Jackofalltrades

Could he also get time as a returner?

Overview Smith played inside and outside at South Carolina, but will be a slot on the next level. He has an ability to slip and accelerate past press coverage. He will primarily work the first two levels of the field and he's very tough to pull in throws in traffic, but he takes on excessive punishment at times with the way he plays. He has plenty of experience as a gadget player who's able to handle the quick game and jet sweeps. His physicality makes him an interesting option as a possession player with potential middle-round value. Strengths Unspectacular but rock-steady production throughout career. Has shown ability to handle high volume of targets. Able to slip press fairly consistently. Improved elements of his route-running in 2020. Did a much better job of disguising slants and overall route intentions. Maintains play speed through cuts and stems. Speed to challenge downfield against single-man looks. Able to fight through heavy collisions and continue to play. Has gadget receiver potential. Good burst to elude tacklers on jet sweeps, pop passes and receiver screens. Offers kick return experience. Weaknesses Leggy and high cut. Absorbs route redirection too readily. Missed at least one game in all four seasons with different injuries. Creates contested catches by drifting in his routes. Needs to fight harder for catch space and work on his ball skills. Inconsistent focus and catch radius. Below average ball tracking downfield.

Given his dimensions I’d love to see him at NT beside Brown.

I love huge OL from the top programs, thus I love this pick.

I appreciate it, I lurk a lot during the season but don’t post much any more. I miss conversing with some of the vets as well. I didn’t pay much attention to the pre-draft chatter so the reviews are really all I have to go on, but I know they’re wildly inconsistent. As with every player in every draft I’ll remain cautiously optimistic.

A very underwhelming overview.

I can’t copy and paste so see screen shots for overview.

Good luck with recovery. My shoulders are a constant problem but I’m putting off surgery for as long as I can. Already having a titanium spine and knees is enough for now.

Can I request admin rights so I can arbitrarily ban people? Seems like a fair deal...to me.

I can do it.

I wanted Steven’s from OU, a true bruiser.

Defense wins championships...or so they say. I hope, if nothing else, it’ll take a lot of pressure off Darnold and the O.

Shai Linne Random Thoughts 3

Teddy is a first class guy and would be a great mentor to help Sam learn the offense, but that contract makes moving him a must.

With the price I think it was a smart move. If he busts you’re not out of much, but if he plays well it’s a steal. I don’t know much about him but I won’t judge anyone for not performing while with the Jets, that’s just what they do. My expectations are low going in, I hope we can keep him upright and give him a real chance.

Yet people will run with it as though it was inevitable.

Fair point. Replacing him and saving money shouldn’t be too hard.

I’m torn, I’m glad but it’s another need to be addressed.

I think his only real option beside that is going somewhere with a legit OL. Being in a similar age group I definitely get it but I do think he could thrive in the right environment.

What kind of empirical data would adequately represent values that are subjective in nature? I agree he didn't give any support to his claim but I fail to see where empiricism plays a significant role. How do you empirically validate things like football IQ, instincts, leadership, etc? You could rely on stats but unless you have a standard and exhaustive means of analytics that doesn't mean much either. Example, RB is supposed to run through the A gap but Star closes the gap forcing the runner to look outside where he meets the DE, who do you credit with that tackle? What if on tape it looks like it was designed to go to the A gap but was indeed a counter, can you even make such a determination without knowing the play that was called?

That's why I love football, it takes all 11 guys on the field. If Cam isn't a freak that play never happens. If Smith doesn't embarrass a trio of defenders Cam goes down well short of the goal line. If Olsen misses his block then the play never gets back to the line of scrimmage.