OLB Marcus Smith is the Pick
Posted: May 8th, 2014 | Author: Tommy Lawlor | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | 282 Comments »My priority in the 2014 draft was for the Eagles to get a good OLB. The Eagles never had a chance to get Anthony Barr so that meant they had to look elsewhere. I assumed they would pass on guys at pick 22 and go for them in the 2nd round.
The Eagles threw me a curve ball.
They took OLB Marcus Smith from Louisville. I like him quite a bit and the pick is fine with me. Earlier today I mentioned him as a target if they moved back.
Here are some players the Eagles could target if they do move back
1 – WR Cody Latimer – Indiana…he could be the target at 22. I’m sure the Eagles would love to move back a few spots and get him if that is possible.
2 – CB Bradley Roby – Ohio State…I thought he was a Top 10 player coming into the year. Playmaker who can cover, hit and tackle. Outstanding on STs. Had a recent arrest that will bother some teams.
3 – LB Jeremiah Attaochu – Georgia Tech…Another player I struggle with in terms of value. I like him quite a bit, but I don’t have a good feel for what NFL teams think. I’d love to see the Eagles get him.
4 – LB Marcus Smith – Louisville…Maybe the most complete 3-4 OLB prospect in the draft. He can set the edge, rush the passer and cover. Looks natural at all 3.
5 – WR Kelvin Benjamin – Florida State…I don’t want him, but the Eagles just might. Has great size at 6-5, 240, but is an awkward player. Some offensive guru is going to fall in love with his potential. I’m hoping it is Sean Payton and not Chip Kelly.
I had Smith listed on my “I Want the Eagles to Take” list.
I’ll write more about him later, but this is a solid pick. I figured he would go in the early 2nd. I won’t complain about the Eagles moving back and then taking him. They addressed a spot that I wanted with a player I wanted. And Smith fits the Eagles scheme. He could be an outstanding player for Bill Davis and Chip Kelly.
Enjoy some highlights.
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LOVE THIS PICK.
Good job Chip & Howie. Only other players I would have been good with are Cody Latimer and Marqise Lee.
I’m not very happy with this pick. I think it gives me the sense that Chip cares about “flexibility” just a bit too much. Not someone who can star or slope the field at all, and of course, you can’t really get those with assurance in the late first round, but still…
Of course not.
But who would you have taken?
Not sure. I wasn’t big on Lee. Most of the obvious people were gone except for that Cyrus K tackle dude. Eh, being an Al Davis sort of dude and was hoping for someone with a high ceiling. I guess it’d be all right, but…
Also Smith has the longest arms of any OLB with 34 inches
yay
Sooooo happy! We got a 3rd and one of the few high ceiling OLBs in the draft! A smart team like the Niners or Seattle would have taken him. Glad we did!!
Super Bowl.
OMG WTF is this new era of the eagles getting me exactly what I want? Screw you Andy!! Love you Howie. Love you Chip….you got us another 3rd pick and one of the most talented of the few OLBs? THANK YOU! THANK YOU, Infinitely THANK YOU!!!
Geagle you are right! All these people talking about reaching are wrong. This guy was high on a lot of boards because he’s one of the only guys you can safely project as a 3-4 OLB. All of the other guys are converted DE’s but this guy has played the position. I hoped we could get him later, but with the trade down, I’m fine with the pick. There is no way he lasted to the 3rd round and I seriously doubt he would be there for the Eagles in the 2nd. There’s nothing wrong with drafting for need as long as you get it right – and I think they did. This is Cole’s eventual replacement.
BOOOOOO!!!! So pissed i waited an extra 2 weeks for this…. should of traded back 3 more times and still have drafted this guy… smfh..
Lets see what they do with #54. If Latimer lasts til #54, I’d be happy
Man IDK… I sure hope so. If we got both I’d be thrilled.
Me too.
He was the BPA. Stop. Don’t say “we could’ve had him like 405030 picks later so stupid”. You’re wrong.
Tell me soothing things D3FB. Smith is going to be a 5 time pro bowler with 100+ career sacks right? I need this right now.
He was the third best OLB in this draft. He’s going to get 10 sacks a year. He can cover. He has loose hips. He’s lengthy. He can do it all. Kid is a stud.
And now a song of my peoples to soothe your soul.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8WEtxJ4-sh4
Consider my soul soothed. Thanks D3FB!
Its funny, Smith look like he can bend on tape and has a terrible 3 cone, while Murphy looks super stiff, but has a great 3 cone
Smith recorded a much better 3 cone later.
Thanks D3FB, your words and this song is a balm for my soul.
It’s one of my many talents. Its because I’m the…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cnQCk0u49w
Did we just become best friends? Yup.
On the count of three, name your favorite dinosaur…
I knew we were best friends for a reason
Such a great pick!! Dudes are dumb,
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Maaaaaaaarcus Daaaaaarling
they got marcus, but they could still get another rolb now with that extra pick
Wasn’t it Daniel Jeremiah who said he wouldn’t make it past 35? I think that shows his true value was right where we got him.
