“Not as a player, I’m not saying that,” Jones says of the comp. “But he is strong. We are pleased.”
FRISCO - Dallas Cowboys rookie offensive lineman Tyler Smith grew up in DFW, so he's not ignorant to the legend of Larry Allen, the Hall of Fame blocker who some of us think might be the best guard to ever play in the NFL.
Indeed, some of us think he might be the best player who ever played in the NFL.
"I’m a younger guy, so Larry Allen is before my time, but I caught on (to how good Allen was),” the first-round choice tells the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. "It means a lot to be able to wear that and carry on that legacy.”
How capable might Smith be to do just that? In one Cowboys tradition, he has essentially been anointed due to his jersey assignment - he'll wear No. 73, as did Allen. (Dallas of course does the same with Nos. 88 and 94, passing down greatness.) And in another Cowboys tradition, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones will speak out positively about outrageous comparisons.
In this case, Jones is a bit more careful than usual, as he said it is specifically Smith’s physical strength that reminds him of Allen.
“Not as a player, I’m not saying that,” Jones said of comparing Smith to Allen. “But he is strong. We are pleased.”
He is strong. The Cowboys - who are about to elevate him to the starting left guard job - should be pleased. But the 6-5, 320-pound Smith's strength does not really compare to Allen's, simply because so few humans' strength can.
Smith said he is aware of the adversity Allen faced growing up (as a rookie Allen quietly told the tale of the stab wounds still present around his shoulders, the result of an attack when he was 10. Additionally, as an infant, meningitis almost took Allen's life. In Smith's case, he underwent surgery for Blount’s disease in high school, correcting serious leg problems.
"I’ve seen a lot of the adversity he went through early in his life,'' Smith said. "And I feel like I resonate with a lot of that.''
Allen was a famously quiet guy; Smith not so much. He's already turned heads with one of the quotes of the offseason.
"I stay away from the media,'' Smith said soon after arriving here at The Star. "Everybody has an opinion. It’s like buttholes, everybody has one.''
But yes, the Cowboys think he can play at a high level ... eventually.
"He has a tremendous ceiling,'' said coach Mike McCarthy, who was intent in this NFL Draft on adding Cowboys who won't get "big-boy'ed'' on the field.
The truth is, before Tyler Smith can be as good as Larry Allen, he's got to prove he's better than the likes of Connor McGovern, who was ahead of him on the depth chart at last week's OTAs. A small step forward at this week's OTAs would be progress enough ... with undoubtedly more comps to come.
If Smith can become even close to the player Allen was, the Cowboys will be happy with their choice.
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