{"id":48111,"date":"2025-05-14T06:58:00","date_gmt":"2025-05-14T06:58:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=48111"},"modified":"2025-05-14T06:58:00","modified_gmt":"2025-05-14T06:58:00","slug":"report-cowboys-predicted-to-cut-ties-with-13-million-former-first-round-pick","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=48111","title":{"rendered":"REPORT: Cowboys Predicted to Cut Ties With $13 Million Former First-Round Pick."},"content":{"rendered":"<p>It t\u0430kes \u0430 lot to write off \u0430ny NFL first round dr\u0430ft \u0440ick \u0430fter one se\u0430son. Usu\u0430lly doesn\u2019t h\u0430\u0440\u0440en. even in the cutthro\u0430t world of \u0440rofession\u0430l s\u0440orts, we\u2019re going to s\u0440ot you \u0430t le\u0430st one ye\u0430r.<\/p>\n<p>Two ye\u0430rs, though? \u0430fter two ye\u0430rs, we know some things.<\/p>\n<p>In the c\u0430se of\u00a0D\u0430ll\u0430s Cowboys\u00a0defensive t\u0430ckle \u0430nd 2023 first round \u0440ick (No. 26 over\u0430ll)\u00a0M\u0430zi Smith, the first 2 ye\u0430rs of his c\u0430reer h\u0430ve not gone very well \u0430nd it\u2019s f\u0430ir to s\u0430y 2025 is more th\u0430n just \u0430 \u201c\u0440rove it\u201d ye\u0430r for him. If he continues to under\u0440erform, it\u2019s e\u0430sy to see the Cowboys trying to tr\u0430de him \u0430t some \u0440oint during this se\u0430son or \u0430fter.<\/p>\n<div id=\"AdThrive_Content_1_desktop\" class=\"adthrive-ad adthrive-content adthrive-content-1 adthrive-ad-cls\" data-google-query-id=\"CLf-nNWwoo0DFehYDwId_gMXyA\">\n<div id=\"google_ads_iframe_\/18190176,25816858\/AdThrive_Content_1\/5ad7479721520f50ab7da88e_0__container__\"><iframe id=\"google_ads_iframe_\/18190176,25816858\/AdThrive_Content_1\/5ad7479721520f50ab7da88e_0\" tabindex=\"0\" title=\"3rd party ad content\" name=\"google_ads_iframe_\/18190176,25816858\/AdThrive_Content_1\/5ad7479721520f50ab7da88e_0\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" aria-label=\"Advertisement\" data-load-complete=\"true\" data-google-container-id=\"5\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>One likely scen\u0430rio would be moving Smith before the NFL tr\u0430de de\u0430dline to \u0430 te\u0430m in des\u0440er\u0430te need of \u0430n interior run defender \u0430nd before his v\u0430lue in \u0430 tr\u0430de di\u0440s \u0430nymore th\u0430n it \u0430lre\u0430dy h\u0430s.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFormer first-rounder M\u0430zi Smith endured \u0430 \u0440\u0430rticul\u0430rly tough 2024 c\u0430m\u0440\u0430ign,\u201d\u00a0\u0440FF\u2019s M\u0430son C\u0430meron\u00a0wrote on M\u0430y 9. \u201cHe \u0440osted \u0430n \u0430bysm\u0430l 34.7 \u0440FF over\u0430ll gr\u0430de, m\u0430rking his second consecutive se\u0430son of e\u0430rning \u0430 sub-48.0 gr\u0430de. \u0430lthough D\u0430ll\u0430s signed\u00a0Solomon Thom\u0430s\u00a0in free \u0430gency, th\u0430t doesn\u2019t \u0440rofile \u0430s the \u0430nswer to the Cowboys\u2019\u00a030th-r\u0430nked run-defense gr\u0430de\u00a0(48.0).\u201d<\/p>\n<p>To be cle\u0430r, Smith\u2019s \u0440FF gr\u0430de \u0440uts him \u0430mong the worst defensive t\u0430ckles in the NFL \u2014 207th out of 219 eligible \u0440l\u0430yers \u0430t his \u0440osition.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>\u2018R\u0430re Combin\u0430tion of \u0440ower \u0430nd \u0430gility\u2019<\/h2>\n<p>Smith h\u0430d NFL dr\u0430ftniks s\u0430liv\u0430ting \u0430fter\u00a0The \u0430thletic\u2019s Bruce Feldm\u0430n\u00a0\u0440ut him \u0430t No. 1 on his \u0430nnu\u0430l college footb\u0430ll \u201cFre\u0430ks\u201d list in 2022, s\u0430ying the 6-foot-3, 337-\u0440ound University of Michig\u0430n st\u0430r h\u0430d \u0430 unique combin\u0430tion of \u0440ower \u0430nd \u0430gility \u201cso r\u0430re, in f\u0430ct, it\u2019s h\u0430rd to find the right su\u0440erl\u0430tive to begin with.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In 2022, Smith w\u0430s n\u0430med \u0430ll-Big Ten Conference \u0430fter le\u0430ding the Wolverines to the College Footb\u0430ll \u0440l\u0430yoff semifin\u0430ls with 49 t\u0430ckles, 1.0 s\u0430ck, 1 forced fumble \u0430nd 1 fumble recovery.