Cowboys News: LB Jaylon Smith Says New Contract 'Will Happen' amid Negotiations

The Dallas Cowboys have a lot of players they're going to need to pay in the coming years, most notably the offensive triumvirate of Dak Prescott, Amari Cooper and Ezekiel Elliott. 

Linebacker Jaylon Smith is on the final year of his contract, and as he told SiriusXM NFL Radio on Monday (h/t Kevin Patra of NFL.com), he believes he'll eventually come to a long-term agreement with the team:

"It's definitely a reality. At some point, the elite players have to receive their investment. For me, it's just about embracing the season I'm in. My redshirt year, when I was recovering (from injury), I embraced it. My first year back, I wasn't 100 percent, but I gave it all I got, learned every week. I embraced that season. Last season was a phenomenal year of returning to the elite player that I am, I embraced it.

"When it's time for Jerry [Jones] to cut the check, it will happen, you know, but I just got to embrace where I'm at. I'm blessed for sure."

The 24-year-old was excellent in the 2018 season, registering 121 tackles, four sacks, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and a defensive touchdown. Pro Football Focus gave him a grade of 84.5 for the season, sixth among linebackers.

PFF also ranked him as the 53rd-best player in the NFL last year, writing that "among off-ball linebackers with 50 or more pass-rush snaps, his 27.8 win percentage as a pass-rusher ranked first, while he was one of six off-ball linebackers with 500 or more coverage snaps to allow one or fewer touchdowns in coverage."

For a player who missed his entire rookie season in 2016 after tearing his MCL and ACL during his final season at Notre Dame—which dropped him to the second round in the draft after he was projected to be a potential top-five pick before his injury—his comeback story has been impressive. 

But the Cowboys are also facing major paydays for Prescott, Cooper and Elliott after already handing Demarcus Lawrence a five-year, $105 million contract extension. Somebody could end up being the odd man out when it comes to earn lucrative contract extensions.

The Indiana native will become a restricted free agent once his rookie deal is up, and the Cowboys will almost assuredly place a first-round tender on him. It's hard to imagine they wouldn't also match any offer sheet he might sign, though working out an extension beforehand would eliminate any need for that. 

Smith, at least, appears to be content with patiently waiting out the process.