Aldon Smith

Jerry Jones, Mike McCarthy On Aldon Smith

April 21st, 2020 at 8:21pm CST by Rory Parks

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and head coach Mike McCarthy spoke about new acquisition Aldon Smith today, and it’s no surprise to hear that both men are optimistic about where Smith is in his bid to be reinstated by the league.

Dallas, of course, shocked the football world when it agreed to sign Smith earlier this month. Though the move seemed to come from out of left field, we soon learned that Smith — who was in the process of applying for reinstatement in March — has been sober for nine months and that the Broncos were also interested in his services. The new CBA does not make reinstatement any easier for indefinitely suspended players like Smith, but Jones and McCarthy are clearly hopeful that the 30-year-old will be cleared to return in short order.

“I would say first-hand that I know that [Smith] is very diligent in his work to do the things the NFL looks at to reinstate,” Jones said (via Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk). “I wouldn’t dare get into where the league is and how they will go about this process … [but] as a league, we really are bent toward the medical aspect of many of these problems or many of these things that have been in consideration when a player has to have some type of suspension. We’ve made it more medically oriented to where you can have good grades from doctors, and that weighs into being a player in the NFL.”

McCarthy, who first met Smith in December, talks about his initial impressions of the former 49ers star. “I was very impressed with everything that he’s done and his path,” McCarthy said. “I’ve always admired him from afar. Very impressive young man, and I’m looking forward to working with him.”

Smith’s contract represents a low-risk, high-reward gambit for the Cowboys. Though he has not played in an NFL game since the 2015 campaign, he recorded an incredible 42 sacks in his first 43 games in the league, and if he can earn reinstatement and work himself into game shape by the start of the regular season, he could become a key part of Dallas’ pass rush.

East Notes: Giants, Love, Cowboys

April 18th, 2020 at 4:31pm CST by Sam Robinson

Holding a top-six pick for the third straight year, the Giants have been linked to either Clemson linebacker Isaiah Simmons or a tackle. The Giants are immersed in thorough examination of Simmons, with Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports noting the team is determining how he would fit in its scheme. Simmons saw action all over the formation for the Tigers but is viewed as either a linebacker or safety in the NFL. Some teams view Simmons as a safety. It is unclear where the Giants place him, though Joe Judge comes from a Patriots organization that valued versatility among defenders.

Regardless, rival GMs expect Dave Gettleman to select a tackle at No. 4 overall. Gettleman’s offensive line overhaul has not accomplished what he’d hoped, and a first-round pick could be slotted at right tackle before taking over for 2021 cap-casualty candidate Nate Solder on the left side. The Giants have been connected to Iowa tackle Tristan Wirfs at multiple junctures this offseason.

Here is the latest from the East divisions:

Gettleman has taken his share of heat since becoming Giants GM in December 2017. He has, however, made some philosophical changes since taking over. He admitted to have miscalculated the Giants’ ability to be competitive in his first season as GM, per Paul Schwartz of the New York Post. From October 2018 to March 2019, Gettleman traded big-ticket free agent additions Damon Harrison and Olivier Vernon while also dealing Odell Beckham Jr. and Eli Apple. In addition to accepting this is a rebuild, Gettleman is now OK with negotiating contracts in-season, Schwartz adds.
Were the Lions to trade out of the No. 3 slot or pass on Jeffrey Okudah, the Giants may still pass on the Ohio State cornerback. Given the Giants’ 2019 first-round selection of Deandre Baker and their recent James Bradberry deal, Ralph Vacchiano of SNY would expect them to avoid picking a corner fourth overall.
A bold Dolphins strategy would be passing on a quarterback at No. 5 and preparing a Jordan Love move later in the first round. Other teams are convinced the Dolphins are intrigued by the Utah State prospect — whom Miami secured a visit with before the NFL shut down that process — but doubt they will gamble to that degree, La Canfora notes. The Dolphins’ actions over the past year and change have been centered around landing their franchise quarterback in this draft. Although they hold the Nos. 18 and 26 picks, it would be a risk to let Tua Tagovailoa and Justin Herbert go in hopes of landing Love later.
The NFL’s decisions on Randy Gregory and Aldon Smith are not expected to come until after the draft, but the Cowboys may have some different plans for them under DC Mike Nolan than they would have under Rod Marinelli. Instead of using their edge defenders as pure 4-3 defensive ends, Cowboys executive VP Stephen Jones said (via USA Today’s Jori Epstein) he could envision Smith and Gregory as hybrid-type players who rush from linebacker positions as well as defensive end slots. Gregory has only played defensive end as a pro, while Smith has mostly worked as a 3-4 outside linebacker.

