After 13 successful seasons with the Dallas Cowboys, Tyron Smith is going to play for a new team in 2024.
Per NFL insider Jordan Schultz, the eight-time Pro Bowler will sign with the New York Jets. Adam Schefter of ESPN reported the two sides agreed to a one-year deal tat could be worth up to $20 million.
Tom Pelissero of NFL Network shared a look at what the Jets’ offensive line could look like in 2024:
Smith has been an integral part of Dallas’ success on offense since he was drafted with the ninth overall pick in 2011.
The 33-year-old began his career as a right tackle when Doug Free was starting on the left side. He moved to left tackle in 2012 and was a stalwart at the position for the Cowboys until late in the 2022 campaign when Tyler Smith played so well that it moved him back to the right side.
Tyler Smith shifted to left guard, with Tyron moving back to left tackle last season. Tyler’s past success and experience at tackle likely means he will shift over one spot with Tyron leaving Dallas.
Smith started all 161 games he played for the Cowboys. He was named to the All-Pro team five times, including in four consecutive seasons from 2013 to ’16. He was a second-team selection during the 2023 campaign.
Despite being well into his 30s at this point, Smith remains one of the most dominant offensive linemen in the NFL. He finished tied for third among all tackles in ESPN’s run-block win rate metric with a 79 percent success rate on 267 run blocks.
Smith was charged with only three penalties and one sack allowed in 13 starts last season.
While Smith has been an integral part of the Cowboys offensive line since he arrived, their decision to move on from him does come amid a long list of injuries that have kept him off the field for multiple games over the past several seasons.
In fact, since 2016, Smith has missed at least three games in every season. The most significant of the injuries was a neck issue that required surgery and limited him to two starts in 2020.
As long as the Jetsare prepared for the strong possibility that Smith will miss at least a few games, this deal should work well for them. He’s still a terrific offensive tackle who can perform at a high level on either side of the offensive line.
The injuries do mean the Jets should target high-quality depth players who can step in and start, but adding Smith is a great high-reward move as they look to improve the offense in 2024.
New York has a lot at stake this offseason with Aaron Rodgers returning from a ruptured Achilles and going into his age-40 season, so it’s not a surprise to see the front office prioritizing the offensive line.
Protection up front was a big problem for the Jets last season. The offensive line has been able to get by without as much criticism as it deserves because of how poor the quarterback play was.
Smith is a high-risk player because of his durability issues, but the upside is tremendous. He was still playing at a high level with the Cowboys last season. This is the type of move the Jets needed to make if they want to give whoever their quarterback ends up being a chance to succeed next season.
The Jets need to be all-in with Rodgers as their quarterback in 2024. Smith represents an all-in addition for the front office in their quest to make the playoffs for the first time since the 2010 season.
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