Smith ‘ready to play’ after lost rookie year
Look closely enough, and you can detect a slight limp as Jaylon Smith walks across the field. There are times, such as in a 7-on-7 drill at the Dallas Cowboys final minicamp practice Thursday, when it seems to take a beat for the linebacker to change direction and accelerate.
But watch him in individual drills as he flashes his downhill burst — one of the traits that compelled the Cowboys to draft Smith in the second round last year, despite the devastating knee injury that wiped out the former Notre Dame star’s rookie season — and it’s easy to remember the player who, under different circumstances, could have been a top-five pick.
“I feel like me. I look like me. I am me,” Smith told USA TODAY Sports, upbeat as ever while preparing to leave town for the pretraining camp break.
“I’m Jaylon Smith. Ready to play some ball.”
The plan is for Smith to play in 2017. How much (and how well) he plays remains a mystery.
He figures to start in a parttime role while getting used to playing football again, though the Cowboys’ vision is for Smith to eventually be an every-down player — starting middle linebacker in the base defense, then staying on the field with standout weakside backer Sean Lee in the nickel package.
“We’re not going to make a lot of predictions about what he can or can’t do,” coach Jason Garrett said. “We’re just going to keep progressing the way we have. He’s made a lot of strides, and we’re very optimistic about him.”
Smith, who turned 22 Wednesday, is wearing a brace in practice to help him lift his left foot — a product of his peroneal nerve going to sleep when he hurt the knee in the January 2016 Fiesta Bowl, leading to surgery to reconstruct his anterior cruciate ligament and the knee’s lateral structures.
One positive sign came early in the offseason, when he felt comfortable enough to shed the brace while walking around the facility.
“The nerve’s regenerating, so I’m doing great,” Smith said. “It’s all God’s timing.”
The Cowboys have been deliberate in bringing him along this spring, alternating Smith’s work days with days off (as they gave him Wednesday). The next big test comes when training camp begins in late July — the first time in more than 18 months Smith gets to hit somebody.
“He’s starting to show that quickness and instincts, and then when we get the pads on him, we’ll get to see his striking ability,” said Matt Eberflus, the linebackers coach. “We’re excited about him.”
In many ways, Smith is a rookie. There will be growing pains even beyond whatever process he must go through to gain confidence and full mobility with the knee.
What does Smith see when he watches his practices on tape now?
“I see a lot of growth. I see a lot of ways that I can improve. But honestly, it’s just an every-day grind,” Smith said. “When you take a year off, it’s a lot of things that you’ve got to get back used to, but it’s been a great ride. I’m playing very well.”