Hunter Renfrow might have decided against a reunion with the Las Vegas Raiders, but another familiar face could resurface in the NFL with the team.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Raiders are hosting former Dallas Cowboys linebacker Jaylon Smith at their minicamp this weekend on a tryout basis.
A second-round pick out of Notre Dame in the 2016 NFL Draft, Smith made the Pro Bowl as a member of the Dallas Cowboys in 2019. That season, Smith recorded 142 total tackles, six tackles for loss, one forced fumble and one interception.
Smith spent four seasons with the Cowboys before being released in 2021, bouncing around the league after that. His most notable stint since his tenure in Dallas ended was with the New York Giants in 2022, where he notched 88 tackles, three tackles for loss and one interception.
He also had short stints with the New Orleans Saints, Raiders, and Pittsburgh Steelers before being out of football this past season.
As unlikely as it is for Smith to crack the NFL roster, there is no denying that the Raiders are in need of linebacker depth.
The current duo set to replace Robert Spillane and Divine Deablo are free agent signings Elandon Roberts and Devin White. Immediate backups Tommy Eichenberg and Amari Burney played less than ten percent of defensive snaps last season, and the team did not address the position in the draft until the seventh round with Cody Lindenberg. That room gives Smith, who will turn 30 before the start of the upcoming season, at least a small chance to make some noise.
While most of the attention this weekend will go to the rookies, Smith trying to spark a comeback with the Raiders is another storyline worth keeping an eye on.