Yes. On Twitter.
Yep.
WalterFootball had him @ 84. CBS said 46. I’ll hold off on having an opinion for a while.
Walterfootball is a joke
NFL.com had him as a 3-4th rounder and Mayock said day 2, I don’t think they’re jokes. But Smith was productive at L’ville and the Eagles got an extra 3rd…
I think NFL.com rankings are a joke as well
Nawrocki is a joke. He’s the guy who puts out the annual character assassination stuff. Apparently according to him Kenny Ladler is simultaneously a strong safety only, while being a “lean athletic finesse free safety”.
Weaknesses: Pedestrian timed speed. Average instincts and anticipation — can be a tick late to read and react. Poor center fielder. Manipulated by QBs. Unreliable last line of defense. Inconsistent open-field tackler. Average tackle strength — catches contact. Strong safety only.
Bottom Line Lean, athletic, finesse free safety with the chops to hold down a backup job in a system where he could react to plays in front of him, though he will have to demonstrate utility on special teams to stick.
We’ll never know, but I expect they could have traded back. See where Attaocho goes, that’s a team that might have wanted Smith.
Maybe. You got the feeling the Eagles were trying; they didn’t put in their pick until the absolute last minute. But maybe they would have had to go too far down for their liking, if they could find anyone at all.
I guess we should have known from “Maybe the most complete 3-4 OLB prospect in the draft”.
BTW, if one of Lee/Lattimore/Robinson is still there at 54 I retract all complaining.
Soooo happy!! Howie played his hand like a boss!
We got our boy!!!! If we get ARob & Van Noy I’ll probably $hit my pants in excitement!
If we don’t get KVN, I bet we get Kirksey no I’ll still shit my pants!! Deliver A-Rob or Latimer and I’ll go nuts!!
Didnt you just know the fat man was gonna go Dee Ford? His kinda guy all day
In a deep receiver draft with few pass rushers i love trading back and getting a kid who fits your system who fits a need and lets face it..no way he lasts to 54.kid can rush and cover. he will get stronger in an NFL training room. i liked him more than attaboy. Now lets get joyner with that extra 3rd. KVN in the second please!!!!
Absolutely!!! QB,OLB,OT are the most valued positions. They cost soo much in free agency and all get snatched up quick in the draft, so imagine how fast the would go in a draft where it’s weak at pass rushers.
..
This is like getting Anthony Barr in my eyes. All the ceiling in the world. Potential to develop into an edge terror, and across from Barwin his ability to drop in cover maximizes our disguise. QBs won’t know who’s dropping and who’s rushing…and we got a 3rd round pick that’s better than the one we had? End up turning that pick into Moncreif, Sefarian Jenkins! Martevis Bryant…
….
ALERT: That extra 3rd is what Chip needed to take Tre Mason, RB…. Rather not, but I’ll live
We were so close for Clinton-Dix, ugh. Hate hate the Packers.
I think they were looking to be more dynamic and less predictable with their fronts. Being able to possibly send either OLB creates a dynamic that might be greater than better back end support. Only time will tell how this pick fares, but I like this staff’s ability to coach em up.
This could end up being another Boykin situation… Was really pissed when we passed on him, but then we got him in the next round anyway. So maybe one of those WRs going to be there at 54… Though I still think Chip think’s we’re good enough at WR…
Latimer!
Here comes all the armchair GM’s, in Howie & Chip we trust
i’ve pretended like i know stuff about drafting and evaluating players all night, i don’t fucking shit about shit
If its any consolation, if you look at the failure rate of draft picks around the league, the professionals are better at evaluation than the fans but the bust rate is still high. Its not a science by any means.
Ah, poor boy, Knows all about naughty 4-letter words, but doesn’t know how to capitalize himself.
so that makes you the guy that just cheers for whatever they dont and doesnt form your own opinion?
I’m the guy that realizes that actual coaches and front office staff probably know a little more than the dopes on forums, but that is just my opinion. I’m stoked with 3 picks in the first 83, my thoughts are Chip & co can draft and develop players better than the previous staff.
oh you are that guy who cheers for whatever happens.. gotcha..
As opposed to being the fan who rips on everything they do? Because we certainly have our share of those among the fanbase, believe me.
i dont rip everything they do, i rip the stuff i dont agree with.. free speech and independent thinking just not your cup of tea.. huh
Free speech works both ways, and some are exercising theirs in regards to yours. Better to keep your mouth shut and keep the illusion of intelligence then to open your soup cooler and remove all doubt. Thanks for proving my point senorita strawman
and what point was that? You know you are the one who looks stupid right?
You hate the pick, that’s obvious, but your only rationale seems to be “because he wasn’t rated that high.” That’s not much of a reason; lots of boards had him right around where he was taken, as a potential high 2nd.
