“Either way, the deal is just starting and runs from 2021-25. But only $19 million of that money was guaranteed and Smith has been given half of it, so there is actually a scenario in which the Cowboys could already walk away if they wanted. His 2021 cap number is $9.8 million, but he has only a $9.4 guarantee remaining; if the Cowboys designate him a June 1st release, the team would actually only owe him $2.4 million against the 2021 cap and would actually save $7.2 million for the year. He does have a clause that this must be done by the fifth day of the league year (usually mid-March) or his deal guarantees for the year, so they should probably have serious discussions posthaste. It would certainly seem incredibly odd to release a player before his contract technically begins, but it would also be odd to keep someone only because you apparently made a mistake.”