Hope for Jaylon Smith’s departure speaks more about his reputation with fans than the Cowboys’ intention

A significant portion of fans came in this week convinced that the Cowboys would split from Jaylon Smith instead of guaranteeing his base salary of $ 7.2 million for the next season.

This speaks more about its position among the Cowboy Nation than the club’s intention.

There is no internal indication that Dallas has seriously considered leaving Smith. There was no drama, no last-minute extension needed in the hours leading up to Sunday’s deadline to guarantee Smith’s return.

However, there were those outside the organization who clung to that deadline, waiting to see their destination. They believed – or hoped – that the club would rather reach the ceiling than stick with a linebacker who started 48 consecutive games.

Others considered the addition of safety Keanu Neal to the free agency and reports that he could be used as a weak linebacker, as proof that Smith was leaving. But ask yourself:

Why would Dallas guarantee Smith’s base salary if he hired Neal to take his place? Would the club pay him so much to move him to a strong linebacker, where he would have 20 to 25 clicks per game?

Neal gives Cowboys a versatile player who can play safely and then slide down to be used on a nickel linebacker point. This is not an accusation by Smith.

This is called today’s NFL.

All of this illustrates how Smith’s reputation has been damaged since he overcame a devastating injury to return to the field. His exuberance, a quality that fans once embraced, now appears as a sense of inflated value.

Swipe is the celebration of Smith’s signature. His indiscriminate use of play, often coming after a good individual play made when his team is desperately behind, has driven many fans away.

Whether Dak Prescott is worth the contract he signed recently has been the most polarizing debate among Cowboys fans for the past two seasons.

Smith’s value to the team is next.

This will be one of the biggest recovery projects facing new defensive coordinator Dan Quinn. Can he put Smith in a position to retrieve the promise he made after moving on to the starting lineup? Can he take Smith and Leighton Vander Esch back to performance level in 2018?

Smith is not coming out of a good season. But he is not terrible. It is not as bad as critics claim.

Now, if he doesn’t get back into shape over the course of this season …

Well, the Cowboys will take a different approach next March.

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