Latest On Aldon Smith, Randy Gregory

April 15th, 2020 at 8:59pm CST by Zachary Links

Cowboys defenders Aldon Smith and Randy Gregory will probably have to wait until after the draft to see if they’re cleared to play by the NFL, ESPN.com’s Ed Werder hears. Both players are under suspension for substance abuse policy violations and they won’t be able to take the field unless Roger Goodell gives them the green light.

Smith hasn’t appeared in an NFL game since his 2015 season with the Raiders due to off-the-field trouble and personal issues. Before that downward trend, Smith was one of the league’s brightest stars. In his first two pro seasons, Smith notched 33.5 sacks. And, even when he was limited to just eleven games in 2013, he still managed to bring down the QB 8.5 times.

For the last few years, Smith has mostly been off of the NFL radar. Then, this offseason, the Cowboys gave him a chance at redemption. Smith is set to earn just $2MM in base salary, plus another $2MM in sack incentives, but the deal is completely non-guaranteed. If Smith isn’t cleared to play, he won’t get paid.

Gregory has also been plagued by personal issues – he’s played a grand total of 28 games across five years with the Cowboys. Jerry Jones has stood by the former second round pick and, this year, he’s especially hopeful that Gregory will be able to stay on the right track. Without Robert Quinn, the Cowboys badly need the help.

NFC East Notes: Cowboys, Smith, Eagles

April 12th, 2020 at 12:24pm CST by Zachary Links

The Cowboys gave Aldon Smith another chance in the NFL by signing him to a one-year deal earlier this month. Although the Cowboys have been known to take chances on players with off-the-field issues, the move surprised many. Smith remains indefinitely suspended by the NFL, so it’s not a given that he’ll be allowed to take the field in 2020.

Smith has reportedly been clean and sober for the past nine months. In an interview with Jay Glazer of FOX Sports (Twitter link), Smith opened up about his troubled past and vowed to make the most of his opportunity.

“I would say 2018 was a tough year,” Smith confessed. “In that year, I was in a really dark place…I was sleeping under a car for some nights because my sickness took me there. And I had a home to sleep in. But I was in such a dark place that I didn’t see myself deserving anything other than that.”

Now, Smith will look to get back to his All-Pro form in Dallas. A refresher: Smith managed 14 sacks as a rookie in 2011 and earned First-Team All-Pro honors in 2012 as he registered 19.5 sacks and helped the Niners reach Super Bowl XLVII.

Here’s more from the NFC East:

The Eagles seem likely to target wide receivers in the draft, but Dave Zangaro of NBC Sports believes that they should also explore veteran options in free agency. Recently, the Eagles have watched receivers like Robby Anderson and Breshad Perriman signed to cheaper-than-expected contracts and Zangaro feels that Howie Roseman should take advantage of WR value deals in the next wave. Still, it’s important to note the Eagles’ cap limitations – although they have ~$30MM to work with in 2020, the Birds are way over the cap for 2021. That means they’ll have to try for one-year deals with most free agents.
Even if the Giants want to trade back from No. 4, the offers will probably be disappointing, SNY’s Ralph Vacchiano writes. If the Lions move back from No. 3 by trading with the Chargers or Dolphins, Vacchiano reasons that the other club will be fine with standing pat – that means the Giants wouldn’t get a whole lot for their choice. Even though the Giants have multiple needs to address, staying at No. 4 wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing. With that pick, they could have the opportunity to take any non-QB besides Ohio State’s Chase Young. In that scenario, versatile Clemson defender Isaiah Simmons and Iowa tackle Tristan Wirfs would both be there for the taking.
The Redskins are among the clubs with interest in Utah State’s Jordan Love. The Patriots, Saints, Packers, Chargers, and Dolphins are also intrigued by Love’s pure mechanics and it’s possible that he could wind up as a first-round choice.

