Yahoo Sports Report: Seahawks sign former Cowboys DE Aldon Smith to 1-year contract
The Seattle Seahawks have signed veteran defensive end Aldon Smith to a one-year contract, according to NFL Network's Mike Garofalo. Smith reportedly visited with the Seahawks on Wednesday.
Another one: The #Seahawks and Aldon Smith have agreed to terms on a one-year deal, sources tell me and @RapSheet.
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) April 15, 2021
Smith, 31, was one of the big surprises of the 2020 season. Originally drafted in 2011, he spent 2016-2019 out of the NFL due to legal troubles, serving a suspension for both substance abuse and his involvement in a hit-and-run, and also facing domestic violence charges. After four years, he applied for reinstatement in early 2020 and was granted conditional reinstatement in May after signing a one-year deal with the Dallas Cowboys.
Hot start in Dallas
Smith got off to a hot start with the Cowboys during the 2020 season. In his first three games, he had four sacks and 20 combined tackles. After that, his production began to slow down. He had just one sack from Weeks 4 through 8, and he didn't have a single sack from Week 9 onward. Smith ended up playing in all 16 games for the Cowboys last season (808 total defensive snaps, the most of all Cowboys defensive linemen), and after four years out of the game, it's possible all that action contributed to the slowdown in his production.
Despite that, his overall stats for the season were still good. He had 48 total tackles and logged 14 quarterback hits, the most on the Cowboys. And in Week 14, he recovered a fumble against the Cincinnati Bengals and returned it for a 78-yard touchdown, the first of his career. The Cowboys reportedly told Smith in March that they were not bringing him back for the 2021 season.
Signing Smith adds depth to the Seahawks' defensive line, which had some big issues in the first half of the 2020 season. In fact, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported that the Seahawks tried to trade for Smith last year. They were unsuccessful then, but now they've finally got their man.
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