I know nothing about this guy, but let me be the first to applaud this signing.

I know nothing about this guy, but let me be the first to criticize this signing.

And, my work here is done.

A good signing IMO, particularly since Dallas is paying most of his salary. He hasn't been as good the last two years as at the start of his career, but maybe a change of scenery and defensive scheme will help.

Kudos to Gute for going all in on this season and doing everything he can to bring another Super Bowl to Green Bay. While Jaylon Smith may not still be in his prime, I suspect he will be an upgrade over Barnes and will certainly provide much better depth that Summers or Burks. The Packer's ILB crew has been inferior for so long and the combo of Campbell and J. Smith might bring a very welcome change to our defense.

And don't bust Gute's chops over Gilmore. The Packers could not have fit Gilmore's salary under their limited cap space if they traded for him.

Sorry, double post.

From Bleacher Nation: "For what it's worth, Smith is Pro Football Focus’ 11th-highest-graded linebacker after four weeks. Smith’s 69.5 grade is better than Bobby Wagner (69.1), Fred Warner (57.5), and Roquan Smith (46.9). PFF also has high praise for Smith’s efforts in coverage. Smith’s 82.2 coverage grade is the third best among linebackers. Given this set of data, now I’m even more confused as to why Dallas is dropping Smith."

From McCarthy's comments, it sounded like Smith did not fit into their scheme anymore. Either way, if Dallas is going to have to pay most of his salary, then it is a smart signing at a positional group that GB has traditionally just not valued. He'll probably need a week or two to learn the defensive playbook, but would imagine he'll gradually work his way in....in a 17 game season plus playoffs (knock on wood), all the depth we can get is appreciated. Thanks Gute.

Two ILBs who are veterans and competent. That would be a first since the Packers switched to the 3-4. Could help. Can't hurt.

Smith injured his knee (ACL and LCL) in his 2016 draft year bowl game. He was drafted by the Cowboys in the 2nd with the hopes that he could rehab over the 2017 season and play the follow year. The fear was that he suffered nerve damage and would never play with the speed and agility that he did while at Notre Dame.

Given the Cowboys run a 4-3 and we run a 3-4 (or Kenny Clark and others), it will be interesting to see how he fits. My fundamental concern is the man. Is Smith a professional that works on his craft and has personal integrity? We will see.

Overall, it is worth a look. Heaven knows that he won't be displacing a starter :o)

The ol’, “he didn’t fit our scheme” quote; I suspect there is more to his release than that?
But, I am happy we’re willing to kick the tires on him; I believe he’ll be an upgrade.
IMO, Burks and Summers inspire little or no confidence.

I was completely caught off-guard to see Jaylon cut but the Cowboys are going a different direction these days. There was no way he would remain unemployed for very long and good for The Pack for scooping him up as quickly as they did. Building up the D shows the rest of the team that a willingness to make the moves necessary to keep up with the best teams in the NFC.

https://www.bostonareacaterers.com

Every player does not have to be a “star”. Unfortunately, the injury Smith suffered in the Bowl game while with Notre Dame robbed him of some of the quickness and side to side cutting ability. However, he has had some good production numbers with three seasons of combined tackles over 100. I don’t think he covers well.

I would expect that the Packers will work him in slowly to leverage his strengths and minimize the exposure to his weaknesses. Unlike Dallas who were saddled by his bad contract, the Packers can tap into some production for a low cost. Considering the uncertainty surrounding Barnes’ availability, I think this is a good pickup to help take some of the pressure from Campbell.

I like the signing. Now, if BG can find someone to upgrade the DL, I’ll feel a lot better about our chances to be in the SB.

The Packers have addressed ILBer With Campbell and now Smith. The elephant in the room has FINALLY BEEN PUT TO BED. We should be jumping for joy in cheesheadville! GOPACKGO

This is EXACTLY the kind of transaction we ask for every year with this team. Smith is an athletic, established, durable vet in his prime, who immediately gives this team an upgrade at a position of weakness -- ILB -- and takes pressure off the S position through his ability to cover and play 3 downs.

He's in a different league from Burks, McDuffie, and Summers, markedly better than Barnes (who also can't be relied on to stay on the field), and is probably better than Campbell. This is the best ILB tandem the Packers have had since before Hawk/Bishop, and moves the position more toward the fast, aggressive kind of tandem we've seen other teams use to frustrate the Packers. What's more: he's dirt cheap and wanted to come to GB.

