FS Smith signed 3 year deal with Vikings

[Vintage]

Defense Stats
YEAR TEAM G TOT SOLO AST PD SACK FF REC INT YDS TD
2001 TAM 15 5 4 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0
2002 TAM 16 26 26 0 8 0 1 0 4 39 0
2003 TAM 16 67 57 10 10 0 1 0 5 3 0
2004 TAM 16 83 72 11 13 0 3 0 3 13 0
2005 NOR 15 73 63 10 7 1 2 0 2 53 0
Career 78 254 222 32 41 1.0 7 0 14 108 0

you were saying?

David

Actually, its not even 3 INT's per year.

2.8 INT's/year for the 5 year average

 

[superpunk]

well despite that, nobody else wanted him right? Kinda implies nobody else thinks he's better than what they have either..New Orleans has been trying to trade him for months as well, no takers

and apparently New Orleans beliesves they have at least a couple safeties better than him, because they just cut him

David

Great.

Noone in New Orleans is happy this happened. Their best DB, they called him. Capable of playing corner, as well. But hey....versatility is overrated, anyway.

So we're up to three teams now, with better safeties than Dwight Smith. I don't fault the Saints for cutting him. BUllocks showed alot of promise last year, and he's cheaper. If we had ANYONE on this roster who looked half as good as Bullocks, I wouldn't have bothered barking up this tree. But we don't.

 

[superpunk]

Actually, its not even 3 INT's per year.

2.8 INT's/year for the 5 year average

I really don;t think he played all that much in 2001.

 

[Vintage]

I really don;t think he played all that much in 2001.

I am not arguing for/against Smith.

I was merely doing the math on it.

I wanted Smith. But its water under the bridge now. I hope Watkins becomes what Winiki believes he will be.... Because as of now, I see a deep dark chasm at the FS spot. Neither Davis nor Watkins will fill it as Smith would have IMO.

 

[superpunk]

I hope Watkins becomes what Winiki believes he will be....

I hope so, too.

Training camp pics are looking GREAT, I'd have to say.

<<<<<Marcus Coleman, Pat Watkins (center) and Keith Davis mugging for the camera in Oxnard.

I simply can't fathom why 31 other teams passed on this guy 4 times.

 

[DLCassidy]

I think our lack of interest tells as much about what we think Pat Watkins can be as it does about what Dwight Smith is. Right now Watkins just needs reps, some pro coaching and a year on a pro weight training program. But right now he's not that green- he's a 4 year starter at a major college program, runs a 4.4 and is said to be smart enough to learn. And the transition from college FS to pro is a lot smaller than CB and middle round picks start at corner every year in the NFL. We're not splitting the atom here.

The fact is if we had spent a first day pick on a brainless 2 year college starter like Ko Simpson half the board would be looking for him to start day one. But because some personel guys get spooked because Watkins looks like a giraffe and he slips to the 5th, therefore he's a longer shot to succeed than the 2006 Packers. I'm not buying it.

Wait and see. This year Watkins will probably take the snaps Pile got last year and be the starter next year at the latest. With a more expereinced Davis the position goes from an D- to probably a C/C+ this year but with the potential of being an A for the next decade. Our people knew what they were doing on this one IMO.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

Defense Stats
YEAR TEAM G TOT SOLO AST PD SACK FF REC INT YDS TD
2001 TAM 15 5 4 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0
2002 TAM 16 26 26 0 8 0 1 0 4 39 0
2003 TAM 16 67 57 10 10 0 1 0 5 3 0
2004 TAM 16 83 72 11 13 0 3 0 3 13 0
2005 NOR 15 73 63 10 7 1 2 0 2 53 0
Career 78 254 222 32 41 1.0 7 0 14 108 0

you were saying?

David

David how dare you interject the truth into Inman's "yarn-spin".

 

[MichaelWinicki]

I hope so, too.

Training camp pics are looking GREAT, I'd have to say.

<<<<<Marcus Coleman, Pat Watkins (center) and Keith Davis mugging for the camera in Oxnard.

I simply can't fathom why 31 other teams passed on this guy 4 times.

Me either!

 

[MichaelWinicki]

I think our lack of interest tells as much about what we think Pat Watkins can be as it does about what Dwight Smith is. Right now Watkins just needs reps, some pro coaching and a year on a pro weight training program. But right now he's not that green- he's a 4 year starter at a major college program, runs a 4.4 and is said to be smart enough to learn. And the transition from college FS to pro is a lot smaller than CB and middle round picks start at corner every year in the NFL. We're not splitting the atom here.

The fact is if we had spent a first day pick on a brainless 2 year college starter like Ko Simpson half the board would be looking for him to start day one. But because some personel guys get spooked because Watkins looks like a giraffe and he slips to the 5th, therefore he's a longer shot to succeed than the 2006 Packers. I'm not buying it.

Wait and see. This year Watkins will probably take the snaps Pile got last year and be the starter next year at the latest. With a more expereinced Davis the position goes from an D- to probably a C/C+ this year but with the potential of being an A for the next decade. Our people knew what they were doing on this one IMO.

Finally a post that exudes "Intelligence", "Common-sense" and most of all a deep understanding of the game well beyond the typical "Well Davis sucks and Wakins lasted until the 5th round so he must suck and the front office sucks for not signing Dwight Smith when we all know he's the 3rd best FS in football-- I mean everyone knows that-- and everyone that disagrees sucks too!"

