Jaylen Smith's hip injury costs Winnipeg its most productive SAM linebacker, not just a na

Smith has 46 defensive tackles in seven starts at strong-side linebacker — 6.6 per game — while replacement Michael Griffin II has 39 tackles in nine starts, or 4.3 per game. The 2025 second-round pick's absence is a real production downgrade even though Griffin is a 51-game CFL veteran with 139 career defensive tackles.