This is a quality move, and it leaves room under the cap to still make an additional move or two. The defense got meaningfully better today.

On an earlier post I had him listed as an OLB not ILB. My bad. I guess he is better than Summers and OB. With Rivers gone for the year maybe the plan from Barry involves more inside backers on defense.

Great signing!!! Jaylon Smith's draft grade was 7.30 (Perennial All-Pro). He's got length, size, speed, instincts and sound tackling ability.His numbers are actually pretty good. Just what the doctor ordered.

Though i am happy with this signing since it didn't cost much for the packers. I am worried about our Cb group and pass rush with the injuries to the key players. Just in our back up edge rusher chauncey rivers is most likely going to IR.

I hope Jaylon packed his pass rushing shoes

I'm really intrigued with seeing him with Joe Barry. Barry has had a number of really good ILB's under him. Smith has all the skills. This could be a very good pairing.

I wouldn't be surprised if they find a way to use him combined with Campbell and Barnes.

To be an upgrade for this team, he only has to play better than Ty Summers and Oren Burks. So I think that's a big yes.

Now is he a Pro Bowler like he was in 2019? Let's see. This seems like the sort of signing that if they had done this in the offseason everyone would be really excited by it, but because it comes in week 4 after he was cut everyone is suspicious of it.

I like this signing - it gives the Packers the obvious present-year depth, but it also gives them a full 3/4 of a year to see if he has potential for a multi-year place at the Packers after this year’s ‘loan’ <thanks Jerry>

On the offensive side of the ball, the 2022 Packers will likely be a vastly different team - likely no Rodgers and Adams and co (tonyan, Lazard, Lewis) - so perhaps shoring up the Defense to at least have stable and capable starters is a good thing.

On the 2022 Packers Offense topic, here’s a curly question - what do the Packers do with David Bakhtiari given that the o-line hasn’t become a complete dumpster fire in his absence? His 2022 cap number is $22.7M. That amount could potentially buy a number of ‘pieces’ to surround Jordan Love with. Not unlike the Cowboys at Linebacker, the Packers aren’t badly placed with the current ‘budget’ o-line……. Do they trade ‘The Persian Diversion’ and keep Davantae Adams…. Or even Rodgers for another year?

Smith was tarnished by Mike Nolan's awful D in Dallas last year. In spite of that he still had a very productive 2020. But Dan Quinn came in to completely rebuild the Dallas D and the two rookie LBs were part of the rebuild. Smith, only 26 years old, was not in Quinn's reset plans and McCarthy agreed.

Smith was the top LB in college earning the Butkus Award in 2015. He did everything well for Dallas and even earned a huge contract extension in 2019 for 5 years $64 M with $35.5 M guaranteed and was an ALL PRO.

Then came the disaster in 2020 under Mike Nolan. Nolan got fired and it looks like Smith, in spite of his solid 2020 performance, is getting part of the house cleaning..

Thanks, Jerry!

I'm not a huge fan of Gute, but I really like this signing especially because it brings help in a position that now (with Jaire's injury) is very very fundamental.
The only thing I didn't like (and I said it at the beginning of the season) is that we should have signed Sherman in place of King at the beginning of the season. He would have given Stokes time to grow up and now, with Jaire out, we would have been safe.
Greetings from Italy
GPG

The reports suggest that J. Smith signed for $770K. Great get.

I almost completely agree with Dobber above. Smith is light years better than Burks and Summers and much better than Barnes. I think Smith has been better than Campbell in years past, but Campbell is having a career year. OTC values Campbell's play this year at $13M, and I don't disagree. 82 PFF grade for Campbell as well.

I don't know if the light came on for Campbell this year (he always had excellent length and very good speed) or if he just likes the Mike position, which he never had been able to play much previously - jordan hicks in AZ last year was ahead of him - and thus loves the Joe Barry defensive scheme.

[I really like McDuffie. I suppose he isn't ready yet, so I agree with dobber that Smith is indeed much better, but I am not voluntarily dissing my draft crush.]

How can you not like this signing when Jerry Jones is paying his salary? Thanks, Jerry!

McCarthy must still like the Packers. He's throwing them a fine version of himself, a bone with lots of meat on it. He must be making up for all the bad years of, " if we only had a defense". Thanks McPuffy! GPG

Are there any other Smiths out there?