The Dallas Cowboys have begun talks with linebacker Jaylon Smith for a possible extension. It may seem way too early to address him now https://www.thecowboyslockerroom.com/authentic-leighton-vander-esch-jersey , but it could end up saving the Cowboys a lot of money in the long run."WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections Dallas Cowboys NewsDallas Cowboys GeneralHow the Cowboys can give Jaylon Smith Luke Kuechly-type money and still get a great bargainNew,61commentsThe early bird gets a promising linebacker talent for many years to come.CDTShareTweetShareShareHow the Cowboys can give Jaylon Smith Luke Kuechly-type money and still get a great bargainTim Heitman-USA TODAY SportsThe Dallas Cowboys have a talented group of youngsters that are going to be so fun to watch for years to come. But for that to happen, these players will need to be signed to a second contract as the rookie deal for many of these young stars are set to expire. Players like Dak Prescott, Amari Cooper, and Ezekiel Elliott are at the forefront of those discussions, but there are some other guys that are soon to follow.And now there are reports that the Cowboys have begun negotiations for Jaylon Smith.Patrik Walker of 247 Sports finds it a peculiar to start negotiating with Smith this soon, considering he’s under contract real cheap for the next two seasons. And he’s not alone.Smith is set to make $1.3 million in 2019 where he’ll then hit the free agent market. But because he missed the entire 2016 season from injury, he’ll only have three accrued seasons, making him a restricted free agent next offseason. The Cowboys could then slap a first-round tender on him, keeping him on the team in 2020 for the low cost of $4.4 million. So the obvious question many ask is - why not wait until later before giving up the dough?The answer - money.You’ve heard the expression, “you have to spend money to make money,” and the Cowboys proactive approach to Smith’s situation could end up saving them quite a bit of money in the long run.Let’s say, for example Dallas Cowboys Dorance Armstrong Jersey , the Cowboys believe Smith is as good as Luke Kuechly. You can debate whether that’s his value, but they both registered about the same amount of tackles last season over a full 16-game season. One side will tell you that Kuechly is a proven commodity, while the other side will tell that Smith is only 23 years old. They’re both right.Kuechly brings home an annual average salary of $12.3 million. He’s not the top paid linebacker as both Kwon Alexander ($13.5 M/year) and C.J. Mosley ($17 M/year) have signed more recent deals. If Smith were to hit the free agent market, an annual salary of $13 million seems pretty reasonable. But why would the Cowboys agree to that when they have him for real cheap for two more years?If you add up Smith’s $1.3 M (2019) + $4.4 M (2020) + 4 x $13 M (2021 thru 2025), that equals a grand total of $57.7 million over a total of six years. That equates to an annual salary of $9.6 million. That seems like a great deal for a young up-and-coming linebacker that still hasn’t reached his full potential. If Smith continues to trend up, his asking price when he hits free agency will look more like Mosley’s contract, especially considering how much the market will increase by 2021. An annual price of $9.6 million for a player like Smith could end up being a value mirroring the great train-robbery of Tyron Smith back in 2014. The Cowboys knew what they had in Tyron early and jumped at the opportunity to lock down one of the game’s future top left tackles in the game. What a steal that was.But for this to be a great deal, you have to believe that Smith is going to be a great player. You have to feel good about the type of person he is. Is he a hard worker? Does he stay out of trouble? Is this guy passionate about winning? The answer is yes, yes, and you betcha!While he’s at the top of the chart when it comes to high character, what about his ability? Is he moving well laterally? Is he durable? Can he get by without that AFO brace to help him with his drop foot? The answer is yes, yes, and you betcha!The vast improvement Smith made from 2017 to 2018 was really quite impressive. We can talk about Leighton Vander Esch playing Sean Lee out of starting job Womens Dorance Armstrong 2019 Jersey , but let’s be real - Smith had a part in that, too. The dynamic duo has basically established themselves as the team’s new linebacker threat and it’s quite the threat indeed. Vander Esch was an All-Pro in just his rookie season, and Smith made a strong push for the Pro Bowl. So, now if you are convinced that it’s a good deal for Dallas, a new question surfaces - why would Smith agree to that?The answer - money. (The answer is always money)If Smith agreed to a five-year, $60 million extension, about half of that is going to be guaranteed money. And that includes about $20 million in signing bonus that will be new money in Smith’s bank account right now. So, rather than waiting until 2021 before that load of cash shows up, Smith instantly becomes very rich. That’s a very big deal for a guy who just a few years ago many thought wouldn’t have a career in the National Football League. Great things happen in you have a clear eye view and the absolute resolve to do everything it takes to get there. And it certainly doesn’t hurt that he was one of the most talented college prospects before his injury.If it still seems premature for the Cowboys to address this right now, just remember - the team did something similar with La’el Collins a couple years ago. Rather than letting him finish out his rookie deal and slapping a tender on him for an additional year, the Cowboys gave him an extension. It may have seemed like they were frivolous with their money or were just doing him a solid after an unfortunate occurrence damaged his draft stock through no fault of his own. Well, you could say that type of thing happened to Smith as well, only the circumstances were different.LC’s contract shows up as an annual salary of $7.7 million Dallas Cowboys Mike White