Broncos Pursued Aldon Smith

April 10th, 2020 at 5:26pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Cowboys shockingly pulled Aldon Smith out of football purgatory a couple weeks ago, and they apparently weren’t the only team in on the former All-Pro. The Broncos pursued Smith and the two sides had mutual interest for a while, sources told Mike Klis of Denver 9 News.

Klis points out that Broncos head coach Vic Fangio was Smith’s defensive coordinator during his best seasons in San Francisco, which explains the connection. Ultimately, financials led Smith to go with Dallas. Klis reports that the Broncos only made a “vet-minimum/incentive-laden offer” to Smith, while the Cowboys gave him a one-year contract with a base value of $2MM and an additional $2MM available in sack incentives.

If Smith had been able to get anywhere close to his old heights, he would’ve formed a scary pass-rushing trio in Denver alongside fellow former first-round picks Von Miller and Bradley Chubb. The seventh overall pick of the 2011 draft, Smith was one of the best defensive players in the league before a series of arrests and substance abuse issues derailed his career. He led the league in sacks in 2012 with 19.5.

He hasn’t played in a game since the 2015 season, so it’ll be very interesting to see what the 30-year-old looks like when he steps on the field. The Broncos lost Derek Wolfe, who had seven sacks last year, in free agency, so Smith would’ve been a nice high-upside addition to bolster the defensive front.

Details On Aldon Smith’s Cowboys Contract

April 2nd, 2020 at 4:52pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Cowboys shocked the NFL world on Wednesday by agreeing to a one-year deal with edge rusher Aldon Smith, who hasn’t played in the league since November 2015. As expected, Smith’s pact doesn’t contain any guaranteed money, but Todd Archer of ESPN.com (Twitter links) has outlined the parameters of Smith’s contract, which could potentially net the 30-year-old $4MM.

In order to earn any money whatsoever, Smith must obviously be reinstated by the NFL. The former first-round pick applied for reinstatement last month, and if/when the league allows him to play, Smith will collect $90K from Dallas, per Archer. He’ll then collect a series of bonuses as follows:

30 days after reinstatement: $50K
Start of training camp: $100K
After two preseason games: $100K
End of preseason: $100K

Clearly, the NFL’s training camp and preseason schedule could possibly altered due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. But if the league’s scheduled goes according to plan, Smith will have earned $440K by the conclusion of the preseason. If the Cowboys released him at that point, they’d be on the hook for that total.

Once the regular season begins, Smith’s contract will follow a slightly more typical structure, accordibng to Archer:

Base salary: $910K
$40,625K in per-game roster bonuses, totaling $650K for the season
Sack incentives up to $2MM
- Eight sacks: $500K
- 10 sacks: $1MM
- 12 sacks: $1.5MM
- 14 sacks: $2MM

Because Smith didn’t play in the NFL in 2019, those incentives are considered “not likely to be earned” and thus do not count against the Cowboys’ salary cap. Smith would likely have to play at something close to an All-Pro level in order to reach every incentive, but he did meet or exceed 14 sacks in each of his first two NFL campaigns.

Cowboys To Sign Aldon Smith

April 1st, 2020 at 8:17pm CST by Sam Robinson

Aldon Smith has not played in an NFL game since the 2015 season. The Cowboys will nonetheless give the former Pro Bowler a chance.

Dallas and the former first-round edge rusher agreed on a one-year deal Wednesday night, Jay Glazer of Fox Sports tweets. While Smith has run into endless substance abuse-related trouble off the field, Glazer said the former 49ers standout is “clean and sober” at this point. He has been clean for nine months, Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News tweets.

Interestingly, this is not a league-minimum deal. The Cowboys will give Smith $2MM in base salary and are including an additional $2MM in sack incentives, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets. As could be expected, no guaranteed money is included here, Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News adds.

Smith remains suspended indefinitely, but the Cowboys are clearly betting the new CBA will green-light his return to the league. The NFL denied a Smith reinstatement plea in December 2016. This is an interesting destination for Smith, because the Cowboys are making a similar bet with the oft-suspended Randy Gregory. The team is confident Gregory will be reinstated soon.

Smith, now 30, applied for reinstatement last month. He has not played in an NFL game since a Raiders-Vikings contest in mid-November 2015. Smith has been arrested more than a handful of times over the years, including several times since his indefinite suspension from the league. In addition to being banned under the substance-abuse policy, Smith has previously run afoul of the league’s personal conduct guidelines.