If there’s things specific to his Smith’s game that you don’t like, bring ’em out so we can discuss them. If you haven’t seen enough of the kid to know him in that kind of detail, then show some respect for guys like Tommy who have and at least reserve judgement until we see how the kid does in Davis’ system. Give how well Roseman’s drafted, I think he’s earned the benefit of the doubt.
Like I said, some fans just hate everything the team does. Its their version of “being a fan,” for whatever reason. https://twitter.com/FakeWIPCaller does a pretty good impression of
a lot of boards also had him in the 3rd.. and guess what? he wasnt taken as a high 2nd he was taken as a low 1st lol..
reserve judgment? we waited an extra 2 weeks for this crap, you can reserve me a 30 pack of beer please.
the kid is just a long pair of arms… played vs nothing but cupcakes.
Am I being simple minded for simply cheering for whatever Charlie Kelly doesn’t like? I think that’s pretty much my barometer for good team management.
u sound butt hurt
What do you say to people like me and jerry who wanted to take Marcus early? We got an extra 3rd and one of the best OLB in the draft…how can you expect us not be happy?
hey be happy… u got who u wanted.. but its a terrible pick. lol
Why?mbecause Mel Kiper and Geoff Mosher didn’t talk about us drafting him? Great pick!!!
No.
Because the better pick (Attaochu) was still on the board and he could have been had in the second. I’d love to be proven wrong, but I don’t think he’s special.
Whatchya got against them ‘postrophes??
I watched TWO Kelvin Benjamin highlight reels yesterday. And this guy on Bleacher Report had him mocked to the Eagles. What were Chip and Howie thinking???
You guys are such babies. Today has been outstanding.
Awesome 1st round, literally the only way this could’e gone better was if we traded back with the niners and still got Smith
yall smoking crack? lol… smh
Since you’re so quick to dismiss the pick who exactly did you want? Cause Smith was far and away the best option.
No the hell he wasnt. lol..
i swear some fans just cheer for whatever happens.. lol..
Are you gonna bark all day little doggie? Or are you gonna bite.
I don’t cheer for whatever happens. I’ve seen Marcus Smith do things that very few guys can do. He was well worth the pick there was no real value at WR there
*rolls eyes
Do you actually make comments of any substance or just snarky remarks because I’ve never seen you once make a cogent argument only remarks of disagreement and thinking you know better than everyone else.
dude… this whole lil speech you just typed… zero substance. Pot meet kettle
I asked you you’re opinion on who you thought should be drafted and you only insulted my opinion. I then tried to explain my opinion and you offer nothing. So I don’t see how that’s the pot calling the kettle back.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyu2jAD6sdo
Broadcaster on Easley: “excellent value pick. Was a top 30 pick until he tore his ACL.”
They picked him at 29… how was that value?
It’s a classic Patriots pick, eschewing all traditional logic.
Even the Eagles didn’t take Marcus I thought they were taking Lee or KVN. If you are happy with KVN, you gotta be happy with Maaaaaaaaaarcus Daaaaaarling!!
Possible 2nd round targets?
Phillip Gaines
Lamarcus Joyner
Cody Latimer
Allen Robinson
Stephon Tuitt(?!)
KVN
Latimer
Allen Robinson
Sefarian Jenkins
Moncreif
Devante
Louis Nix
God get me ALLEN ROBINSON!!!!
Desir
I think Desir might slip out of the second but I wouldn’t mind him in the 2nd.
anyone think the niners are going to snipe any of our receivers of interest?
Niners will take one of the receivers.
How in hell did Benjamin end up going before Lee and Lattimer btw? Panthers were accidentally great for 1 year, that FO is determined to drive that back into the dirt.
Benjamin is big, same reason Bortles went 3rd overall
If they wanted size, we could have traded them Ifeanyi Momah for a bag of doughnuts and they could have saved their 1st round pick.
I think it could work for the Panthers, give Newton a big target to throw deep jump balls to. Makes some sense with his arm strength.
The ‘throw it ‘n’ hope’ worked annoyingly well for Eli with Plaxico on the other end.
I get to watch waaaay too many Panther games here in NC, Cam is better at hitting open guys. Doesn’t have the touch to hit a covered guy (consistently)…yet
all he does is score TDs
Geags!! We got our boy!! Marcus Daaaarling! I was so excited my wife had to hush me so I didn’t wake the baby.
Sooooo happy. can’t believe we were smart enough to pluck him off the board….when you get one of the top 4 OLBs in a draft, that’s a win…dumb ass Andy took Dee Ford, hell yeah Marcus is a brilliant pick. And I get to use his nickname for the nextfdecade..
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Maaaaaaaaaarcus darling!!
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I never wanna hear about running QBS again…Chip passed on the great Johny Football..discussion closed!! All hail king FOles, the bringer of rain!!
