‘Mazi Smith in Combat’? Cowboys Rookie OUT, Getting Knee MRI at Camp

“I’d like to see Mazi Smith," Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said this week, listing his hopes-for highlights from Saturday’s preseason-opener against visiting Jacksonville. “I just want to see him kinda right there in combat.”

Dallas Cowboys rookie defensive tackle Mazi Smith - projected to be a top-of-the-rotation player and maybe even a starter - missed Tuesday's training camp practice in Oxnard and is getting an MRI on his knee.

How much of a concern is the issue? According to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, Smith has been dealing with tendinitis in his knee this summer, with the team calling the move “precautionary.”

The Cowboys picked Smith in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft out of Michigan, and they view the 6-3, 330-pounder as an instant-impact contributor. On the just-released depth chart, the rookie is listed behind run-stopping vet Johnathan Hankins. But in practice in camp in Oxnard, he’s at times worked both ahead of and alongside Hankins.

Smith has already gained a reputation for “football violence,” suggesting that the only reason he likes the sport is because it allows him to legally hit people. … which he is doing in camp, almost at a pace to match All-Pro teammate Micah Parsons.

“I’d like to see Mazi," Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said this week, listing his hopes-for highlights from Saturday’s preseason-opener against visiting Jacksonville. “I just want to see him kinda right there in combat.”

That’s a healthy wish. Now the Cowboys wait on an MRI to learn if Mazi Smith is healthy enough to fulfill it.

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