Aldon Smith waiting for reinstatement answer after Goodell meeting

The Dallas Cowboys are hoping the NFL will reinstate defensive ends Aldon Smith and Randy Gregory soon.

Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones said that Smith has already met with Roger Goodell, but the team hasn't heard anything from the commissioner yet.

"He's waiting to hear back," Jones said Friday, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. "I think Randy may or - I'm not exactly sure where that is. Sometimes we're not privy to that. We're not sure when we'll hear something. Obviously, the league is looking out for their best interest."

"If ultimately they get to a point which we think they can, that Roger (Goodell) feels like they can come back to work and play football, and that's in their best interest in addition to what they need off the field, then certainly we'll welcome them back and go to work," he added.

Smith, 30, hasn't played since he was suspended in 2015 because of legal and substance abuse issues. The Cowboys signed him to a one-year deal worth $4 million last month.

Gregory, meanwhile, reportedly filed for reinstatement in March. The 27-year-old has been suspended four times since entering the league in 2015. His last suspension occurred in February 2019 for violating the NFL's substance-abuse policy and the terms of a previous conditional reinstatement.

The Cowboys hope Smith and Gregory can bolster their pass rush after the club amassed 39 sacks last season, which ranked 19th in the league. Smith has averaged 13 sacks per 16 games in his career, but he recorded just 5.5 over his two last seasons combined. Gregory established a career high with six sacks when he last played in 2018.

The NFL will no longer suspend players for positive marijuana tests, a stipulation in the league's new collective bargaining agreement.

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