Let’s start with the good news: Jaylon Smith could make his New Orleans Saints debut on Thursday night against the Jacksonville Jaguars, having ingratiated himself quickly to fans as the team’s third-best linebacker in preseason. But Smith doesn’t play special teams, and with the starters healthy there haven’t been enough snaps to go around for him to get into games.
And there’s the bad news. Pro Bowl linebacker Demario Davis is questionable for this game due to a knee injury that limited him in practice all week. If he can’t go, the Saints defense will be without one of its most important playmakers, even if Smith is a capable backup.
Other linebackers available for Thursday’s game include Pete Werner, Zack Baun, Nephi Sewell, D’Marco Jackson, and Ty Summers. They also have rookie linebacker Anfernee Orji on the practice squad with Smith.
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