Smith's not nearly as similar to Weaver as you guys are making it out to be. Weaver was a 3-4 DE whose strengths are tying up blockers and playing the run. Smith is a
4-3 DE who's apparently
not as good against the run as you would think:
Quote:
|
Antonio Smith, DE, Arizona: Frank Bush knows Smith a little bit from his time with the Cardinals and I'm sure he realizes that Smith is average as a pass rusher when he's at defensive end, but a handful when he is bumped down inside to defensive tackle on third downs. Smith has pretty good size, but he's not as good against the run as you would expect for a player his size. Still, he has a nice set of spin moves that can be very tough for guards to handle and he would be an upgrade in terms of athleticism on the defensive line.
|
I think he'd be a good piece to start at LDE and move inside next to Amobi on passing downs with a mid-round pass rushing specialist coming in at end. This signing would allow us to keep our options open in the first round and not tie us to having to draft a certain position. So you (1)find your starting LDE and (2)are allowed to keep your options open in the draft.
Sign me up.