The NFL’s new CBA likely opened the door to this Cowboys move. This latest agreement features lesser penalties for non-PED positive drug tests, though DUIs will be dealt with more harshly. Smith, however, was arrested for suspicion of DUI in 2012, ’13 and ’15 — the final such incident leading to his 49ers release that year. This will be an interesting case for the NFL, but the Cowboys clearly believe Smith will be allowed back in the league.

The Cowboys may now be set to have two of the more frequent violators of the 2011 CBA’s substance-abuse policy — Smith and Gregory — rushing the passer for them. This is not exactly an out-of-the-ordinary move for the organization. The Cowboys in recent years gave a second chance to Greg Hardy, acquired Pacman Jones after a full-season suspension, kept Rolando McClain around during his suspension bouts and are still hoping Gregory will be back.

The 49ers used their No. 7 overall pick on Smith in 2011, and he delivered superstar-level work in his first two seasons. Smith registered 14 sacks as a rookie and landed on the All-Pro first team in 2012, recording 19.5 sacks for a 49ers team that voyaged to Super Bowl XLVII. He posted 8.5 sacks in 2013 but recorded only 5.5 between abbreviated 2014 and ’15 seasons. Smith latched on with the Raiders later in 2015, and Oakland re-signed him in 2016. Various off-field incidents prevented Smith from playing a second season with the Raiders.

Dallas let Robert Quinn walk in free agency and has not made it known a Michael Bennett re-up is on the table. If Smith is reinstated, he will reunite with his former position coach in San Francisco; Dallas hired Jim Tomsula to as defensive line coach this year. Tyrone Crawford has emerged as a possible starter opposite DeMarcus Lawrence. If that ends up being the case, the Cowboys would have one of the most interesting second-string defensive end tandems — if Gregory and Smith are allowed back into the league — in NFL history.

Aldon Smith To Apply For Reinstatement

March 13th, 2020 at 6:49pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Here’s a name we haven’t heard in quite a long time. Suspended linebacker Aldon Smith is in the “process of applying for reinstatement” with the league, according to Jim Trotter of NFL Network (Twitter video link).

That would certainly be quite the comeback story if Smith does manage to make it back to the NFL. He hasn’t appeared in an NFL game since the 2015 season, and the last we heard of him was in November of 2018 when he was turning himself into authorities after a domestic violence accusation. Smith has been arrested more than a handful of times over the years, including several times since his indefinite suspension from the league.

He’s also dealt with substance abuse issues, although people around the former Missouri star tell Trotter that he is clean and sober now. Smith was drafted seventh overall by the 49ers back in 2011 and became an instant star, racking up 14 sacks as a rookie. In his second season he had 19.5 sacks and was a first-team All-Pro, quickly cementing himself as one of the best defensive players in the league.

Things quickly unraveled after that as he missed a chunk of the 2013 season while in rehab. He was then hit with a nine-game suspension during the 2014 campaign. Following another arrest for DUI he was released by San Francisco, and latched on with Oakland. He played in nine games for the Raiders in 2015 before being given the suspension he is still currently serving. He tried to get back in the league in 2016 but his application was denied.

The Raiders officially released him in March of 2018 after another arrest. Smith will certainly have a lot of work to do if he wants Roger Goodell to let him back in the league, but he’s clearly not giving up hope. He’s still only 30, so he should theoretically have some gas left in the tank physically. At this point it still seems like a long-shot but no matter what happens, here’s to hoping Smith has everything figured out off the field.

West Rumors: 49ers, Kaep, Broncos, Raiders

November 29th, 2018 at 8:27pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The NFL should seek to end the Colin Kaepernick collusion grievance via settlement, if only for its own good, opines Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. The league has indeed broached the topic of a financial settlement with Kaepernick and his team, but those talks have reportedly gone nowhere, as Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com indicated earlier this week. A 2019 hearing now appears likely, but as Florio writes, the NFL has a lot to lose by allowing a hearing to take place. League personnel would likely be deposed, internal communications could be made public, and — in a worst-case scenario — Kaepernick could prove collusion did indeed take place. Of course, the former 49ers quarterback would have to be amenable to a settlement, and given that a) he’s earned more than $43MM during his career and b) his grievance and interests don’t appear to be financially motivated, it seems unlikely he’d agree to be paid for his silence.

