Why Jerry Jones might be getting ahead of himself regarding Jaylon Smith's progress

[bbgun]

Matt Mosley, contributor to SportsDayDFW.com and columnist for Texas Monthly, answered your questions in a live chat Friday. Here are some highlights.

What would you make the Day 2 priority for the Cowboys in the draft?

Matt Mosley: Wait, do we already know the Day 1 priority? If the best player on the board late in the first round is a cornerback, I'm going that route. If the best player on the board is a tight end, I might even consider that. On Day 2, you keeping looking for the best player available with baggage. No, I'm kidding. I'd be looking for a top pass-rusher or WR here. Keep your eye on Baylor's K.D. Cannon.

Can Jaylon Smith and Sean Lee eventually become the best linebacker tandem in the NFL?

Matt Mosley: Can we maybe see Smith play a preseason game first? I think everyone's getting ahead of themselves over Smith, including Jerry. I haven't heard anyone with a medical background say that nerve in his knee is firing. That's still a huge part of it. The Cowboys have the best rehab guy in the business in Britt Brown. If I hear Britt say at some point the guy's ready, then folks should get excited. As far as I know, Britt hasn't said that to anyone.

What's your level of concern with the Ezekiel Elliott domestic violence stuff? Who do you think fills out the depth chart behind him?

Matt Mosley: I think the league has let this go on too long. If you have something, let's get it out there. I don't think Cowboys seem worried about any long-term impact from this investigation. So the backup RB situation remains in flux. McFadden seemed fine when he returned. Alfred had his moments. When you have a monster like Zeke, you just need someone decent behind him. I wish Dunbar could play a bigger role as a third-down back, but he's banged up a lot. Jerry loves that little guy.

Do you think that Dak needs to use his legs a little more than he did in his first season?

Matt Mosley: I think that will naturally become more of his game. I asked someone the other day to look up Donovan McNabb's 40-yard dash time coming out of Syracuse because he and Dak are compared to each other quite a bit. And I think that's a fair comparison. McNabb ran a 4.6. Dak ran a 4.8. Cam ran a 4.55, by the way. That's not to say Dak can't run more. I'm just saying he's not going to be some type of speedster out there. I do think it can become more of his game. That two-point conversion was pretty special where he just plowed his way in there. He's certainly a guy who can take off if you don't account for him. The best part of his game is that he rarely turns the ball over. That's pretty rare for a young QB.

The Cowboys have drafted a number of lb's over the years. Hitchens, Wilson, Wilbur, Nzeocha... doesn't feel like any of them are special. Bad draft picks or is the staff not developing them? How great would it be to have a more productive complement to Sean Lee?

Matt Mosley: You have to look where those guys are being drafted. Lee's been a monster when healthy as a second-round pick. He's an All-Pro. Even factoring in the injuries, that was a great pick. Hitchens was a fourth-round pick. He's started quite a few games and been fairly solid. I don't know that you're going to find a lot of "special" players at that point in the draft. Wilber's been around here for a long time. He wasn't a high pick. They actually got some good production from Ro McClain for nearly nothing.

 

[MrB]

From everything I've heard that the type of injury Jaylon Smith has I would honestly be surprised if he steps on the field in 2017. I heard that once the nerve starts to regenerate it does so at a pace of about and inch a month. The nerve is 9 inches long so that means it will be about 9 months before he'd be really ready to start practicing full time. If the nerve started firing today that would mean he'd be ready to practice full time around Thanksgiving.

 

[ThoughtExperiment]

I thought that inch per month was starting from the injury, though, not now.

 

[MrB]

I thought that inch per month was starting from the injury, though, not now.

Thats possible but from what I heard it was once the nerve starts to regenerate it's an inch per month.

 

[ThoughtExperiment]

Hmm. I thought that was the "regenerating" part. It has to grow back to the knee (or wherever the attachment is).

If it's a whole 'nother season after that... Wow.

 

[theoneandonly]

I haven't heard anyone with a medical background say that nerve in his knee is firing.

Yep, in fact most of the people who have been to medical school have been pessimistic about it. So.....

 

[theoneandonly]

I thought that inch per month was starting from the injury, though, not now.

It is an inch a moth from the surgery. We are almost at 13 months, not good.

 

[MrB]

It is an inch a moth from the surgery. We are almost at 13 months, not good.

Yea either way shit does not look good. That's why from the beginning I never expected him to play again at all. Also why I think Zach Cunningham would be a great pick in the 1st round this year if he's still there.

 

[bvhawkeye]

I would LOVE to get Zach Cunningham or Sidney Jones of Washington in the first

 

[Rynie]

Yea either way shit does not look good. That's why from the beginning I never expected him to play again at all. Also why I think Zach Cunningham would be a great pick in the 1st round this year if he's still there.

You don't think he'll play at all? There's been several reports of him running just fine, but still has a little drop foot. That can fix itself. I think he'll play, but being he's a 2nd round pick, he'll probably suck like all our other 2nd round picks.

 

[MrB]

You don't think he'll play at all? There's been several reports of him running just fine, but still has a little drop foot. That can fix itself. I think he'll play, but being he's a 2nd round pick, he'll probably suck like all our other 2nd round picks.

Nope, I'm not expecting him to ever be able to get back on the field. Running is much different than being a starting LB in the NFL. No way you can play LB in the NFL with drop foot. And drop foot will only correct itself if his nerve starts firing again which hasn't happened yet. If (big if) the nerve ever starts to fire, the time frame it will take him to fully recover and start practicing will put him out all of next season. That's the earliest he'll be able to get back on the practice field. That's best case scenario.

 

[Scot]

Here is some good news. Apparently his nerve is starting to regenerate AND he's regaining the feeling back in his foot

 

[dbair1967]

It's still a big if, but if he is healthy and anywhere close to the form he was at ND he will be a huge difference maker here.

 

[Scot]

That is the second report that I've seen stating the his nerve has started to regenerate, that he is getting feeling back in the foot, and that he will be ready to play in 2017

Which is all great

But what concerns me is why Jerry isn't screaming it from every roooftop

Maybe he is too deep in his drunken super bowl week stupor to. Who knows. But his absence in this news is strange

 

[dbair1967]

Maybe he is too deep in his drunken super bowl week stupor to. Who knows. But his absence in this news is strange

Maybe he is dead

 

[Scot]

No chance

You know how I know he's not dead?

Because Stephen Jones hasn't held a press conference announcing the eternal flame that will be erected in honor of his father in the endzone of Jerry's World!

 

[MrB]

That is the second report that I've seen stating the his nerve has started to regenerate, that he is getting feeling back in the foot, and that he will be ready to play in 2017

Which is all great

But what concerns me is why Jerry isn't screaming it from every roooftop

Maybe he is too deep in his drunken super bowl week stupor to. Who knows. But his absence in this news is strange

That is exactly the reason why I think all these reports of the nerve starting to fire are complete bullshit. When/if that nerve starts to fire Jerry will be the first person to be screaming that it's firing and how great the pick was.