Jaylon Smith

Idgit said:
We don't have 4-5 top guys. We have Sean Lee. Jaylon hasn't earned 'top guy' status.

And you need 4-5 LBs who can actually play in this league if you're going to make it through a full season plus playoffs. Especially when your best LB has a long history of soft tissue issues. You can get away with having 2 of those guys be quality developmental players, but you need three guys minimum who can all start and play will for you across the WIL and the MIKE or in coverage packages.

LBs are your core special teams players, too, so it's not like it hurts to have an extra one lying around. We're losing Durant and Wilber this year, as well, so those spots need to be replaced. It's not like we have some embarrassment of riches at the LB position on this team. It's killed us for years, now, and I have no interest in seeing it kill us one more time in 2018.

Fix the S problem. Fix the LB problem. Keep the pressure players. Stop complaining about why it is we can't cover well enough to beat good QBs. It's pretty simple.
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Yep. I agree. To me, Hitchens is the only proven "quality" LB we have besides Lee. And at this point, can we really plan around him anymore? He's 32 and has a long injury history. I'd like to re-sign Hitch, sign another decent vet on top of him, and look to use a high draft pick on a LB, as well. Anything Jaylon gives you is gravy.
 
armadillooutlaw said:
Yep. I agree. To me, Hitchens is the only proven "quality" LB we have besides Lee. And at this point, can we really plan around him anymore? He's 32 and has a long injury history. I'd like to re-sign Hitch, sign another decent vet on top of him, and look to use a high draft pick on a LB, as well. Anything Jaylon gives you is gravy.
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That's exactly how I see it. Hitch is 25. He'll still be in his peak when Lee hangs 'em up. If we could count on Jaylon Smith, that would be one thing, but we'd be idiots to do that. Right now, he's cost us a 2nd round pick. He's done nothing to have us build a LB corps around him, and he doesn't cost too much to sit on the bench and play a role for the time being. Hitch can play at all three positions, so you shouldn't have trouble finding snaps for everybody between injuries and substitutions. Keep the players you find who can play. Replace the ones who can't . Its pretty simple.
 
Based on this past season, I do not think it's prudent at all to go into next season relying on notable progress from Jaylon. We need to plan for the worst and hope for the best - relying on him to play big snaps this year, especially early on, cost us dearly.

I wouldn't feel comfortable relying on an unknown again.
 
Idgit said:
That's exactly how I see it. Hitch is 25. He'll still be in his peak when Lee hangs 'em up. If we could count on Jaylon Smith, that would be one thing, but we'd be idiots to do that. Right now, he's cost us a 2nd round pick. He's done nothing to have us build a LB corps around him, and he doesn't cost too much to sit on the bench and play a role for the time being. Hitch can play at all three positions, so you shouldn't have trouble finding snaps for everybody between injuries and substitutions. Keep the players you find who can play. Replace the ones who can't . Its pretty simple.
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Yep. Injuries happen and you have to have quality starters and good depth. With Hitch and a healthy Lee u have two good starters but no depth. Wilson has been a big disappointment.
 
More ?'s at the LB position than answers at this point. Do they keep Hitchens? And at what cost? Can they bank on Lee playing all 16? Will Jaylon ever be back to where he was before that injury? Will the Cowboys shift from a DL and secondary emphasis to get strong in the LB corps?

They should draft a LB in rounds 2 or 3 but that 1st should be a DT to take some of the heat off the LB's. The team is too soft in the middle on the run game and needs to fix that first. They absolutely must build the run D first, that is the strength of both teams in the NFC Champs game.

Then there's the OL to consider with a ? about Big Smitty's back and do they have the LG and RT positions and how much do they pay the RG?

Then you've got that outside chance that they do actually cut Bryant, what now? Think that doesn't change the board?

We don't really know what the needs are yet to even build a mock draft board. Could be a DT, LB, OL or WR and we know how much Booger likes to go big on WR's.
 
DHCBF66 said:
I have to wonder with another off season to heal if Jaylon will be ready to man center field full time. He showed some of his potential this past season but can he continue to grow? Either way, with Hitchens hitting the free agent market and there is a strong possibility he will not return to Dallas, a linebacker in round 1 or 2 is a must.
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REDEMPTION IN 2018!
 
