I don't believe the injury is fully to blame for Jaylon Smith's issues

[RoboQB]

Injury or no injury, when it was just him and the GB RB in the hole, and he whiffs!?!
I was embarrassed for him.

Actually, the whole game was embarrassing for him.

 

[ghst187]

He was considered by NFL scouts, before his fateful injury, as the possibly the best ILB/MLB prospect coming out of college since Patrick Willis was drafted.

Had he been anything in the neighborhood of the player Willis was, he would have been a star.

And I still have no idea what they saw that made them think that. Good college player sure with great size and speed but I didn't see the hype as far as top 5 player in the draft.

 

[CyberB0b]

Some posters have becomes obsessed with this Jaylon Smith sucks threads again and again.
The OP is making sure we understand he wants to be the top of the list for Anti Jaylon post. Sort of like how the Boise State kid wants to become know as the Kellen Moore guy. And that X Walker breaveheart character wants to be the repeating Dez Bryant sucks poster...
Good times on the Zone.

I guess you didn't read the last paragraph. I wouldn't want to get in the way of YOUR agenda.

 

[JohnnyHopkins]

They need to put him at SLB in the offseason in a Luke Kuechly role where he can attack. He will all of the sudden become everyone's favorite player.

 

[Macnalty]

That is a good write-up. Jaylon looks to be a year or more away from retaining the physical attributes that allowed him to overcome his technique. Hopefully, he can be replaced until then, because he is killing this team in his current condition.

Unfortunately I think Smith is further away than a year. Time to move on from this LB hell with a personnel change or scheme adjustment. We should of won that last game and his weakness has no doubt been noticed by all the Coordinators on our schedule. You move on and keep your head up and ready.

 

[Broges74]

Let's face the facts here. Jaylon will only get marginally better physically, experience will help him but we will never know what he could have been without this devastating injury but he can be a good LB in this league with experience.

 

[PA Cowboy Fan]

This defense is just too bad to waste on a project. I feel sorry for him but I don't think he'll ever be what he was.

 

[NextGenBoys]

The fact that we went with Smith over Jack was dumb then, and it's proving to be dumb now.

 

[diefree666]

That is a good write-up. Jaylon looks to be a year or more away from retaining the physical attributes that allowed him to overcome his technique. Hopefully, he can be replaced until then, because he is killing this team in his current condition.

good god he is not killing this team. Those trying to blame him for ALL the D's problems are full of crap. Biggest problems with this D do not start with Jaylon. Sure he is contributing but he is FAR from the #1 factor. Lee being out is the #1 Problem clearly; but the rest of the D is certainly contributing; from in consistent D line play to bad play in the Secondary.

 

[Alexander]

You never know how a player will respond when their body can't do what they want it to do. It does have an effect mentally.

Not sure if that is the case for Smith. He does look unsure of himself, but some of these plays are so bad and so lacking in basic instincts, it is just hard to chalk it up to simple lost confidence.

It is just clear right now he cannot play. He certainly does not appear to be frustrated, which is what you would expect to be the response.

 

[Sydla]

One problem is he's likely a WILL. That's his best and natural position IMO.

He was never a thumper at LB and if the Cowboys thought he could be that type in the middle of the defense, they were wrong.

 

[canters]

And a better collection of D linemen would not hurt either. Gotta protect him now or move him to outside LB.

 

[Sydla]

You never know how a player will respond when their body can't do what they want it to do. It does have an effect mentally.

Not sure if that is the case for Smith. He does look unsure of himself, but some of these plays are so bad and so lacking in basic instincts, it is just hard to chalk it up to simple lost confidence.

It is just clear right now he cannot play. He certainly does not appear to be frustrated, which is what you would expect to be the response.

Possibly but when you are on the field playing 20 months after suffering an injury that likely would never allow you to play again, I could see how frustration wouldn't be the top emotion. He may get there at some point, especially when he sees his PT go down for Hitchens.

 

[Alexander]

This defense is just too bad to waste on a project. I feel sorry for him but I don't think he'll ever be what he was.

The sad part is that project has to play and play a lot because of a lack of depth and talent at LBer.

I just hope they do not just assume that after a year of playing and another offseason that he will be all right. They can't afford that. This year, well, little choice.

 

[Alexander]

One problem is he's likely a WILL. That's his best and natural position IMO.

He was never a thumper at LB and if the Cowboys thought he could be that type in the middle of the defense, they were wrong.

That is a good point.

 

[Hardline]

This is why I laugh when you people start putting players in the pro bowl before they prove it.

 

[Sydla]

That is a good point.

The Jags kind of did the same thing. They tried Jack at various LB positions his rookie year including MLB, but he was clearly overwhelmed his rookie year and got benched. Then in early camp, they made him the starting MLB but after awhile, they realized he wasn't cut out for it (apparently similar issues as Smith - struggling to get off blocks, running himself out of plays trying to avoid blocks) and moved him back outside and he's playing well this year.

 

[Bullet22]

He shouldn't be in the middle...use him on the edge more...

 

[Doomsay]

good god he is not killing this team. Those trying to blame him for ALL the D's problems are full of crap. Biggest problems with this D do not start with Jaylon. Sure he is contributing but he is FAR from the #1 factor. Lee being out is the #1 Problem clearly; but the rest of the D is certainly contributing; from in consistent D line play to bad play in the Secondary.

He can be killing the team without being the #1 factor, he's being targeted mercilessly and isn't physically able to produce. He shouldn't be out there, but for necessity, reps aren't going to enhance nerve regeneration.

 

[Sydla]

He can be killing the team without being the #1 factor, he's being targeted mercilessly and isn't physically able to produce. He shouldn't be out there, reps aren't going to enhance nerve regeneration.

He's a bigger issue in the run game than the passing game IMO. If you watch, all our LBs seem to get lost in coverage largely because they seem to be playing that sweet deep drop zone Marinelli likes. Last week, they had a few clips in the Rams game and a couple of times you could see at the snap of the ball, both LBs sprinting back like 5-7 yards into coverage, the Rams dumping it off in the opened area and getting 7-8 yards easily.