DL coach Jeff Zgonina on DT Mazi Smith

[blueblood70]

Reading between the lines, it doesn't sound good for Mazi.
No real praise for him.
"We're trying to get the right fit for him."
That's a lukewarm endorsement for a first-round draft pick headed into his second year.

I mean seriously what I read between the lines was last year they tried to force him to do things that was not conducive to his actual position he's supposed to be a pure one tech and nose tackle they made him lose weight they only brought him in and sometimes used him as a three tech and now they're trying to teach him the proper way to be a nose tackle in this new defense and actually trying to utilize his skill set that is what you're supposed to do as a coach you're reading the wrong lines what they're saying is last year they didn't bother to coach him up and they tried to force him to do things that he would never be good at.. How is that a hard stretch to understand that Dan Quinn did this with his hybrid linebackers he made safeties in the linebackers he constantly tried to make a bunch of his players play his defense in many games we lost because he couldn't adjust he didn't know how to adjust he basically just said we're running my defense or we'll just fail.

I'm not saying this kids gonna be good or anything I'm telling you that that's what they're saying they did not coach him last year the correct way they tried to make him run Dan Quinn's defense and we all know that that doesn't start with the middle or the run game and now maybe they're trying to coach him up and bring him back to where he should have been last year being coached up at nose tackle....​

 

[rags747]

maybe he can play fullback on goalline?!

 

[America's Cowboy]

DQ liked him enough to draft in round 1. We should offer him a trade, maybe Armstrong and a pick for Mazi lol.

Can we trade Mazi to Dan Quinn and the Commanders for DT John Ridgeway and a 2nd day pick? This way DQ gets his 1st round DT pick back, especially since he wanted Mazi while cutting John Ridgeway 2 years ago when we initially drafted Ridgeway?

 

[Jfconrow]

Reading between the lines, it doesn't sound good for Mazi.
No real praise for him.
"We're trying to get the right fit for him."
That's a lukewarm endorsement for a first-round draft pick headed into his second year.

I agree. It should be he fits any system not find a fit for him, that’s weird. He was injured but he’s working his way back, so that’s bad too. Also it’s concerning that learning a new system is a thing for him.

 

[big dog cowboy]

Mazi is young, but boy was he bad last year. It is just malpractice that he is being counted on so much. We really need him to be good. Did he provide one ounce of hope last year? I understand he was a first round pick. As of now though, he hasn't proven he can start. Heck, he hasn't proven he is even an NFL player yet.

We all know what happened his rookie year. At this point it doesn't matter what he did or didn't provide last year.

Coaching matters and he is finally getting good coaching and in a new scheme better tailored for him.

 

[jazzcat22]

Stop trying to read between the lines to come to a conclusion then. As that is an extremely wide interpretations.

There have been much more reports that he is having a very good TC as of the last week. The 1st few practice were a bit rough though.

That is in hard print, not between the lines.

 

[nalam]

I think some think tank genius ( Quinn) saw the athletic videos of him and thought they will make him a pass rush 3T , to justify taking in round 1. Hence the weight loss, and Probaly Mazi thinking too much and push off slower. ( I m just guessing)

This year they realized you can’t make him that and coaching him up to be the 1T , NT .

 

[blueblood70]

I agree. It should be he fits any system not find a fit for him, that’s weird. He was injured but he’s working his way back, so that’s bad too. Also it’s concerning that learning a new system is a thing for him.

Wrong!!!

you're supposed to design or alter your system to work for the players you do have especially when you come in and this might be your only year and Mike Zimmer, you need to design the best system for what you have on the field you cannot force a square peg into a round hole... he's a nose tackle, there's only one way that you're supposed to use them and they did not use them properly last year and they're trying to reacclimate them into this new defense that's a pure one tech, nose tackle, which won't get a lot of notoriety if you don't see him getting a lot of sacks and tackles you'll think he's not doing their job and what they're saying is you'd be wrong..

 

[SlammedZero]

If he ends up being a bust, this could be a double-edged sword. First, there's the obvious disappointment of the pick not panning out. Second, it might make the front office hesitant to invest high picks in a DT again—especially since this is the first time in decades they've taken the risk, and it could backfire.

 

[TheSport78]

DQ liked him enough to draft in round 1. We should offer him a trade, maybe Armstrong and a pick for Mazi lol.

Dallas needs to stop asking coaches for draft insight. Rely on the scouts and if the coaches are good, they'll get them to fit the system.

 

[gtb1943]

Stop trying to read between the lines to come to a conclusion then. As that is an extremely wide interpretations.

There have been much more reports that he is having a very good TC as of the last week. The 1st few practice were a bit rough though.

That is in hard print, not between the lines.

Everyone reads between the lines all the time
this is like putting up a hand and saying to the tide
BEGONE
to stop it

 

[DanTanna]

Mazi's 1 second delay at the snap will ultimately determine his NFL career. Right now it is a no-go.

 

[lkelly]

The right fit might be a local Arena Football team. Maybe Jerry can buy one.

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

I like Nate Newton's suggestion of simplifying everything so that Mazi doesn't have to read anything, Line him up nose to nose with the center or guard and have him plow straight forward.

Trap or stretch and it is over at that point.

 

[gtb1943]

Just have Mazi attack the center every play; that alone would help. Now of course if the center pulls then he needs to find someone else to hit right away

 

[speedkilz88]

Mazi's 1 second delay at the snap will ultimately determine his NFL career. Right now it is a no-go.

I've seen multiple clips of him in camp and he does not hesitate off the snap on any of them. No media people even mention that anymore. They also aren't playing him at 3T and expecting him to get up field anymore either.

 

[Mcsports]

You can see Mazi trying his new techniques. His slap and swim works. He is doing a much better job not getting turned.

That clip where Liufau clocks Smith, it is Mazi that Tyler was trying to peel from off a double team.

Mazi is being coached hard and maintained his work ethic. We have seen him chippy and starting fights. These are good things.

Mazi really seems to be working in the right direction.

I hope you right.
He is a tremendous athlete. He needs to learn and retain a lot.

 

[Mcsports]

Mazi is young, but boy was he bad last year. It is just malpractice that he is being counted on so much. We really need him to be good. Did he provide one ounce of hope last year? To not even protect yourself in case he is a dud is just crazy. Those type of players are typically not very expensive (run stoppers). I understand he was a first round pick. As of now though, he hasn't proven he can start. Heck, he hasn't proven he is even an NFL player yet.

Yeah and they let Hankins walk for very little money. It would be nice to have Hankins on the roster

 

[InPhiltraitor]

I've seen multiple clips of him in camp and he does not hesitate off the snap on any of them. No media people even mention that anymore. They also aren't playing him at 3T and expecting him to get up field anymore either.

I believe there was at least one of the Cowboys insiders that did comment that he appeared quicker off the ball thus far.

However, those comments haven't been accepted by all as the source is affiliated with the Cowboys. We'll see soon enough.

 

[buybuydandavis]

"We are trying to get the right fit for him"
Let me get this right ......this is your 1st round pick going into his 2nd year and you are trying to find the right fit? What happened to KNOWING his impact BEFORE you drafted him, especially in the first round?

Wasn't *their* first round pick from last year.
Mazi is just not their guy, and professional advisories are rarely eager to bail out the previous regime's decisions.