DHCBF66 said:
I have to wonder with another off season to heal if Jaylon will be ready to man center field full time. He showed some of his potential this past season but can he continue to grow? Either way, with Hitchens hitting the free agent market and there is a strong possibility he will not return to Dallas, a linebacker in round 1 or 2 is a must.
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Our weekly Jaylon thread. AWESOME!

#ClearEyeView
 
Whyjerry said:
Agree on LB being an early pick. Hitchens has been good but he too was hurt a lot. Lee is not getting younger. The pick needs to be someone that can step in and play right away.
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He was hurt one time in his career and overcame what was supposed to be a season-ending injury to only miss 4 games.
 
All I know was early on he was awful. I mean..AWFUL! He couldn't have started in a flag football game at the local college. He got better, but I'm still concerned since he was never a full time player once Hitch came back.

The FO and staff gambled and failed big time at LB this past season!!
 
Aven8 said:
All I know was early on he was awful. I mean..AWFUL! He couldn't have started in a flag football game at the local college. He got better, but I'm still concerned since he was never a full time player once Hitch came back.

The FO and staff gambled and failed big time at LB this past season!!
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I roll my eyes at some of the garbage spewed. Jaylon was not very good early on but he was NOT awful. In 40 years of watching NFL football that was not it. Watch the last preseason game each year with the guys playing hoping desperately to make a roster and THEN you will see awful.
 
diefree666 said:
I roll my eyes at some of the garbage spewed. Jaylon was not very good early on but he was NOT awful. In 40 years of watching NFL football that was not it. Watch the last preseason game each year with the guys playing hoping desperately to make a roster and THEN you will see awful.
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Ray Charles lives folks!!!
 
Aven8 said:
All I know was early on he was awful. I mean..AWFUL! He couldn't have started in a flag football game at the local college. He got better, but I'm still concerned since he was never a full time player once Hitch came back.

The FO and staff gambled and failed big time at LB this past season!!
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He's still wearing a brace. Meaning the nerve isn't firing. Every medical opinion I've seen says if it isn't firing yet it isn't going to happen. So he's always going to need the brace and will always be a lesser player because of it.

I'd approach the offseason like he's not even on the roster.
 
Idgit said:
We don't have 4-5 top guys. We have Sean Lee. Jaylon hasn't earned 'top guy' status.

And you need 4-5 LBs who can actually play in this league if you're going to make it through a full season plus playoffs. Especially when your best LB has a long history of soft tissue issues. You can get away with having 2 of those guys be quality developmental players, but you need three guys minimum who can all start and play will for you across the WIL and the MIKE or in coverage packages.

LBs are your core special teams players, too, so it's not like it hurts to have an extra one lying around. We're losing Durant and Wilber this year, as well, so those spots need to be replaced. It's not like we have some embarrassment of riches at the LB position on this team. It's killed us for years, now, and I have no interest in seeing it kill us one more time in 2018.

Fix the S problem. Fix the LB problem. Keep the pressure players. Stop complaining about why it is we can't cover well enough to beat good QBs. It's pretty simple.
Click to expand...
You can overkill any position to sleep well at night

HItchens is not even a starter if he re-signs and we don't want him to be...... he isn't good enough
where would RoSmith play for 3 years......Left Bench....you only get them for 5 years
DWilson plays 15 snaps as SAM and is another backup MIKE
Wilber will resign for his annual 1m
STs and depth is why we kept March and Trevon Johnson

Zach Brown signed a 2.5m deal last year.......vet LBs get less than vet RBs..... there are a dozen 2 down MIKEs that won't get signed or drafted

Using your thinking we should trade for Alex Smith and draft Josh Allen at 19 in case Dak gets hurt
 
Risen Star said:
He's still wearing a brace. Meaning the nerve isn't firing. Every medical opinion I've seen says if it isn't firing yet it isn't going to happen. So he's always going to need the brace and will always be a lesser player because of it.

I'd approach the offseason like he's not even on the roster.
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We won't. After Stephens comments "he'll be ready to go and we expect big things out of him in 2018".....good grief.....:hopefully Pagano gets hired and a second opinion says we needs some LB's!

Meanwhile, Lal is demanding for speed at WR on the offense.........sighhhhhh. Long offseason
 
Idgit said:
I haven't seen it. If we let Hitch walk, we're going to be held hostage by this position yet again. Or we'll have to throw the 19 overall at it and hope we get an walk-in starter there.
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No worries; we'll just call 44-year old Justin Durant for another go around.
 
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