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Jones says Cowboys are counting on Jaylon Smith to play


By Clarence E. Hill Jr.
chill@star-telegram.com


When the Dallas Cowboys look at ways they hope to be better in 2017, they are not just looking at improvement in the upcoming in NFL Draft.

They are counting on improvement from within. And they are most notably pointing to linebacker Jaylon Smith, the 2016 second-round pick who missed all of last season rehabbing a college knee injury suffered in his final bowl game at Notre Dame.

Making Smith’s inclusion even more interesting is that he is still suffering from nerve damage in the knee and still wears a brace to offset drop foot.

But Smith, a top-10 talent who dropped to the second round in the 2016 NFL Draft because of the injury, has shown significant progress in his rehab and workouts even with the brace.

He is so excited and so focused that routinely post videos of his workouts on social media.

The Cowboys are excited and confident as well. So much so that they have not only cleared him to start the off-season program with the team April 21 but they plan on him going through organized team activities, minicamp, training camp and playing in 2017.

Executive vice president Stephen Jones said the confidence in Smith being a major contributor is very high within the Cowboys organization even though he can’t name anyone who has played with a brace for drop foot.

“And you don’t know how long he is going to have to have the brace,” Jones said. “Our guys are getting real comfortable that he can be a great contributor with a brace.But he may not have the brace. But our guys feel comfortable after working with him that he can play with the brace. I’m not so sure he will have to play with the brace. It’s not a given. We will see.”

And regarding the nerve damage, Jones remains optimistic that it will continue to improve and go away because some feeling has already come back.

“Once that stuff usually starts to fire, which it did, then it usually improves each time,” Jones said.
 

ThoughtExperiment

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I wonder if there is a greater injury risk playing with the brace. Seems like not having feeling/function in being able to flex your foot up and counting on a mechanical device to do so might make it more likely for you to get hurt down there.
 
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“And you don’t know how long he is going to have to have the brace,” Jones said. “Our guys are getting real comfortable that he can be a great contributor with a brace.But he may not have the brace. But our guys feel comfortable after working with him that he can play with the brace. I’m not so sure he will have to play with the brace. It’s not a given. We will see.”
He sounds like his daddy.
 

yimyammer

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I blew out my knee in college and that video chills me to the bone! Nasty injury!!!

that video is nauseating, I couldn't get through it. The second I realized what was about to happen, I turned away. Makes me cringe thinking about it. I've done leg machines as a squat alternative and was told they were supposed to be infinitely safer, never would have dreamed this would happen.
 

boozeman

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I wonder if there is a greater injury risk playing with the brace. Seems like not having feeling/function in being able to flex your foot up and counting on a mechanical device to do so might make it more likely for you to get hurt down there.

There is a greater risk I would think. If it immobilizes part of his lower leg or ankle, a bad pile and a roll up could be bad.
 

Iamtdg

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That's why you don't lock your knees while using a leg press.

That's why you don't do something monumentally stupid and try to leg press that much weight to begin with. Dumbass got what he deserved.
 

Scot

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New report states that the nerve is starting to re fire now he can finally lift his toes and is starting to be able to move his foot

He's not all better or good to go yet but he is improving finally. He will make camp and will wear a brace

I just hope that this news doesn't cause us to pass on someone in the draft because the front office still thinks that Jaylon is going to come in this season and save the day
 

dbair1967

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Ian Rapoport‏Verified account @RapSheet
Ian Rapoport Retweeted Around The NFL

Jaylon Smith can lift his toes. This is good news.

Ian Rapoport added,
 

MrB

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I would still go into the draft and season as if we are going to get nothing out of Jaylon. If he can play then great but I have zero expectations for him.
 
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