Cowboys fixing big Mazi Smith mistake from 2023 as Mike Zimmer arrives

[The Fonz]

So Zimm now is Mr Fix it?

 

[DUO_CORE]

Didn't he have a top 5 defense like 7 out of 10 years in Minnesota?

Yes: He was always a competent QB away from postseason success, sort of like.......

 

[KingintheNorth]

I’m so confused who told him to lose weight?

No one seems to be willing to confess to that.


Drafts big Nose Tackle for the purpose of improving the run defense.

• Was he told to lose the weight? If so, by who, and why?
• Did he lose it on his own? If so, who let this happen?

You are either coaching it or allowing to happen.

This is one of the biggest issues with the zero accountability culture Jerry fosters.

 

[CWR]

Yes: He was always a competent QB away from postseason success, sort of like.......

The thread is about Zimmer fixing Mazi, shut up about the qb. Yall don't have to crap on every thread.

 

[CowboyStar88]

we take safties and make them LBs, we take DTs and make them LBs. Quinn was fasicnated with LBs

While completely ignoring actual linebackers.

He reminds me of that TikTok of the lady watching all the pieces being dropped into square hole. Cowboys are her, and DQ is the dude who drops all the pieces in the square hole.

Absolutely nobody:


Dan Quinn:

 

[CowboyStar88]

Possible. Its weird with Mazi. Its like his mental processing speed is slow. The snap will go and he will be the last guy to move. That's not weight but someone seems to have blamed it on the weight.

Wasn’t he taught this at Michigan? I’m sure it’s going to take time to correct.

 

[1942willys]

I can't believe people are blaming Mazi's terrible season on the team or Quinn.

One, we don't know that the team wanted him to lose weight.

And two, he never showed a thing in camp even before he lost the weight.

IF the coaches and trainers did not notice he was losing that much weight they need to be fired
So the claim he did it on his own does not wash.

 

[1942willys]

Wasn’t he taught this at Michigan? I’m sure it’s going to take time to correct.

Blaming the michigan coaches does not track; he never learned to attack on any play EVER? BS

 

[TwentyOne]

Zimmer won't fix anything. If he could, he would have been worth a damn when here before 20 years ago, and would have accomplished something of note with the Vikings. He's the perfect Cowboys hire - familiar and comfortable, has never been a champion at the NFL level, and is guaranteed to not accomplish anything of note.

This.

I remember when we switched from 4-3 to 3-4. Zimmer a 4-3 guy never figured out the 3-4 scheme and was run out of town.

Now he is coming back and we try to advertise him like a saviour. As with every medicore coach we manage to lure out of retirement.

 

[Robster8989]

Another Will McClay dud...............all Mazi is good for is getting pushed around.

I hope he can become a solid player.
I do agree the weight loss request was a horrible idea.
I had concerns with the pick. I watch a ton of college football, and I'm a Michigan fan, so I saw him play a lot.
He does have incredible strength, but his motor was a question, and so often I've seen those guys (with motor questions) fail at the next level. It's the age old "gotta work for it" issue.
I remember in the playoff game that year (TCU-Michigan) and Mazi was lined up against Steve Avila all game, and Avila was an NFL prospect. Avila just dominated him that game (Mazi had a forced fumble but that was sort of luck). But Avila just got into him, and Mazi looked like he sort of gave up. That was a HUGE red flag to me, and I couldn't;t believe we took him in round 1. I thought he was a Day 2 pick (based on his strength and natural ability) but taking into account the motor question.
You don;t really need your 1 tech to make plays, just eat up space and take up blockers, so others can make the plays. I hope Mazi can do that.

 

[CowboyStar88]

Blaming the michigan coaches does not track; he never learned to attack on any play EVER? BS

I’m not blaming anyone it’s literally been discussed here and by people who cover the team about his responsibilities on every play at Michigan. This was talked about during the season.

I’m asking the question if that has impacted what he was doing here? With the weight loss it’s obvious they weren’t quite sure how they wanted to use him.

 

[DUO_CORE]

The thread is about Zimmer fixing Mazi, shut up about the qb. Yall don't have to crap on every thread.

i held it for as long as I could: The metamucil must have kicked in.

 

[starfrombirth]

Mazi's on McClay, we all saw him bang the desk. McClay's not infallible, everyone makes mistake.....THE IMPORTANT THING IS NOT TO DOUBLE DOWN ON THEM.
It's evident he/they thought that if Mazi lost weight he could be a serious factor in pass-rush. They appear to have reassessed this evaluation and have (re-)bulked him up as a true NT. OK they overdrafted a NT in the 1st, some picks pan out exactly, some exceed (Tyler) and some dont. What's important is getting Mazi as a (3-down) DT.....he may not pass-rush, but can facilitate and enable others to get home.

I don't know if it's true or not but I read from another poster that losing weight was his decision and not the coaching staff. That might point to why he didn't have much playing time.

 

[1942willys]

I’m not blaming anyone it’s literally been discussed here and by people who cover the team about his responsibilities on every play at Michigan. This was talked about during the season.

I’m asking the question if that has impacted what he was doing here? With the weight loss it’s obvious they weren’t quite sure how they wanted to use him.

sure its been discussed and I have heard no one claim that coaching makes you slow off the mark. Bluntly speaking why was he any good at Michigan if he never attacked and never did anything except stand there? read and react does not mean slow off the snap; show me any coach that claims that.

 

[CowboyStar88]

sure its been discussed and I have heard no one claim that coaching makes you slow off the mark. Bluntly speaking why was he any good at Michigan if he never attacked and never did anything except stand there? read and react does not mean slow off the snap; show me any coach that claims that.

If your responsibilities cause you to act slow it is the technique that is probably being taught. If a technique isn’t a fit for a player that’s coaching?

Obviously Mazi pure physical strength allowed him to over come whatever scheme/technique he was taught because of the competition.

Will he improve? Who knows but for the sake of the team I sure hope he does. Whatever they were doing with him last year wasn’t it.

 

[CT Dal Fan]

It's common for DT's to start their careers off slow. Mazi was known to be a bit of a raw prospect coming in anyway.

It's way to early to write him off. I know it's fun for a lot of people to spin the negative about everything and everyone on this team but let's give him another chance.

 

[CATCH17]

Zimmer is whatever.

Quinn is much better than him.


The Mazi pick was awful. I hated it at the time.

Dude has almost no impact on a game in college.

 

[Bagman]

Dan Quinn screwed Mazi Smith and this team!

Been saying this for months. Yes, highlight reel plays were up but basic defense was horrible. Couldn't defend the middle of the field and couldn't stop the run. I'm so glad Quinn is gone

 

[JohnnyTheFox]

Another brilliant DQ idea… smh

Yep, just think they could have had him lose 70 more pounds and he could have been a linebacker LOL

 

[rnr_honeybadger]

Zimmers on a one year deal on a team that has a lame duck coach and has to overcome the limitations of a Dak Prescott led offense that is all to predictable.