FRISCO – The Dallas Cowboys’ goodbye to Tyron Smith a year ago was an emotional one. “America’s Team” was starting over … and Tyron’s new team, the Jets, thought they were going places led by four-time MVP Aaron Rodgers.
The feeling about Dallas was right. The Cowboys finished 7-10 while trying, among other things, to rebuild their offensive line in a post-Tyron era.
The feeling about New York wrong. Rodgers was more of a distraction than he was a contributor, and the Jets finished 5-12.
Rodgers has now been jettisoned out of New York and is soliciting bidders for one more crack at it at age 41. (Buyer beware.)
And Tyron? The Jets are saying goodbye to him, too … leading Dallas fans to say the same things about the idea of a reunion.
At age 34, can he sill play? Does he want to? What’s his price tag?
What about those retirement rumors?
Smith spent 13 seasons with Dallas, with eight Pro Bowl selections and five All-Pro nods. He signed a one-year deal with the Jets worth up to $20 million, but Smith started just 10 games at left tackle for New York as a neck injury sidelined him for the remainder of the season.
So yes, injury issues continues to plague him in the Big Apple just as they had in Big D.
On the one hand, Spotrac projects his next deal to be $7.7 million for one year; that’s affordable.
On the other hands, a source tells CowboysCountry.com that one NFL team entered free agency this year with 19 tackles ranked above Smith.
Tyron, is going to the Pro Football Hall of Fame someday. … but maybe he’s got gas left in the tank for one more year – somewhere – at age 34.
The Dallas O-line isn’t yet rebuilt. … and now Tyron’s colleague Zack Martin is also retiring on his way to Canton.
Is Tyron better than Dallas’ young first-round left tackle Tyler Guyton? Is Tyron better that struggling right tackle Terence Steele?
Or maybe Tyron is ready to come home to Dallas and call it a career.
The Cowboys don’t need to get these questions answered because of emotion or devotion. They do need to do so, however, as this O-line continues to need building blocks.
