Where will Smith land with return to Cowboys “unlikely”
The offseason news surrounding the Dallas Cowboys took a surprising twist recently. ESPN’s Ian Rapaport reported that Cowboys’ All-pro tackle Tyron Smith will test free agency and is “unlikely” to return in 2024. The news is sobering, considering that Tyron Smith has been a stalwart of the Cowboys’ offensive line and is one of the most decorated linemen in the team’s history, likely bound for Canton as a Hall of Famer.
There was some optimism Smith would return to the team as reports surfaced that Smith and the team were looking towards a deal that would keep him in Dallas. The news doesn’t mean Smith is gone, and there’s a chance Smith could somehow re-sign with the team, but it raises concerns. Suppose Smith does sign elsewhere; what teams could use his services, and where could he land? Here are three teams that could sign Tyron Smith if he doesn’t return to Dallas for his 14th season.
San Francisco 49ers
Tyron Smith signing with the San Francisco 49ers would make Cowboys fans sick, and as they say, If you can’t beat them, join them. The Cowboys have lost to the 49ers in two of the past three years in the postseason, and the 49ers landing Smith would be another thing the 49ers would hold over the Cowboys in recent memory. It would be reminiscent of Larry Allen leaving the Cowboys to join their bitter rival, the 49ers. The idea of that happening would be devasting because the Cowboys have recently walked back the idea of going “all in” this season. At the same time, the 49ers’ signing Smith is a much better indicator of what that approach looks like.
The 49ers already have Trent Williams as their left tackle, but Smith has experience at right tackle and played admirably well in that spot in 2022. Signing Smith beefs up their offensive line by bookending Brock Purdy with even more talent on his modest salary ($985,000 in 2024). Smith and Trent Williams are two of the best linemen of their generation, and adding Smith to a fantastic offensive system is like fishing with dynamite. If this move were to happen, it would give Smith a chance to play in his home state of California and the opportunity to compete for a championship in the twilight years of his career. Per overthecap.com, the 49ers are $285,000 over the salary cap. That’s nothing for a team that understands how to manipulate the salary cap in their favor.
Tennessee Titans
Tennessee seems less attractive than San Francisco, but Smith joining the Titans is more predicated on need and the money Tennessee can offer. The Titans are starting over after firing Mike Vrabel and have nowhere to go but up. For years, the Titans have been in the market of selling their assets, parting with several of their veterans over the last few years, such as A.J. Brown, Taylor Lewan, and Kevin Byard. However, they still need to rebuild and retool the entire roster. Priority number one is giving the most help possible to their new quarterback, Will Levis. Levis is talented but still very raw and needs to be given a nucleus to aid in his development and assist him with building good habits. Adding Smith solidifies that side of the offensive line and gives Levis a second extra to get through his progressions. Tennessee named Brian Callahan as their new head coach, and his father, Bill Callahan, also joining the Tennessee staff, is a wizard at developing offensive linemen and has a history with Tyron Smith, having coached him from 2012 to 2014 in Dallas.
If Smith wants the money he deserved when he played for a bargain most of his career, Tennessee makes perfect sense to give Smith one big payday before he calls it a career. The Titans can practically offer Smith a blank check as they have $75M available in cap space and should be big spenders if they hope to kickstart their rookie head coach’s career correctly. While Tennessee does need to draft an offensive lineman and could with the seventh overall pick they hold in this April’s draft, they also need to target wide receivers and cornerbacks after Caleb Farley and Treylon Burks have battled injuries to start their respective careers, thus pushing Smith up their priority list. Don’t be surprised if Tennessee approaches Smith with a short-term contract with an average salary of $20M annually or more.
Cincinnati Bengals
This last one makes sense because it gives Smith the flexibility to have his money and a chance to compete. The Bengals have consistently been a preseason favorite to contend for a conference title their last few seasons. They have been among the few teams who have given the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs troubles. That said, the Bengals have recently struggled with their offensive line and have tried multiple times to create an adequate line for quarterback Joe Burrow. Unfortunately, Burrow has sustained season-ending injuries twice in his career, and keeping him upright is of primary importance for the franchise’s future success.
Currently, Cincinnati has Orlando Brown Jr. at left tackle and under contract, but he hasn’t fared as well as the team would have hoped, much like when they signed La’El Collins to protect Burrow. This signing takes some angling, but Smith is worth the investment, and it is doable. The Bengals could roll the dice and release Brown as a June 1st cap cut to spread his dead cap hit of $15M over the next two seasons and bring in Tyron Smith. Smith also has a connection in the building with Frank Pollack, who worked with Smith and served as the Cowboys’ offensive line coach from 2015 to 2017.
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