Mazi Smith knows he must have a much-improved Year 2.
He also believes that the Dallas Cowboys bolstering the defensive line with a veteran presence like Jordan Phillips should only help him in the long run.
"I know all about Jordan Phillips," Smith told the Cowboys team website's Patrik Walker this week. "He's made a lot of plays. He's a vet in this game and when you're able to add that to the room, iron sharpens iron. That's what you want. You want a room full of competition. You don't want (any)body to relax."
Phillips was acquired in a trade with the rival New York Giants this week. It's unlikely to be an indictment of Smith, but rather just addressing a need as new defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer's D-line was in major need of depth.
Along with veteran presence, Phillips should provide that.
Smith, taken 26th overall in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft, struggled through his rookie season. He played in all 17 games with three starts, but registered less than a tackle a game, tallying 13 for the season with one sack, three tackles for loss and three QB hits.
Friday proved another hurdle for the second-year lineman, as the Cowboys announced he experienced an allergic reaction at training camp and was unable to travel with the team to Las Vegas for Saturday's contest against the Raiders. He received treatment and the Cowboys subsequently announced Saturday that while he continues to recover, he would officially not be traveling to the game.
Though he won't be suiting up this weekend, he'll still be hoping to hit his second season with a "clean slate." He's also planning on picking Phillips' brain to help him rebound from a less than scintillating start to his career.
"Me and Jordan Phillips are gonna have conversations," Smith said. "Just watching how they go about their business. You see vets and players who've done this for 11 years, they've started in the NFL for (a long) time and that's not an easy feat. So, when you've got somebody coming in that's done anything like that, first of all, that's respect; and then you look to them and see what they're doing and seeing what you're not."
So it seems the Cowboys added some much-needed depth and beef up front, along with a potential mentor for their 2023 first-rounder.
