Video: 105:3 The Fan: Evaluating Mazi Smith After A Rough Preseason

[Sydla]

He’s going to rotate with Hank. He will eventually figure it all out hopefully

You have to hope. You cant be whiffing on first round picks. Bringing Hankins back was smart as it gives us some flexibility with Smith.

 

[jwitten82]

Glad some of you guys aren’t in the front office because of some of you guys had your way we would be watching Jalen Tolbert have a pro bowl year for another team.

He’s a rookie….in the preseason…at the 1T.

Patience

Tolbert also wasn't a first round pick. People weren't expecting Mazi to be so slow get blown off the ball for the supposed strongest player in the draft. All this great athleticism we haven't seen

 

[Redline360]

Still to early to write him off. Some players take a couple years to develop.

Although ide imagined him playing a little better for someone described as an athletic freak. Slow off the snap and honestly looked clueless most of the time.

It doesnt matter how naturally gifted someone is. If they are a "dumb" player most athletes never translate to their full potential.

 

[kskboys]

If Mazi isn’t a very good player by end of year 2 then Voch must be the moron.
Guess it’s only morons who are disappointed to watch their first round pick, 340 lbs touted as a freak athlete be glacially slow off the snap, get blown off the line, and look generally clueless on how to shed a block? Yes we are all rooting for him and yes we know he’s not going to be a star immediately but it’s not fair to tell people they don’t know football bc they were expecting their first round pick to actually be able to play quickly instead of basically a near redshirt year.

If they didn't know Mazi was raw coming in, need major technique work, then yes, they are morons. It's been blatantly obvious. Mazi stands up at the snap, that is actually what you're seeing. Fix that, and the getting blown off the line and being slow off the snap goes away. A little hand work makes the lack of block shedding go away.

If you're disappointed at this point, then you maybe should've even be watching preseason. Will he come around? Don't know at this point. I would take a guess and say that they're having trouble getting him to play correctly, and so played him a ton to basically show him that how he's doing it is not going to work. And if he's still unwilling to correct, then he is a bust.

 

[kskboys]

He’s a bit of a development project. Yes, he’s had some bad snaps but he also had some very good ones. Fortunately, we have Hankins so we don’t need him to be a Day 1 starter. The issues I see are technical with leverage and pad height which are coachable.

Way too early to write him off.

Pad height. Yup. He stands up at the snap, losing the leverage battle.

 

[kskboys]

or was it an evaluator getting fixated with the "potential"?

All draftees are drafted for their potential.

 

[mcmvp]

If Smith kind of fizzles out, the Cowboys should institute a new draft rule in their drafting procedures:

Don't draft Michigan DL in the first round.

Brandon Graham? Took him a couple years, but he’s been very solid

 

[kskboys]

The "real" first round is typically only 15-16 players. After that, there's little difference through the mid 3rd round.

And it varies from draft to draft. There are drafts where the real 1st round talent only goes 5 or 6 deep, and then there are the rare ones where it goes pretty much into the 2nd round.

I agree w/ your general numbers, BTW.

 

[kskboys]

Brandon Graham? Took him a couple years, but he’s been very solid

Dana is playing well. Paye has been solid. Aidan Hutchinson........

 

[tomokawan]

I hate ex-players who talk down to fans. Shut up!! It is cool to just explain about Mazi without bashing fans.

 

[McKDaddy]

All draftees are drafted for their potential.

potential alone isn't nearly enough .... especially for a first rounder. need some hard evidence on the field as your foundation.

 

[Creeper]

I don't think Mazi has been that bad. People need to lower their expectations at this point. If you expected him to come in and dominate right away the problem is you.

 

[kskboys]

potential alone isn't nearly enough .... especially for a first rounder. need some hard evidence on the field as your foundation.

Not sure why you'd say that. That's what all players are drafted on, potential. The only evidence you find on the field is the evaluation of physical traits combined w/ instincts.

 

[ActualCowboysFan]

He’s a bit of a development project. Yes, he’s had some bad snaps but he also had some very good ones. Fortunately, we have Hankins so we don’t need him to be a Day 1 starter. The issues I see are technical with leverage and pad height which are coachable.

Way too early to write him off.

He’ll never be Nick Hayden but who is

 

[rags747]

Yep!! Voch and Sky are a breath of Fresh Air. Cowboys Alternative media is doing the journalism these days. Others guys are emboldened to sensation due to sponsor pressure.

YouTubers and X Content creators are setting the standard for new age journalism

Agreed, MSM is pretty much Dead. With the amount of misinformation that they push it’s a wonder that they have any audience at all.

 

[Starforever]

I hate ex-players who talk down to fans. Shut up!! It is cool to just explain about Mazi without bashing fans.

Yes, because fans never bash.

 

[McKDaddy]

Not sure why you'd say that. That's what all players are drafted on, potential. The only evidence you find on the field is the evaluation of physical traits combined w/ instincts.

We don't see this the same or aren't communicating it effectively. Many players are drafted with the mindset that even if I get nothing more than what they have shown on tape, I am getting a really good player who can contribute. ie, their floor is perfectly fine for that draft slot. Sure, we'd love for them to exceed that.

Oftentimes when we analyze why a player failed to live up to the investment, it's because someone way overvalued what they "might" become generally due to athletic measurables.

 

[Proof]

I hate ex-players who talk down to fans. Shut up!! It is cool to just explain about Mazi without bashing fans.

should be a level of decorum, sure. but it's usually in response to very loud bad opinions.

 

[VaqueroTD]

Yep!! Voch and Sky are a breath of Fresh Air. Cowboys Alternative media is doing the journalism these days. Others guys are emboldened to sensation due to sponsor pressure.

YouTubers and X Content creators are setting the standard for new age journalism

Been listing to Voch for a while now. Dude has talent. Haven’t tuned in to the other guys out there yet except for when they all get together on same stream.

 

[Ragin_Kage]

Obviously they have hopes he develops into something much more, but if he can eat up blocks and keep our LB's clean and able to run to the ball, its a good first year.