The Dallas Cowboys are working to trim their roster to 53 players before Tuesday's 3 p.m. CT deadline. They've made a number of polarizing cuts so far, including undrafted rookies Traeshon Holden and Rivaldo Fairweather, both of whom could be lost via waivers.
All eyes will be on which players sneak on the roster, but it will also be fascinating to track what happens with some former Cowboys. Former quarterback Ben DiNucci, for example, has already been waived by the Falcons and 2024 UDFA Julius Wood was cut by the Titans.
In that same vein, the Raiders have moved on from former Pro Bowl linebacker Jaylon Smith, who's been around the block since his Dallas tenure. One can't help but think if Smith will get another shot in the NFL.
Former Cowboys LB Jaylon Smith could be done in the NFL after Raiders release
A second-round pick by Dallas in 2017, Smith burst onto the scene in year two with 121 tackles, four sacks, two forced fumbles and 44 defensive stops. The Cowboys rewarded him with a five-year, $63.75 million extension after he made the Pro Bowl in 2018, but his play subsequently experienced a sharp decline and he was ultimately released a month into the 2021 campaign.
Smith's decline might be attributed to the career-threatening knee injury he suffered in his final game at Notre Dame. He tore the ACL and LCL in his left knee and suffered nerve damage that needed to regenerate.
Now 30 years old, Smith hoped to catch on in a veteran-riddled linebacker room in Las Vegas, but it didn't come to pass. The Raiders are planning to trot out Germaine Pratt, Elandon Roberts, Devin White and Jamal Adams, who will play in the box in Pete Carroll's system.
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It speaks volumes that Smith couldn't make waves in a LB room full of veterans who are past their respective primes. White and Adams specifically have been two of the lowest-graded defenders in recent seasons
The Eagles washed their hands of White just four games into the 2024 season. He quickly resurfaced with the Texans, but head coach DeMeco Ryans clearly didn't want him back. Adams, meanwhile, has played in just 15 games over the last three seasons between the Seahawks, Titans and Lions.
The Raiders brought in Pratt and Adams after they signed Smith, so that was pretty much a death knell for his roster chances.
There’s been no indication that Smith is considering retirement, so the hope is he finds another opportunity once roster cuts are finalized. But it's fair to wonder if that happens.