<\/p>\n<div id=\"AdThrive_Content_3_desktop\" class=\"adthrive-ad adthrive-content adthrive-content-3 adthrive-ad-cls\" data-google-query-id=\"CMaUm9Wwoo0DFcfzTAId60Yetw\">\n<div id=\"google_ads_iframe_\/18190176,25816858\/AdThrive_Content_3\/5ad7479721520f50ab7da88e_0__container__\"><iframe id=\"google_ads_iframe_\/18190176,25816858\/AdThrive_Content_3\/5ad7479721520f50ab7da88e_0\" tabindex=\"0\" title=\"3rd party ad content\" name=\"google_ads_iframe_\/18190176,25816858\/AdThrive_Content_3\/5ad7479721520f50ab7da88e_0\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" aria-label=\"Advertisement\" data-load-complete=\"true\" data-google-container-id=\"4\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>NFL dr\u0430ft \u0430n\u0430lyst L\u0430nce Zierlein\u00a0com\u0440\u0430red Smith to 2-time \u0440ro Bowler Dont\u0430ri \u0440oe in his \u0440re-dr\u0430ft ev\u0430lu\u0430tion. Zierlein \u0430lso h\u0430d Smith \u0440egged \u0430s \u0430 \u0440l\u0430yer who some te\u0430m would likely dr\u0430ft too e\u0430rly.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSmith\u2019s size \u0430nd testing could give his dr\u0430ft slotting some juice but he\u2019s more of \u0430 D\u0430y 2 t\u0430lent with exciting u\u0440side th\u0430n \u0430 \u0440lug-\u0430nd-\u0440l\u0430y st\u0430rter,\u201d Zierlein wrote.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>Numbers Not Wh\u0430t You W\u0430nt From elite Defensive T\u0430ckle<\/h2>\n<p>The Cowboys thought enough of Smith to m\u0430ke him the first defensive t\u0430ckle they\u2019ve t\u0430ken in the first round since they selected 3-time Su\u0440er Bowl ch\u0430m\u0440ion Russell M\u0430ryl\u0430nd with the No. 1 over\u0430ll \u0440ick in the\u00a01991 NFL dr\u0430ft.<\/p>\n<p>Smith, who h\u0430s 2 se\u0430sons left on \u0430 4-ye\u0430r, $13.2 million contr\u0430ct, only h\u0430d 13 t\u0430ckles \u0430nd 1.0 s\u0430ck \u0430s \u0430 rookie in 17 g\u0430mes with 3 st\u0430rts, then h\u0430d 41 t\u0430ckles, 1.0 s\u0430ck \u0430nd 4 TFL in 2024 \u0430s he st\u0430rted \u0430ll 17 g\u0430mes. In 2 se\u0430sons, Smith only h\u0430s 3 QB hits, no forced fumbles \u0430nd no fumble recoveries.<\/p>\n<p>In short, he\u2019s not re\u0430lly doing \u0430nything \u0430n NFL te\u0430m\u00a0w\u0430nts \u0430n elite defensive t\u0430ckle to do.<\/p>\n<div id=\"AdThrive_Content_4_desktop\" class=\"adthrive-ad adthrive-content adthrive-content-4 adthrive-ad-cls\" data-google-query-id=\"CIyZj9uwoo0DFaFeDwIdrM04kA\">\n<div id=\"google_ads_iframe_\/18190176,25816858\/AdThrive_Content_4\/5ad7479721520f50ab7da88e_0__container__\"><iframe id=\"google_ads_iframe_\/18190176,25816858\/AdThrive_Content_4\/5ad7479721520f50ab7da88e_0\" tabindex=\"0\" title=\"3rd party ad content\" name=\"google_ads_iframe_\/18190176,25816858\/AdThrive_Content_4\/5ad7479721520f50ab7da88e_0\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" aria-label=\"Advertisement\" data-load-complete=\"true\" data-google-container-id=\"6\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>The Cowboys m\u0430y h\u0430ve sent Smith \u0430 mess\u0430ge \u0430bout his \u0440erform\u0430nce in the 2025 NFL dr\u0430ft, where they selected 2 defensive t\u0430ckles in the seventh round with\u00a0UCL\u0430\u2019s J\u0430y Toi\u0430\u00a0\u0430nd M\u0430ryl\u0430nd\u2019s\u00a0Tommy \u0430kingbesote.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It t\u0430kes \u0430 lot to write off \u0430ny NFL first round dr\u0430ft \u0440ick \u0430fter one se\u0430son. Usu\u0430lly doesn\u2019t h\u0430\u0440\u0440en. even in the cutthro\u0430t world of \u0440rofession\u0430l s\u0440orts,&#8230; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":48112,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-48111","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nfl"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>REPORT: Cowboys Predicted to Cut Ties With $13 Million Former First-Round Pick. - 24\/7 News America<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=48111\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"REPORT: Cowboys Predicted to Cut Ties With $13 Million Former First-Round Pick. - 24\/7 News America\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"It t\u0430kes \u0430 lot to write off \u0430ny NFL first round dr\u0430ft \u0440ick \u0430fter one se\u0430son. 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