What is Jaylon Smith's roadmap with the Dallas Cowboys?

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While Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones — in true Jerry Jones fashion — said earlier this month his team won't put former Jaylon Smith on injured reserve, it looks clear the former Notre Dame star linebacker won't play in 2016.

The issue with Smith is waiting for the peroneal nerve in his left knee to "wake up." Once that happens — and the prevailing sense out of Dallas is that it will — Smith should be ready to return to the field, most likely sometime in 2017.

But when Smith is healthy, what will his role be?

For that, J.B. Long and I on the Still Independent Podcast asked Dallas Morning News Cowboys Reporter Jon Machota for his analysis. There does appear to be a clear opening for Smith to start in 2017, provided his ACL, LCL and nerve are back to full strength.

Also in the podcast was a good discussion about Cowboys team physician Dr. Dan Cooper, who Smith (and Chicago Cubs catcher/outfielder Kyle Schwarber, who also tore his ACL and LCL in April) sought out to perform his surgery months before being drafted. There's good news for Smith and Schwarber in there on Cooper's success rate with surgeries and getting players back on the field after significant knee injuries.

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