20 Questions: No. 11, what impact will Mazi make in 2023

[Havic]

I've said this before on here... show me a run-stuffing NT you like, and I'll show you a guy who didn't put it together until at least year 3.

Vita Vea
Derrick Brown
Dexter Lawrence
Daron Payne
DJ Reader
Christian Wilkins

The most important thing with all of those guys is that they showed signs of life early on. They all started off playing OK, just not up to 1st round level expectations. Then somewhere around year 3 or 4, the NFL squats 'n' oats kicked in, and they start bulldozing guards again.

The biggest thing I want to see from Mazi is signs of life. Hold down some double teams, slip past some guards. It doesn't even have to be consistent, just show us that you have the potential do it.

If Mazi plays at a Hankins level this year, I'd call that a win and positive sign for his long-term trajectory. If he's a Taco type blocking dummy out there, that's when I would pull the alarm.

Good analysis. I think he could have a slight edge with impact because he is an athletic freak but I have no idea how is technique or pad level is

 

[Mac_MaloneV1]

Go check the yardage we conceded once Hankins went down in Wk 13, our run defense struggled therein.

Correlation does not prove causation.

I don't remember which games Hankins did or didn't play, but the Cowboys gave up 3.34 ypc in the last 5 games of the season.... Hankins played significant snaps in the CHI, GB and IND games, which were three of the Cowboys' four worst run defense performances by YPC.

Run pluggers just do not matter.

 

[nyc-cowboy]

Correlation does not prove causation.

I don't remember which games Hankins did or didn't play, but the Cowboys gave up 3.34 ypc in the last 5 games of the season.... Hankins played significant snaps in the CHI, GB and IND games, which were three of the Cowboys' four worst run defense performances by YPC.

Run pluggers just do not matter.

Don't agree, look at the Rams and 1st SF play-off losses...even later in the game last year against SF - I believe they had 2 long drives towards the end of the game to mentain possession and pretty much seal the game.

If you can stop the other teams running game, it makes them one dimensional.

Yes its a passing league but later on in the season and in the play-off the running game and run pluggers do matter.

Edit - shoot if all he does is plug the run for the first couple of seasons, I'll be over the moon - until he develops his pass rushing skills...

 

[Mac_MaloneV1]

Don't agree, look at the Rams and 1st SF play-off losses...even later in the game last year against SF - I believe they had 2 long drives towards the end of the game to mentain possession and pretty much seal the game.

If you can stop the other teams running game, it makes them one dimensional.

Yes its a passing league but later on in the season and in the play-off the running game and run pluggers do matter.

Nope.

Run pluggers don't actually help you stop the other team's run game.

 

[nyc-cowboy]

Nope.

Run pluggers don't actually help you stop the other team's run game.

Guess we'll have to agree to disagree.

 

[Mac_MaloneV1]

Guess we'll have to agree to disagree.

There is no agree to disagree. The numbers are the numbers. Hankins played for three of the Cowboys four worst performances in run defense, and was out at the end of the year when they were very good. This is true across the league.

Scheme/committing bodies to stop the run and playing with a lead are the only two things that matter when it comes to stopping the run.

 

[nyc-cowboy]

There is no agree to disagree. The numbers are the numbers. Hankins played for three of the Cowboys four worst performances in run defense, and was out at the end of the year when they were very good. This is true across the league.

Scheme/committing bodies to stop the run and playing with a lead are the only two things that matter when it comes to stopping the run.

What do you think the job of a run plugger is...Its to take on double teams to free up the LBer

Why weren't we able to stop the run vs the Rams and SF - especially the Rams - they ran all over us and we knew it was coming.

Having players that won't easily be moved out of their gaps helps stop that.

 

[Mac_MaloneV1]

What do you think the job of a run plugger is...Its to take on double teams to free up the LBer

Why weren't we able to stop the run vs the Rams and SF - especially the Rams - they ran all over us and we knew it was coming.

Having players that won't easily be moved out of their gaps helps stop that.

No it doesn't. The Rams killed the Cowboys on the edges and the 49ers (who havne't really had any success running against the Cowboys anyway) do it with misdirection and overloading numbers.

And even if you were right, pointing to two-three games in a multi-year span doesn't prove anything. Go through the last 50 games of every team and you'll find anomalies.

