Five ways the Dallas Cowboys (and fans) got lucky this offseason
By Matt Aaron
#3. Aldon Smith
This is the only question mark on the list, and we all know why. Aldon Smith, the defensive end who made an incredible 19 and a half sacks with the then-Oakland (now Las Vegas) Raiders in 2012, hasn’t been on a football field during a regular-season game since 2015.
Sure, Jay Glazer, the reporter/trainer has called him a monster and a raptor and raved about the muscular pass rusher ripping exercise equipment off the wall.
It’s fun to hear about that, but none of it really matters. What does matter is how many times Smith takes down the opposing quarterback this season. Period. Full stop. The number of sacks the former Raider makes will be the measure of how good a signing this was.
If he’s good, decent even … let’s say Smith makes five sacks, then the Cowboys got an incredible deal for the pass rusher. They expended not a single draft pick, and are paying him less than a million dollars, barely above the veteran minimum.
If the guy can play at all, he’s a bargain. But if he’s the beast he might be, Smith is the deal of the century!