Cowboys Player Contracts: Tyron Smith Ranked Among NFL Best?
FRISCO - In the opinion of some, the Dallas Cowboys front office has not been known to handle player contracts very well over the past few seasons. There have been numerous times either a player wasn't signed that most thought would be, or a player did sign but the terms of the contract were questioned by critics.
Most recently the Cowboys negotiators were criticized for the way the Dak Prescott deal was handled. Prescott could've been locked down at least a year prior to him signing a four-year, $160 million contract, but the Dallas brass sat on the situation and it's thought to have cost them millions of dollars.
More recently, Cowboys tight end Dalton Schultz is the topic of contract conversations. Schultz has played well during his time in Dallas and is deserving of a new deal. How much of a new deal? That's up for debate, but rather than locking him down early, the Cowboys have franchise-tagged him and the negotiations will seemingly continue to July 15, reach a stalemate, and then not start again until at least next season.
But there is one shining example of what can happen when things go right during player contract negotiations. That's the contract of offensive tackle Tyron Smith. And Pro Football Focus agrees as they've ranked Smith's deal the best for the Cowboys.
DALLAS COWBOYS: LT TYRON SMITH (EIGHT YEARS, $97.6 MILLION | TWO YEARS, $28.1 MILLION IN CASH REMAINING)
When we look back at the 2010s decade of the NFL, this contract will land on the list for best values across the entire league. It’s hard to overstate just how much surplus value Smith has provided the Cowboys since signing his eight-year extension in 2014.
Smith has generated 1.92 PFF Wins Above Replacement since 2014 (fourth among tackles) while never receiving more than $11.08 million in cash in any season.
Smith has suffered the effects of aging and playing 100-plus games in the NFL. But at 31, he's still one of the elite players at his position.
As a matter of fact, Smith's contract is one of the few things going right for the Cowboys' offensive line, as they enter 2022 with very little experience and depth.
Injuries are a growing concern for Smith as he's started just 13 games over the last two seasons. All the more reason for Dallas to seek more help and depth along a line whose job it will be to protect its $160 million quarterback.
But for $11 million APY? The Cowboys loved the deal when they did it. Tyron was happy as well. And he's going to the Hall of Fame - all in all, a very positive deal for all.
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