Still waiting for a shah8 comment.
Haven’t read one of his comments in like 8 months..dead serious lol
Brilliant move. Giving up 22 for Marcus and pick #83. That’s excellent value!! He’ll unseat Cole sooner than many think and will be in playing from day 1. Get the kid the playbook and let’s have at some QBs.
Ya damn skippy….what a score!!! We can get out of Coles contract after the year because he will ready to set the edge and be a 3 down player by the beginning of his second year. Provides disguise with him and Barwin both being able to cover. 10 sack plus ceiling, experienced rushing standing or 3 pt stance…
..
This let’s us trade BG if he even has value…
GEagle, I thought of you with this pick and Tommy too. I don’t know OLB traits well and had to do some research. Is it true that this guy has best sack rate for OLBs?
Don’t forget about D3FB he’s been on the Smith train since at least January.
He was 2nd in college in sacks last year
Big point others are missing:
Smith sets the edge as well or better than any OLB in the draft. For a raw, inexperienced guy, its impressive.
I have to give u credit Geagle, you have been talking up Marcus for the last couple of months.
This is what u said in February: GEAGLE NickS1 • Would like ATleast two of the 3: KVN, c jones and Marcus daaaaaarling
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We on our way baby!!! ATleast I get to use his nickname for another 10 years lol Maaaaaaarcus Daaaaaaarling!!!
We on our way baby!!! ATleast I get to use his nickname for another 10 years lol Maaaaaaarcus Daaaaaaarling!!!
…
Kirksey is next!!
We on our way baby!!! ATleast I get to use his nickname for another 10 years lol Maaaaaaarcus Daaaaaaarling!!!
…
Kirksey is next!!
Liking this pick more and more… but does he fit the supposed “criteria” of our 6-4 or taller expectations for OLBs? Regardless, I’m Glad Kelly wants players and won’t pass up on talent as if a dude was too short to ride the big kid roller coaster or something.
He is 6-3, but has really long arms at 34 inches
True. His highlight reel shows that length. Plays bigger than 6-3.
Also I length is more important than height. No help to be 6-6 if you got 31 inch arms
What if you’re 31 inches with 6’6 arms?
Well you’d probably weigh about 100 pounds, so I imagine anchoring would be a problem…
Low center of gravity would help
Hopefully you don’t get cut blocked.
crus:Best Comment of the night!
Thanks for the laugh.
Those arms are a huge asset
and 10″ hands.
True, he is the OLB version of Logan
To strengthen your point, he is actually almost 6′ 3.5″
Hate the pick. Attaochu would’ve been better. We could’ve gotten Smith at 54 and if not then who cares? He’s not a guy you bother drafting in the first. This pick was legit embarrassing.
agreed!!!
Sorry, I’m done breaking shit in my house, but I still fucking hate this pick. TRADE BACK AGAIN IF YOU LOVE SMITH! NOBODY WAS GONNA STEAL HIM FROM US!
woah
Aw Ward is gone…
They just drafted their nickel corner at 30 and people are mad about Marcus.
Jimmie WARD?
I swear people like Charlie Kelly complaining about the pick, I don’t know how you manage to think. The guy never played a down in the NFL and you are already throwing him down. Chip went to a lot of pro days, the scouts as well, tom gamble was in the 9ers FO before, good CV in terms of drafting 3-4 OLB. Trust them for god sake
no need to get personal
No need to flood the comment section as well by saying that every fans agreeing on the pick are brainless sheeps.
damn u are butt hurt ahaha.. man some guys cant handle the truth
Huh? Im throwing him down? Im throwing the fact taht we drafted him down because he went way to early. could have traded back 2 more times and drafted this kid.
“Chip went to alot of pro days” thats your argument for me.. man keep walking.
Hey Jimmie Ward, the Niners making me feel better already.
Apparently Eagles weren’t the only one not having Lee highly rated.
I don’t know if it’s so much that, or if it’s just that teams feel they will be able to find good receivers later and need to draft positions with slimmer pickings earlier.
I don’t know about the other teams but I think you just revealed the eagles strategy
Or maybe concerns about his knee injury
could be that.
So… 2nd round we’re praying Lee or Latimer falls to us yes? I’d be surprised about Lee, less so about Latimer.
Ok, I just watched his game film against Miami and I’m a fan. He can play both sides, stand up or hand in the dirt, doesn’t matter.
He’s got good explosion, intelligence and size.
I don’t know who else wanted him, but I’ll assume they had good intelligence on him being snapped up.
Or they were trying to trade back again. They used almost all of their clock.
I think you’re right. Good catch.
I’m sure the Eagles tried hard to trade back but no dice so they took the guy they wanted maybe SLIGHTLY higher than they wanted. Better to take the guy they want, rather than get too cute and miss out.
Trade up in the second?
I’m guessing they do. For Latimer.
Man Broncos badly need OL. Surprised they’ve been devoting so many resources to defense.
