Washington Commanders and eight-time Pro Bowler Tyron Smith are a good fit for obvious reasons
The Washington Commanders made a series of roster moves on Friday and it included the release of former starting left tackle, Charles Leno Jr. So, now, obviously, Washington is in need of a proven guy to protect the blindside of Sam Howell or presumably, the eventual No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Well, […]
The Washington Commanders made a series of roster moves on Friday and it included the release of former starting left tackle, Charles Leno Jr.
So, now, obviously, Washington is in need of a proven guy to protect the blindside of Sam Howell or presumably, the eventual No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Well, as it turns out, the Dallas Cowboys are not expected to re-sign the eight-time Pro Bowler and member of the NFL's All-Decade team of the 2010s, Tyron Smith.
Tyron Smith is unlikely to play a 14th season with the Dallas Cowboys after initial discussions left the sides at different ends of the salary spectrum, according to a source, who confirmed multiple reports.
The Cowboys met with Smith's agent on Friday during the NFL scouting combine to see what the chances that their 2011 first-round pick would return in 2024. A door to potentially returning, however, is not closed if the market for Smith does not materialize at the start of free agency. – Todd Archer, ESPN
Smith hasn't played a full season since 2015, but he's still a very capable starter and won't be insanely expensive in 2024. We project his contract at two-years, $25 million. He can excel in both a power and zone scheme, so he'd fit what Kliff Kingsbury wants to do. And, who knows, maybe the Commanders get lucky enough and get him for all 17 games.
The move would also set the Commanders up in a good spot to draft a right tackle and allow him to compete with incumbent starter, Andrew Wylie. The hope, there, would be the rookie wins the starting job and Wylie becomes the team's swing tackle. That would be an ideal situation, in the grand scheme of things.
Per Pro Football Focus, Smith finished 2023 with the second-highest pass blocking efficiency grade (98.1), the second-fewest allowed pressures (18), and the second-fewest sacks (1) among 50 qualifying tackles with at least 749 pass blocking snaps on the year. His four penalties tied for 11th-lowest, as well.
If you're into grades, his 83.4 overall blocking grade was fourth-best, his 88.6 pass blocking grade was first, and his 70.5 run blocking grade was 19th out of the aforementioned players.
The obvious connection in all this is new head coach Dan Quinn, who was with the Cowboys the past three seasons. The Commanders also have the most cap space in the NFL, so they can really pursue Smith, if they want.
The biggest question with Smith is health. He played in 13 games last year, which was the most he's played in since 2019. But, if he can buck the trend, the Commanders will get a helluva player for a solid price.
