Redskins fans probably don’t know about"The Hogs Haven
profile had Smith projected for the 3rd or 4th round
Sean Taylor Jersey , and listed the Redskins as one of the four “best fits” for the player.Bleeding Green...It may be coincidence or fate, but the most complete
draft profile I found on Marcus Smith was published on Bleeding Green Nation in
early February of 2014.The BGN piece was higher on Smith, listing him as a
mid-to-late second round pick, but that projection was a far cry from the
eventual decision made by the Eagles to draft him 26th overall in the first
round.Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty ImagesYahoo! Sports contributor Rob Hoff said
the following about Smith’s performance at the Senior Bowl practices:SB Nation’s
own Dan Kadar also noted Smith’s ability in coverage at the all-star game:The
BGN writer closed out the article by suggesting that the Eagles might be
interested in Smith at the 54th pick in the draft.Almost immediately after the
draft, Eagles fans were wondering what Chip Kelly was doing.Photo by Elsa/Getty
ImagesPhoto by Rich Schultz/Getty ImagesThe cracks were already showing for Chip
Kelly in 2014, as he struggled to deal with the difference between being a
college Head Coach, where recruiting is king, and life in the NFL, where every
draft pick is scrutinized and questioned.You don’t have to read too much between
the lines to see that there was a lot of criticism of the Smith pick.Analysts
had him in the second round or later, and Kelly and the Eagles were largely
roasted for picking him at #26.Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty ImagesApparently the
analysts were right that Smith was over-drafted.They were probably wrong about
him being a second round talent.Marcus Smith had a brutal rookie season.He
looked a lot more like a Saturday draft pick or UDFA.The challenge was there for
Smith in his sophomore season.He responded by securing 7 tackles and 1.5 sacks
in 13 games. Ooof.The good news (sort of) is that he nearly doubled his
production in 2016, racking up 12 tackles and 2.5 sacks in 16 games.The Eagles
had seen enough.The 26th overall pick in the 2014 NFL draft was released by the
Eagles after just 3 seasons.He had been active for 37 games and amassed 23
tackles and 4 sacks.The content of the next article, published in 2017, is
pretty easy to predict.Biggest. Draft Bust.In Eagles History.Wow.That’s a big
statement.Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty ImagesBut even in an article titled,
“Marcus Smith got kind of a raw deal with Eagles” where the author tried to act
as an apologist for Smith and discuss mitigating factors (having to play for
Chip Kelly), the writer couldn’t quite pull it off, saying:The writer did manage
to put Smith’s failure into the context of an Eagles staff who may have failed
him:Bleeding Sea Dark Blue, Sea Gray, Sea White and Sea Light Green...In 2017,
Pete Carroll and the Seattle Seahawks decided that Marcus Smith might provide
the situational pass rush that would make him an asset to the roster.They signed
him to a one-year deal.At the end of the season, they re-signed him for 2018,
then did an about-face and released him in August, in the midst of the
pre-season.Here’s the post mortem on that move:Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY
SportsSo, after being drafted in the first round by the Eagles, after four rocky
years and two teams, Marcus Smith was back on the street for “personal
reasons”.Reports surfaced that Smith was questioning his own commitment to the
game and considering retirement when the Seahawks released him.So, in August,
2018 — just seven months ago — Marcus Smith was questioning his commitment to
football and contemplating retirement.Photo by Mike Windle/Getty Images for
ESPNSomehow, he ended up on the Redskins roster before the 2018 season was
finished.When you get to the point that you’re looking for a December
replacement for Cassonova McKinzy, I guess it’s a bit like looking for loose
change under the sofa cushions in the hopes of being able to buy a 7-11 hot dog
for lunch — you take what you can get.Smith was active for two games in
December, but didn’t record any stats in the box scores.Is there a place for
Marcus Smith on the 2019 Redskins?Ryan KerriganRyan AndersonCassanova
McKinzyMarcus SmithMarquis FlowersThis is a very thin OLB depth chart now that
Preston Smith is a Green Bay Packer.There is no doubt in my mind that the
Redskins will be looking for a pass rusher in the draft.But even if they find
him, it appears that Marcus Smith still could have a chance to salvage his
career by putting his physical skills and 4+ years of NFL experience together in
a good pre-season performance.Marcus Smith is 26 years old.Redskins.com says he
stands 6’3” and 258 pounds.Here are Marcus Smith’s combine results:Preston Smith
is 26 years old, 6’5” and 265 pounds.Here are Preston Smith’s combine results
for comparison:When it comes to athleticism, it looks like Marcus Smith compares
favorably to Preson Smith, and
Earnest Byner Jersey , in every report from college, the Eagles and the Seahawks, he is praised for his speed and agility. The most consistent criticisms seem to
revolve around Smith’s technique and hand placement, and the question of whether
he’s got the mental and emotional makeup to be a professional
athlete.Overdrafted in the first round and playing for the megalomaniac Chip
Kelly under the white hot spotlight of the Philadelphia fan base, Marcus Smith
became known as the biggest draft bust in Philadelphia Eagles history.That alone
should be enough for any Redskins fan to love him.But it may be worth
remembering that, after a year with the nurturing ‘player’s coach’, Pete
Carroll, the Seattle Seahawks re-signed Smith last year, and were counting on
him in their team plans for 2018.They wanted him on the team.His release came
for ‘personal reasons’ at a time when he was reportedly considering retirement
from pro football.Whatever happened between his release from the Seahawks in
August and signing a contract with Washington in December, the fact is, Marcus
Smith didn’t quit.He came back.Bleeding Burgundy & Gold...So, who is the
real Marcus Smith?Was the pressure of being an unexpected first-round draft pick
and the atmosphere created by Chip Kelly just all too much for a young player
from Louisville who ended up overwhelmed?Should Redskins fans be encouraged that
Smith, for a time, seemed to have found a home as a situational pass rusher in
the supportive and positive atmosphere of Pete Carroll’s Seahawks team?Or is the
reported consideration of retirement just seven months ago a sign of mental and
emotional frailty that simply underlines Smith’s failure to launch in the NFL?Is
it possible, on a Redskins team that needs depth at outside linebacker and speed
on defense, with energetic and positive coaches like OLB coach Chad Grimm, Rob
Ryan, Jim Tomsula and Head Coach Jay Gruden, and with nearly zero pressure or
expectations, that Marcus Smith could find a place as a situational speed rusher
and thrive in 2019 with the Redskins?Or is he just a camp body?After The
Whistle: Half Empty Or Half Full? It was a tough week, and this week there was
no sugarcoating things in 1st Amendment Sports’ Basement Podcast Studios. Ken
shared his first-hand accounts of a palpably different, and by all measures
worse showing both on and off the field in Landover last weekend, during a
disappointing, frustrating letdown of a home opener against the Colts. To quote
this week’s Sixpack: that sucked.While we generally tend to look at things as a
glass half full, this week on Offseason On The Brink we had some genuine,
bonafide, honest talk about who these Redskins truly are, and judging by our
conversation and the commenters on Facebook Live (thank you all for tuning in
once again) this team and this franchise are looking kind of... blah. In an
attempt to look ahead, we discuss what will be improved next week as the Green
Bay Packers come to town, and instead of a blanket EVERYTHING, there was good
conversation about practical areas where the team can get back on the right side
of .500 and keep their lead in the NFC East for another week.Be sure to check in
with us each and every Tuesday on Facebook live and on Soundcloud, and we hope
you’ll continue to join in on the conversation along with us as we break down
the week that was!
