Aldon Smith signed a one-year deal with the Dallas Cowboys this offseason after being out of the NFL since 2015. Despite the long lay off for the former All-Pro edge rusher, Smith is turning heads early in Dallas' training camp practices.
“I would say that if you walked away from practice you'd say ‘Hey, who the hell was No. 58?'” he said, via Michael Gehlken of The Dallas Morning News. “That's my thought when we walked out on the field for the first time. He looks good. I think his process back has been not a gradual one, but he's hitting all the targets. You can see his power and his length is extraordinary. I've very, very happy with where Aldon is right now.
Before inking an incentive-laden deal with the Cowboys, Aldon Smith needed to be reinstated by the NFL. In the early portion of his career, Smith battled with drug addiction and was suspended indefinitely by the league.
Nevertheless, the Missouri product worked tirelessly to overcome the hardships he experienced earlier in his career. At the same time, he focused on making a return to the NFL at 30 years old.
To begin his career, Smith set an NFL record for the most sacks in a player's first two seasons, compiling 33.5 sacks for the San Francisco 49ers from 2011-2012. While he isn't the same explosive pass rusher he once was, Mike McCarthy is fond of where Aldon Smith is currently at in his progress. After all, the Cowboys might need Smith to be a key contributor off of the edge in 2020.
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