced fumbles and 20 passes defended during his time in Dallas. He made the Pro Bowl in 2019 due to his prolific numbers.
Now that Smith is officially available, there’ll be plenty of teams linked to him over the next few days. A frontrunner hasn’t been named yet, but NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport believes there’s one NFC contender that’ll make a strong push for the Notre Dame product.
According to Rapoport, the Green Bay Packers have their eyes on Smith. He would provide a much-needed boost to their linebacker corps.
“Keep an eye on the Packers for former Cowboys Pro Bowl LB Jaylon Smith, sources say,” Rapoport wrote. “They are making a push. Coach Matt LaFleur was at Notre Dame with Smith and is a fan. Multiple teams are still in the mix, as well, and it’s not over yet.”
Keep an eye on the #Packers for former #Cowboys Pro Bowl LB Jaylon Smith, sources say. They are making a push. Coach Matt LaFleur was at Notre Dame with Smith and is a fan. Multiple teams are still in the mix, as well, and it’s not over yet.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 6, 2021
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The Packers have been relying on De’Vondre Campbell and Krys Barnes at inside linebacker this season. It certainly wouldn’t hurt to add Smith to their rotation.
Not only would Smith receive more playing time in Green Bay than he did in Dallas, he’d still have the chance to compete on a title contender.
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