Roby will fit in great with the Denver front office. Maybe they can carpool together.
Roby a great pick for Denver–bet they thought he’d be gone by now.
Smith was my favorite of the second tier pass rushers. I like the pick.
Minny makes a move. Love it.
more skill and line players for us
It’s always a bit disappointing when literally every single person who talks about this pick starts his comment with, “I expected him to go a little later in the draft, but…” Obviously the Eagles like Marcus Smith, but it’s hard to believe he was the BPA at 26 and more the Eagles drafting a player out of need. You just hope that this pick doesn’t prove to be as underwhelming as the reaction to the pick is right now…
http://draftbreakdown.com/video/marcus-smith-vs-miami-2013/
It’ll be ok!
The reason everyone thought he’d be available later was the media. I think NFL teams had him rated much higher all along if that makes it any better for you.
Yes and no. I do agree that teams probably had him rated higher than the media, and in some ways, that makes me feel better. On the other hand, every time you hear about a player taken “early”, that is the accompanying story, so that in itself doesn’t necessarily mean the NFL scouts were right. We heard that same exact story when Oakland drafted Michael Mitchell out of nowhere a few years back for example.
Having said that, the Eagles could end up being completely right about drafting him there and he could prove to be a stud. I’m not all that “down” on the pick, just down on the perception of the pick if that makes any sense. To me, this is an underwhelming 1st round pick from an excitement factor, but that doesn’t really have any influence on whether or not he can end up being a stud for years to come.
I think the big thing with this was that it wasn’t completely out of nowhere because a few insiders have been hinting at it for a few weeks.
Makes you wonder though with the insiders, how much were those hints based on their own belief that Marcus Smith was worth a 1st round pick and how much was it simply because they are an insider and were influenced by the Eagle’s opinion of Smith. And that’s not to say that insiders were just pushing an Eagles agenda, but if they are insiders and hear a lot of positive views from the Eagles about Smith, it is hard not to be influenced by that in your own analysis.
Those same people thought Barr was going to be around in the mid-teens to early 20s.
If it helps I’ve been saying for two months I like him more than enough to take at 22.
It’s been longer than two months…
“You can’t always get what you want. But if you try, sometimes you get what you need.” I heard that somewhere.
I saw her at the draft day reception
A glass of Bud Light in her hand
She was hoping for an Aikman/Irvin Connection
But felt her QB was a choking man
Also known as Touchdown Johnny’s Lament.
http://igglesblitz.com/2014/04/case-marcus-smith/
Tommy sorta predicted it
I thought we weren’t going to reach for players anymore. This takes away from the trade. Instead of a 1st and 3rd, we kinda got a 2nd and 3rd.
I don’t follow college football so I’m not judging the pick nor people complaining/cheering about it. Even though I think he looks really good on tape. But I think the general surprise here is just a consequence of a month of Mock draft where media sold us their on draft board. Don’t forget that the guy on the sideline is the real football mind not the guy in the box.
I like his measurable and some of his attributes, that highlight vid on this post I’m not big on. Def tried to sell him as a pass rusher, loaded with fluff of him just going unblocked with a free run. Love that he wraps up his tackles, Though he comes in high, and not in a Dawkins way, he’s a bit upright and doesn’t hit with the lot of oompf. Definitely a ton of upside, but looks like there is some work to do. Will have to watch some game tape (non-highlight reels) to see everything he has to offer. Plus side is he doesn’t have to start, should have a nice transition year as a rotational guy.
When Goodell said “Marcus”, my immediate thought was that he was mispronouncing “Marquis” (as in Marquis Lee).
same lol, felt so trolled
Great pick for Minny. People underestimating this kid.
Yes, yes, yes, Bridgewater means NO MORE PONDER! No more Cassel either, unless injured…
So? What effect on Philadelphia?
Sorry, just the other team I follow. And hey, why the heck not, we’ve been talking about other team’s draft picks here, too.
A lot of us have other teams that we follow. It’s just that mine is in the AFC. That’s the only weird part of what you said to me.
I thought you followed Atlanta, too.
Not really. I don’t think I’ve seriously followed a Falcon football season after 2002.
I follow along because I live in Atlanta, but I kinda got out of the football watching after graduating college, and didn’t get back in until about 2008-9. At that time, the Falcon’s offense was dead boring, and I’ve always followed Eagles and Vikings to a certain extent going back to the ’90s. I just sorta drifted here and stayed. I’ll watch all football teams, and sorta root for some team or another, but not with that much feeling. I care much more about good football–Andy Reid and Dennis Green gave me oodles and oodles of good football. So here I am.
Yeah, you had some surprisingly fleshed out opinions of Kyle Rudolph. He always struck me as a random player to have an expert opinion on.
With as much as I talk about Joe Webb, how could you not know?
Wasn’t going to touch that one. 🙂
But what about poor Joe Webb??
