We love football and the Cowboys - most of us, anyhow, or we wouldn't spend time here. We spend all this thought and emotion on a sport that returns us roughly 50 hours of regular season action - about two days of a 365-day year. If we are lucky our team gives us another 10 hours or so of post-season entertainment.
It doesn't seem rational to me to spend all this thought and emotion only to be pessimistic and hopeless the rest of the time. I understand that others are different and mean no disrespect.
I try to be realistic while at the same time being optimistic. I certainly don't want to spend my time spinning the most hopeless possible result.
I choose to be optimistic about Jaylon Smith because it suits me and because there is a lot of evidence that it is well founded optimism. I think he will play this year and play well. I don't think that is an unreasonable conclusion.
I don't chase the things that bump in the night. They get along without my help.