Dallas Cowboys Free Agent Focus: CB Sean Smith
By Reid Hanson
The Dallas Cowboys enter the offseason with questions aplenty at cornerback. Could Sean Smith be the free agent solution?
The Dallas Cowboys have decisions to make regarding their cornerbacks this offseason. With Morris Claiborne set to become a free agent, Brandon Carr grossly overpaid, and the depth behind Orlando Scandrick largely unproven, the Cowboys could look to free agency to shore up their secondary.
Kansas City Chiefs cornerback, Sean Smith, just completed the final year in his 3-year / $16.5M deal he signed in 2013. The soon-to-be 29-year-old looks to cash in during free agency this offseason and the Cowboys may be just the right match.
At 6’3” 218lbs, Sean Smith is an abnormally long and physical cornerback in today’s NFL. The former second round pick of the Miami Dolphins has a unique and well-rounded skill set that could make him particularly attractive to a team like the Dallas Cowboys who value strong run-support and physical play at the line.
Smith’s long frame expectedly gives him some trouble with smaller receivers and receivers with quick cuts. Many times, Smith plays top-heavy, which is understandable since his center-of-balance is higher than most, but he’s not nearly as awkward as you’d expect from a 6’3″ CB.
Perhaps Sean Smith’s biggest asset is his balance of coverage and run-stopping. According to Pro Football Focus, Smith ranked as the 18th best CB in coverage in 2015. Together with a strong run-stopping ranking (25th ), Smith graded out as the 11th best overall CB last season.
As a physical CB from Kansas City, it’s easy to draw comparisons to current Cowboys LCB, Brandon Carr. While the comparison and subsequent apprehension is understandable, it’s important to keep in mind that Brandon Carr NEVER rated as highly as Sean Smith did last year. Carr had one year where he was rated #30, but never approached that since joining the Cowboys.
More from Dallas Cowboys
- West coast, Texas coast, burnt toast: Cowboys don’t need more runs
- Brandin Cooks will change the way defenses play the Dallas Cowboys
- Why the Dallas Cowboys defensive X-Factor is EDGE Sam Williams
- Dallas Cowboys: 3 head coach options if McCarthy fails in 2023
- Dallas Cowboys: Is CB Jourdan Lewis a tradeable asset?
Smith is clearly at his best matched up against bigger receivers. Most large receivers aren’t used to facing CBs of this size and they struggle with the adjustment. Because this is Sean Smith’s strength, the Chiefs like to keep him on the outside as much as possible. But on occasion, offensive formations will force Smith to move into the slot, and while this isn’t optimal, Smith is able to adequately fill the role.
On the Dallas Cowboys defense, it isn’t likely Sean Smith would ever be asked to cover anywhere but on the outside. The Cowboys, much like the Seattle Seahawks, have been known to keep their outside corners on the outside. With Orlando Scandrick returning as the top slot cover-corner, and second year man, Byron Jones, finding inside success of his own, it’s unlikely a player like Smith would ever have to move inside.
On the Chiefs, rookie Pro Bowler, Marcus Peters played the left side, eventually, the lesser-feared Smith saw the majority of action on the defenses starboard side, as teams began avoiding Peters. This has given Smith more tested-experience than most of the of his free agent counterparts and gives the Cowboys plenty of film which to judge.
What is surprising is that for as physical as Sean Smith plays, he is one of the least penalized CBs in the NFL. While Morris Claiborne has a whopping seven penalties in limited action last season, and Brandon Carr has six of his own, Sean Smith only has two penalties for 23 yards (according to NFLpenalties.com).
Sean Smith has to be an attractive candidate for the Dallas Cowboys, but he’s not without flaws. His age, 29 when next season begins, indicate his best years are soon-to-be behind him. 29 is also the same age as current Cowboy, Brandon Carr, so replacing a 29-year-old CB on the final year of his deal, with a new 29-year-old on a brand spanking new deal, seems counterproductive.
It may sound like a broken record but in today’s NFL, it all comes down to cost. Smith is slated to pull in a hefty sum. He won’t command the kind of cash Josh Norman will command but he will be costly. He’s never collected more than 2 interceptions in a season (which is more than Morris Claiborne and Brandon Carr combined for over the last two seasons) which doesn’t exactly make him the turnover machine the Dallas Cowboys so desperately crave.
The important thing is that Sean Smith is strong at the line, can match up against bigger receivers, and can be an asset in run-support. If both sides can settle on a 3-year deal in the $8M per season range, he may be a viable solution for the Dallas Cowboys at CB should the Cowboys decide to cut Brandon Carr and re-invest.
Next: Marshawn Lynch Could be a Cowboy in 2016
Other soon-to-be free agent cornerbacks
Josh Norman, 28: Will command ridiculous money and unlikely to leave Carolina
Prince Amukamara, 26: Strong in coverage – terrible in run support
Leon Hall, 31: Well-rounded but over-the-hill and pricey
Janoris Jenkins, 27: Talented, young, and well-rounded. Will cost more than Smith but could be worth is. (profile in the works…)
Terence Newman, 37: Yes, he’s still playing, and no, he’s not that bad. In a move to tread water, he comes extremely cheap and on a 1-year deal.