Elephant in the room, J. Smith

CyberB0b said:

I posted this in 2017:

Obviously, it is a contributing factor, but I feel he had flaws in his game before the injury. Here are some scouting reports.

I posted pretty much the same thing in May of 2016:

https://cowboyszone.com/threads/im-not-getting-the-jaylon-smith-hype.348704/

Being out of football for over a year, and recovering from an injury like this are exposing holes in his games that he had pre-injury. Some players get by on shear athletic ability, like Randy Moss, and others get by on pure will power, like Michael Irvin.

I believe Jaylon Smith has always been the most athletic person on the field at every step before entering the NFL, and as a result, his fundamentals have suffered. Not to say that he's lazy or lacking motivation, it was just overlooked.

The good news is that I think he can get back on track. I don't think the injury is hampering him all that much. I think it mainly has to due with his technique and rust. With the proper coaching, he can be a quality NFL starter.

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JoeKing said:

J Smith is well on his way to becoming a bust. He got paid so that explains how he went from good to bad in one year.

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OmerV said:

I'm going to assume this was meant tongue in cheek unless you say otherwise.

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JoeKing said:

Definitely tongue and check. I'm just mocking some of the narratives that some folks come up with here.

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bbailey423 said:

I am just looking at the game....and consistent solid play with some splash is what we should expect. Because of his "journey"...we often get an over hyped analysis of who he is as player whenever he makes a tackle..which is usually after the offensive player has made a solid run or already caught the ball. So all I am asking is when it comes to making plays...."what makes this guy special"?

And to be fair...it's not just him...are there ANY playmakers on this defense? Now Lawrence and Quinn have proven to be guys that can get sacks and be disruptive. But what has Smith really proven? I am a Cowboy fan.....I WANT the narrative about his play to be true...I am just waiting to actually see it. When Lee was in his prime...Lee made changing plays all the time....all I am saying is I hear what many are saying...but I am waiting to see it.

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OmerV said:

You literally cherry picked the play that looked the worst out of an almost 6 minute video that mostly shows Smith playing very well, including taking on blocks, making open field tackles and rushing the QB effectively. The very first play of the clip he rushes the passer, takes on the blocker directly, knocking him off balance, and continues on to hurry the QB and force an incomplete pass. I'm reposting your own link so people can see this if they care to.

https://cowboyszone.com/threads/im-not-getting-the-jaylon-smith-hype.348704/

Sure he gets blocked occasionally - since when does that not happen to everyone? And of course he had things to work on coming out of college, and he still does have things to work on. He isn't a finished product, and he does still have areas to improve. But this kind of cherry picking is no better than if someone cherry picks a single great play and acts as if that is the norm. There is always good and bad plays with every player, but you judge on the totality, not on the individual play.

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CyberB0b said:

He's totally sucked this year. He's got lots of issues that haven't been addressed.

"
Weaknesses
Tackles for loss production doesn't match up with his traits. Too passive in his approach preferring to wait on plays rather than racing downhill to own them. Not strong enough at point of attack to maintain balance and positioning when blockers get into his frame. Understands angles to the ball, but still learning shortcuts through the gaps. Flies after the ball with reckless abandon failing to come to balance as a tackler. Has habit of lunging into arm tackles rather than using feet to work into better tackling position. Missed 11 tackles this year.
"

Same guy in 2019.

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JoeKing said:

Definitely tongue and check. I'm just mocking some of the narratives that some folks come up with here.

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CyberB0b said:

He's totally sucked this year. He's got lots of issues that haven't been addressed.

"
Weaknesses
Tackles for loss production doesn't match up with his traits. Too passive in his approach preferring to wait on plays rather than racing downhill to own them. Not strong enough at point of attack to maintain balance and positioning when blockers get into his frame. Understands angles to the ball, but still learning shortcuts through the gaps. Flies after the ball with reckless abandon failing to come to balance as a tackler. Has habit of lunging into arm tackles rather than using feet to work into better tackling position. Missed 11 tackles this year.
"

Same guy in 2019.

Click to expand...

CyberB0b said:

I posted this in 2017:

Obviously, it is a contributing factor, but I feel he had flaws in his game before the injury. Here are some scouting reports.

I posted pretty much the same thing in May of 2016:

https://cowboyszone.com/threads/im-not-getting-the-jaylon-smith-hype.348704/

Being out of football for over a year, and recovering from an injury like this are exposing holes in his games that he had pre-injury. Some players get by on shear athletic ability, like Randy Moss, and others get by on pure will power, like Michael Irvin.

I believe Jaylon Smith has always been the most athletic person on the field at every step before entering the NFL, and as a result, his fundamentals have suffered. Not to say that he's lazy or lacking motivation, it was just overlooked.

The good news is that I think he can get back on track. I don't think the injury is hampering him all that much. I think it mainly has to due with his technique and rust. With the proper coaching, he can be a quality NFL starter.

Click to expand...

CyberB0b said:

He's totally sucked this year. He's got lots of issues that haven't been addressed.

"
Weaknesses
Tackles for loss production doesn't match up with his traits. Too passive in his approach preferring to wait on plays rather than racing downhill to own them. Not strong enough at point of attack to maintain balance and positioning when blockers get into his frame. Understands angles to the ball, but still learning shortcuts through the gaps. Flies after the ball with reckless abandon failing to come to balance as a tackler. Has habit of lunging into arm tackles rather than using feet to work into better tackling position. Missed 11 tackles this year.
"

Same guy in 2019.

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INCowboysFan said:

Do you still wish Dallas had drafter Myles Jack??

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Ranching said:

I'm seeing a pink elephant!!

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