Malcolm Smith, LB

Originally posted by VaBeachNiner:

Originally posted by NinerBuff:

Originally posted by LifelongNiner:

Is anyone really counting on Malcolm Smith next year? He's simply a guy. Better than what we have, but we can get sooooooo much better in the draft.

He'll compete for one of the LB spots, but I don't think anyone is counting on him being a contributor.

For 5 years, $26 million he better contribute.

Good luck with that.

It was a mess of a signing and contract from the day they gave it to him.

They'll be stuck with him next year but can get out of it in 2019.

Originally posted by NinerBuff:
He'll compete for one of the LB spots, but I don't think anyone is counting on him being a contributor.

Smith is real good around the line of scrimmage and is a good tackler. You don't want Smith in coverage. He will get exposed big time if he has to play in coverage.

Originally posted by PopeyeJonesing:

Originally posted by VaBeachNiner:

Originally posted by NinerBuff:

Originally posted by LifelongNiner:

Is anyone really counting on Malcolm Smith next year? He's simply a guy. Better than what we have, but we can get sooooooo much better in the draft.

+ Show all quotes
He'll compete for one of the LB spots, but I don't think anyone is counting on him being a contributor.

For 5 years, $26 million he better contribute.

Good luck with that.

It was a mess of a signing and contract from the day they gave it to him.

They'll be stuck with him next year but can get out of it in 2019.

This was one of the real head scratching moves Lynch made this offseason and it still looks pretty bad. Smith made some plays for Seattle in the playoffs the year they won the Super Bowl but aside from that, was never really anything special for them. Oakland found that out real quick and he was terrible there. I just hated the signing from the beginning and I really have no expectations going forward.

Dude has a helluva agent I'll say that.

Originally posted by Gemini10:
This was one of the real head scratching moves Lynch made this offseason and it still looks pretty bad. Smith made some plays for Seattle in the playoffs the year they won the Super Bowl but aside from that, was never really anything special for them. Oakland found that out real quick and he was terrible there. I just hated the signing from the beginning and I really have no expectations going forward.

Dude has a helluva agent I'll say that.

You have to play to Smith strengths. Oakland always used Smith in coverage and he simply can't cover TE's and RB's.

Originally posted by SanFranFanfrmVa:

Originally posted by Gemini10:
This was one of the real head scratching moves Lynch made this offseason and it still looks pretty bad. Smith made some plays for Seattle in the playoffs the year they won the Super Bowl but aside from that, was never really anything special for them. Oakland found that out real quick and he was terrible there. I just hated the signing from the beginning and I really have no expectations going forward.

Dude has a helluva agent I'll say that.

You have to play to Smith strengths. Oakland always used Smith in coverage and he simply can't cover TE's and RB's.

Yep. SF will have him playing the run like Seattle did. He should improve the LB position if he comes back healthy.

Originally posted by captveg:

Yep. SF will have him playing the run like Seattle did. He should improve the LB position if he comes back healthy.

The problem is he wasn't really anything special in Seattle either. It's why they let him walk and nobody over there blinked about it. Then he busted for Oakland and Lynch showed up from out of the bushes and paid him even more than the second team in a row that made no effort to retain him.

He was purely a comfort signing (i.e. guys who coaches had already worked with and who knew the system), which we made too many of last off-season, IMO. I see the point in doing that on the first year with a whole new staff and with all new installs and everything, but if they do it past that first year it will have long term consequences, IMO.

Him and Joe Williams are the two guys I'm most excited to see on this team next season, hopefully playing. Pita would be #3

Originally posted by LifelongNiner:
Is anyone really counting on Malcolm Smith next year? He's simply a guy. Better than what we have, but we can get sooooooo much better in the draft.

For the money they paid him I bet they are counting on him.

Originally posted by NCommand:

Plus we didn't know about Bowman either. The FO had to be thinking, Brooks is 33, Ray-Ray is coming off a torn pec, Bo off an achilles, Wilhoite sucks, Harold has done nothing, Lynch was fat and lazy, etc.

I'd say "gaping hole" would be an understatement. LOL.

If they have a DC who loves a scheme-fit guy at that position, the FO did what they were supposed to do. Secure that player.