The thought that these massive pluggers can eat up doubleteams so LBers can run free is a totally expired ideology. Teams can simply seal them with more athletic OL and, because these guys can't get into the backfield, they pose no threat .

 

[nyc-cowboy]

No it doesn't. The Rams killed the Cowboys on the edges and the 49ers (who havne't really had any success running against the Cowboys anyway) do it with misdirection and overloading numbers.

And even if you were right, pointing to two-three games in a multi-year span doesn't prove anything. Go through the last 50 games of every team and you'll find anomalies.

The thought that these massive pluggers can eat up doubleteams so LBers can run free is a totally expired ideology. Teams can simply seal them with more athletic OL and, because these guys can't get into the backfield, they pose no threat .

Mazi isn't a blob, and he obviously cant do it alone.

And just like any player can get sealed off the opposite is also true.

So its safe to say you weren't happy with the Mazi pick.

 

[Mac_MaloneV1]

Mazi isn't a blob, and he obviously cant do it alone.

And just like any player can get sealed off the opposite is also true.

So its safe to say you weren't happy with the Mazi pick.

I don't think Mazi is just a plugger. It's not the route I would have gone but I don't hate the pick.

If he is a "blob," it's a total whiff.

 

[nyc-cowboy]

I don't think Mazi is just a plugger. It's not the route I would have gone but I don't hate the pick.

If he is a "blob," it's a total whiff.

Fair enough.

 

[Whyjerry]

I think his impact will not be shown by individual stats. I think he adds the big bodied run stuffer element this team has lacked. I expect to see the run defense to be much better. I expect the tackles for loss and at the line of scrimmage to be up. I expect to see the LBs get more clean hits and not be chasing in the second level. I expect to see the LOS be challenged.

 

[Stash]

https://www.dallascowboys.com/news/11-what-impact-will-mazi-smith-make-in-2023

Another question we discussed a lot. But here is the motherships writers takes.


Mickey Spagnola: Not to be too cute here, but a "huge" one. Just his presence on the field to start, taking up space will be a plus. So, for starters this wide body, and not sloppy wide, but really strong will help hold down the middle of the line against the run. Should have seen what it looked like during one offseason practices when Mazi and Johnathan Hankins were lined up together at defensive tackle. That's a wide load. Plus, DC Dan Quinn thinks when lined up properly, not just to stop the run, that Mazi has some natural agility to present a threat rushing the quarterback. Can't wait to see him in pads.

If he’s anything close to what the team thinks and hopes that he is, he can take this defense to the next level.

 

[dreameaglegreen]

Jordan Davis hardly even played and certainly wasn't on the field in rush situations. He played in 13 games and only 26% of total snaps. Total non-factor. These players do not eat up two blockers in passrush sets.

Hargreave was their only DT who matterred last year.

I was trying to demonstrate how mazi could be a factor without putting up the stats. No worries if you disagree, but i think you got some stats wrong. Footballguys.com has jordan davis playing in only 12 games. He averaged 34.6% of the snaps before he got hurt. With a DT rotation of 5 guys it would be hard for him to get much more playing time. The eagles then signed 2 guys to replace his production after the injury. Curious as to why you think hargrave was the only dt that mattered last year? From your previous post, it seems if a guy isn't getting sacks, you don't think he's very good, is that correct? If that's the case how do you not count cox as a dt that mattered, since he was 12th among dt with 7.0 sacks?

 

[Mac_MaloneV1]

I was trying to demonstrate how mazi could be a factor without putting up the stats. No worries if you disagree, but i think you got some stats wrong. Footballguys.com has jordan davis playing in only 12 games. He averaged 34.6% of the snaps before he got hurt. With a DT rotation of 5 guys it would be hard for him to get much more playing time. The eagles then signed 2 guys to replace his production after the injury. Curious as to why you think hargrave was the only dt that mattered last year? From your previous post, it seems if a guy isn't getting sacks, you don't think he's very good, is that correct? If that's the case how do you not count cox as a dt that mattered, since he was 12th among dt with 7.0 sacks?

The point is that if Davis was useful, he would have played a lot more and they wouldn't have been pressured to sign both Suh and Joseph.

Sack totals don't matter, but ability to rush the passer does. Hargrave was T-2 in passrush win rate last year, among DTs. There is no such thing as an impactful DT who can't penetrate.