Dallas Cowboys: What to do about Jaylon Smith

Redline360

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IMO, getting 154 tackles doesn't nake you a good linebacker, but bad linebackers don't get that many either.

I think 154 tackles means, this guy is available every week and at least average at taking down ball carriers.

Please list every Cowboys defender who is available every week and at least average at their primary job function.

When you realize how short that list is, please tell me again why you want to cut one of the few people on that list, and how you plan to replace him. "I'd just draft a guy" is not an answer because we have 15 different holes we need to "just draft a guy" to fill.

Even if that weren't the case, it's amazing to me that everyone is convinced that we can just draft a guy and upgrade. LVE was a first rounder, JSmith was gonna be but ended up a 2nd rounder. Sean Lee was a second rounder. We're happy with none of them right now.

And don't say "we'll sign a guy on the market" unless you can tell me where the money comes from. It's gonna cost cap dollars just to cut jaylon, and then you gotta replace him at market value. By the time it's done, best case scenario we end up paying in total more than Jaylon costs next year, and we likely get somebody about as average as he is.

Listen guys. I get it. He's not a long term answer. He's not an all pro. But our defense is trash. Whatever he is, he's about as good as anyone else on that side of the ball. It is so easy to just say "cut him!" but it isn't that simple to do it. I've asked for an actual strategy a few times now and all I get told is that I'm irrational or called names.

If everyone is so convinced that Jaylon must go, then why can't anyone say anything better than "meh ill just draft/sign someone". Sign who, Cowboys Zone??? Draft who? And at what cost to other areas of need, like a QB contract or our secondary that currently consists of like 3 guys total?


His availability to stay healthy is both good(tackles) and a curse. He's an average LB who is vastly overpaid.

He is not a leader and the prime example of the cancerous culture in Dallas.
 

DasSchnitzel

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His availability to stay healthy is both good(tackles) and a curse. He's an average LB who is vastly overpaid.

He is not a leader and the prime example of the cancerous culture in Dallas.

I think it's a fan narrative that he definitely isn't a leader. We don't know what he is in the locker room, but we do know that teammates don't have nearly as many negative things to say about Jaylon's attitude as fans at home do. For all we know, the infamous swipe is a big inside joke in the locker room.

Regardless, tabling that for a moment. I still agree he needs to go, I still disagree that it's wise to make him go now.

At least wait until August when we know what else we have. At least try to make him work as a LB for one more year so we don't get totally hosed cutting him just so we can "upgrade" to someone just as average who happens to tackle and swipe less than Jaylon.

If there's a guy out there who is capable of playing 16 games, is capable of 150+ tackles, and is willing to play for so cheap that we end up saving money after cutting Jaylon, eating that penalty, and signing the new guy, well, that guy isn't gonna be a free agent. And if he is, he's likely taking that team friendly contract requirement to KC or TB or Buffalo.

That's just the way it is and no one is saying anything to the contrary. Everyone is just doubling down on wanting Jaylon gone yesterday.
 

DuncanIso

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His availability to stay healthy is both good(tackles) and a curse. He's an average LB who is vastly overpaid.

He is not a leader and the prime example of the cancerous culture in Dallas.

He makes a lot of tackles.

they pay him to do that.

no one else on the team is even close to his production.

Until someone else starts putting up the same stats, he is staying.
 
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