*Editor’s note: The following article was originally published April 2. We are bringing this back in light of news Wednesday that Aldon Smith has been conditionally reinstated by the NFL.

The Dallas Cowboys surprised the football world by signing Aldon Smith, one of the most prolific pass rushers in the early 2010s, to a one-year deal worth up to $4 million.

Smith hasn’t touched a football field since 2015, as numerous off-the-field issues led to him being suspended indefinitely by the league. Given that it’s been 1,600 days since his last game action, it’s impossible to know what the 30-year-old has left in the tank.

What we do know is Smith fits the size and length profile the Cowboys value in defensive ends. Here’s every defensive end they have drafted since 2015:

Player Height Weight Arm length (inch) Joe Jackson 6-4 275 34 1/8 Jalen Jelks 6-5 256 34 5/8 Dorance Armstrong 6-4 257 34 3/4 Taco Charlton 6-6 277 34 1/4 Charles Tapper 6-3 271 34 3/8 Ryan Russell 6-4 269 33 3/8 Randy Gregory 6-5 235 34

When Smith entered the NFL, he measured in at 6-4, 263 pounds with enormous, 35 3/8-inch arms. In other words, he has the prototypical size the Cowboys covet at defensive end. It should be noted that Jay Glazer -- who not only is an NFL insider, but has also personally worked with Smith at Unbreakable Performance Center in West Hollywood -- revealed that Smith weighs around 285 pounds, about 20 pounds heavier than his playing weight. Hopefully, Smith will bring his weight down before training camp (if and when that actually takes place) so he can be as quick and explosive as possible.

We also know Smith will be reuniting with Jim Tomsula, his one and only defensive line coach during his four seasons (2011-14) with the San Francisco 49ers -- a time when Smith was one of the most dominant defensive players in the league.

If you remove the 2014 season, when he was suspended nine games for violating the league’s substance abuse and personal conduct policies, Smith was arguably the best pass rusher the NFL had to offer from 2011-13, posting 42 sacks (second-most in the league during that span) and 231 total pressures.

As his run-ins with the law and NFL caused him to miss 16 of a possible 32 games from 2014-15, Smith’s productivity and effectiveness waned significantly. After averaging 14 sacks per season from 2011-13, Smith produced just 5.5 sacks in the 16 games he played with the 49ers and Oakland Raiders from 2014-15. But even at a reduced version of himself (he appeared a little less explosive during his stint in Oakland), Smith still generated a good deal of pressure over those two shortened seasons, posting 68 pressures in 16 games (4.25 pressures per game). For comparison’s sake, 4.25 pressures per game would have ranked first on the Cowboys’ defense last season, when Robert Quinn led the way with 4.07, according to Pro Football Focus.

Compiled some of Aldon Smith's best snaps rushing the passer for your viewing pleasure. #Cowboys pic.twitter.com/9Z12qPkl4i — John Owning (@JohnOwning) April 2, 2020

He was never an elite athlete on the edge, but Smith at his best was athletic enough and dominated the competition with layered footwork (aimed at breaking an offensive lineman’s rhythm and shortening the corner), heavy hands and a deep pass-rush repertoire. He had the rare ability to win inside or outside the tackle’s hips with finesse or power on any given play.

Smith was also extremely effective on stunts, as he and Justin Smith became the NFL’s premier stunt tandem during their time together. Maybe he can find similar success with Tyrone Crawford, who has proven to be effective at helping DeMarcus Lawrence get loose on stunts in the past.

Aldon Smith beats Trent Williams pic.twitter.com/T11xhlz6ah — All22Hype (@All22Hype) April 2, 2020

One of Smith’s most impressive performances came against Washington in Week 12 of the 2013 season, when he was pitted against one of the league’s best offensive tackles in Trent Williams. During that game, Williams, who was PFF’s top-graded tackle that year, gave up seven total pressures and two sacks -- most of which came at the hands of Smith, who finished with eight total pressures and two sacks. To put that in perspective, Williams hasn’t given up seven or more pressures in a single game since then, according to PFF.

Smith was an underrated run defender as well. Because he played primarily as a 3-4 outside linebacker, most of his production against the run came against tight ends. Smith’s powerful hands translated well to the run game, as his heavy strikes consistently bludgeoned tight ends. His length was a huge bonus against tackles, as he was able to create the necessary separation to escape blocks to pursue the ball carrier. Having said that, Smith at times ceded ground due to improper leverage (high pad level) and average lower-body strength when pitted against larger tackles.

One interesting facet to monitor in Smith’s transition to the Cowboys is his stance. He’s never really played with his hands in the dirt, as he’s played primarily as a stand-up outside linebacker in 3-4 defenses since entering the NFL. Mike McCarthy has stated that Dallas will be primarily a four-man front this year, which would likely force Smith to play in a three-point stance.

If we put our tinfoil hat on, this move could potentially indicate that Dallas wants to use more 3-4 principles with their front seven in 2020. That’s certainly not a given at this point, and it may be more likely the Cowboys are just giving Smith a chance with the idea that he could adapt to a new stance.

From the Mike Nolan-led ATL defense in 2014 pic.twitter.com/pG6PmHAHCm — John Owning (@JohnOwning) April 17, 2020

Nonetheless, Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones did specifically mention Smith when discussing the SAM/Designated Pass-Rusher role before the draft, a role that would enable Smith to rush from his natural two-point stance from an alignment outside the tight end.

Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones has developed a reputation as a risk-taker, but like any smart gambler, he has mitigated the risk by giving Smith $0 in guaranteed money. So if the Smith experiment fizzles out in camp, the Cowboys can cut him without any penalty.

They likely won’t get the 49ers version of Smith, but if he can come close to returning to the Raiders version of himself -- which isn’t a given, at 30, after being off for more than four years -- then his deal will prove to be a steal, as he can provide Dallas with an effective rotational piece at defensive end who can take some pressure off of Lawrence.

We’ll see what happens.

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