Here’s more from the NFL’s two West divisions:

The Broncos are “doing a lot of homework” on collegiate tight end prospects in advance of the 2019 draft, according to Tony Pauline of DraftAnalyst.net (Twitter link). Denver has spent consecutive fifth-round picks on tight ends, but both of the club’s selections have fallen victim to injury. 2017 draft choice Jake Butt missed his entire rookie year while recovering from an ACL tear; he played in three games this season before suffering yet another torn ACL (the third of his football career). Meanwhile, 2018 selection Troy Fumagalli has been on IR since August after going down with a thigh injury. Per Gavrino Borquez of USA Today’s Draftwire, the top draft-eligible tight ends include Noah Fant (Iowa), Kaden Smith (Stanford), and T.J. Hockenson (Iowa).
In his latest mailbag for The Athletic, Matt Barrows writes — perhaps unsurprisingly — 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan is in no danger of losing his job despite a disappointing 2018 campaign. Shanahan and general manager John Lynch signed dual six-year contracts prior to the 2017 season, so he presumably has plenty of leeway to execute his vision in San Francisco. Additionally, the 49ers lost both quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo and running back Jerick McKinnon before September ended, making it difficult to evaluate the club’s offensive talent.
More from Burrows, who adds three-game starting quarterback Nick Mullens‘ “leash was shortened” following his lackluster performance against the Buccaneers in Week 12. After tossing three touchdowns in his first NFL start, Mullens — whom the 49ers signed as an undrafted free agent in 2017 — has regressed over the past two weeks, throwing just two scores against four picks while posting a 68.5 passer rating during that time. C.J. Beathard, who’s managed a 81.8 quarterback rating in six appearances this season, is now healthy and could get another shot under center if Mullens struggles against the Seahawks on Sunday.
Former Raiders/49ers edge rusher Aldon Smith turned himself into San Francisco police on Tuesday after being accused of domestic violence, reports Evan Sernoffsky of the San Francisco Chronicle. Smith, of course, has been no stranger to off-field incidents since being selected in the first round of the 2011 draft. The Raiders quickly released Smith following another domestic violence episode earlier this year, and it’s obvious Smith will never play in the NFL again.

Extra Points: Smith, Manziel, Rams

April 14th, 2018 at 12:47pm CST by Ben Levine

Some assorted notes from around the NFL…

Former Raiders and 49ers linebacker Aldon Smith is “being transferred to an inpatient substance abuse treatment center as he awaits his next court date” (via ESPN.com). Smith was arrested last week after violating the conditions of his monitoring. The “order for Smith to remain in custody in rehab” is indefinite, according to a spokesman for the San Francisco district attorney’s office. Last month, Smith pleaded not guilty to domestic violence charges following a March incident. The Raiders still released the trouble defender soon after the initial arrest.
The CFL could provide quarterback Johnny Manziel with a path back to the NFL, but Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com writes that the transition wouldn’t be immediate. A source told the reporter that the CFL won’t “soften” the rule that requires a two-year commitment from their players, meaning if Manziel joined the league, he wouldn’t be able to sign with an NFL team until at least 2020. Florio writes that the quarterback could shift his focus to the Alliance of American Football, a spring league that is set to launch in 2019.
In an interview with TheRams.com, recently-acquired cornerback Aqib Talib explained why he wanted to be traded to the Rams. “Well, I’m in the later half of my career and I just wanted to be comfortable,” Talib said. “Wherever I went, I wanted to be comfortable and there was no time in the NFL where I was more comfortable playing football than with Wade Phillips. He’s like a guru at putting guys in position to succeed. So if I was going to go somewhere I wanted to be comfortable and I’m definitely comfortable here in L.A.”
The Rams are already working on a new deal with Aaron Donald, and general manager Les Snead acknowledged that the defensive tackle will ultimately make more than new teammate Ndamukong Suh. “The nice thing about Ndamukong,” Snead said during an appearance on The MMQB Podcast with Peter King (via Chris Wesseling of NFL.com), “at age 31 and somebody who’s been the highest-paid defensive player in football, winning was very important in this phase of his career…He’s well aware that when you can partner, be beside someone who is on the verge of being the highest-paid defensive player in football, then that’s a really good thing. I guess you’d say two is better than one.”

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