Gil Brandt predicts Week 14-15 return for Jaylon Smith

[DogFace]

If...he comes back...If he gets 10 snaps and his first game is in the playoffs he'll make an impact. He'll make one "splash play" at least.
By his third game, the Super Bowl, he'll be playing over half the game and changing the complection of our D. He's that good.

I think @Maxmadden's description of his nerve injury matches up with the limited news we've received on this injury and is possibly exactly the way Jaylons nerve is heeeling. Very gradually. Very good description.

 

[big dog cowboy]

I think a lot of people just think that once the nerve fires, it's game on. I had a pinched nerve in my neck for 9 months while I fought with workman's comp (hurt it in an attic fire). Turn my head to the right and my left arm would go numb.

I finally was able to get the surgery done to fuse C4 and C5 and good as new, except nothing had changed. The first month after surgery I was really depressed, absolutely no progress. I wrongly assumed after a few weeks I would start seeing improvement but it wasn't like that. There was never any day to day progress or even week to week, but after a couple of months looking back I could see that I had made some progress. It seemed like more of a month to month thing for the nerve to heal after being pinched for so long. It took about 8 months for the numbness to go totally away.

My point being is I don't think he woke up one day and the nerve was firing. I think it has been so gradual that you can't even describe your progress. Listening to him and a couple of reports I think he has made progress and it has been enough time for him to look back and clearly see he is progressing. It's frustrating really because everybody that sees you wants to know how you are progressing and you really can't see it on a day to day basis.

I know we had different injuries but nerves don't respond the same way other body parts do. Everything I have heard really sounds encouraging and I think people inside the organization believe he will play this year, but it's not going to be a foregone conclusion. I do believe the nerve is firing to an extent.

Really good post. Thanks.

 

[bayeslife]

He's not wearing it. Click on the link and click on the pic to expand the pic. There is no question he is not wearing it.

Would he be able to go without it if he is on his time off? Like if he is just relaxing like he is in the picture. Just thinking out loud here

 

[Oh_Canada]

Brandt just had dinner with the guy and if he thinks the kid is back week 14 I believe it.

If this is true and Smith and Gregory can make any kind of impact look the you-know-what out!

 

[BoysfanfromCanada]

Would he be able to go without it if he is on his time off? Like if he is just relaxing like he is in the picture. Just thinking out loud here

From what I've read, you can walk with certain forms of drop foot (most of what is out there relates to MS) but it's hard. You have to take large steps with the injured foot as if you're going up stairs, so the toes don't hit the ground when you're walking. It's just much easier with a brace.

 

[Blackspider214]

Could you imagine if we get him for the playoff push and run? That could make us an instant Super Bowl contender going into the playoffs IMO.

I doubt that. Having not played for this long and has never experienced the NFL game, it will take him awhile to adjust to it. He wouldn't make any impact until next year.

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

Would he be able to go without it if he is on his time off? Like if he is just relaxing like he is in the picture. Just thinking out loud here

Can? I imagine how could. OTOH, in an interview earlier this season, he was asked whether or not he wore it all the time. He said he did and pointed out that he had it on at that time.

 

[waldoputty]

Can? I imagine how could. OTOH, in an interview earlier this season, he was asked whether or not he wore it all the time. He said he did and pointed out that he had it on at that time.

With the little bits of talk, it seems @Maxmadden's explanation matches what is going on the best.

He was wearing the brace all the time, and now his picture with the kids had no brace on.
Note that he was wearing shoes so he was walking like that (not that he removed the brace with playing with kids on the floor).
Jaylon's tweets may be the most he can 'communicate'

If he comes back late in the season, he could make a contribution with a few games to acclimatize to the speed of the game.
i am sure (and hope) the Cowboys would not want their potential 2nd biggest steal in the draft (almost as big as Dak probably is) to get injured due to incomplete recovery.

I think I read somewhere that RB (1st) and LB (2nd) are the positions where rookies typically make the biggest impact, unlike WR and QB.

Some (may be many) of us are quietly dreaming of the perfect storm, where Gregory and Smith make their unlikely returns in the 14th game. In this dream scenario, our 2 biggest weakness' are solved when Gregory and Tank provide the edge rush and Jaylon mans the MLB abandoned by RMcclain, leading us to the promiseland...

Back to reality,... BTB reported:
Garrett was also asked about the status of Darren McFadden, James Hanna and Jaylon Smith, since the six-week NFI period is almost up. Garrett was vague in saying they are all making progress at different speeds, but that he didn’t anticipate any of them would be a full-go for practices next week. He did not get asked about the individual status of Jaylon Smith, so no new word on his nerve recovering or not.

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

With the little bits of talk, it seems @Maxmadden's explanation matches what is going on the best.

He was wearing the brace all the time, and now his picture with the kids had no brace on.
Note that he was wearing shoes so he was walking like that (not that he removed the brace with playing with kids on the floor).
Jaylon's tweets may be the most he can 'communicate'

If he comes back late in the season, he could make a contribution with a few games to acclimatize to the speed of the game.
i am sure (and hope) the Cowboys would not want their potential 2nd biggest steal in the draft (almost as big as Dak probably is) to get injured due to incomplete recovery.

I think I read somewhere that RB (1st) and LB (2nd) are the positions where rookies typically make the biggest impact, unlike WR and QB.

Some (may be many) of us are quietly dreaming of the perfect storm, where Gregory and Smith make their unlikely returns in the 14th game. In this dream scenario, our 2 biggest weakness' are solved when Gregory and Tank provide the edge rush and Jaylon mans the MLB abandoned by RMcclain, leading us to the promiseland...

