CCBoy
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 45,604
- Reaction score
- 21,804
What Are Realistic Expectations For Jaylon Smith in 2017?
http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2...-are-realistic-expectations-jaylon-smith-2017
...Helman: Far be it from me to determine what Jaylon Smith is capable of this year. That guy has one of the best work ethics and by far the best attitude I have ever seen. But I’m the type that needs to see to believe, which is why I’m keeping my expectations modest. Smith is still recovering from a devastating injury. He’s not all the way back, and even if he was, he hasn’t played real football in 18 months. I imagine the Cowboys are going to ease him slowly into training camp, just like they did during OTAs, and see what he can do. I don’t expect his workload to get bigger until he proves he can handle it, and I don’t even know what to expect from a real game. I’m going to give him the benefit of the doubt and say he’s healthy enough to carve out a role for himself. But right now, in mid-July, I expect Anthony Hitchens to be the Cowboys’ starting middle linebacker, and to get the bulk of that work.
Phillips: Fans hear Jason Garrett’s ‘day by day’ assessment of players all the time, but for Smith, it’s really the best way to describe his road back to the field. He’s been grinding for a year and a half, day by day, to play again. The grind continues. There’s no guarantee he’ll be an every-down linebacker this year. He and the Cowboys truly must see how he progresses each day, each week. With the foot brace, can he outplay Anthony Hitchens, who quietly has become one of the defense’s most consistent players at middle linebacker? That’s a fair question. No matter what, you have to admire Jaylon’s attitude and his progress with the athletic training staff...
http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2...-are-realistic-expectations-jaylon-smith-2017
...Helman: Far be it from me to determine what Jaylon Smith is capable of this year. That guy has one of the best work ethics and by far the best attitude I have ever seen. But I’m the type that needs to see to believe, which is why I’m keeping my expectations modest. Smith is still recovering from a devastating injury. He’s not all the way back, and even if he was, he hasn’t played real football in 18 months. I imagine the Cowboys are going to ease him slowly into training camp, just like they did during OTAs, and see what he can do. I don’t expect his workload to get bigger until he proves he can handle it, and I don’t even know what to expect from a real game. I’m going to give him the benefit of the doubt and say he’s healthy enough to carve out a role for himself. But right now, in mid-July, I expect Anthony Hitchens to be the Cowboys’ starting middle linebacker, and to get the bulk of that work.
Phillips: Fans hear Jason Garrett’s ‘day by day’ assessment of players all the time, but for Smith, it’s really the best way to describe his road back to the field. He’s been grinding for a year and a half, day by day, to play again. The grind continues. There’s no guarantee he’ll be an every-down linebacker this year. He and the Cowboys truly must see how he progresses each day, each week. With the foot brace, can he outplay Anthony Hitchens, who quietly has become one of the defense’s most consistent players at middle linebacker? That’s a fair question. No matter what, you have to admire Jaylon’s attitude and his progress with the athletic training staff...
Maybe.