Find someone who supports you like outside linebacker coach Mike Smith does with Gabe Jacas. We should all be so lucky.
“I'm not a gambler, but I kind of look at maybe anything in life is gambling. If you got a kid that's big like him, that's athletic like him, that's meaner than a wet mule, and he loves football.
“Not going to say he's going to be Jason Taylor or LT [Lawrence Taylor] or any of that stuff, but it's going to be very hard for him to fail, and so I know who the kid is and what he wants to be, and he's going to work at it to be that. So I'm excited to have him and excited to work with him every day. Glad he's here.”
As someone unfamiliar with mules, we later asked Smith what that was all about. He said if you’ve ever seen a wet mule, you’d know why he went with that reference. So be forewarned: don’t get the mule wet. But I digress...
Jacas’ preseason performances have been lacking. He’s gotten playing opportunities but has made very little impact. That hasn’t been the case on the practice field, where the rookie has had some productive days. That’s not to say consistent - Jacas still comes and goes - but at least we’ve seen plays/periods when he confirms to me why I was a fan of his pre-draft, and why the Patriots wheeled three picks to move up and select the edge rusher in round two.
One of the biggest issues for Jacas is all that time he missed during the spring. The coaching staff, Smith included, made it clear that it would be a hurdle for the University of Illinois product, and despite the belief that it will eventually come together for him, there’s no way to fast-forward time on task, though he’s certainly trying.
“That's such one of the biggest stages of a young man's career,” Smith said. “Really, anybody, any player that misses a whole spring and all the different things that we're adding and changing after a season and just working on your technique, your footwork, your hands- it's a struggle with anybody. But for a rookie, it's very tough.
“That's why I'm shocked kind of