Random thought here, feels good to play against bortles for his first NFL game
Or Henne, if Bortles isn’t ready. Either way win for us.
So looks like Daniel Jeremiah was right
https://twitter.com/MoveTheSticks/statuses/455556959983239168
yup, neither are that good (normal college-football-o-vision). Hopefully Smith will beast beyond expectations…
Well, they are both upside guys, but yeah, neither are plug and play difference makers that…may have been available. Still potential to be a great pick, though.
No, I thought the reverse. Guys with high floors and low ceilings.
My impression, is they aren’t yet polished. Just measurables
ESPN gave him a 70 rating. I’m hoping our FO knows more than them.
As with any supply-and-demand market situation, you pay a premium for less readily available skills.
That’s counter BPA
Not really, because there is *always* a low supply of edge rushers. Especially ones that can cover as well.
We got one of 3, maybe 4 guys in the draft that can do a really specialized, unique thing.
To me, BPA is a misnomer. No one actually tries to draft the “best player available” without lots of other considerations. Scheme fits, character traits, health concerns, and rarity of skills are always considered. What distinguishes BPA from drafting for need, it seems to me, is just that you don’t take into account what is already on your own roster in making your draft board.
This is not to say that this was a BPA pick even using my definition. I have my doubts about that.
I like the player, but not at 26. If the kid becomes a pro-bowler then it doesn’t matter where he was drafted. But we could have had Lee AND Smith.
Thoughts on whether or not the Eagles should have taken Attaochu?
I had been on board with either
Smith is a better player. More upside. Better length. Can cover.
I’d agree,,,had Marcus over Attaucho, woulda been happy with either tho
One thing I noticed about Attaochu is that once he gets stopped, he’s done for the play. He has good burst but not much else. Smith has a better variety of moves and is good at looping and stunting.
He’ll look great picking holes with our 2 gap scheme which will allow him to move in and out where the POA develops.
Good coverage, and smart. He has a nose for the ball, he never seems to lose track of it and his head stays on a swivel.
under/over on live caller before Spuds throws a tantrum? set at 2
The Twitter reacting to this pick is LOL-tastic. Thank god our fans aren’t running the show.
It’s a joke this kid has to come into a fanbase that’s already crapping on him…I told you we are the dumbest type of fans, the ones that think they are smart…smh
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GREAT PICK!!mBRILLIANT with the extra 3rd…
We should cherish this moment as the one time you and I have ever agreed about anything.
Great day to be an Eagles fan.
Cheers mate..we got an edge terror, in a draft where it was very scarce. HYPE!
and here u are.. thinking you are smart. ironic.. dont cha think
I’m confortable with my opinion coinciding with that of NFL personel people…but enjoy your opinion considing with McShay and Geoff Mosher.”…it’s only a reach in peoples eyes who aren’t employed by the NFL…wouldn’t b surprised if he wasn’t a reach to NFL front office people..bet a smart team like Niners or Seattle would have taken him….btw, some of the smarter media members had him climbing into the round 1….but enjoy agreeing with Les Bowan,Geoff Mosher and Mel Kiper…I’m comfortable seeing things the way the eagles do…must suck to be you. Aftet all the years of Andy’s dumb picks, I’m finally getting exactly what I want.. But feel free to be miserable, don’t let me stop you. Proceed being a typical dumb eagles fan
treated
why do u mention mcshay and mosher? did i mention anything about them? NO!! Thats you talking loud and beliving the bullshit you spit out.. lol.. it is MY opinion it is a reach!! MINE!!!
So proceed to being a typical dumb eagles fan.
Based off your extensive film study? What per se do you not like about his game? Please, I’m genuinely interested.
It’s better if you don’t ask. He thinks everyone is sheep.
the kid raw, and played vs weak teams. inflated numbers going vs cupcakes
And you would have preferred?
Really? lets see… lee… roby… benjamin… and a whole bunch of other guys that still havent gone yet.. lol.. i would take trent murphy in the 2nd over this kid. all day.
Ok. You don’t watch film. All I needed to know.
ohhhh, Ok you dont watch film, thats i i needed to know. (also you cant evaluate players)
did i win the war of words yet? lol
I am really happy with the pick. I am sure they were hoping to trade down again a bit (hence the delay till the last moment) and then when there was not an offer or at least not enough compensation to risk missing on a guy you liked they made the pick. I would have been very discouraged if we missed out on Barr, Att, and Smith. Lee scared me a bit. I like Robinson and Latimer…think it is more likely one of those dropped to us than a rusher. I also think getting Smith is also like scoring another later round pick because now we can move Graham knowing we have a better scheme fit with more upside in the fold.
I thought we would want Robinson,Latimer, Moncreif, possibly Jordan/Devante/martevis
I know it’s useless to play the IF game but do you think if Ha Ha was here at 22 we take him or trade back. Also what are our realistic targets for Day 2?
