Andre Smith's draft free fall continues

[dmq]

Wed Mar 11, 2009 6:05 pm EDT

Andre Smith's draft free fall continues
By MJD
We haven't lived in the Kiper era of endless NFL draft information for very long, but in that time, I can't recall anyone's draft stock falling quite like Andre Smith's. Picture Wilford Brimley's frail and helpless body tumbling end-over-end off a cliff, picking up speed as it goes (Note: Do not picture this if you are Wilford Brimley, or someone who knows him). That's about what we're looking at here.

He (Smith, not Brimley) was once considered a possible number one overall pick, and now, he might not even be a second-day pick. If Andre Smith was the stock market, he'd be ... well, he'd be a lot like the stock market is right now.

It all started at the combine, when Smith basically did everything the exact opposite of how it should have been done, and then left in the middle of it without telling anyone where he was going. But it was thought that Smith would have a chance to redeem himself, at least partially, at his Pro Day earlier this afternoon.

So how'd that go for him? Here's a snippet from TFYDraft.com:

The situation has gone from bad to worse for Andre Smith. His bench press results were a pitiful 19-reps. His position work was also very mediocre. One scout has told us is it the "worst workout he ever saw" and a number of scouts are cranky that they made the long trip to Alabama to watch the pitiful workout. A second scout has told us "Smith lost millions of dollars".

And from NFL.com:

To put Smith’s workout in perspective, he did not post a single number that would have placed him in the top performers at his position at the combine and many of his numbers were not even close to the top 10 at his position at the combine.

And PFT quotes a league source as saying that Smith "bombed."

The way things are going, teams will be drafting equipment managers before they draft Andre Smith. Most decent stadium hot dog vendors are more highly sought-after. Dan Leone will be drafted before Andre Smith.

It hurts to even think about this guy. Put yourself in his shoes. A month ago, he was on track to become a household name, had won just about every major award for which he was eligible, and was set to become one of the wealthiest people on the planet ... and now he's a guy without a college degree (he left Alabama after his junior season) who might not even have a future in the game.

I feel like giving him a hug, but I'm afraid I'd knock him down and scouts would send him even farther down scouts' lists.

Come on, Andre. Get it together, baby. Nothing's over, nothing's decided. You can still be the stud you were intended to be.

[Q_the_man]

yeah, he probably lost himself around 10-14 million, dropping from possible 1-3 to now 8-12.......I really fell bad for him, not... oh well he's still gonna get paid and b4 anyone suggest we will not trade up to get him.. If anything I can see Philly trying to grab him, since they have a little firepower in the draft to move up if he slips to around 12 or 13.

[adamknite]

Picture Wilford Brimley's frail and helpless body tumbling end-over-end off a cliff, picking up speed as it goes

He couldn't think of a better analogy than that?

[Avery]

Sorry, but this author doesn't have a grasp of the draft in any sense. You think he may not even be drafted? Please. If anyone watched NFLN yesterday, they stated that he didn't really help himself with the numbers but that he did better in the drills. The one thing I'll agree on is that he should leave his shirt on.

The highest he was ever going to go was #2. He's dropped down to third or fourth on OT's behind Smith, Monroe and possibly Oher. He's still above another underacheiver in Beatty. He'll go in the first, probably top 15. No way he falls out of the first and no way in hell in he falls out of the first day.

[Vinnie2u]

Didn't Winston Justice free fall because of his work outs?

[BraveHeartFan]

If you watched yesterday you know he didn't help himself (Watched on the NFL network that is) and he probably caused himself to slide a little more down the board but he's still quite likely to be a first rounder.

The thing that struck me more than anything was not only his grossly out of shape body but the piss poor bench reps.

The kid looks, and lifted, like a dude whose never spent much time, at all, in the weight room and instead has gotten by on natural talent alone to this point. Some guys are able to do that...until this point.

Now he'll have to get serious or he won't last long in the NFL. Natural talent alone will only take you so far.

[Hostile]

The biggest free fall I have eveer seen was BYU QB John Walsh in 1995. BYU was going to play Oklahoma in the Copper Bowl in 1994. I was going to college and working in a sporting goods store. We got in some Oklahoma and BYU merchandise and I took some caps to BYU's practice to get John Walsh to sign them. I still have mine.



There was talk at that time that John Walsh could be the overall #1 pick. He still had not declared for the Draft but everyone knew he was going to. Chris that I worked with told me to take an Oilers cap because he did not see him dropping past Houston at #3.

The Oilers instead took Steve McNair. John Walsh dropped out of the 1st round. He didn't land in the 2nd round, nor the 3rd, 4th, 5th, or 6th. He dropped all the way to the 7th round, pick #213 by the Bengals. He never played a down in the NFL.

Anyone want to buy a John Walsh autographed BYU cap? Cheap...

[adamknite]

And teams spend high draft picks on players with bad habits all the time, because they believe they can coach the player up to their potential or fix the problem. It's all part of drafting process. He probably cost himself a lot of money yes, but he will get his shot to be in the NFL because somebody will draft him fairly high still.

[RESIN8]

The same thing was said when everyone saw Lendale Whites manboobs..

[BraveHeartFan]

Originally Posted by RESIN8

The same thing was said when everyone saw Lendale Whites manboobs..

This was SO MUCH worse than that. So much worse.

[SkinsFan28]

I would be happy if my Skins took him at 13, but I doubt he will drop that far. Too many teams need OT help.

[jterrell]

Andre Smith is a very good football player who has 3 years of SEC tape and a few awards to back up the fact he can play the game.

He hasn't been very bright since his collegiate career came to a crashing halt but he isn't going to drop past round 3.

If he is sitting there in round 3 and we dont draft him I'd wonder if Lacewell wasn't back in charge.


BTW, this MJD tard is a TMZ style writer so you have to take what he says with a few grains of salt. We are talking about a guy who quotes profootballtalk as a source.

[MarionBarberThe4th]

Mike Mayock- "I dont know why he took his shirt, no one told him to"

[BraveHeartFan]

I'd be thrilled if the Skins take him too. Especially if he continues to display the type of work ethic he's obviously had his whole life...which is to say he's clearly had zero.

The dude obviously, or at least it seems pretty obvious to me, has managed to be one of those guys whose gotten by his whole life on natural talent alone and has never taken working out, being in shape, or working hard very seriously.

The dude is disgusting looking. If you missed it then you're lucky. I know that big guys aren't necassarily going to be ripped or anything but goodness this kid is just gross. He's got no definition, of any kind. He's nothing but flab.

It's pretty clear what he thinks of working hard in a weight room.

Unless he changes that attitude, in a hurry, then he won't last long in the NFL. Natural talent will only get you so far and he's going to actually have to bother working to do something.

I guess unless you're Deion Sanders but then Deion wasn't going to have to block any big monsters who were looking to kill his QB either.

[DFWJC]

Even before the combines, he was already slated to be drafted in the 5-10 range. Now, he is STILL be slated to possibly be picked at #7....the difference is that he could drop all the way to 15 or so. if that happens, then he took a real hit.