Twitter: Possible explanation from a physician for Jaylon Smith's regression

[Cowpolk]

Isn't that what I said?

I was agreeing with ya

 

[kskboys]

And it was even an early 2nd round pick. But I'll take those kinds of chances. It's hard to even sniff a top 5 player. Getting one on the cheap is a big win. And it looked like we had in 2018. It seems to have been close to working in actual fact, and not merely an odds against chance.

A project that may never be able to play? No, you wouldn't. I know you too well to think you'd make a foolish move such as that w/ such stalwarts as Chris Jones, Myles Jack, Xavien Howard, Michael Thomas, and Jarran Reed still on the board.

 

[risco]

The head team physician for the Dallas Cowboys Football Dr. DANIEL E. COOPER, M.D. might have been too optimistic about Jaylon's prognosis. Drafting him in the 2nd round was a terrible reach. Extending him should have never been a consideration. The Cowboys really botched their 1st and 2nd round picks in the 2016 draft. Ramsey and Henry was the way to go.

Definitely not surprising to me. I said it from day 1- lateral movement was going to be a problem for him.

 

[kskboys]

I'm a broken record on this but still to this day it never made sense.

1. We go with the win now pick with Zeke in round 1.
2. We then go with the maybe he'll recover, the doctor thinks so but to be determined pick with Smith in round 2.
2b. Yes, hindsight, but look at the next 4 picks: Hunter Henry*, Myles Jack, Chris Jones(DT) and Xavien Howard.

Hunter Henry was talked about cause Witten was old, but still playing. Talented but can't stay healthy for long.
Myles Jack was the opposite of Smith, where his long term playing time was questionable but short term he was ready.
Chris Jones and Howard are known as one of the better players at their position. We went with Collins in the 3rd and the following offseason we let most of the secondary walk and took Awuzie and Lewis back to back in the 17 draft.

Sure, Jaylon Smith was a top talent, pre injury. But his pick never made sense due to the recovery time and the unknown recovery of his injury and trying to win with an injury prone Romo.
One thing to take a flier on day 3, another to take a risk at #34 on a LB clearly a year + out also when you have Sean Glass Lee.

I was screaming for Jarran Reed.

 

[Scotman]

I don’t believe this at all. As dumb as the Cowboys are they don’t sign a handicapped player to a 60 million dollar deal. Smith looks unprepared and lacks drive. Every game he avoids contact on a few key plays. He clearly has no self awareness and is more interested in his stupid brand.

That’s the issue.

I think that's a big part of it. His best play this preseason was making a tackle and not jumping up to do the swipe. He thought about it...and then didn't. I think his head is in the way every bit as much as his leg.

 

[SteveTheCowboy]

I was agreeing with ya

10-4

 

[Sydla]

I don’t believe this at all. As dumb as the Cowboys are they don’t sign a handicapped player to a 60 million dollar deal. Smith looks unprepared and lacks drive. Every game he avoids contact on a few key plays. He clearly has no self awareness and is more interested in his stupid brand.

That’s the issue.

Yeah, I kind of doubt this. There have been zero reports that say he's lazy or lacks drive. I mean how do you claim a guy lacks drive that spent more than a year through a grueling rehab for injuries that were as bad as he experienced? Doesn't make much sense.

The reality with Smith is that he's not the same guy he was pre-injury. And because there has been a decline in his athleticism due to the injury, the flaws in his game are more pronounced. When he was a sick freak in college, he could get away with some of the flaws in his game because he was just so talented. But now that he's not the same athletic freak he was in college and the fact that he might be seeing deterioration in the knee, the flaws are more exposed.

Jerry and company banked on the 2018 Smith being the guy they would have for the life of his new contract. I suspect they didn't expect that the knee would just deteriorate to the point that he lacked athleticism to overcome his flaws.

 

[Sydla]

I think folks are placing waaay too much focus on his league. A lot of his issues on the field are his approach to playing linebacker.

But I think part of the issue is that he could get away with some of his approach to playing LB when his leg was fine. Now that it appears he's lost zip and speed, he's more exposed. Watch him lumber down the field trying to run after a TE. He looks like a guy who would struggle to beat Mike McCarthy to the buffet.

It's sad at this point. It's gonna be best for everyone if they just move on from him after the season IMO.

 

[Trendnet]

If you want to understand Jerry and Stephen, look up the Dunning-Kruger effect.

This applies to every single CowboysZone poster. No exceptions.

 

[MyFairLady]

That POS regressed when he signed his big fat greedy POS contract.

 

[Ranching]

He got paid. He should count his blessings.

I'm sure he does. Many players get chewed up and spit out. Good for him.

 

[Whyjerry]

Yeah, I kind of doubt this. There have been zero reports that say he's lazy or lacks drive. I mean how do you claim a guy lacks drive that spent more than a year through a grueling rehab for injuries that were as bad as he experienced? Doesn't make much sense.

The reality with Smith is that he's not the same guy he was pre-injury. And because there has been a decline in his athleticism due to the injury, the flaws in his game are more pronounced. When he was a sick freak in college, he could get away with some of the flaws in his game because he was just so talented. But now that he's not the same athletic freak he was in college and the fact that he might be seeing deterioration in the knee, the flaws are more exposed.

