Drafted by Cowboys 5th Round - Pick 176 - LB Damone Clark (LSU)

[Whiskey Cowboy]

https://www.thehuddlereport.com/blog/?p=2375

Damone Clark LB LSU
by Drew Boylhart • March 1, 2022

STRENGTHS
Damone is a long-armed, long-legged linebacker with the size and athletic talent teams are looking for in this modern NFL. He shows good speed to run players down and the ability to be used to attack the line of scrimmage in schemes that allow him to make plays and tackles behind the line of scrimmage. He is a sure tackler in open space. Damone shows some leadership skills and might have the ability in the future to become a coach on the field for the team that elects him.

CONCERNS
There is not much on film, of Damone being used in single coverage but his body type sends the signal that he could be. At the senior bowl, he did show athletic talent but he still will need time to develop those skills. He does struggle to process if there is too much happening in front of him and that makes him hesitate and take wrong angles to the play. At the college level, his athletic talent made it easy for him to recover but at the next level, unless he can process and find the ball quicker, he will struggle to be consistent. Damone also struggles to get off blocks and make the tackle. Damone doesn’t make plays, plays are manufactured for him to make. There’s a big difference.

BOTTOM LINE: 3.44
My guess is if he is an OLB in a 4/3 defense that he should be pretty good but use him in the middle or in a 4-2-5 defensive system and he will struggle. Do not mistake thinking the word “process” means that Damone is not smart. There is nothing wrong with his intelligence. It just means if he sees too much in front of him he will struggle to analyze it and think quick enough to react. That’s why I’m suggesting that if he plays on the outside he will see less and have less to process. This will allow for his athleticism to work for him better. Put him on the whiteboard and there is no problem, so intelligence has nothing to do with how quickly a person can process. For the purposes of this draft, I think Damone will be a good player for the team that selects him but he is limited to a certain position in a certain style of defense and for me, that affects his draft status and talent level.

That's about what I saw too, specifically in diagnosing plays. When he's decisive, he's quick to react and gets to the ball in a hurry. He has a tendency to hesitate and when he does, he takes bad angles to the ball and misses plays that he should make. There were also times where he didn't play through the whistle which is odd, seeing as he was considered the leader of that LSU defense. Maybe redshirting this year will be good for him. Gives him extra time in the film room and allows for a full year in an NFL weight program so he can come out firing next season. I like the pick and think it was excellent value in the 5th, but there are concerns outside of the medical issues.

 

[Mr Cowboy]

 

[buybuydandavis]

He's had a super scary injury, but just on tape, I thought he was better than LB1 Quay Walker.

Most of these guys won't even be on the roster in 2 years anyway. If there's a 90% chance that Clark's off the roster in 2 years, and a 10% chance he hits and reaches his potential, the expected value is still way higher than your average 5th round comp pick.

Jerry is willing to gamble more than most teams. Taking one in the 5th rather than the 2nd means no one should complain.

 

[Acceptablename]

Its much easier to swallow this pick now then in the 2nd round......

I dont get it

 

[lqmac1]

Ya’ll don’t forget about my boy Cox, I think he’s going to be a stud as well.

So this dude played the entire season, didn’t feel any pain and found out he had a disc injury because of an MRI at the combine? Am I understanding that correctly?

 

[lqmac1]

He did know he had it until the physical at the combine.

Never missed a play because of it.

Moose had that surgery and played several years more years afterwards.

I’m assuming you meant didn’t?

That’s absolutely insane to have that injury, not miss a play, feel pain or anything of that nature.

I’m no old head, I’m 34 years old and I get knots in my back if I sleep the wrong way & they hurt like hell. I mean you could stash my *** up on the designated to return IR with those. I move like an old man until they’re massaged out meanwhile this cat got half of a spine like the **** is optional to have without even knowing he has the injury and PLAYING FOOTBALL.

That’s just mind blowing that he played through it and didn’t feel anything .

Wow!

 

[Fla Cowpoke]

It's been said everyone has a herniated disk. Because most HD don't cause problems.

Not sure that is the saying. Herniations are significant. I think bulging disk is what you are thinking of.

 

[Oz-of-Cowboy-Country]

Not sure that is the saying. Herniations are significant. I think bulging disk is what you are thinking of.

Your right. The difference between a cold and a flu. Metaphorically.

 

[Fla Cowpoke]

Your right. The difference between a cold and a flu. Metaphorically.

In the famed study, only 19% of people over 40 had a herniation.

https://www.natlawreview.com/article/do-50-percent-people-have-herniated-disc-dispelling-myth

 

[nalam]

The Good News is he is expected to make a full recovery! Probably won't see him until next year!

Possible replacement for LVE next year?

 

[Fastpitch Dad]

you gloom and doom guys piss me off. they can do spinal transplants nowadays. Sheesh, why can't they do neck transplants too? lve needs one.

As a veteran of 5 neck surgeries, I'm hoping for a transplant next!

These guys are young and unless they have some sort of terrible degeneration disease the fusion they get will patch them up just fine. I have to think all the titanium in my neck is much stronger than bone.