 

[superpunk]

Finally a post that exudes "Intelligence", "Common-sense" and most of all a deep understanding of the game well beyond the typical "Well Davis sucks and Wakins lasted until the 5th round so he must suck and the front office sucks for not signing Dwight Smith when we all know he's the 3rd best FS in football-- I mean everyone knows that-- and everyone that disagrees sucks too!"

Another post, that agrees with you, exudes intelligence, and common sense. Right.....

You mock statements about how good Smith is in comparison to other FS's, yet I haven't seen you,or anyone else offer up a list that puts him anywhere near the FS's on our team. hmmmmmmmm.....

This made me laugh;

Rather than get into threads where we debate with other NFC East homers

hmmmmm....

 

[Doomsday101]

Another post, that agrees with you, exudes intelligence, and common sense. Right.....

You mock statements about how good Smith is in comparison to other FS's, yet I haven't seen you,or anyone else offer up a list that puts him anywhere near the FS's on our team. hmmmmmmmm.....

This made me laugh;


hmmmmm....

He is a good player, Dallas passed on him for what ever reason end of story

 

[superpunk]

He is a good player, Dallas passed on him for what ever reason end of story

Oh. Well, then.

If it's end of story....then I humbly apologize for disagreeing with the Dallas Cowboys.

:laugh1:

 

[MichaelWinicki]

He is a good player, Dallas passed on him for what ever reason end of story

Dooms you get smarter and better looking everyday!

 

[DLCassidy]

Great.

Noone in New Orleans is happy this happened. Their best DB, they called him. Capable of playing corner, as well. But hey....versatility is overrated, anyway.

I'm curious... why do you think NO was willing to take a 2.8m cap hit to cut Dwight Smith? At most they save 500k this year and next on the cap. Even if they think Bullocks is better, which means I guess that he's REALLY a top safety, wouldn't Smith be worth 500k as quality depth? Something tells me the flags are not at half mast like you seem to feel in NO.

 

[superpunk]

I'm curious... why do you think NO was willing to take a 2.8m cap hit to cut Dwight Smith? At most they save 500k this year and next on the cap. Even if they think Bullocks is better, which means I guess that he's REALLY a top safety, wouldn't Smith be worth 500k as quality depth? Something tells me the flags are not at half mast like you seem to feel in NO.

I have no idea. Honestly.

But it's the Saints.

 

[Doomsday101]

Oh. Well, then.

If it's end of story....then I humbly apologize for disagreeing with the Dallas Cowboys.

:laugh1:

Please continue but this has been going on a few days now and it appeared then that Dallas was not interested and now Minn signed him end of story. Many players hit the market and we don't go after all of them. Dallas evidently had some issue about Smith and determined they would pass on the guy. He is a good player but it is amazing he is getting this much attention

 

[DLCassidy]

I have no idea. Honestly.

But it's the Saints.

I don't know either. But IMO Sean Payton is no dummy. He's a brand new coach and he's desperate to win. So if you're Payton you don't cut a "top ten safety" for 500k, even if he's depth unless they felt his play was slipping or he's a character concern or both. I'm ready to let this one go.

 

[ravidubey]

$1.2 this year. No singing bonus & no guaranteed money for future years?

This was the contract that was theoretically going to cripple us longterm and prevent us from resigning Roy Williams and Terrence Newman?

TheBoysBlog.com suggests that there were character issues with Smith that downgraded him to the Cowboys. Apparently they downgraded him with Payton as well.

 

[superpunk]

Please continue but this has been going on a few days now and it appeared then that Dallas was not interested and now Minn signed him end of story. Many players hit the market and we don't go after all of them. Dallas evidently had some issue about Smith and determined they would pass on the guy. He is a good player but it is amazing he is getting this much attention

It's a two way street. I doubt any of the people who wanted this guy would have defended him so much if anyone offered anything other than, "He got released, he can't be that good". I'm as hopeful as anyone for Watkins, but IMO, there couldn't have been anything wrong with this upgrade - we could have definitely handled that salary. It's like anything else on here - some people take one side, some take the other. Some use facts and reasoning, some don't.

Plus, there's really nothing else to talk about.

 

[InmanRoshi]

I'm curious... why do you think NO was willing to take a 2.8m cap hit to cut Dwight Smith? At most they save 500k this year and next on the cap. Even if they think Bullocks is better, which means I guess that he's REALLY a top safety, wouldn't Smith be worth 500k as quality depth? Something tells me the flags are not at half mast like you seem to feel in NO.

What exactly does this prove? Nada. They don't mind the cap hit, what they do mind is paying expensive money for a backup. It happens all the time. Houston took a cap hit to dump Aaron Glenn last summer because they wanted Phillip Buchanan to start and they didn't Glenn's contract on the payroll. It doesn't mean Glenn wasn't a good player for us, nor a huge upgrade over what we had at the time.

In the end this came down to a comfortability factor. If he was such a bad guy, all of his former coaches wouldn't be bidding against each other for his services. They have experience working with him and are comfortable with him. Parcells obviously isn't, and he's brought own problem child Coleman because, again, because of the comfort factor. That doesn't mean Smith wouldn't have been a huge upgrade over what we have, and I wish we would be more willing to step out of our comfort factor if it means improving the team. For example, I don't see any logical reason why we should deny a player the chance to help us win football games simply because he's represented by the Poston's. That's just asinine to me.