Jaylon Smith finalizing deal with Packers following surprise release from Cowboys, per report

Jaylon Smith didn’t have to attend too lengthy to discover a new residence within the NFL. Following his surprise release from the Dallas Cowboys on Tuesday, the veteran linebacker is finalizing a deal to affix the Green Bay Packers, in accordance with Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. The deal is not going to be official till Thursday, per Rapoport, however Smith had indicated that Inexperienced Bay is the place he wished to play and the Packers now will get to beef up their linebacker corps. 

The Packers did must bolster this space on their depth chart after Za’Darius Smith underwent again surgical procedure and is slated to be out for an prolonged time frame. Smith was injured in Inexperienced Bay’s Week 1 opener towards the Saints and it was recently reported that he underwent a process this week to restore his harm. Provided that they’d be with out that piece for some time, concentrating on Jaylon Smith was a logical step for the Packers to deepen this spot on the roster as soon as he turned out there.

As Rapoport famous, cash was not a lot of a problem with Smith’s courtship because the Cowboys are set to pay the majority of his 2021 wage. Dallas owes Smith — who signed a five-year, $64 million deal in 2019 — the rest of his $7.2 million base wage. Whereas his launch was stunning, it does make monetary sense as Smith’s function alongside the protection was being decreased and the staff ran the danger of his contract for 2022 being assured as a result of a potential season-ending harm. Smith was set to make $9.2 million in base wage in 2022 with an $11.8 million cap hit. Now, he leaves $6.8 million in lifeless cash towards the Cowboys 2022 cap. 

In 4 video games performed (two begins) for the Cowboys this season, Smith has totaled 18 tackles together with two pressures. In his two begins the place he noticed not less than 76 p.c of the defensive snaps, he had 13 complete tackles, so he is nonetheless a viable choice in the course of a protection when given prolonged alternative, notably towards the run. Whereas he could possibly assist the Packers in that regard, Smith has been uncovered in protection a bit this season. Throughout his last 4 video games with Dallas, he allowed 9 of his 10 targets to be accomplished for 86 yards.