It's the end of the 2026 preseason, and it's time for the Dallas Cowboys to get their roster to 53 men. The Cowboys got Broderick Jones from the Pittsburgh Steelers, and they may have overpaid for him, but we won't know until the season starts. There was also some news outside the organization that will make Cowboys fans realize the Quinnen Williams trade looks so much smarter.
Outside the organization, the New York Jets have decided to release Mazi Smith, a former Cowboys DT and a 2023 first-round pick. Smith was involved in the Williams trade last season, and even though that move didn't save the Cowboys' 2025 campaign, it still shows the Cowboys aren't missing much. In fact, if we're being honest, they're not missing anything at all.
Ex-Cowboys DT Mazi Smith was released by the New York Jets following the 2026 preseason
This doesn't come as much of a surprise, but let's go back to the post-trade and look at what happened.
Smith was traded to the Jets, a team with not too much to look forward to at all. In fact, Williams was really the only hope on a failing team that wasn't going anywhere. Smith's short stint with the Jets was a dud, and he only appeared in three games (54 snaps) as a backup and made three tackles.
A backup on one of the worst teams in the world compared to arguably the best DT in the league? Yeah, the Cowboys won here. Even though his draft pick was a mistake that Jerry Jones wants back, it ended up working out.
Williams has been named the best DT in the NFL, and that's already a win in itself, but the Cowboys now have their man for the future, as he recently signed a three-year, $105.9 million extension. The Cowboys now have one of the best one-two punches in the league up front with Kenny Clark and Williams. Now, Smith has to find another home, but we have to admit, this is not good for him.
Already being a backup and fighting for a spot in preseason, and eventually getting cut, isn't a good look for a former first-round pick. We know it's tough to make it into the NFL, but as a first-round pick, you're supposed to be worth a ton.
The Jets are in rebuild mode anyway, but Cowboys fans can't ignore that this was their first-round pick. He didn't add up to anything, and his time in the league may be over, as he couldn't make it with one of the worst teams.
The Cowboys are thriving with one of the best in the game, and Smith is out of a job while the Jets are scrambling to figure out... anything.
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