It was the Cowboys doctor who diagnosed Clark with a herniated disk

plymkr

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Bobby Wagner got an 8 and Ray Lewis got a 13 so Wonderlic is probably an overrated attribute.

Still think this was a wasted pick though with the injury where it is and the position he plays.

At least this time it was only a 5th rounder on a fragile LB.
Exactly, I'm cool with them wasting a 5th rounder on a guy that might not play. If he never plays again then we wasted a 5th on him. Who cares? Most 5ths don't make the team. If he's a stud that redshirts a year and is a solid starter then Jerry can brag about being a genius. The 5th round is for medical risks, not the 2nd round. So I'm happy we took the risk in the 5th.

If it pays off and he plays then we made out like bandits. That'd be sweet. I'm optimistic he'll be good for 2023. I just hope he doesn't put his life in danger to play. Spinal injuries are no joke. As much as Jerry annoys me I would like him to strike gold on one of these gambles cuz then the whole team benefits from it.
 

LittleD

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But Jaylon was a great player.
Logically, if you're going to spend a second round pick on a player, you want some indication that player will be back to what he is capable of.
Otherwise, why not pick him in a lower round?
This is done all the time, which is why Damone Clark was drafted in the fifth round when he was initially projected in the second.
Simply put, the Cowboys knew his talent was in the second round but because of injury, they chose him in a lower round. If they were confident about his injury and his recovery, they would have chosen him higher.
Similarly, the Cowboys doctors must have let them know that Jaylon was going to return to the player he was. Otherwise, if they had not, the Cowboys would not have taken him that high. So, from my perspective, the doctors didn't let Jerry and crew know he would be back from his injury but that he would be back as the same player he was before the injury.
Otherwise, the Cowboys would have taken him lower.
It doesn't make sense to gamble a first or second round pick on a blue-chip player you're not sure will return to blue-chip status.
Then again, Jerry loves taking reclamation projects in the second round. Sigh.


Taking Jalen was not a big mistake but, giving him a pay raise was the big no-no. It was a giant gamble to believe that ankle would hold up to long term punishment. The FO really needs to do a better job of evaluating whether a player is really worth more money or drafting his replacement.
 

1972COWBOY

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Isn't starting a NFL career with plates and screws in the neck very risky ?

The disks above and below the fusion are going to compress easier and be more susceptible to herniation also as they have to take up the cushion from the fused disk.

IMO, Clark needs to make his money and get out ASAP and spend his money wisely. When he's 30 - 40 etc, he may have complications and a painful neck although I assume his neck will always be somewhat painful after a fusion and have slightly limited mobility.
 
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1972COWBOY

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I have a
Ok my dad had this surgery and is in pain even after the surgery. thats cool we took a flyer on the guy but really we could have just signed him a UDFA and used the pic on someone else. he's more than likely NOT going to play football at the same way as before the surgery due to A. worry about breaking his neck and being paralyzed. and B. just whiffing on tackles due to A

I have a ruptured C3-C4 that was shown to be bulging into the nerve canal back in 2000. I never got it operated on and have a lot of bone spurs etc. I have good months and bad months. The arms and hands were on fire for 2 years until the nerves adjusted .I also had double crush syndrome from working as a CADD Drafter.

Drs had different opinions on if I needed the surgery and the final decision was:

If I did not have loss of bodily functions and the arm pain subsided which it did mostly, that a fusion would not help with the neck pain as having the plates and screws in the neck will always be somewhat painful plus I would have limited mobility. Plus the neck according to the DR was stable. If unstable, you would want surgery in case you had an accident that could cripple you.

According to my buddy, plates and screws in the neck are no fun when its cold and damp or near a AC unit in the summer. Now both disks above his fusion have degenerated (he is 70) and he just had 4 epidural injections to quite down the inflammation.

Today, I do 5 minutes of resistance bad strengthening daily. A nice COOP adjustable foam pillow also helps
 
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tyke1doe

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Taking Jalen was not a big mistake but, giving him a pay raise was the big no-no. It was a giant gamble to believe that ankle would hold up to long term punishment. The FO really needs to do a better job of evaluating whether a player is really worth more money or drafting his replacement.
In hindsight, it was a big mistake ... to take him in the SECOND ROUND!
I said it then, I say it now.
We thought we were going to get a great player at a bargain basement price.
And it wasn't just the ankle. His injury affects every part of his leg.
It was comical but sad that he looked like he was on skates. He simply lost his change of direction, and it didn't look like he ever regained it.
That's the reason, in my opinion, he would take bad angles. He would just run himself out of the play and couldn't recuperate fast enough because his change of direction was lacking.
But I agree with your last statement. We seem to hang on to players too long.
Truthfully, Zeke should be gone by now.
Tyron Smith should be gone.
D-Law should be gone.
We should have traded Dez.
We should always be in rebuilding mode, not drafting backups to our starters because you blink and the starters are old and have no trade value.
 

blueblood70

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His surgeon promised he would be back playing in 6 months. He's a month in and says he's pain free and can do most anything but football contact to the head/neck area.
be back working out, running, and on the side with trainers , im sure but ready to paly i doubt it,..would be awesome but...that being very optimistic.

If cox and LVe hold up and with Parsons play the entire year, no need to rush this kid..now come November and we have a rash of injuries and he can come back you make that decision like redshirt in college at times is brought in an emergency,,
 

Risen Star

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If I'm making the call he would sit out the entire year and have him retake the wonderlic next year.
 

1972COWBOY

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His surgeon promised he would be back playing in 6 months. He's a month in and says he's pain free and can do most anything but football contact to the head/neck area.

Yep, and get out ASAP with a nice retirement nest egg.
 
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