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The New England Patriots are undergoing a lot of changes, and it's not just their offense. On Wednesday, the Patriots released their best defensive player of the past four seasons, Stephon Gilmore.
The Patriots are deep at cornerback thanks to Jonathan Jones and JC Jackson. But the same can't be said at linebacker.
The Dallas Cowboys released one of their linebackers on Tuesday, former second-round pick Jaylon Smith. Smith's release is surprising due to how much dead money the Cowboys will eat as a result.
Smith has struggled in 2021 and underperformed in 2020. But the Patriots are a team that's taken chances on these types of players in the past. Smith would've been a first-round pick had it not been due to injury, so the pedigree of a good player is still there.
The Patriots could sign Jaylon Smith.
Smith could end up with the Patriots, and it could happen as soon as 4:00 PM EST. Smith had a tale of two careers with the Cowboys. Smith missed his rookie season in 2016 due to severe nerve damage. But in 2017, he burst onto the scene and showed a lot of promise.
2018 saw Smith post a career-high four sacks in addition to forcing two fumbles. In 2019, Smith made the Pro-Bowl but started to show weaknesses in coverage.
But Smith's play fell off a cliff last year. The Cowboys hoped that Dan Quinn would be able to revive his career. Instead, he's missed tackles and taken more bad angles.
If the Patriots sign Smith, it's hard to tell what kind of player they'll be getting. Smith often gets lost in coverage and has been bad in run defense this season.
Still, Smith is an athletic player who is fast and capable of delivering big hits. For all his missed tackle attempts, he still combined for 154 tackles in 2020.
Would Jaylon Smith be a good fit for the Patriots?
If there's any head coach that can revive Smith's career, it's Bill Belichick. Belichick is arguably the greatest coach of all time. He can figure out what Smith can bring to the table.
The Patriots currently have Dont'a Hightower, Kyle Van Noy, and Matthew Judon as their starting linebackers.
The Patriots are also looking to bring back former linebacker Jamie Collins. Collins has been with the Patriots twice before and is familiar with their system. The Patriots rank 19th in rushing yards allowed. Collins is a much better run defender than Smith.
With the Patriots going after Collins, it makes it a bit less likely Smith will join the Patriots. The Patriots are in salary cap turmoil, which is the main reason they let Gilmore go.
There's just not enough money to go around, which is why signing both players isn't likely. Smith may not sign with the Patriots, but even if he doesn't, he'll land on his feet sooner rather than later.
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