Jaylon Linebacking Hijinks

[CowboyRoy]

Here's some cut-ups of Jaylon against the Bears and Bills last season. Couple of things:

1. Jaylon doesn't play with any base; he is lifted and moved out of lanes at will because he doesn't sink his hips and hops into blocks;
2. Jaylon does not stack and shed (look at the first gif below) at all; there is no resistance from him maintaining his gap which allows for open running lanes;
3. His play balance is all out of whack; plays way too high and hops rather shift his weight fluidly.

Here (above), Jaylon gets moved 10-yards down the field backwards.

Jaylon here (above) just gets bowled over playing too upright.

Piling up those "tackle" totals.

Stack and shed is completely non-existent; guesses at which lane the RB will take and runs himself out the play.

This is 195 lbs Eric Weddle against 255 lbs Tyler Eifert showing how you stack and shed.

Been saying this for years. Smith is NOT a MLB. HE is a finesse linebacker and needs to be on the outside. He gets washed out on blocks. Need someone that is stronger at the point of attack in the middle.

 

[CowboyRoy]

I'm hoping Jaylon might improve his technique with better coaching than he got in Dallas with the old regime. I guess we'll see about that.

Cant improve being a *****. Which is what Jaylon is. Too worried about looking good to get dirty.

 

[DallasDomination]

Jaylon Smith was a wasted pick.. even in college he was weak taking on blockers.

 

[cern]

Great post. Hopefully coaches will see the occlusions in the diamond. Got a good laugh out of it.

 

[dfense]

Jaylon made the probowl.....this is either true or it is not. Your agenda leads you to saying bitterly "Ah, the old when all else fails, coaching". Jaylon played at a high level despite the coaches putting scheme over game planning for the opponent. We as Cowboys fans all know this to be true....but your agenda won't allow you to admit it.

My mistake. I didn't know you spoke for all Cowboy fans. I can see by your avatar your objectivity on this subject. He was a replacement ProBowler, didn't really "make it". But good for him.

 

[stilltheguru]

Jaylon isnt the toughest player but to act like he isnt capable of being good is ridiculous.

 

[CyberB0b]

It's like he's playing on roller skates.

 

[SteveTheCowboy]

I'm not a football expert, but I am pretty good on guitar. I can spot when people have fundamental technique flaws. They don;t even have to play a song, I can tell by handing them a guitar and strum a few chords and scales. They can usually be "coached" out of them...with some effort.

Now football seems to me a little bit more...instinctual. Using a lot more natural or long-term ingrained athletic abilities. Not sure how much of that can be coached in or out (how you use them, can be?). Add to that a terrible injury. Might be problematic. But well, he's on for this year we shall see.

 

[CouchCoach]

I'm hoping Jaylon might improve his technique with better coaching than he got in Dallas with the old regime. I guess we'll see about that.

He had good coaching at ND and didn't play like he is in those clips.

He is not 100% on his wheels and probably never will be. I was watching the game he got injured in and that was about as bad as you can wreck one. I watched him at ND and he had no problem shifting and moving to either side, front or back, in fact that was his string suit.

Thinking he would get back to that with that injury was wishful thinking and he needs not to be the LB they have to depend on. Those clips Cal put up is a drop in the bucket compared to the film the opposition has on him.

Jaylon Smith was a great ball player at ND, really great, I don't think he'll be anything but a good player from here on out. That foot just isn't a physical problem, it's a mental one. He knows he can't get there like he used to so he has to compensate.

 

[CowboysRule]

In every GIF he was getting blocked by a lineman. He is not the type of LB to take on large blockers. This is why we need those big boys up front to eat up blockers so Smith can use his speed to get into the backfield and make plays. What we saw last year has been an issue on this team for far too long. Just inserting players into a scheme instead of altering the scheme to their strengths. That's one of those things that is supposed to change with Mike.

 

[pitt33]

Negatives: He turns like a sail boat

Lmao

 

[phildadon86]

Jaylon still has strengths.

Positives: He can run sideline to sideline as good as anyone, he can come down hill, and he is a high level blitzer.

Negatives: He turns like a sail boat and I do not want him going backwards or finding himself in coverage.

He had a bad year but he does still have some big strengths in his game.

What upset me about him though is he looks to be one of the guys more focused on his brand than playing football. Celebrating when we were getting whooped was not a good look either.

This is where coaching should come in and ground the player.

 

[Hardline]

Everyone gets the benefit of the doubt with me under new coaching.

