Dallas Cowboys taking a chance on suspended DE Aldon Smith, agreeing to one-year deal
The team has agreed to terms with Smith for the 2020 season, a source confirmed a report from Jay Glazer of Fox Sports.
Smith reacted to the move on his Instagram account with the words: “I’m thankful. I’m blessed. I’m a Cowboy.”
Smith’s contract is worth up to $4 million. It includes no guaranteed money but it does have $440,000 in bonus money.
He will receive $90,000 once he is reinstated by the NFL. Thirty days after reinstatement, he will get another $50,000. He will receive $100,000 when he shows up to training camp, another $100,000 after two preseason games and $100,000 at the end of the preseason.
His base salary will be $910,000 base salary and he will get $40,625 every time he is on the active gameday roster, totaling $650,000. The incentives include $500,000 eight sacks, $1 million for 10 sacks, $1.5 million for 12 sacks and $2 million for 14 sacks.
The Cowboys are also hoping the possible return of suspended defensive end Randy Gregory will help at the position.
Gregory has not played since 2018 but is applying for reinstatement after being indefinitely suspended for repeated violations of the substance abuse policy.
Smith, who has served multiple suspensions under the substance abuse policy and the Personal Conduct Policy, has not played since 2015.
His latest suspension arose from an alleged hit-and-run, DUI and vandalism incident.
Per an NFL Network report, he is also applying for reinstatement. The contract will not go into effect until he is reinstated by the league.
Smith, 30, the seventh overall choice of the San Francisco 49ers in the 2011 draft, was as good as anyone rushing the passer early in his career with 42 sacks in his first 43 games.
But his off-field issues started mounting in 2013 when he missed five games to undergo treatment at an inpatient facility following a DUI arrest.
Smith was then suspended the first nine games in 2014 while serving an NFL suspension for violations of the league’s substance abuse and personal conduct policies. San Francisco then released him in August 2015 after another drunken driving charge -- his fifth arrest in three years.
He signed with the Oakland Raiders just before the start of the 2015 season and had 3½ sacks in nine games before being suspended again for at least one year.
Smith applied for reinstatement to the NFL in 2016, but that decision was initially deferred until the off season and he never was granted reinstatement.
The Raiders released Smith in 2018 after he was charged with domestic violence. He was later arrested that same year for violating a restraining order and was also transferred to inpatient substance abuse rehab treatment center.
He has reportedly been clean and sober since.
The Cowboys need an edge rusher opposite DeMarcus Lawrence following the departure of Robert Quinn and his 11.5 sacks from 2019 to the Chicago Bears in free agency.
The possibility of Smith, Gregory and a healthy Tyrone Crawford, who is returning from off-season hip surgery, would go a long way toward filling the void.
This story was originally published April 1, 2020 at 9:11 PM.