He'll obviously help Bo and Ray-Ray get up to speed but the overall point is, we might finally have a legit LB crew again with Brooks, Bo, Foster with depth in Ray-Ray, Harold, Watson, etc...plus an in-shape Lynch and Elvis and now, AA playing well.

That's one hell of a turn-around if you ask me.

But yeah, JL sucks and did nothing.

Loved your optimism here!!
I am curious.. how many names did you list above? 8? of the names listed above how many you think will be back? Obviously a few were discarded already.

Originally posted by Gemini10:

This was one of the real head scratching moves Lynch made this offseason and it still looks pretty bad. Smith made some plays for Seattle in the playoffs the year they won the Super Bowl but aside from that, was never really anything special for them. Oakland found that out real quick and he was terrible there. I just hated the signing from the beginning and I really have no expectations going forward.

Dude has a helluva agent I'll say that.

They brought him in to be the QB of our D.

Coyle settled our D down once he was inserted as a starter. Take away the Washington game where he struggled badly in coverage and he has played quite well.

This is exactly what I think Smith was brought in to do. Except he got hurt so we relied on Coyle.

We may draft a LB to compete but I fully expect Smith to start and play quite well.

Originally posted by VaBeachNiner:

Originally posted by NinerBuff:

Originally posted by LifelongNiner:

Is anyone really counting on Malcolm Smith next year? He's simply a guy. Better than what we have, but we can get sooooooo much better in the draft.

He'll compete for one of the LB spots, but I don't think anyone is counting on him being a contributor.

For 5 years, $26 million he better contribute.

Torn pec. Ray-Ray bounced back just fine. I believe Smith WILL pun intended,be a contributor

Originally posted by jcs:

Originally posted by LifelongNiner:
Is anyone really counting on Malcolm Smith next year? He's simply a guy. Better than what we have, but we can get sooooooo much better in the draft.

For the money they paid him I bet they are counting on him.

i laugh at people who say he was signed as only a second coach. are you kidding me.. he is a average backer and we gave him pro bowl money. then you say. but he was really signed as a coach to be a mentor. we need players. this guy will compete but we can do so much better. it was a silly signing for the money in my opinion but lets see what he does and if he can beat out what hopefully will be better free agents and rookies on the team next year

Originally posted by cciowa:
i laugh at people who say he was signed as only a second coach. are you kidding me.. he is a average backer and we gave him pro bowl money. then you say. but he was really signed as a coach to be a mentor. we need players. this guy will compete but we can do so much better. it was a silly signing for the money in my opinion but lets see what he does and if he can beat out what hopefully will be better free agents and rookies on the team next year

lol @ probowl linebackers signing for only 26 million for five years.....

Originally posted by pdizo916:
lol @ probowl linebackers signing for only 26 million for five years.....

We over payed for mid tier talent. i understand we had to since no one wanted to come here, maybe it will be better this off season now that jimmy is here

Originally posted by jeepzilla:

Originally posted by NCommand:

Plus we didn't know about Bowman either. The FO had to be thinking, Brooks is 33, Ray-Ray is coming off a torn pec, Bo off an achilles, Wilhoite sucks, Harold has done nothing, Lynch was fat and lazy, etc.

I'd say "gaping hole" would be an understatement. LOL.

If they have a DC who loves a scheme-fit guy at that position, the FO did what they were supposed to do. Secure that player.

He'll obviously help Bo and Ray-Ray get up to speed but the overall point is, we might finally have a legit LB crew again with Brooks, Bo, Foster with depth in Ray-Ray, Harold, Watson, etc...plus an in-shape Lynch and Elvis and now, AA playing well.

That's one hell of a turn-around if you ask me.

But yeah, JL sucks and did nothing.

Loved your optimism here!!
I am curious.. how many names did you list above? 8? of the names listed above how many you think will be back? Obviously a few were discarded already.

Haha, yeah I wrote that back on August 8th in illustrating why they signed Smith in the first place.

Turned out correct mostly...Bo never recaptured his explosion and was cut, Ray-Ray sucked, Wilhoite cut, Brooks shipped off, etc.

We're now down to Harold, Coyle and Foster. That might have been a nice unit with Harold, Smith and Foster if not for the injury.

Harold has a shot to be back unless we can find an equal SAM who can pass rush and obviously, Smith and Foster will be back and Coyle will be resigned for depth and ST.