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Jaylon Smith: Story of ‘Elite’ Player, Drop Foot and Muddy Ford Bronco

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Jaylon Smith believes he’s an “elite” player.

“Elite,” Smith, repeating himself, said on Friday following his first practice with the Green Bay Packers.

Presumably, nobody else shares that opinion.

Had the Dallas Cowboys believed Smith was an elite player, they wouldn’t have invested so much at linebacker this offseason. First, they signed veteran safety-turned-linebacker Keanu Neal. Then, they used their first-round pick on Micah Parsons and their fourth-round selection on Jabril Cox. So, with Parsons, Neal and former Pro Bowler Leighton Vander Esch as the starters and Cox biding his time, Smith went from prolific tackler to odd man out.