Indianapolis — Tyron Smith, the Dallas Cowboys’ offensive tackle since 2011, is slated to leave the team. Perhaps his future home will keep him in the NFC East, with the tackle-hungry Washington Commanders. Related stuff. The Commanders have the most cap space in the NFL and a significant need at tackle after releasing Charles Leno Jr. a few days ago. Smith turns 34 in December, so this isn’t a long-term plan. He contributes more than just age; he brings experience, and it’s of the highest quality.

Smith has appeared in 161 of 210 games throughout the course of his 13 NFL seasons, with the most time off coming in 2020 and 2022. Outside of those two years, he has appeared in 11 games, with 13 or more in all but one of them. He has also appeared in eight Pro Bowls and was selected First-Team All-Pro twice. As one-year rentals go, he’s as excellent as it gets, giving the Commanders the option of bringing up a younger future successor behind him for a season.
Another wrinkle in Smith’s free agency is his relationship with incoming coach Dan Quinn, who was the Cowboys’ defensive coordinator for the last three seasons. While Smith did not work directly with Quinn, having someone familiar with the Dallas system may help the new Washington coach make a smoother transition.