Stephen on DT Mazi Smith: "He didn't play as much as we would have liked (last season)

[KJJ]

The Cowboys were so desperate to try and get Mazi to play better they had him lose 30 pounds during the season and that didn’t help. I never heard of a team having a player lose that amount of weight during the season. By the end of the season he looked small. Now they’re having him gain the weight back. They have no idea what to do with him.

 

[beware_d-ware]

The book isn't written on Mazi, but man, that first chapter sucked.

The only silver lining I see with him is that he was a fairly productive pass rusher on limited snaps. That was an element of his game that was pretty much nonexistent at Michigan. Of course, maybe losing 30 lbs helped him with that part of his game while hurting it overall.

 

[JW82]

On the bright side, they can't possible get less out of him than they did last year!

 

[BleedSilverandBlue]

The Cowboys were so desperate to try and get Mazi to play better they had him lose 30 pounds during the season and that didn’t help. I never heard of a team having a player lose that amount of weight during the season. By the end of the season he looked small. Now they’re having him gain the weight back. They have no idea what to do with him.

It's because he was never a good player to begin with. He was not even really a standout performer in college, he just had standout traits that NFL scouts thought one day might amount to something.

I would genuinely be shocked if he turns into anything but a below average player after what we saw last year. He was completely and utterly lost out there nearly every game.

 

[OGSixshooter]

"We feel really good about..." - I hate those words...

 

[jazzcat22]

Where in the hell did you get this from?

They make stuff up just to spew hate.

Many on here can't take what is said at face value without going on their same rampage over and over.

DQ screwed up Mazi trying to make him play something he was not used to. Which is completely opposite of what he said his philosophy was when hired.
I will wait and see what Zimmer can do, as well, his rookie year is now a learning experience.

But many fans will not accept that nor probably want to understand it.

 

[thunderpimp91]

As much as I hate Stephen Jones continuing to try and shine dog poop and sell it to us this offseason I don't hate them gambling on Mazi. I would like to see another option brought in through free agency as a contingency plan though.

I thought Mazi started to show some progression mid season, and showed the physical tools to be a 1T in this league. Under Zimmer I doubt hes moving out to 3/4T and stays in the middle. His job should be simplified so he doesn't have to think and read as much. I think he ends up being a decent player, I just wish they would make him earn it through an offseason competition.

 

[KJJ]

It's because he was never a good player to begin with. He was not even really a standout performer in college, he just had standout traits that NFL scouts thought one day might amount to something.

I would genuinely be shocked if he turns into anything but a below average player after what we saw last year. He was completely and utterly lost out there nearly every game.

When the Cowboys were on the clock, Mazi’s name never came up when ESPN’s crew was speculating on who they would pick. None of them looked thrilled with the pick. Kiper said DT was a need but that where the Cowboys took Mazi was a little high. I knew right there we could be in trouble. Stephen said yesterday that Zimmer plans to use Mazi the way he was being used in college. He was saying everything to try and make everyone feel better about him but you could tell by the tone of his voice they’re worried about Mazi.

 

[Jarntt]

"He didn't play as much as we would have liked​

Is that the politically correct way to say he stunk?

 

[TwentyOne]

Cowboys EVP Stephen Jones on @1053thefan on DT Mazi Smith: "He didn't play as much as we would have liked (last season). I think it was a learning process with him, learning what Dan (Quinn) wanted out of the defensive linemen. We knew when we drafted him out of Michigan that he was asked to play the one-technique a little different than Dan likes to see it played. I think the way (Mike Zimmer) is going to ask these guys to play is probably a little more in line with what he did at Michigan. But we feel really good about Mazi."

No sh/t Stephen ?!

What would i do without his remarks.

 

[Whyjerry]

If Stephen Jones told me the sky was blue I would still check while simultaneously ensuring my wallet was still in my pocket.

I would also call my daughters to make sure they were ok.

 

[Jimbo123]

The book isn't written on Mazi, but man, that first chapter sucked.

The only silver lining I see with him is that he was a fairly productive pass rusher on limited snaps. That was an element of his game that was pretty much nonexistent at Michigan. Of course, maybe losing 30 lbs helped him with that part of his game while hurting it overall.

Do you call 1 sack and 3 TFLs productive? Oh my..

 

[Jimbo123]

When the Cowboys were on the clock, Mazi’s name never came up when ESPN’s crew was speculating on who they would pick. None of them looked thrilled with the pick. Kiper said DT was a need but that where the Cowboys took Mazi was a little high. I knew right there we could be in trouble. Stephen said yesterday that Zimmer plans to use Mazi the way he was being used in college. He was saying everything to try and make everyone feel better about him but you could tell by the tone of his voice they’re worried about Mazi.

Mel Kiper sucks. His only 1st round pick last year was #1 Bryce Young, with 31 misses in the 1st round.

 

[KJJ]

Mel Kiper sucks. His only 1st round pick last year was #1 Bryce Young, with 31 misses in the 1st round.

A lot of those draft experts are wrong but he was right about Mazi.

 

[Cowfan75Lives]

He stunk when he did play, but that wasn't enough for Cap Boy? Time for this bust to shine in 2024!!!

 

[basel90]

Cowboys EVP Stephen Jones on @1053thefan on DT Mazi Smith: "He didn't play as much as we would have liked (last season). I think it was a learning process with him, learning what Dan (Quinn) wanted out of the defensive linemen. We knew when we drafted him out of Michigan that he was asked to play the one-technique a little different than Dan likes to see it played. I think the way (Mike Zimmer) is going to ask these guys to play is probably a little more in line with what he did at Michigan. But we feel really good about Mazi."

in other words, another bust first round pick, 3 misses in the last 6 years if you count taco and mazi and LEV ( LVE was not a bust but his often -injuries and retirement may qualify the pick as a bust) .
How good is the scouring at the Star?

 

[DallasDW00ds0n]

All I read was they drafted a DT they knew would not be comfortable doing what was asked, and did that in the first round.

 

[AbeBeta]

Just confirms the organization was not on the same page with drafting Mazi.

So we should only draft players who played in exactly the same college scheme? That would seem awfully limiting.

 

[MarionBarberThe4th]

He was pretty much a zero he took 2-3 full seconds to get off the snap I clocked it.


Having said that I can’t write him off jsut yet.

 

[Chasing6]

No we should keep drafting space eaters and ask them to lose weight and become penetrating DT's.