Free agency took a dark turn for the Dallas Cowboys late Friday night when left tackle Tyron Smith agreed to a deal with the Jets. There were certainly worse landing spots for Smith, but it’ll take some getting used to watching Smith protect the blindside of Aaron Rodgers, who’s broken Cowboys fans’ hearts on two separate occasions in the playoffs.

Whether the Cowboys regret letting Smith go will be decided by how their next left tackle performs. Whether that’s Tyler Smith or a potential 2024 first-round pick remains to be seen, but the initial reviews on the decision aren’t great.

It’s unclear if Dallas made Smith an offer, but the 33-year-old got the impression early on that he wasn’t coming back. Smith and the Cowboys met about a potential return, but were miles apart in contract negotiations.

Afters agreeing to terms with the Jets, Smith revealed an ugly truth about the Cowboys’ offseason to insider Josina Anderson.

That’s exactly where the chips have fallen in Dallas this offseason. EVP Stephen Jones has spread the narrative that cap constraints are preventing them from spending in free agency. In actuality, though, they could rework contracts or have seen to it that Dak Prescott’s extension was already signed to create more cap room. They’re choosing to tread water.