Before the mayhem of the Dallas Cowboys’ Week 1 matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles kicked off, one of the biggest pre-game stories was defensive tackle Mazi Smith being a healthy scratch.
The former Michigan Wolverine and first-round pick had struggled to show his value over his first two NFL seasons, and this preseason didn’t change that narrative.
As others made a name for themselves in the preseason, Smith struggled badly and admitted that fact to the press.
Now that the season is underway, and he is a healthy scratch, it’s time to end the experiment.
Interior D-Line Solved: Mazi Smith Has Lost His Spot, & Potential
The very second Jerry Jones sent Micah Parsons packing to Green Bay, Mazi Smith’s Cowboys career ended.
Kenny Clark, the player Dallas got in return from the Packers, immediately stepped into the role that Smith never could. Between him, Osa Odighizuwa, Solomon Thomas, and rookie Jay Toia, the interior defensive line had been fixed.
Smith’s chances to prove himself are all run out, so why keep him around?
Depth? Well, Dallas has solid depth there, especially with Perrion Winfrey. Hope for growth? I don’t buy that either; if they had Smith in their future plans, he’d be getting reps, not watching games in street clothes.
What it comes down to is money and pride. If the Cowboys cut Smith right now, it comes with a hefty cap penalty, and it would also be admitting a mistake.
The Mazi Mistake: Flubbed Pick Has Done Damage
The end of the Smith era, whenever it comes, will bring forth discussion about the grave mistake the front office made in drafting him. They do not want that kind of talk.
In 2019, two years after drafting fellow Wolverine Taco Charlton, the team came to grips with his struggles, made him a healthy scratch over the first two games, and then released him. We are still talking about him today.
We’ve arrived at that same point with Smith. In fact, he’s done more damage than Charlton ever did.
If the Smith pick had been a success, the Cowboys’ long-standing run defense problems would have been solved. Do you think they still make a trade for Clark if that happens? No chance.
The Cowboys front office, like they did with Charlton, needs to acknowledge the end of this road, part ways, and deal with the consequences of that. Stop wasting a roster spot on a failed experiment.
I agree, end the experiment. I would like to know what Cowboy official decided that this was worth a first round choice? I don’t think McClay had anything to do with it, and if he did he was overridden by one of the Jones boys. My guess would be Jerrah.
Yup.. pull the plug on this “experiment”. Dude has had 2 years and at this point he is what he is..
Here’s how Cowboys VP Will McClay sold team brass on making Mazi Smith the team’s first-round pick – CBSSports.com
Well, here is your answer. For some reason McClay always seems gets credit for good picks but rarely get criticism for bad ones. Not sure why. Jerry always gets criticism even if he wasn’t the main driver for a certain pick (like in this case), but none of the credit for good picks.
Typo; …always seems to get credit for good picks…
He was considered the best run stopper of the draft by consensus.
I don’t see why people don’t understand why Mazi isn’t the player he’s supposed to be!! He’s a really good player!! But it’s hard for any player to go through weight changes every year of his NFL career!! Dan Quinn made him lose a bunch of weight in his rookie year, and then Mike Zimmer comes in and makes him gain all that weight back, and by week 10 he was playing really good too, and now this year, Matt Eberflus made him lose a bunch of weight again!! So not only did he have to deal with 3 different defensive coordinators, but he’s also had to learn how to play at a different weight and a different style every year!! That’s why he’s not the player he was drafted to be!! He was the player he was in college because he played at a certain weight and played a certain style, and that’s why he was drafted, but he hasn’t been able to play at that weight or that style either since he left college!! And you people wanna call him a bust, when the facts are the defensive coordinators are messing with his career!! It makes no sense…. Mazi was drafted to be a run stopper and he who he was in college, but he can’t do that if he’s having to lose weight one year and then gain weight the next year just to lose weight again the next year!! If they want him to be the player he was in college then let him keep the weight he played with in college and leave him alone!! But making him switch his weight by so much every year isn’t doing anything but messing with him and his career!! And I really don’t understand why you people don’t see that!! Let him gain his weight back and play for more than a year and I guarantee he’ll be the player he was drafted to be!!
When will Jones just accept that he screwed up in that 2023 draft? I must admit that wasn’t a very strong draft class anyway.
a Dallas Cowboys fan, si9nce the 70’s what Mazi Smith shuold do is go play for the U.F.L. or the Canadian Football League one the Cowboys get ride of him