Too many criticisms of Jaylon Smith?

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Granted, Jaylon Smith wasn’t the impact player he was meant to be last season, but do you think the criticisms were too harsh as he still led the team in tackles? FRED LONDON / MORRISTOWN, TN

David: Not really, to be honest. Ezekiel Elliott also led the team in rushing yards. That doesn’t mean he had a great season. I’m a lot less interested in pure volume statistics and a lot more interested in how they came about. If half of Jaylon’s tackles came from 8-10 yards across the pitch, were those tackles worth the excitement? Having said that, I think Jaylon’s review did blow the whistle a bit. We all know he’s heading for a breakthrough year, but he’s become a bit of a punching bag. At the same time, a fair review from one of the team’s highest paid defenders is valid and quite understandable.

Rob: When we say there’s more to rushing the passer than ransacking, well, there’s more to playing linebacker than tackling. So I don’t think that can be the only measure. However, the Cowboys’ plan and injuries / struggles up front last year also didn’t do Jaylon or the linebackers a favor. They’ve taken steps to improve there, and it looks like Dan Quinn is very determined to put players in the right places to be successful. This should help Jaylon even if he doesn’t play almost 100% of the snaps like he used to.

I saw in “Hard Knocks”, where Coach McCarthy and Stephen Jones were talking about Zeke and his career, got me thinking. In the past, Zeke hasn’t played preseason at all (I remember) and had slow starts early in the regular season. So is there a correlation between the two? BRYAN SCOTT / RED LION, PA

David: It is theoretically possible, although I would like to point out that Zeke played during the preseason as a rookie and always struggled to get out of the gate. For me, it’s just a matter of risk versus reward. It’s unfortunate if Zeke needs a week or two to get things done, but it’s way better than losing him for a long time in a meaningless match. I’m not saying you’re wrong, but I don’t see this as a big enough problem to take too many risks.

Rob: Last year was obviously a tough season by Zeke’s standards, but I wouldn’t say slow starts have been a trend his entire career. In 2017 he was facing suspension from the league and last year the pandemic was a factor in everyone’s preparedness. As McCarthy said on the show, he arrived at camp in excellent shape. And I think it’s important to watch the pre-season work of a running back. The Cowboys did the same with Emmitt Smith back then and they did it with Zeke returning to his rookie year.

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