FRISCO, Texas – OTA’s were in full swing today at the Star in Frisco as the second week of drills took place. The receivers underwent catching drills and the linebackers focused on the mobility of their footwork and blocking techniques. Jaylon Smith was the last to leave the field for his group, as he practiced his routes with new vocal linebacker’s coach, Ben Bloom.
Jaylon commented on his expectations for the future “the thing is going from possibly not being able to play the game of football again to being able to complete a full year, at the highest level, the National Football League. Everything is going to continue to grow. It’s expected where I am today and everything is going to continue to get better and better. “
Jaylon is continuing to improve on the field and his optimistic attitude is unwavering. His eyes lit up and his smile widened as he discussed his excitement for the season and the game he loves without any hindrances. He no longer has the brace and admitted it is all about “God’s timing.” He has continued to succeed, despite the odds against him and his work ethic and determination have and will continue to pay off. With Sean Lee and Leighton Vander Esch by his side, this could be the dawn of a new great era within the defense for the ‘silver and blue.’ The right attitude and skill set is there in each of these men.
Defensive Coordinator, Rod Marinelli, remarked to D210 how Bloom plans to utilize the strengths of Leighton, Sean, and Jaylon into the defensive scheme “Sean is a ‘will’ backer. The other two guys are to learn the ‘mike’ backer and compete. Then we will cross-train a couple of those guys. Then hopefully we will get a nice rotation and keep them healthy. “
Marinelli was referring to the nicknames “Sam” “Mike” and “Will” that are simply men’s names with the same first letter as the term they represent “Strong Side” “Middle” and “Weak Side.” Bloom plans to use Lee as a weak side linebacker, and Jaylon and Leighton are leaning the ropes and competing for a spot as middle linebacker. There is no doubt of the love that Jaylon and Leighton have for this franchise. They were both emotional when they got the call announcing their new dream home in the NFL as “Dallas Cowboys.” Their competitiveness will drive them to perform at the only level they believe in: elite.
Cornerback Jourdan Lewis summed up the theme of the day by stating his expectation “to get better. That is all we can do. Trying to be one of the focal points in the already great team…we are just taking it one day at a time. Trying to learn together and get better.”
Every player on the current roster is trying to compete to earn a spot as a starter and gain the star on the iconic jersey. These players have the opportunity as a young team to come together as a brotherhood and make history on the field this upcoming season. Putting in the work to get there is not just ‘a’ way or a mundane thought expressed by players, it is the ‘only’ way. That realization, of the level that is expected of them, is felt walking through the hallowed halls at the practice facility lined with pictures and memorabilia of the past winning decades of the 70s and the 90s, and the hope of the future ahead!!
