Cowboys To Sign Aldon Smith
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.
Contract Details: Zuerlein, Bills, Cardinals
Here are the latest details from the second wave of free agency. All links courtesy of the Houston Chronicle’s Aaron Wilson, unless otherwise noted.
- Greg Zuerlein, K (Cowboys): Three years, $7.5MM. $1MM signing bonus; 2020 base salary of $1.25MM is guaranteed. Zuerlein’s non-guaranteed 2021 and ’22 salaries are each $2.25MM.
- Tyler Matakevich, LB (Bills): Two years, $7.15MM. Matekevich will receive $3.45MM guaranteed, which includes his $1.75MM 2020 base salary. His $3MM 2021 base is non-guaranteed.
- Sam Martin, P (Broncos): Three years, $7.05MM. $2MM in guarantees, which includes a $1.45MM signing bonus. $550K of Martin’s $1.05MM 2020 base salary is guaranteed, Mike Klis of 9News tweets. Martin’s $2.3MM and $2.25MM 2021 and ’22 salaries are non-guaranteed.
- Andrew Sendejo, S (Browns). One year, $2.25MM. Sendejo will receive $2MM guaranteed, which includes a $1.05MM base salary.
- Taiwan Jones, RB (Bills): One year, $1.75MM. Jones will receive $700K guaranteed; $300K of his $1.05MM base salary is guaranteed.
- Brett Hundley, QB (Cardinals): One year, $1.05MM. $887K of the deal is guaranteed. Because of the Cards using the veteran salary benefit, Hundley will count that amount on their cap.
- C.J. Goodwin, CB (Cowboys): One year, $1.05MM. Goodwin will receive $337K guaranteed; $200K of his $910K base salary is guaranteed.
- D.J. Foster, RB (Cardinals): One year, $825K.
- Will Redmond, CB (Packers): One year, $750K.
Dak Prescott Eyeing Short-Term Contract?
While much of the discussion surrounding Dak Prescott‘s next contract has been focused on AAV and guaranteed money, the length of the contract is also of particular interest to the quarterback. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports (via Twitter) that the Cowboys quarterback may prefer a short-term deal.
As Fowler explains, there’s an expectation that the salary cap will see a significant jump thanks to an extra week of the regular season plus newfound gambling money. Therefore, Prescott is looking to hit free agency again so he can capitalize on that adjustment to the cap, and that means he might prefer a two- or three-year pact.
This is a bit different than how the Cowboys normally operate, as the front office has traditionally handed out longer contracts to their key players. We saw that last year when they signed Ezekiel Elliott to a six-year agreement, and we also saw it when the inked Amari Cooper to a five-year deal earlier this offseason.
We heard last week that there was a belief that Prescott would emerge from negotiations as the NFL’s highest-paid player. From an average-annual-value standpoint, the 26-year-old could still accomplish that. Russell Wilson‘s $35MM-AAV deal remains the NFL’s high-water mark. If Prescott plays next season under the franchise tag, he’ll be making around $33MM per year.
NFC Contract Details: Zuerlein, Poe, Shell, Vikings
We’ve got a bunch of contract details to pass along, all out of the NFC:
- Greg Zuerlein, K (Cowboys): Three years, $7.5MM. Includes $2.25MM in guaranteed money (via ESPN’s Todd Archer).
- Dontari Poe, DT (Cowboys): Signed. Two-year deal worth up to $10.5MM (via Archer).
- Brandon Shell, OT (Seahawks): Two years, $11MM. Includes $5.1MM guaranteed, $4MM signing bonus. Yearly $500K playing-time incentives, up to $400K roster bonus in 2020, up to $425K roster bonus in 2021 (via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle).
- Rashod Hill, OT (Vikings): Signed. One-year, $1.047MM deal. $887.5K guaranteed, including $137.5K signing bonus and $750K (of $910K) base salary (via Wilson).
- Dakota Dozier, OL (Vikings): One year, $1MM. $90K signing bonus, will count $840K against the cap (via Wilson).
