As things stand right now, Keith Smith's future with the Dallas Cowboys is unclear. He is currently a restricted free agent (RFA), which means the Cowboys hold all the leverage and it's up to them to decide whether or not he'll be back in 2018.
In case you're wondering, an RFA is any player with an expiring contract who has exactly three accrued NFL seasons. An accrued season is defined as a player being on a team for at least six regular-season games, although practice squad designation doesn't count. The reserve physically unable to perform (PUP) list for non-football injuries also doesn't count as an accrued season.
A restricted free agent is different from an unrestricted free agent (UFA). A UFA is free to re-sign with their team or test the open market, whereas an RFA is tied down unless the team allows them to become an unrestricted free agent.
As an RFA, Keith Smith is kind of in a holding pattern while the Dallas Cowboys figure out whether or not they want to keep him around.
He has value to the team, but can that be replaced with another player who would cost less?
The Cowboys, of course, have options in regards of what to do with Keith Smith. They can try to work out a contract extension that is mutually beneficial to both parties or they can place a tender on him and secure his services for at least another season. Both options are likely on the table, but which one will they choose?
Of course, they could cut ties altogether as well.
For me, I don't know if giving Keith Smith a contract extension is worth it. The fullback position has pretty much become extinct around the NFL. The Cowboys are one of the few teams who still employ the position.
Now, don't get me wrong. I like Keith Smith, but I don't know if the playing time he receives justifies an extension. He only played 12.02% of the Cowboys offensive snaps in 2017. For comparison sake, Ryan Switzer played 8.64% and we all know how little he was utilized.
I just have a hard time justifying a contract extension for someone who plays so little on offense. But, like I mentioned earlier, he is a core special-teams player. In 2017, he played 56.64% of the special team snaps, which was top five on the team. That is where he is most valuable to the team.
The other option the Cowboys have is placing a tender on Keith Smith. There are four tender options they can use to retain his services.
- First-round tender ($3.91 million in 2017)
- Second-round tender ($2.746 million in 2017)
- Original-round tender ($1.797 million in 2017)
- Right of first refusal
It wouldn't make sense for the Cowboys to place a first or second-round tender on Keith Smith. He doesn't play enough to justify that kind of money. An original-round tender doesn't make sense either since he was an undrafted free agent. Leaving the Right of First Refusal as really the last remaining option.
There's really no clear-cut answer to what the Dallas Cowboys might have in mind for Keith Smith and his future with the organization. There is no doubt he has value to the team, but there's really no way of determining just how much.
Personally, I think he can be replaced rather easily. The Cowboys may need to carry four tight ends on the roster in 2018 and one of them can surely fill in at fullback if needed. His contribution on special teams is another story, but an incoming rookie could help in that area.
I think I might let him walk, but I wouldn't be shocked if the Cowboys retained his services. The only question is, how do they do that?
