Why Marcus Smith Has Everything to Prove in Philadelphia Eagles Training Camp
A lot of folks seem to be in a rush to label Philadelphia Eagles outside linebacker Marcus Smith a bust one season into his NFL career. Yet, while that's hardly fair, it is true the 2014 first-round pick has everything to prove at training camp this summer.
There are essentially two paths Smith could take in year two: Either he could become a competent backup behind Connor Barwin and Brandon Graham, depth the Eagles desperately need, or he could once again wallow in anonymity on the bench, barely seeing the field—perhaps even failing to make the final 53-man roster.
That's how poorly Smith's rookie season went: There is some doubt he'll still be in Philadelphia come September. In all likelihood, that won't be the case. You'd think the Eagles would want to give a 26th overall selection another shot, not to mention the defense lacks reserves at outside linebacker.
| 2014 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0/0 |
Then again, Smith's rookie campaign was that disappointing. According to Football Outsiders, he lined up for just 68 defensive snaps while appearing in only eight games in '14. Not only that, in those eight games Smith failed to record a single NFL statistic—not one sack, not one pass deflection, not so much as a tackle.
Granted, the Eagles were tremendously deep at outside linebacker last season. In addition to Barwin and Graham, Trent Cole was still with the club as well. Not only that, but Smith was actually moved to the interior for a while midseason due to injuries, an unexpected change that no doubt stalled his development.
It's also concerning that Football Outsiders charters only had Smith in for 37 snaps on special teams. It's one thing if he couldn't crack a stacked rotation on the outside or wasn't prepared for a role in the interior. However, the least he could've done was contribute on special teams.
If Smith doesn't play special teams this year, he better be part of the rotation or capable of filling in at outside linebacker. Head coach Chip Kelly won't keep dead weight simply because it says "first-round pick" next to the guy's name.
The good news is Smith should improve—OK, he has nowhere to go but up. But seriously, he came into the league weighing 251 pounds, which is trim for a pass-rusher. In an interview back in May, Barwin touted a new-looking Smith, telling Comcast SportsNet the 23-year-old packed on 15 pounds of muscle since his arrival.
Improved functional strength could go a long way toward helping Smith make an impact on the field. He already possesses tremendous size and athleticism for the position. His sub-4.7 speed, per NFL.com, allows him to cover a lot of ground, and at 6'3" with 34-inch-long arms, he can be a real nuisance when the ball is in the air.
Of course, a big part of the job is rushing the passer, and Smith has a long way to go in that department. While he racked up 14.5 sacks his senior season at Louisville and was named AAC Defensive Player of the Year, his highlight reel shows he was often just running around bad protection.
Smith will have to hone his technique to get to the quarterback at this level. He flashed potential at times, getting some pressure here and there, as we saw in some of our film study last season.
Then again, we also saw him trip over his own two feet when he had an unimpeded path to the quarterback.
And while Smith has the athleticism to make plays in coverage, he needs to understand his assignment. The Eagles were embarrassed by the San Francisco 49ers in Week 4 last season on a throwback pass across the field that wound up going for a 55-yard touchdown. It was impressive Smith was covering tight end Vernon Davis 20 yards downfield, but that wasn't his man.
Rookies make mistakes, though, so you can't look at a couple of bad plays from a small sample size and kick him to the curb. Smith, a converted quarterback, can continue to learn and improve just like anybody else.
That being said, it might be fair to say he's on the bubble if he doesn't have a good training camp. The Eagles would like that—in fact, they need Smith to step up in 2015—but clearly he has much to prove before he can be relied upon for any type of contribution.
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