 

[Bigdog]

It looks like he is making business decisions.

 

[CATCH17]

Jaylon was really good in 2018 but he regressed..

Still though.. He does have some strengths and putting pressure on the QB is one of those strengths so acting like he is some bum that doesn’t belong on the team is a bit extreme.


Celebrating while getting beat down by our opponents and anything that has him flipping his hips is what I don’t like about him.

Playing sideways and downhill and this guys can still be a really good player for us.

 

[quickccc]

while i am somewhat skeptical about Jaylon's ability to cover TEs like Ertz, Goebert and Ingram ..as well as backs like Barkley, sanders, davin cook, duke johnson. etc.that's on the schedule, .at the weakside position, the Cowboys have financially invested in Jaylon long term, as well as planning to move LVE inside at MLB (which i also like if his medicals check out very well)

- i continue to believe he is more of a forward mover that possesses some arriving explosiveness that i believe can excel in head on blitzes vs RBs as well as his great in across the line pursuit game. Once he gathers running momentum whether going forward or down the line in pursuit, he can really smash with quite an explosive pop when he arrives. he's even caused fumble pops and strips.
i believe if he is properly schemed and designed, he can be a helluva edge blitzer vs backs, where i thought Richard & crew were mediocre and bland in that area.Just brought him straight up stone wall and always up the middle.

- With his coverage, the new coaches would have to find ways to lessen his read keys and minimize his coverage responsibilities as best possible..
i can't see jaylon man to man cover all over the field and he doesn't strike me as one that will make INTs in the passing lanes

- actually despite his age and declining range and mobility, Sean Lee may be more productive as a weak side starter with his great instincts to anticipate plays before they even develop.
But again excessive play may endanger his durability. We got very lucky with an injury free Lee in '19, does lightning strike twice ?

 

[stilltheguru]

Jaylon was really good in 2018 but he regressed..

Still though.. He does have some strengths and putting pressure on the QB is one of those strengths so acting like he is some bum that doesn’t belong on the team is a bit extreme.


Celebrating while getting beat down by our opponents and anything that has him flipping his hips is what I don’t like about him.

Playing sideways and downhill and this guys can still be a really good player for us.

If people cant admit he was very good in 2018 its a pointless/childish conversation. We'll see what he is this year. The whole defense was trash last year

 

[fivetwos]

Everyone gets the benefit of the doubt with me under new coaching.

I hear that.

The last staff was so dysfunctional, not the least of which in misusing players....that its tough to tell who may be much improved.

Thats to not even mention being more motivated, and/or how accountability and fear of losing a job may bring out the best in some guys.

 

[817Gill]

Lol so funny how the posts about a player change so much after 1 year. From a cashed lottery ticket to “a wasted pick”. He literally showed the year before that he can play, yes he had a down year but didn’t the whole team basically?

There's a lot of pessimism on this forum about players moving forward. Chido and Jaylon get 0 room for error lol. Both viewed positively in 2018, now trash. We do all this despite acknowledging how bad the coaching was. Why we don’t reasonably expect our guys to be better is beyond me.

 

[CATCH17]

while i am somewhat skeptical about Jaylon's ability to cover TEs like Ertz, Goebert and Ingram ..as well as backs like Barkley, sanders, davin cook, duke johnson. etc.that's on the schedule, .at the weakside position, the Cowboys have financially invested in Jaylon long term, as well as planning to move LVE inside at MLB (which i also like if his medicals check out very well)

- i continue to believe he is more of a forward mover that possesses some arriving explosiveness that i believe can excel in head on blitzes vs RBs as well as his great in across the line pursuit game. Once he gathers running momentum whether going forward or down the line in pursuit, he can really smash with quite an explosive pop when he arrives. he's even caused fumble pops and strips.
i believe if he is properly schemed and designed, he can be a helluva edge blitzer vs backs, where i thought Richard & crew were mediocre and bland in that area.Just brought him straight up stone wall and always up the middle.

- With his coverage, the new coaches would have to find ways to lessen his read keys and minimize his coverage responsibilities as best possible..
i can't see jaylon man to man cover all over the field and he doesn't strike me as one that will make INTs in the passing lanes

- actually despite his age and declining range and mobility, Sean Lee may be more productive as a weak side starter with his great instincts to anticipate plays before they even develop.
But again excessive play may endanger his durability. We got very lucky with an injury free Lee in '19, does lightning strike twice ?

People on this forum used to argue with me that Jaylon was better in coverage than LVE lol.