Jerry and company banked on the 2018 Smith being the guy they would have for the life of his new contract. I suspect they didn't expect that the knee would just deteriorate to the point that he lacked athleticism to overcome his flaws.

So how do you explain 2018 or all the plays he literally ran away from contact starting mid 2019? How about all the plays he finds himself out of position? Why did a guy with a bad knee make that play against Watson inside the 10 a couple years back? He has been a starter nearly every game since he got back on the field. He has slipped since that contract.

 

[Sydla]

So how do you explain 2018 or all the plays he literally ran away from contact starting mid 2019? How about all the plays he finds himself out of position? Why did a guy with a bad knee make that play against Watson inside the 10 a couple years back? He has been a starter nearly every game since he got back on the field. He has slipped since that contract.

I explain it this way.

I think people overestimate how great he was in 2018. He was very good but he was never a guy who was just plowing into OL and taking on blockers at a high rate. But he had a little zip in his step and could get away with things. 2019 came and he just looked slower. Let's note, that Smith didn't sign his new contract until late August in 2019. So he had basically already put in all the training to get ready for the season. So it's not like he got signed in April and then coasted. He didn't sign until right before the start of the 2019 season.

I also believe if he was lazy and not putting in work, it would have been reported by now. We knew a guy like Trysten Hill was just slugging around his rookie year, for example.

He was a guy who had likely average to slightly above average instincts who could get away with it because he had ridiculous athleticism. I think in 2018 he was the closest he was athletically to the kid at ND pre-injury. But as he's progressed, I think he's gotten slower, less athletic and he simply can't cover his flaws like he was able to in 2018.

 

[kskboys]

But I think part of the issue is that he could get away with some of his approach to playing LB when his leg was fine. Now that it appears he's lost zip and speed, he's more exposed. Watch him lumber down the field trying to run after a TE. He looks like a guy who would struggle to beat Mike McCarthy to the buffet.

It's sad at this point. It's gonna be best for everyone if they just move on from him after the season IMO.

Yeah, we made him a millionaire, good for him, next up.

 

[Whyjerry]

I explain it this way.

I think people overestimate how great he was in 2018. He was very good but he was never a guy who was just plowing into OL and taking on blockers at a high rate. But he had a little zip in his step and could get away with things. 2019 came and he just looked slower. Let's note, that Smith didn't sign his new contract until late August in 2019. So he had basically already put in all the training to get ready for the season. So it's not like he got signed in April and then coasted. He didn't sign until right before the start of the 2019 season.

I also believe if he was lazy and not putting in work, it would have been reported by now. We knew a guy like Trysten Hill was just slugging around his rookie year, for example.

He was a guy who had likely average to slightly above average instincts who could get away with it because he had ridiculous athleticism. I think in 2018 he was the closest he was athletically to the kid at ND pre-injury. But as he's progressed, I think he's gotten slower, less athletic and he simply can't cover his flaws like he was able to in 2018.

This has some validity but I remain convinced his problem is between the ears. If Jaylon studied more film, did the sloppy things his position requires, and focused more on football he could be a good player. He doesn’t and that’s why he is going to get run out of Dallas.

 

[CowboyFrog]

So how do you explain 2018 or all the plays he literally ran away from contact starting mid 2019? How about all the plays he finds himself out of position? Why did a guy with a bad knee make that play against Watson inside the 10 a couple years back? He has been a starter nearly every game since he got back on the field. He has slipped since that contract.

Its not crazy to think the work they did on his knee is not holding up to an NFL LB career, he could in fact be regressing physically. Its less likely he doesn't see the writing on the wall and is so blind to not try and keep his job. He has shown up every year...it is very apparent his lateral movement is not the same as it was in 2018.

 

[mmohican29]

We need a few more bash Jaylon threads

I enjoy them.

I'm all for somehow accidentally embarrassing the Cowboys brass into removing the worst LB I've ever seen from this roster.

 

[DanA]

Even with the gimpy foot I still don’t think Jaylon is a terrible athlete by LB standards. To be honest what stands out with Parsons for me isn’t the 4.3 speed, it’s how technically sound he is at everything.

 

[OmerV]

The head team physician for the Dallas Cowboys Football Dr. DANIEL E. COOPER, M.D. might have been too optimistic about Jaylon's prognosis. Drafting him in the 2nd round was a terrible reach. Extending him should have never been a consideration. The Cowboys really botched their 1st and 2nd round picks in the 2016 draft. Ramsey and Henry was the way to go.

I think the regression is more mental and positioning. Jaylon simply is not an inside LB. He tries to skirt around blockers in the middle, and that takes him out of plays so that even if he makes the tackle it's several yards downfield. Jaylon needs to exclusively be an OLB so he is less likely to have to fight through the kind of traffic that occurs in the middle.

 

[Cowpolk]

I enjoy them.

I'm all for somehow accidentally embarrassing the Cowboys brass into removing the worst LB I've ever seen from this roster.

Which one Jaylon is currently our best LB