Jersey , but when you look closer, the Cowboys actually gave him $18 million over a three-year span, equating to just $6 million per year. That sure seems like a discount price for a reliable starting right tackle.The Cowboys know what they have in Smith. They took a risk on him and it paid off, and if he can be a big part of their future, it could go down as one of the best gambles Jerry Jones has ever made. Sure, they can wait, but that’s only going to cost them more money in the long run. If they have doubts about him as a player, then waiting absolutely is the right move. But they don’t. He’s good. Really good. And if you know you got something good, it’s good business to lock him down for the long haul. The Cowboys have been very quiet during the legal tampering stage of free agency but they are not."WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections Dallas Cowboys NewsDallas Cowboys 2019 Free AgencyCowboys front office not concerned with ‘FOMO’ like fan base, but a compromise on philosophy wouldn’t hurtNew,324commentsThe Cowboys have been very quiet during the legal tampering stage of free agency but they are not. CDTShareTweetShareShareCowboys front office not concerned with ‘FOMO’ like fan base, but a compromise on philosophy wouldn’t hurtMark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY SportsIf you’ve been an active purveyor of the NFL’s social media landscape, you are likely aware that the Cowboys’ fan base is a bit restless. That’s because Dallas is one of four NFL franchises to not have participated in the legal tampering period before the start of free agency Wednesday afternoon. It’s become the Cowboys’ M.O. under the more tight-pocketed Stephen Jones. Maybe it’s because Stephen is scarred by the many times in the past that he was forced to make acrobatic maneuvers with the salary cap. For about the last five years or so Womens Mike White 2019 Jersey , the Cowboys have been near the bottom in free agency spending. Instead, they have spent the majority of their resources on extending their own players and drafting well. It’s a method that many owners would tell you is the best practice, in a perfect league. The problem is that we don’t live in that perfect league where one way is the proven way. For the Cowboys and Stephen Jones, free agency is not as fun as it may be for other teams. Right now, the Cowboys are having a tough time trying to work out extensions for some of their top talents, namely DeMarcus Lawrence. As we saw previously with the Dez Bryant negotiation, the Cowboys refuse to be the first to set a positional market. Lawrence, arguably the best 4-3 end in the NFL, is currently on a $20M franchise tag. Lawrence has made it clear to the Cowboys that he will not sign that tag, so the two have until mid-July to work out a long-term extension or we can expect a holdout. Unfortunately, we’re hearing whispers that Lawrence felt disrespected by the first offer that was somewhere closer to last year’s franchise tag he received. The Cowboys are looking to protect themselves but Stephen Jones will have to accept that you can’t pay last year’s prices in a league where the cap significantly increases each year.If you look at all the teams that went wild with spending over the last few days, they are mostly teams that missed the postseason in 2018. The most active shoppers like the Jets, Raiders Cheap Mike White Youth Jersey , and Browns have been struggling for several seasons. The struggling NFL franchises need free agency because those clubs are under loads of pressure to raise attendance, merchandise sales, and revenues all across the board. Those teams must spend in free agency because they need significant upgrades in their on-field product. That means bringing in a household name or two that has the r茅sum茅 to put some excitement back in the fan base and help that team out of the doldrums.Free agency is a competition and the Cowboys refuse to participate in bidding wars with teams throwing cash around. If the Cowboys are not willing to pay market value for any outside free agents, they will not attract many outside free agents, and especially the ones that are top-tier. You couple that with losing a productive slot receiver in Cole Beasley on a deal that was significantly larger than the amount Dallas was willing to give and this fan base is on edge. The Cowboys are one of the youngest franchises in the NFL with cap space to spend but have not joined the party:Various Cowboys social media platforms have been on Earl Thomas watch for the better part of a calendar year but he’s now cross off that list, headed to the RavensWith each rumored terms that are agreed upon between top free agents and destinations everywhere except Dallas, it just adds fuel to the frustrations. In their defense, the Cowboys can benefit from a little patience while they wait out other teams to finish their spending sprees but the frustrations are warranted. Owner Jerry Jones said that the organization has an increased sense of urgency to win. Someone should forward these sentiments to Stephen Jones and get everyone in the Cowboys organization on the same page. The Cowboys have plenty of time to do anything they would like to do but relying on low-cost signings and a draft where they only have two picks in the Top-100 is not going to move the needle very far. Dallas may have been a playoff team last year but they have so much to improve upon. It doesn’t mean they have to sign every high-priced free agent but they should at least make competitive offers for potential impact players and stop limiting themselves to the bargain bin.Stephen Jones doesn’t have to be the wildcatter his father was but the organization could benefit from a little compromise in his philosophy. Right now, the Cowboys will say they’re working on extensions for their own but no such talks are taking place with the organization being so far apart from its players in negotiations. Spending like crazy in free agency hasn’t always translated to success for the Cowboys but neither has the method they are currently implementing.