{"id":71183,"date":"2019-08-21T06:35:13","date_gmt":"2019-08-21T10:35:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonprofootball.com\/?p=71183"},"modified":"2019-08-21T06:35:13","modified_gmt":"2019-08-21T10:35:13","slug":"jaylon-smith-extension-fantastic-deal-dallas-cowboys","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2019\/08\/21\/jaylon-smith-extension-fantastic-deal-dallas-cowboys\/","title":{"rendered":"Jaylon Smith Extension a Fantastic Deal for Dallas Cowboys"},"content":{"rendered":"

After months of ongoing negotiations, the Dallas Cowboys<\/a> finally struck a deal with one of their big impending free agents. Linebacker Jaylon Smith<\/a><\/strong> is sticking around after signing<\/a> a five-year, $65 million contract. While this wasn\u2019t the extension everyone was expecting, it\u2019s still a great move for Smith and the Cowboys as a franchise. This deal allows Smith to get an early payday while giving Dallas a young, elite linebacker for a below-market price.<\/p>\n

Jaylon Smith Extension a Perfect Deal for Both Sides<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Had Smith hit the open market, there is no doubt that he would have received more than $13 million per year. Last year, Smith showed that he still has the skills to be one of the best linebackers in all of football. Smith, of course, suffered a devastating knee injury in college and wasn’t himself until 2018. During his first truly healthy season, the Notre Dame product recorded 121 tackles, six tackles-for-loss, six quarterback hits, and four sacks while starting in all 16 games. Stats don\u2019t tell the whole picture with linebackers, but Smith\u2019s 84.4 Pro Football Focus grade shows how dominant he truly was.<\/p>\n

Some people think that linebackers don\u2019t matter as much in today\u2019s pass-happy NFL. That is true to some extent, as one-dimensional run-stuffers are a way of the past. However, linebackers that have the ability to play both the run and the pass have never been more valuable. Offenses are getting more and more creative and incorporating their tight ends and running backs into the passing game. Run-first linebackers get exploited in coverage, but Smith has the ability to cover running backs, tight ends, and rush the passer. He\u2019s a true do-everything player who deserves every penny on his new extension.<\/p>\n

Thanks to advanced analytics, we are able to quantify an approximate value associated with a certain player. According to Kevin Cole of Pro Football Focus, Smith is worth approximately $15-17 million per season based on his player grade and historical comparisons. This means that the Cowboys are getting Smith for pennies on the dollar, and the value only gets better over the life of the contract. With the salary cap increasing on an annual basis, it\u2019s going to cost more and more to get players like Smith. The Cowboys locked up their star on a long-term, team-friendly deal.<\/p>\n

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Jaylon Smith signs a 5-yr, $65M ($13M APY) extension. Value estimates for the next two years using @PFF<\/a>'s WAR metric for comparable historical players puts his free-agent price at $15-17M APY.<\/p>\n

Top-4 comps: pic.twitter.com\/Wtv3DUJkPr<\/a><\/p>\n

— Kevin Cole (@KevinCole___) August 20, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n