Trade back….almost certain…Howie hinted we weren’t going to add a safety today
I’ve gotta say that trade price was one pretty beautiful move by Howie
I worry that the extra 3rd is the extra pick we needed to get RB(Tre Mason)…I went to check Walterfootball, guess who he mocked to 83?….. Lol Tre Mason.
..
Watch us get Kirksey and Mason in the 3rd after a WR at 54
I REALLY wanted Ha Ha, but I’m guessing that the Eagles were not viewing him as a primary target. If Ha Ha was very high on their list, I would have guessed that they would have known he was unlikely to get passed GB and would have tried to trade up a spot or two in front of GB to get him. They may have drafted him if he landed at 22, but I doubt they were devastated that GB picked him ahead of the Eagles pick.
Is his sack celebration…. milking a cow?
That would only be cool if he pretends the QB has teats and proceeds to milk him as he is standing up. However, that would probably be seen as “taunting.” Oh well…
How much do any of you want to bet, that Derek Carr’s ability to remain cool in the pocket is the primary reason he’s in the second?
McShay was all over him before the draft for this. Said he learned from Gabbert to put heavy weight on completion % under pressure. Carr’s was ugly.
They noted that Foles had a high % under pressure, as another indicator, for what its worth.
Hopefully someone pulls the trigger on him before we pick in the 2nd. Every QB that goes before us pushes someone back.
I wonder if the Eagles were in negotiations with Minnesota to trade back and it fell through. Seems obvious they were trying to field a trade with how down to the wire they took the clock. Maybe couldn’t agree on compensation, maybe they wanted a bunch because they feared Smith wouldn’t be there when they got to Minnesota’s pick in the 2nd? Hmmm.
Bold Prediction of Round 2: We draft defense again!
Don’t think there are any defenders we will want in round two besides KVN and he prob doesn’t last til 54..if we don’t get him in round two, I bet it’s a WR, and then round 3 possibly Sefarian Jenkins TE/another Wr like Moncrief/RB Tre Mason, AND Christian jones/Kirksey/maybe Brent urban
Corner?!
Possibly…but I’m assuming they felt there wasn’t much difference between round 1 and round 2 WR so we plan on snatching one up in round two…that’s my assumption, I don’t believe we view CB as a pressing need like WR, and round two is strong with WR so it’s probably a safe bet that one of these names will be an eagle:
Lee
Robinson
Latimer
Devante
Jordan
Moncrief
Bryant…
..
If KVN is on the board I can see him making us consider waiting til the 3rd for a WR, but I wouldn’t bet against us taking a WR in rd 2…corner thinking someone like Exum or Mitchell in the 5th
Possibly…but I’m assuming they felt there wasn’t much difference between round 1 and round 2 WR so we plan on snatching one up in round two…that’s my assumption, I don’t believe we view CB as a pressing need like WR, and round two is strong with WR so it’s probably a safe bet that one of these names will be an eagle:
Lee
Robinson
Latimer
Devante
Jordan
Moncrief
Bryant…
..
If KVN is on the board I can see him making us consider waiting til the 3rd for a WR, but I wouldn’t bet against us taking a WR in rd 2…corner thinking someone like Exum or Mitchell in the 5th
Possibly…but I’m assuming they felt there wasn’t much difference between round 1 and round 2 WR so we plan on snatching one up in round two…that’s my assumption, I don’t believe we view CB as a pressing need like WR, and round two is strong with WR so it’s probably a safe bet that one of these names will be an eagle:
Lee
Robinson
Latimer
Devante
Jordan
Moncrief
Bryant…
..
If KVN is on the board I can see him making us consider waiting til the 3rd for a WR, but I wouldn’t bet against us taking a WR in rd 2…corner thinking someone like Exum or Mitchell in the 5th
Lindenwood CB Pierre Desir, small school guy with long arms.
Or Phillip Gaines.
Lamarcus Joyner maybe.
Yes please
Putting a serious edge talent in the hands of coach McGovern and Vets who will really help him like Barwin and Cole…great move, I want to keep Travis Long and Braman, so BG gots to go! But who will trade anything for a one year rental?
Shame our media is pathetic and I’m going to have to avoid sports radio until after round two/three.
..
Its a reach. Period.
I guess opinions differ on that, but I think we all have to be thrilled that we picked up that extra 3rd. Feels good to have 4 picks in the next 3 rounds.
Thank god for the 3rd.
Question mark?
Maybe it’s just me, but watching all of this guy’s highlights (not just Tommy’s posted video) it seems like the guy needs to get a lot stronger or improve how he sacks. It may have been how they were coaching him at Louisville, but when he’s sacking guys or tackling guys, his pad level seems really high. It almost seems like he is trying to stand every guy up and as a result has a hard time bringing them down.
