Jets cut Mazi Smith after declined 5th-year option

Hunter was notably acquired for Tutu Atwell in the preseason but was released during final cuts. The Dolphins now bring him back as depth in the running back room. Also notably on the practice squad is former first-round defensive lineman Mazi Smith. The Dolphins rounded out the practice squad with RB Carlos Washington, WR Jalen Reagor, WR Will Sheppard, CB Ethan Bonner, DE Max Llewellyn, TE Tre Watson, OT Gottlieb Ayedze, DL Jordan Miller, EDGE Clelin Ferrell, EDGE Amari Gainer, EDGE Rodney McGraw, LB Liam Anderson, CB Jaylin Simpson, and S Major Burns.

The Jets acquired Smith when they traded Quinnen Williams to Dallas. Smith only appeared in three games for Gang Green last year. He did not record any counting stats. Smith now enters a contract year with a lot to prove.

Williams is notably not Micah Parsons, but if for some reason you can’t have Parsons, he’s probably on the short list of defensive line stars in the league. He’s a star run defender — something we seem to recall the Cowboys needing — by virtue of splash plays. Williams has only one sack this year, but the Jets have not held many leads and Williams does have 23.5 sacks in his past seasons. The Jets star defender has 1.5 years remaining on a four-year, $96 million extension signed in 2023. So the Cowboys will make sure to have someone with an expiring contract distraction on the roster in 2026, as nature abhors a vacuum. The Jets are now a conceptual football team, the closest thing we’ve seen to one since the Sashi Brown Browns anyway. So from that standpoint, Mazi Smith, a theoretical defensive tackle, is a great addition.

Smith has played in both preseason games — the Cowboys have sat most of their starters — and he was still on the field in the second half against the Ravens on Saturday. The former first-round pick’s 2024 PFF grade was 208th among 220 interior defensive linemen and it sure doesn’t seem like the Cowboys feel he’s played any better in training camp. “For a defense that badly needs to improve at stopping the run, an outside addition might be a requirement before Week 1,” Machota adds.

Defensive tackle Mazi Smith is listed as questionable. Diggs missed Wednesday’s practice but was back on the field by Thursday. He was a full participant in Friday’s session before being cleared. Diggs notched one interception and two pass breakups in Week 1 before he and the rest of the Dallas defense gave up 44 points to the Saints last week. He will look to get back on track versus Lamar Jackson on Sunday.

The Cowboys didn’t provide specifics about Smith’s status but said he will be reevaluated on Saturday morning. After his evaluation, the team also said they would update his status for Saturday’s game. It doesn’t sound like there’s too much to worry about here for Smith, who totaled 13 tackles and three TFLs for the team as a rookie last season.

Smith is reportedly dealing with tendinitis and discomfort in his knee and sat out the team’s practice on Tuesday. The rookie first-rounder is expected to be an immediate contributor along the defensive front this season, but this string of knee issues will need to be resolved before he takes to the field.

The Cowboys signed their entire rookie class on Thursday ahead of rookie minicamp. Smith (6’3/323) has the ideal frame for a nose tackle and his bench press number of 34 shows his underlying power and his commitment to being a weight room warrior. Before the 2022 season, he was ranked No. 1 on Bruce Feldman’s Freaks List. While he is still very raw, Smith has a good sense of when to go low on offensive linemen, and when he needs to keep his head up to play the point of attack. His body leverage is rare, though his unrefined hand technique leaves much to be desired. With only two years of starting experience under his belt, he will probably improve his play leverage with additional reps. The lack of production at the college level probably has to do with being confined to the nose in Ann Arbor. However, 85 tackles in his two starting years show the potential to make an impact in every game. If he can learn how to pass rush, Smith can be a force for Dan Quinn’s defense.

Smith (6’3/323) was a 4-star recruit, and the 11th-ranked defensive tackle, from Grand Rapids, Michigan in the 2019 recruiting class, according to 247 Sports. Smith has the grace of a charging grizzly and the strength of a bull in a china shop. He has the ideal frame for a nose tackle and his bench press number of 34 shows his underlying power and his commitment to being a weight room warrior. Before the 2022 season, he was ranked No. 1 on Bruce Feldman’s Freaks List. While he is still very raw, Smith has a good sense of when to go low on Offensive Linemen, and when he needs to keep his head up to play the point of attack. His body leverage is rare, although his unrefined hand technique leaves much to be desired. With only two years of starting experience under his belt, he will probably improve his play leverage with additional reps at the next level. The lack of production at the college level probably has to do with being confined to the nose in Ann Arbor. However, 85 tackles in his two starting years show the potential to make an impact in every game. If he can learn how to pass rush, Smith can be a force for Dan Quinn’s defense.

Feldman once again highlights the freakiest of the freaky with his 2022 freaks list, with Smith (6'3/326) emerging as the leader of the pack. Feldman notes Smith’s size combined with “rare power and agility” made him the easy leader of the group. Smith has been known to put him as many as 22 reps on the bench press -- not the 225 pounds we are used to seeing at the NFL Combine, but rather 325 pounds. Smith has one season left with the Wolverines before he’ll enter the NFL draft. Last season he managed 37 tackles and 2.5 TFLs while playing alongside Aidan Hutchinson and David Ojabo. With Hutchinson and Ojabo now in the NFL, more opportunities could open up for Smith to showcase his skillset.