D.Smith Updates

[Idgit]

A lot of us -- me included -- wanted Jerry to sign Darren Sharper last year. I think he would have made a huge difference.

Not saying Smith is as good, but if the money is available, why not try to upgrade your weak link on defense?

We probably at least made a call to see what the player was looking for. There could be any number of reasons why we didn't show real interest. He could want money, he could be insisting on a chance to start or playing-time guarantees. It could be that our staff pegged him as a two-deep player that's not an ideal fit for our system. It could be that he's just leaning heavily toward the teams that have coaches he's been successful with in the past.

I didn't watch him at all in NO, but the knock on the guy from a few of the posters on boards I've checked was that he got turned around deep on coverages last year. In any event, both Dallas and NO have shown an obvious preference for Keith Davis over D Smith. That included Dallas with Davis at FS, and, apparently, NO at SS, or both SS and FS.

I really like Davis and think he's going to be much improved with his pre-snap reads this year. I like Watkins and Beriault a lot, too. That said, this whole thing reminds me of the Pete Hunter starting at CB debates from two years ago. I liked Hunter too. Oops.

 

[superpunk]

No, some people agree with the Cowboys management that Dwight Smith is not as you put it an "obvious upgrade" that's all.

If that's your view - that's fine. I disagree. Very much. If you were listing starting FS's in the league, our options would be in the bottom 5. Smith would be top 10.

But that is not the view I was addressing.

 

[DLCassidy]

If that's your view - that's fine. I disagree. Very much. If you were listing starting FS's in the league, our options would be in the bottom 5. Smith would be top 10.

I was only questioning your use of the term "obvious upgrade". I understand it's obvious to you. But if it were obvious to team management he'd have received an offer from us. He hasn't.

 

[superpunk]

I was only questioning your use of the term "obvious upgrade". I understand it's obvious to you. But if it were obvious to team management he'd have received an offer from us. He hasn't.

I doubt it's that black and white. Salary, character, etc. There could be many reasons they are looking past him. If management doesn't think he's an obvious upgrade, management is wrong, plain and simple. But there are other determining factors.

 

[junk]

With all this "mean" talk j I don't think I love you as much now.

Sorry. I get kind of fired up sometimes. :laugh1:

 

[MichaelWinicki]

Sorry. I get kind of fired up sometimes. :laugh1:

Actually that was kinda fun... I don't often get to debate you.

 

[Bob Sacamano]

You folks are goofy. Building a team isn't just about "plugging bodies in" willy-nilly.

Things like the salaray cap, age and most importantly-- expected productivity for the cost. The GM/braintrust needs to ask themselves "Who else do I have that seems to have the potential this guy does" is already on my roster?

While I'm not big Davis fan, I think he's OK. Coleman I'm even less excited about.

There is no doubt in my mind that we aren't pursuing Smith because of the presence of Watkins on the roster. You give Watkins a year to fill out and learn the system and I think you'll find our FS problems solved for the next ten years.

Smith won't give us that.

also think about us still needing to make some decisions about Roy Williams, Bradie James, Al Johnson and Andre Gurode, and we still haven't signed our rookies, we need money for that

 

[Bob Sacamano]

He is good but he got a lot of help in TB by playing on a defensive unit with a lot of very good players and a top pass rushing unit. I'm not going to knock the guy I think he is good but he is not some super star either that would make or break this team by him signing with us or not

exactly, having Dwight Smith is a luxury, not a necessity

 

[Bob Sacamano]

You are missing the point.

You simply do not go into a season thinking that a 5th round pick is going to be your future at a position -- that doesn't mean he can't develop into that. But it is pretty damn optimistic to think so.

Also, I'd actually like to see some consisent play out of Petitti and Crayton before I called either the future.

actually Dallas believes Watkins has a future

 

[Bob Sacamano]

"Too skinny?" I don't think so.

and who cares if he's too skinny anyways? it's not like he's going to be playing bump-and-run coverage, his job description is going to be to roam CF

 

[Bob Sacamano]

You mean the same organization that drafted Jacob Rogers?

and DeMarcus Ware? what's your point?

 

[Bob Sacamano]

You want the explanation on why Watkins dropped? Here it is... It was even mentioned on day 2 of the draft.

You see there has never been a 6'5" safety in the NFL... and because he's such an unusual "shape" for a safety most teams instantly took him off of their draft boards just because he didn't "look the part".

His draft drop was in a large measure to NFL position "prejudice" much more so than the guy not having talent.

I think NFL talent evaluators have tunnel vision on what a player is suppose to look like at a respective position and if he doesn't then that player is discounted.

some teams wanted him to move to WR because of his height, speed and vertical leap

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

some teams wanted him to move to WR because of his height, speed and vertical leap

That and the fact that he's really not great in coverage, per say. He can play a heck of a center field, when he's healthy but he doesn't cover exceptionally well. He's not disciplined in his techniques. If you had to lock him up one on one against a good WR, I'd probably be worried about that match up. Not saying he won't get better but he has some work to do if he's going to stay at FS.

 

[Bob Sacamano]

That and the fact that he's really not great in coverage, per say. He can play a heck of a center field, when he's healthy but he doesn't cover exceptionally well. He's not disciplined in his techniques. If you had to lock him up one on one against a good WR, I'd probably be worried about that match up. Not saying he won't get better but he has some work to do if he's going to stay at FS.

the main knock about his coverage was that at 6'5", he may be playing too tall to turn and run fast enough, but that was really the only knock, and his weight

but teams wanting him to play WR speaks of his ball-skills

 

[superpunk]

the main knock about his coverage was that at 6'5", he may be playing too tall to turn and run fast enough, but that was really the only knock, and his weight

but teams wanting him to play WR speaks of his ball-skills

It also speaks of him being not that great at FS. yet.

 

[Bob Sacamano]

It also speaks of him being not that great at FS. yet.

really? oh my...GOD! WHAT A REVELATION!!!! :

it's not his size we should be worried about though, it's his mental ability to grasp the coverages, but by all accounts he's pretty smart

 

[superpunk]

really? oh my...GOD! WHAT A REVELATION!!!! :

it's not his size we should be worried about though, it's his mental ability to grasp the coverages, but by all accounts he's pretty smart

Hey....you're the one jocking him like he can play any position on the field.

I'm just keepin it real, foo.

 

[Bob Sacamano]

Hey....you're the one jocking him like he can play any position on the field.

I'm just keepin it real, foo.

uh, no, I explained even further why he dropped in the draft

 

[superpunk]

uh, no, I explained even further why he dropped in the draft

I must have missed it, what with all the talk of his superhuman powers, ability to leap tall buildings, and whatnot.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

the main knock about his coverage was that at 6'5", he may be playing too tall to turn and run fast enough, but that was really the only knock, and his weight

but teams wanting him to play WR speaks of his ball-skills

I watched this guy play at State. He has the ability to cover. He didn't work very hard at learning the game. He has never had to work very hard at it. Even in HS, he was recruited from Lincoln right there in Tallahassee and they were treated like Gods. Heavely recruited, both he and Thorpe and got a lot of passes while at FSU. This guy has a tone of ability but he will need to work a lot on his technique.