Dallas Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer says goodbye to former first-round DT
The Dallas Cowboys were one of the more active teams ahead of the NFL trade deadline on Tuesday, as they acquired three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Quinnen Williams and linebacker Logan Wilson in the hours leading to the 3 p.m. CST cutoff.
It was an exciting day for the fan base, as it signals the potential of a better defense coming out of the bye week. However, lost in the frenzy was the departure of former first-round pick Mazi Smith, who was dealt to the New York Jets in the Williams trade.
After being selected with the No. 26 overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft, the defensive tackle never lived up to his first-round billing and was eventually replaced by Kenny Clark before the season. In nine games this season, Smith was on the inactive list for four of them, as he finished his Cowboys tenure with just three tackles on the season and a boatload of unfulfilled expectations.
Before Smith departed the team facility on Tuesday, head coach Brian Schottenheimer called him into his office for some parting words.
“I had a really good talk with Mazi,” Schottenheimer said. “He was obviously disappointed that it didn’t work out for him here, and I wish him nothing but the best.”
Schottenheimer had just been elevated to be the team’s new offensive coordinator a few weeks before Smith was drafted. Seeing his Dallas tenure from start to finish, Schottenheimer still sees a path toward Smith becoming a good player in the NFL.
“I told him that what I truly believe is sometimes change is good,” he said. “He gets a chance to go and start over in New York, and that’s not a bad thing. He won’t be the first person that leaves one team and goes and has great success. I want that for him. I hope he has a great career, but it was tough to say goodbye to Mazi.”
Smith played in 39 games with the Cowboys and totaled 57 tackles, seven tackles for loss and two sacks. With his departure, just two draft picks from Dallas’ 2023 class remain in second-round tight end Luke Schoonmaker and third-round linebacker DeMarvion Overshown.
He departs Dallas having played the second-least games (39) of any first-round draft pick made by the franchise since Jerry Jones took over ownership in 1989. Fellow Michigan product and 2017 first-round pick Taco Charlton played in 27 games before being released.
