Scouts: Andre Smith 'highly overrated'

[RS12]

06:15 PM ET 04.07 | During his weekly National Football Post article called the Sunday Blitz, author Dan Pompei rates the best available free agents at this point during free agency. Reflecting on Eric Winston, who is arguably the best offensive tackle on the free agency market, Pompei concludes during his offensive tackle blurb that "Several personnel men I spoke with find Andre Smith highly overrated." Lack of known interest around the NFL indirectly confirms those sources. Smith is reportedly demanding $9 million per season, and feels that the Bengals are low-balling him. On the other hand, Smith struggled with weight issues in the early part of his career, and there are concerns that he will fall back into old habits after getting a big paycheck. This may or may not be a case of the notoriously penny-pinching Mike Brown playing hardball again, but with the draft coming up and plenty of cheaper RT options available in the early rounds, Smith is running out of both time and leverage.

National Football Post

http://www.fannation.com/truth_and_rumors/view/377591-scouts-andre-smith-highly-overrated

 

[Manwiththeplan]

Albert Hayensworth 2.0 and it's too bad for him that Snyder isn't running the show in washington anymore.

 

[jterrell]

hopefully they lowball andre smith right into our laps.

we are paying 8m per year for doug free... andre smith at 9 would be a bargain in that scenario, lol.

we cant afford massive dollars to anyone but if he is willing to take a shorter-term deal (with obvious dead years to lower immediate cap hit) we can pay him pretty well.

 

[DBOY3141]

I don't see anyway Garrett would add Smith to this team. Seems to have huge work ethic issues.

 

[xwalker]

His foot speed is borderline. Any decrease in foot speed could quickly turn him from an asset to a liability. This could happen due to gaining weight or just from getting older.

 

[Nation]

http://img838.*************/img838/4582/asmithyawn.jpg

 

[Manwiththeplan]

hopefully they lowball andre smith right into our laps.

we are paying 8m per year for doug free... andre smith at 9 would be a bargain in that scenario, lol.

we cant afford massive dollars to anyone but if he is willing to take a shorter-term deal (with obvious dead years to lower immediate cap hit) we can pay him pretty well.

you have no idea how wrong you are. guys like anthony davis, who have a reputation in college but turn a new leaf relatively early in their pro careers is one thing. part of the reason i wouldn't be opposed to Fluker. But Smith just recently became a solid player. Paying him would be a huge mistake.

 

[jterrell]

you have no idea how wrong you are. guys like anthony davis, who have a reputation in college but turn a new leaf relatively early in their pro careers is one thing. part of the reason i wouldn't be opposed to Fluker. But Smith just recently became a solid player. Paying him would be a huge mistake.

People need to stop positing pure drivel and silliness.

Andre Smith made the PFF Pro Bowl team for his overall blocking this season. Doug Free (making FAR more money) rated as the worst starter along the OL in the NFL.

I agree that you want to be concerned about anyone's future performance declining which is exactly why I stated I wouldn't give him any true long term deal. Also why I stated he'd have to be lowballed to fall into our laps.

But a drunken monkey realizes Andre Smith last year versus what we had at RT last year is a 2 or 3 game difference. And that doesn't include the ridiculous disparity in run blocking just the penalties and pass blocks.

 

[speedkilz88]

People need to stop positing pure drivel and silliness.

Andre Smith made the PFF Pro Bowl team for his overall blocking this season. Doug Free (making FAR more money) rated as the worst starter along the OL in the NFL.

I agree that you want to be concerned about anyone's future performance declining which is exactly why I stated I wouldn't give him any true long term deal. Also why I stated he'd have to be lowballed to fall into our laps.

But a drunken monkey realizes Andre Smith last year versus what we had at RT last year is a 2 or 3 game difference. And that doesn't include the ridiculous disparity in run blocking just the penalties and pass blocks.

He didn't say Smith was a bad player. He said you can't trust him. The guy has been 360 pounds up until his contract year and had been a disappointment up until. There is no reason to believe with a big contract that the guy is going to stay motivated. He isn't the quickest guy out there even at 340 and makes up for it with his long arms.

 

[jterrell]

His foot speed is borderline. Any decrease in foot speed could quickly turn him from an asset to a liability. This could happen due to gaining weight or just from getting older.

i respect a lot of what you have to say but it has become difficult to take you seriously when discussing RTs. you seem far too easily confused by lt and rt.

such that you'd ignore arguably pro bowl caliber rts because they aren't lt capable pass blockers.

again, i agree a long term deal at 9m would scare me off andre smith.
then again we gave doug free 8m per year long term to be god-awful terrible.

if i can sign andre smith for 10m SB with 15m guaranteed over 2 years I do that in a heartbeat. the total may be 5 years and 45m with the back end being all fake money to lower cap hits and make the agent happy. it costs(on cap) me 3mil in year 1, 6m in year 2 and then if need be he gets post june 1 cut in year 3 and i eat 6m in SB money split over two seasons.

andre smith had questions at draft about weight and work ethic. he ballooned up on the awards circuit. and we all know he was hurt to start his career. but he blossomed the past two seasons and right now is a top 10 rt without question. jason smith who went 2nd overall and was clearly a better pure pass blocker is probably looking at businesses he can start with his rookie contract money.