 

[Fastpitch Dad]

As a quasi-expert on the subject (been studying in for 12 years), it makes total sense to me that he didn't know he had the problem. I've had more surgeries than you can shake a stick at on my neck and have never had any neck pain. (Minus recovery time) My pain has always been in my shoulder and numbness in my fingers.

What @CalPolyTechnique wrote is 100% correct, once you're fused it puts more stress on the adjoining vertebrae because you have lost the motion of one joint. But this doesn't happen overnight, especially for a kid in his kind of shape. I think he was definitely worth the risk at where he was drafted.

 

[Fastpitch Dad]

Not sure that is the saying. Herniations are significant. I think bulging disk is what you are thinking of.

A bulging disk is the same as a herniation, just a different way of saying it.

 

[Plankton]

He did know he had it until the physical at the combine.

Never missed a play because of it.

Moose had that surgery and played several years more years afterwards.

Johnston really played one more season after his neck surgery. He got injured in 1997, and missed most of the season. Got the surgery during that season, and played the whole 1998 season. He reaggravated the injury in the 1999 season opener, and never played again after that.

 

[Fla Cowpoke]

A bulging disk is the same as a herniation, just a different way of saying it.

Not really, a herniation means that the outer membrane has ruptured and inner material is poking out. A bulging disc doesnt have the rupture. There are way way way more people that have a bulging disc and more often than not it is asymptomatic.

 

[Fla Cowpoke]

Ya’ll don’t forget about my boy Cox, I think he’s going to be a stud as well.

So this dude played the entire season, didn’t feel any pain and found out he had a disc injury because of an MRI at the combine? Am I understanding that correctly?

Yes, you can have a herniation and the extruded part of the disc doesnt touch the spinal cord or nerve root ao there arent symptoms. Or you can just have symptoms like tingling or numbness in your hands.

In this case he had an anterior fusion where they go in through the neck, remove the disc and place hardware.

If it were me, I would seriously consider my options other than something where my neck is being hit and shocked constantly.

 

[CalPolyTechnique]

Been doing some research on NFL players that have had spinal fusion surgeries. The prognosis doesn't look especially good. Obviously, every individual and their respective conditions are different, but take a look:

This is from an article from back in 2013, but we all know the players;

Ahmad Bradshaw (Indianapolis Colts – Running Back)

• Injury: Bradshaw suffered from a bulging disc in his neck, forcing him to sit out for the remaining season in October 2013.
• Procedure: Bradshaw underwent a procedure to remove the bulging disc and fuse the two vertebrae together.
• Status: Bradshaw has been practicing with the Colts, but has only recently played in a preseason game. Time will tell if he will be ready for play full-time. (Bradshaw went on to play parts of two more years totaling 121 carries and 48 receptions before retiring)

Jermichael Finley (Green Bay Packers – Tight End)

• Injury: In October 2013, Finley suffered from a spinal cord contusion after a collision with another player during a game. He was left paralyzed for a short time. His spinal cord was compressed due to the injury.
• Procedure: Finley underwent an anterior cervical fusion of the C-3 and C-4 vertebrae to decompress the spinal cord.
• Status: Finley’s contract was up with the Packers at the end of the season, so he is currently a free agent. He was cleared to play by his doctors in May but has not been picked up by any team. (Finley never played again)

Devonte Holloman (Dallas Cowboys – Linebacker)

• Injury: Holloman suffered from a bruised spinal cord during a preseason game, in addition to a spinal contusion in the previous season, missing 7 games.
• Procedure: Holloman has not undergone surgery, but may need a spinal fusion to stabilize his spine.
• Status: Doctors advised Holloman to retire from football to avoid the risk of paralysis. Holloman took his doctor’s advice and has announced he will join the South Carolina Gamecock’s coaching staff as a video assistant. (Holloman never played again)

David Wilson (New York Giants – Running Back)

• Injury: Wilson was diagnosed with spinal stenosis, a narrowing of the spinal canal, following a neck injury during the Week 5 game last year. He was out for the rest of the season. He returned to training camp this year but experienced a neck burner.
• Procedure: Wilson underwent a spinal fusion in January, but did not require further surgery for the neck burner.
• Status: Wilson was cleared to play in July after his spinal fusion. However, doctors advised Wilson to retire to avoid the risk of further injury following his neck burner. Wilson retired at age 23.

 

[chicago JK]

He looks good on highlights, but man backs are something you don't want to mess with. Especially at that ultra contact position.

I think it is best to forget about him for a year and maybe next year he surprises us. But he is certainly not someone we should be counting on.

 

[Bullflop]

I wish the young man the best with his health but I guess it's not worth evaluating or thinking about him till 2023

The Cowboys have a reputable doctor and trainers to make their decisions regarding a player's health. They'll know when he's ready.

Clark's surgeon was of the opinion that his injury wasn't as serious as it was originally thought to be.

He stated that he'd likely recover faster than what was originally anticipated.

 

[xwalker]

Jerry is willing to gamble more than most teams. Taking one in the 5th rather than the 2nd means no one should complain.

Yes, the 5th round is a great spot to gamble. The 2nd round it not.