Dallas Cowboys: Jaylon Smith is a game wrecker

The Dallas Cowboys have been taking chances on injured players and players with questionable backgrounds. But taking Jaylon Smith may finally be paying off.

The Dallas Cowboys have been taking risks. Taking risks is a part of the game and can come with great rewards. In 2015, the Cowboys took a risk on Nebraska defensive end Randy Gregory. After multiple suspensions, they have yet to get any significant return on their investment.

But sometimes risks pay off. In 2016, the Cowboys decided to take a risk on Jaylon Smith, a top-five player with a significant injury. After missing the entire 2016 season, Smith returned to action in 2017. He showed real flashes of what made him an All-American and 2016 Butkus Award winner at Notre Dame.

Picking Smith was the definition of high risk high reward. He was high risk in that there was no guarantee he would ever play football again. In his final game at Notre Dame, Smith tore his ACL, LCL and damaged his peroneal nerve. At the time it was feared he would never walk the same much less run or play football.

But Smith was also high reward. While at Notre Dame, Smith was a game changer. While patrolling the field as a middle linebacker, Smith was truly a sideline to sideline defender. He stopped the run with a vengeance and excelled in pass rush and coverage.

The Cowboys were lucky enough to have the doctor who treated Smith’s injury on staff. Dan Cooper performed the surgery to repair his knee. So, with inside knowledge in hand, the risk was taken.