 

[jterrell]

He didn't say Smith was a bad player. He said you can't trust him. The guy has been 360 pounds up until his contract year and had been a disappointment up until. There is no reason to believe with a big contract that the guy is going to stay motivated. He isn't the quickest guy out there even at 340 and makes up for it with his long arms.

He ballooned up when he had a broken foot. He has started the previous two seasons and been a very solid player.

No matter how fleet of foot or lackthereof he is, he dominated people. Doug Free moves very well... backwards to the QB.

We dealt with Larry Allen, Nate Newton, Erik Williams and Flozell blowing up too. If they got really fat they'd only make pro bowls not all-pro... boy those days sucked.

 

[speedkilz88]

He ballooned up when he had a broken foot. He has started the previous two seasons and been a very solid player.

No matter how fleet of foot or lackthereof he is, he dominated people. Doug Free moves very well... backwards to the QB.

We dealt with Larry Allen, Nate Newton, Erik Williams and Flozell blowing up too. If they got really fat they'd only make pro bowls not all-pro... boy those days sucked.

You would be crazy to give him a big contract. The guy is still sitting because no nfl people are dumb enough to do that. Not even the Bengals.

 

[jnday]

He ballooned up when he had a broken foot. He has started the previous two seasons and been a very solid player.

No matter how fleet of foot or lackthereof he is, he dominated people. Doug Free moves very well... backwards to the QB.

We dealt with Larry Allen, Nate Newton, Erik Williams and Flozell blowing up too. If they got really fat they'd only make pro bowls not all-pro... boy those days sucked.

The current trend is that fans want linemen to look like body builders. Most of these lean linemen have trouble with run blocking and they don't play with power. They look good though. It is better to look good than to play good.

 

[jterrell]

You would be crazy to give him a big contract. The guy is still sitting because no nfl people are dumb enough to do that. Not even the Bengals.

ROFL. The Bengals don't pay anyone. They are the cheapest team in the league. Or at least were until that guy bought the Jags. Could Evan Mathis/Jonathon Joseph not play either? The Bengals field the all-discount team every year they possibly can.


Smith is holding out for large money but someone will sign him and get a much better player than any OL the Cowboys have today(tho yes, i'd rather have tyron long-term). Again, how you structure the deal is up to the team and should be a major consideration but long-term and overall money are relative.

People acting like this is some cautionary tale we are better off without is just goofy. We need a man-beast like this to anchor our run game badly. We don't sign this guy at any cost and not to LT money but for a 5m per year type real money figure? Heck yes.

I'd rather have Lane Johnson of course but we can't control the draft. If it is some Justin Pugh or this guy decision I sign Smith.

 

[Manwiththeplan]

People need to stop positing pure drivel and silliness.

Andre Smith made the PFF Pro Bowl team for his overall blocking this season. Doug Free (making FAR more money) rated as the worst starter along the OL in the NFL.

I agree that you want to be concerned about anyone's future performance declining which is exactly why I stated I wouldn't give him any true long term deal. Also why I stated he'd have to be lowballed to fall into our laps.

But a drunken monkey realizes Andre Smith last year versus what we had at RT last year is a 2 or 3 game difference. And that doesn't include the ridiculous disparity in run blocking just the penalties and pass blocks.

It's been said time and time again by guys like AdamJT13 that PFF formula's are flawed. And if you look at it your self, there are definately some areas that cause it to be flawed.

And while I agree with some of what you said, let me simplify my opinion because to me it has nothing to do with 2012 Andre Smith vs 2012 Doug Free. You will never see "last years" Andre Smith again. Yes Free sucks, and I want him replaced asap, but this has the potential to be an even bigger mistake. Possibily if he signs a 1 year deal it could work, but if we sign him for the "bargin price" of 9 million, were screwed.

 

[Manwiththeplan]

if i can sign andre smith for 10m SB with 15m guaranteed over 2 years I do that in a heartbeat. the total may be 5 years and 45m with the back end being all fake money to lower cap hits and make the agent happy. it costs(on cap) me 3mil in year 1, 6m in year 2 and then if need be he gets post june 1 cut in year 3 and i eat 6m in SB money split over two seasons.

At best he'll be an adequite progress stopper, at worst, he's a guy, like Free that we have to cut after a year or two.

 

[Kristen82]

If you spun him around a few times, how long would it take for the blubber to stop jiggling?

 

[TheFinisher]

His foot speed is borderline. Any decrease in foot speed could quickly turn him from an asset to a liability. This could happen due to gaining weight or just from getting older.

He might look like a guy who's heavy legged at first glance, but anyone who's followed Andre since his days at Bama know he's one of the more agile 'big' OTs in the game. He's always been sloppy, but he doesn't play like it. He's extremely light on his feet.

 

[jterrell]

It's been said time and time again by guys like AdamJT13 that PFF formula's are flawed. And if you look at it your self, there are definately some areas that cause it to be flawed.

And while I agree with some of what you said, let me simplify my opinion because to me it has nothing to do with 2012 Andre Smith vs 2012 Doug Free. You will never see "last years" Andre Smith again. Yes Free sucks, and I want him replaced asap, but this has the potential to be an even bigger mistake. Possibily if he signs a 1 year deal it could work, but if we sign him for the "bargin price" of 9 million, were screwed.

who said pay him 9m a year or that 9m a year is a "bargin"?


try following the actual words in the posts. its not that hard.

 

[AbeBeta]

I wish it was the other Bengals OT that was available -- that dude is seriously underrated.