Back to reality,... BTB reported:
Garrett was also asked about the status of Darren McFadden, James Hanna and Jaylon Smith, since the six-week NFI period is almost up. Garrett was vague in saying they are all making progress at different speeds, but that he didn’t anticipate any of them would be a full-go for practices next week. He did not get asked about the individual status of Jaylon Smith, so no new word on his nerve recovering or not.

Sorry but given the information that we have both the light switch and gradual reinnervation match what we have observed. All we know is that he is "making progress" and that he used to wear the brace all the time up to last month at the very least and that as of a couple days ago that was no longer the case.

I wish someone would ask him if he can flex the peroneal muscle and cut through the BS.

 

[Kaiser]

I wish someone would ask him if he can flex the peroneal muscle and cut through the BS.

"Hello, TMZ Tip Line?..."

 

[waldoputty]

Sorry but given the information that we have both the light switch and gradual reinnervation match what we have observed. All we know is that he is "making progress" and that he used to wear the brace all the time up to last month at the very least and that as of a couple days ago that was no longer the case.

I wish someone would ask him if he can flex the peroneal muscle and cut through the BS.

I recall the nerve needs to innervate multiple locations in the muscle.
That, as well as muscle atrophy, could account for a gradual recovery period.
Though a neurologist could probably answer this question because this should not be a unique situation.

As long as Jaylon recovers close to 100%, it would be unbelievable steal for Cowboys.
Sounds like he does not have severe foot drop any more, so it is great news even if he never plays again...
We shall see.

There may be a concerted effort by Cowboys to prevent leaks.
With 4-1, Romo, Zeke and Dak, they have enough buzz to maintain all the PR for now.
No need for extra buzz for marketing purposes.
They probably dont want to get the hopes up for this season until they are sure.
Jerry is saying it in a around about way, as well as Jaylon's tweets.

 

[Broges74]

I have no doubt Jaylon is making process. He may now be able to walk without the brace and is cutting on it to some extent. I do not believe he has full range of motion or is anywhere close to practicing at this time. In fact, I'm just stating what Jaylon has said. I do believe it's a gradual process in his case where he doesn't have full control but enough to walk and make some cuts .

 

[waldoputty]

Sorry but given the information that we have both the light switch and gradual reinnervation match what we have observed. All we know is that he is "making progress" and that he used to wear the brace all the time up to last month at the very least and that as of a couple days ago that was no longer the case.

I wish someone would ask him if he can flex the peroneal muscle and cut through the BS.

Spoke to a researcher who did nerve regeneration research.
She is not a specialist in foot drop however.
Assuming the foot drop has improved, then it looks like the nerve axons have regenerated to the muscle though there are generally multiple locations on the muscle.

Functional recovery for a damaged motor nerve does not happen as an on/off situation.
Functional recovery is often measured by the amount of force that the target muscle can generate.
It is not over days either.
Generally weeks or months.
She said we may know in 3 months how much Jaylon gets back.

Her group used to do research on a medical device called a nerve regeneration channel or nerve guidance conduit.
These can be used if the nerve is severed to guide the regenerating axons to the target muscle.
This device can get the nerve regrowth close to the muscle, but what happens at the muscle is based on luck and other factors.

 

[CalPolyTechnique]

My gosh, never has been so much baseless speculation over a photo. If he wears the brace more often than he's not on the day-to-day, it would be a safe guess he's probably itching to take it off in his down time walking around the crib.

 

[waldoputty]

My gosh, never has been so much baseless speculation over a photo. If he wears the brace more often than he's not on the day-to-day, it would be a safe guess he's probably itching to take it off in his down time walking around the crib.

"take it off in his down time walking around the crib" = improvement in foot drop condition

 

[TheBigEasy]

ok I have waited to post this but I had a severe burn on my left leg below the knee it affects the nerve and I could not feel anything for a long time. About 2 months ago I was laying on the bed next to my wife and suddenly boom I had full feeling in the burned area. it freaked me out and my wife poked at it for the next few minutes...
point being is the nerve "woke up" instantly and out of nowhere. Now Smith's injury is different than mine but the reactions of the nerves should be the same

Yeah, when I said 'I do' my main nerve did the same thing. Funny, it fired again when my wife poked at it too. We may be on to something. Get Jaylon someone to start poking around = PROFIT!

 

[Plankton]

Some (may be many) of us are quietly dreaming of the perfect storm, where Gregory and Smith make their unlikely returns in the 14th game. In this dream scenario, our 2 biggest weakness' are solved when Gregory and Tank provide the edge rush and Jaylon mans the MLB abandoned by RMcclain, leading us to the promiseland...

I don't think that Jaylon Smith is a good fit at MLB. He was largely a WLB in college, and struggled taking on blocks. He would excel at WLB or SLB, provided he recovers fully from the leg injury.

 

[waldoputty]

Yeah, when I said 'I do' my main nerve did the same thing. Funny, it fired again when my wife poked at it too. We may be on to something. Get Jaylon someone to start poking around = PROFIT!

it does not sound like that section of your nerve died.
i am sure jaylon is getting plenty of poking lol

 

[waldoputty]

I don't think that Jaylon Smith is a good fit at MLB. He was largely a WLB in college, and struggled taking on blocks. He would excel at WLB or SLB, provided he recovers fully from the leg injury.

i was thinking about the same thing regarding mlb.
though others have pointed out that SLB does not play much.
and Lee is the WLB - who was moved there from MLB due to the harsher conditions.

 

[Plankton]

i was thinking about the same thing regarding mlb.
though others have pointed out that SLB does not play much.
and Lee is the WLB - who was moved there from MLB due to the harsher conditions.

When they go to the nickel, Smith can stay on the field with Lee. Smith could also play MLB in the dime, if it came to it. In a base defense, it's not his best position. It robs him of his best skill - running to the ball in space.