Like I said, that may have been how they were coaching at Louisville, to inspire strip fumbles like in the past decade in Chicago. But for my edge rusher I would love to see them clobber the QB at the college level, because I imagine there will be more than one QB in the NFL who could shake him off and complete a pass (B.Roth, Eli, Romo come to mind). If there is disagreement on this I would urge you to rewatch the videos with that pad level, high-tackling in mind and see if it stands out to you on later viewings.
Anyway, he looks good, I hope he can beef up and lower the pad level. Then we could have a true pass rushing OLB, which will be nice.
He will get stronger with an NFL weight room, training program, and hard work. I don’t think the “plan” is to have him start this year, rather we should bring him along as needed (when he shows he has the skills).
When Ha Ha slipped and was picked just one spot before us, I really felt like there was disappointment in his first reaction, did you feel it too?
Absolutely
Yup. He has to go to the frigid north team with a closing window instead of playing for us. I would be disappointed too.
i guess dion jordan really isnt available.. because i would have given up that 1st rounded for him…
SERIOUSLY. Using caps was the best I could do when responding to this post. It pissed me off. MARCUS ****ING SMITH over Dion. O ****ing kay.
by the sounds of things…your sexuality too.
you remember that time you left a clever funny comment.. yeah me neither
Seriously if we look beyond stats, we have the potential to be a great D. Last year we created a lot of turnovers, few points allowed, we just added a dynamic playmaker to help increase our sacks number but I also can’t remember the number of missed sacks we made last year. Future is bright.
Hands down the biggest need for the Eagles was a pass rusher.
Ranked in the bottom of the league in sacks (which I know can be misleading).
But just use the eye test, Eagles OLBs did not produce enough pressure on key moments when it was needed.
Marcus Smith has a huge ceiling.
Interesting comparison:
Clay Mathews. Drafted 26th Overall. 6’3 250 ran a 4.6.
Marcus Smith. Drafted 26th Overall. 6’3 250 ran a 4.6.
Guy has the physical measurables to be an elite pass rusher.
Now it is up to the coaches to develop him and put him in the right position to be successful.
Unfortunately Clay’s 3-cone was 6.9 and Smith’s is 7.48….that’s the only thing that disappoints me about him….
Pro day was a 7.08– sometimes people just don’t do well at the draft (see Shady, 40 yard dash)
If Latimer is still on the board, I could see the Packers taking him ahead of us.
forget latimer, think allen robinson.
Charlie, I’m a fan of Allen too, but the kid’s allergic to blocking. Do you really think Chip’s gonna want a 220lb WR who’s allergic to blocking?
He isnt allergic to blocking. He def can try more and get better. The kid can line up in every positions, can take short passes long and go long and catch deep passes. he can all the bubble screens n what not…
I have a feeling Chip will use that extra 3rd rounder on D’Anthony Thomas…Just a gut feeling.
Oh god please no. Major reach
Looks like Andy got to him first.
Tre Mason
7th rounder
Smith’s frame seems like the perfect canvas for our strength team. When you combine his current well-roundedness with his relative inexperience on defense, and then go and give him a year to work on his body and his technique while apprenticing behind Cole and Barwin, he could really allow for our defense to be multiple in some of the ways that Davis seems to be striving for.
He looks like he can add a lot of muscle to that frame. They were measuring wrists and ankles for a reason. His arms remind me of Aldon Smith.
I heard they had 6 players they liked before smith. I’m guessing Kalil Mack, Anthony Barr, Sammy Watkins, Kyle Fuller, Mike Evans, and Brandin cooks.
They didn’t like the safety class, they think they can wait on a WR, and no one else wanted to meet their trade back price. It is what it is, and I’m really excited about Smith. He looks great.
I think its also important to keep in mind, this isn’t First-Pick.com. We don’t get perfect scenarios every time we draft. Smith could be had in the late second on that website. Real life is nothing like that website. We traded down, got an extra pick, and picked the guy we probably were going to all along. At least we didn’t draft a damn center. Smith has some serious talent and no on can deny that. If we could have traded down again we would have. I’m happy with this pick.
Lol at the Cowboys reference
For those who don’t like this pick:
1. Marquise Lee is damaged goods with suspect hands, not to mention he’s a Jeremy Maclin clone. I like Maclin, but we don’t need two of them.
2. Bradley Roby’s middle name should have been toast this season. Talented, but absolutely didn’t produce.
3. Kelvin Benjamin’s athleticism would be subpar for a TE. Outside of size, he has little you want in a WR.
4. Marcus Smith’s tape is better than Anthony Barr’s. Barr is a better athlete and he put up numbers because of it, but Smith is an actual football player. Barr isn’t but somehow I doubt you’d have complained had Barr slipped to 22.
So much truth in this post.
Thought you guys might like this reaction video of Eagles 2014 1st Round Pick, Marcus Smith and his family watching the draft live. Enjoy!!!
http://thecrunchzone.com/marcus-smith-selected-26-by-the-philadelphia-eagles/