- Oday Aboushi, OL (Lions): One year. Worth $1.187MM. $300K guaranteed, including $137.5K signing bonus and $162.5K (of $1.05MM) salary (via Wilson).
- Logan Thomas, TE (Redskins): Signed. Two-year deal worth $6.145MM, including $2.25MM signing bonus (via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero).
- Hassan Ridgeway, DT (Eagles): Signed. One-year, $1.01MM deal. Includes $25K signing bonus, $910K salary, $900K in sacks incentives (via Wilson).
Cowboys To Sign K Greg Zuerlein
Young GZ is headed to Dallas. On Friday, the Cowboys agreed to sign Greg Zuerlein, as Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets. 
[RELATED: Dak Prescott To Become NFL’s Highest-Paid Player?]
The kicker will receive a three-year deal with a base value of $7.5MM. That marks a pay bump for Greg The Leg, who averaged about $1.6MM per year on his rookie contract with the Rams, with $2.3MM in base salary in the final year.
Zuerlein will also get to reunite with his old special teams coach, John Fassel. Across eight seasons with the Rams – split evenly between St. Louis and L.A. – Zuerlein connected on 82% of his field goal tries. That number doesn’t quite tell the whole story, however. At his best, Zuerlein is one of the league’s most accurate, as shown by his 95% success rate in 2017. Last year, however, he made only 72.7% of his three-point shots with little luck (5-of-11) from 40-49 yards out.
Last year, Brett Maher and Kai Forbath combined to make 75% of the Cowboys field goals.
Vikings To Re-Sign OL Brett Jones
The Vikings have agreed to re-sign interior offensive lineman Brett Jones to a one-year, $910K deal, according to Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press (Twitter link).
Minnesota acquired Jones from the Giants in 2018 after he’d started 13 games for New York the previous season. With the Vikings, Jones has been almost exclusively a reserve, as he’s made only three starts (all in 2018). He was actually released last September to make room for wide receiver Josh Docston, but was re-signed shortly thereafter. Jones, 28, ultimately appeared in only two games in 2019 before being placed on injured reserve.
Jones reportedly wanted to test the free agent market in search of a starting role. Per Tomasson, the Cowboys — who recently lost center Travis Frederick to retirement — also expressed interest in Jones before he re-upped with the Vikings. Dallas has Joe Looney and Connor McGovern on hand as options to replace Frederick, but Jones could have had a shot as the Cowboys’ pivot, as well.
Dak Prescott To Become NFL’s Highest-Paid Player?
The Cowboys have re-entered negotiations with their franchise quarterback, and Dak Prescott‘s patient strategy may be about to pay off.
A Prescott extension is not yet imminent, but a source informed ESPN.com’s Ed Werder the Cowboys quarterback will exit these talks as the NFL’s highest-paid player (Twitter link). These talks are not contentious, per Werder, who adds that since the NFL has postponed teams’ offseason programs, no team deadline exists to conclude these discussions.
Prescott turned down the Cowboys’ $33MM-per-year offer — one that came with $105MM guaranteed — and is now franchise-tagged for around $33MM. Russell Wilson‘s $35MM-AAV deal remains the NFL’s high-water mark. Wilson signed that deal last April. A Prescott price in the $35MM-AAV range surfaced Wednesday night.
The Cowboys have until July 15 to reach a long-term agreement with Prescott. If the sides cannot finalize a deal by then, he will play under the exclusive tag. This process has gone on for over a year now. The Cowboys have extended both Ezekiel Elliott and Amari Cooper, clearing the way for a Prescott tag.
While no one would logically argue Prescott is the NFL’s best quarterback, he has exerted leverage well over the past several months. Prescott bet on himself in a contract year, and he’s now negotiating under a new CBA. This and the NFL’s next round of TV deals are likely to produce bigger salary cap spikes in the coming years. The Cowboys’ price for Prescott would then set the market for Deshaun Watson and Patrick Mahomes, with the latter possessing the ability to reshape the quarterback salary spectrum when that time comes.
Tyrone Crawford Likely To Be DE Starter?
