OXNARD, Calif. – The Cowboys have signed Pro Bowl left tackle Tyron Smith to the biggest non-quarterback deal in franchise history.
News came down Wednesday morning that Smith had agreed to an eight-year extension worth roughly $97.6 million. Coupled with the two years and $10 million already on his rookie deal, it's worth a grand total of $109 million.
About $40 million of Smith's contract is guaranteed, and it comes with a $10 million signing bonus. The contract averages out to roughly $12.2 million per year.
"He's just been everything we wanted to build this program and this team around," said Cowboys coach Jason Garrett. "He was a really young player who we put in, really on minute one of day one, and he's everything that we thought he was going to be."
Smith is one of the youngest Pro Bowlers in the NFL, as he doesn't turn 24 until Dec. 12. He will be eligible for free agency in the spring of 2024.
The Cowboys selected Smith No. 9 overall out of Southern California in 2011 -- Garrett's first draft pick upon being named head coach. He started at right tackle throughout his rookie season before making the switch to the left side in 2012. He earned his first Pro Bowl bid last season on the strength of a fantastic second half that saw him erase several of the game's top pass rushers.
"He just contineus to grow and develop as a player and technically he's getting better -- he's getting bigger and stronger," Garrett said. "He's just tough, competitive. He's what you want on your football team at a really, really important position."
There had been speculation all offseason that Smith would be the first of the Cowboys' marquee Pro Bowlers to get a contract extension. The Cowboys picked up the fifth-year option on his rookie contract in May, securing his services through the 2015 season in the process, but they wanted to lock up a longterm deal. [embedded_ad]
With Smith's future secured, attention will now turn to fellow young Pro Bowlers Dez Bryant and DeMarco Murray, who are about to enter the final season of their rookie deals.
"Those discussions are always ongoing -- we feel like we have a lot of young players who represent what we want. We'd like to get these guys locked in for long periods of time," Garrett said.
This is the second-straight year the Cowboys have secured a longterm extension during training camp. The team signed linebacker Sean Lee to a six-year extension prior the start of the 2013 season.