While the Cowboys have imported two of the 2019 Panthers’ three defensive line starters — in Gerald McCoy and Dontari Poe — they are not looking to move on from Tyrone Crawford. The Cowboys have asked Crawford to yo-yo between defensive end and tackle in his career, and with the two high-profile veterans coming to Dallas, it is reasonable to wonder about their longtime lineman’s role. But as of now, it should be expected Crawford will be Dallas’ starting D-end opposite DeMarcus Lawrence, David Moore of the Dallas Morning News notes. Despite Crawford only playing in four games last season, the Cowboys are also not expected to ask the 30-year-old lineman to take a pay cut from the $8MM salary he is due in 2020, Moore adds. Crawford, whose contract is up after 2020, would be taking the place of Robert Quinn opposite Lawrence. Quinn signed a mega-deal with the Bears.
- Despite the Cowboys signing both McCoy and Poe to help on their interior defensive line, they are not likely to look outside the organization to help on their interior O-line. Travis Frederick‘s successor will probably be an in-house move, Jon Machota of The Athletic notes (subscription required). Considering the Cowboys drafted Connor McGovern in the 2019 third round and re-signed Joe Looney — their 2018 replacement for Frederick — it should not surprise they will look internally at center. The Cowboys placed a second-round grade on McGovern last year, and even though he missed all of last season, the Penn State product should have a good shot at succeeding Frederick.
- The Cowboys gave Kai Forbath a one-year, $1.18MM deal, according to the Houston Chronicle’s Aaron Wilson (on Twitter). The veteran kicker, who succeeded Brett Maher last year, will receive a $137K signing bonus.
Cowboys, Dak Prescott Resume Contract Talks
The Cowboys and Dak Prescott have resumed contract talks for the first time since Dallas hit their signal-caller with the franchise tag, Ed Werder of ESPN.com reports (via Twitter).
There has never been any doubt that Prescott would be under center for the Cowboys for the foreseeable future, but negotiations between player and team have moved at a snail’s pace. There was talk just before the 2019 regular season that a deal was imminent, but Prescott’s hot start to the season reportedly made him more inclined to play out the year in the hopes of landing a fatter contract. Around the time of this year’s scouting combine, Dallas put forth an offer with an average annual value of roughly $33.5MM, but that proposal didn’t gain much traction.
One of the holdups has been the Cowboys’ desire to have Prescott sign a longer-term pact, while the QB is shooting for a shorter deal that will allow him to hit free agency sooner. Per Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports, Dallas is still pushing for a five-year contract (Twitter link), but Yahoo’s Liz Loza hears that a four-year deal worth $35MM per year is in the offing (Twitter link).
That would be a huge win for Prescott, as it would give him the term and the dollars that he has been seeking. The two-time Pro Bowler has his detractors, but he has clearly established himself as a quality QB who may not have hit his ceiling just yet.
The Cowboys have brought back Prescott’s top target, wide receiver Amari Cooper, and though the team lost center Travis Frederick to retirement, the O-line should still be a strength.
Cowboys To Sign Dontari Poe
Dontari Poe is coming to Dallas. On Wednesday, the Cowboys agreed to sign the defensive tackle, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. 
[RELATED: Cowboys’ Travis Frederick Announces Retirement]
Exact terms of the deal are not yet known and the two sides are still hashing out the fine print, but a (virtual) handshake agreement is in place. Poe figures to play a key role for the Cowboys, who are looking to remake their defensive line this offseason.
Poe, a 346-pound force, spent the last two seasons with the Panthers. This year, the club declined his option for the 2020 season, placing him on the free agent pile.
The Cowboys cast a wide net for defensive line help after losing Robert Quinn and Maliek Collins in free agency. Earlier this month, they landed fellow ex-Panthers notable Gerald McCoy, but they also did their homework on Ndamukong Suh, Damon Harrison, Mike Pennel, and others.
Poe made the Pro Bowl in 2013 and 2014 while he was with the Chiefs. Last year, he managed four sacks from the interior, despite being limited to just eleven regular season games. Historically, he’s been durable – before 2019, he never missed more than one contest in any campaign.