Why Does Everyone Love Smoot So Much?

[Justice Hog]

First off...let me say that I am not a Smoot hater. I like the guy. I think he's a valuable player and a decent CB.

The thing that bugs me is that last year (and before) time and time again...on 3rd & long, Smoot would play 10+ yards off the receiver at the line...and the receiver would always find a way to catch a quick 8-9 yard "out" pass for the first down against him.

Am I imagining all of this? Did it not happen as much as I think it did?

For me to be "sold" on Smoot completely, he's gonna have to start being more of a "cover corner" and less of a "pull back" type of corner.

I'm interested in your thoughts on this.

Again, I don't hate Smoot. I like the guy..and hope he stays with the Skins. I just want him to change his play a little bit to be more aggressive off the line.

[Chris Luva Luva]

First off...let me say that I am not a Smoot hater. I like the guy. I think he's a valuable player and a decent CB.

The thing that bugs me is that last year (and before) time and time again...on 3rd & long, Smoot would play 10+ yards off the receiver at the line...and the receiver would always find a way to catch a quick 8-9 yard "out" pass for the first down against him.

Am I imagining all of this? Did it not happen as much as I think it did?

For me to be "sold" on Smoot completely, he's gonna have to start being more of a "cover corner" and less of a "pull back" type of corner.

I'm interested in your thoughts on this.

Again, I don't hate Smoot. I like the guy..and hope he stays with the Skins. I just want him to change his play a little bit to be more aggressive off the line.

You're absolutly right. I thought him playing so far off was because of the scheme but he kept doing it.

He's an above average CB who wants shutdown money. Champ is better than Smoot and he's not a shutdown corner either. Smoot can get the boot if he doesn't want to be realistic.

[Great Natale]

To me Smoot is nothing more than a GC. A good corner. Nothing more, nothing less.

[fleetus]

I like Smoot's attitude. I think he's a good locker room guy. he's upbeat, wears his emaotions on his sleeve. He makes mistakes but he also makes some big plays. He is one of the best #2 CB's in the NFL. He'll never be a top tier #1 CB, IMO, because he makes alot of mistakes and is undersized. There's nothing wrong with that as long as he doesn't ask for #1 money.

If he is just trying to get the best contract he can get from the Redskins then, no problem. But if he ends up whoring out to the first team to offer a slightly bigger contract then I'll have to say that his supposed love for the Redskins was mostly for show. There is a fine line between wanting "fair" money and holding an auction to the highest bidder. We'll see if he wants to stay and exactly how much the Redskins mean to him. I hope he stays.

[oafusp]

I will remind everyone again...Smoot is not a good tackler. He misses a lot, or gets dragged by the WR.

Remember all of those blitzes last year when Smoot could have knock the QB out of the game....but he dove in the air and missed the QB. The QB's back was turned and Smoot still missed!

It is plays like that that makes me not sweat his services much. He has room to improve, just don't overpay him.

Perfect example...shocker: Patriots.
Their starting CB's were hurt, and WR Troy Brown and no name CB's filled in and shut down the Colts, Steelers, and Eagles.

[patjam77]

Smoot is as valuable to this team as anyone on that defense. He plays with heart and courage. Yes he does talk and i love it. he gives this defense an identity it hasn't had in quite a while. as for cover skills i still believe he is learning to play the pro game. he could have easily have been a probowler this year and if he is still learning then the best for him is still to come.
For guys saynig he is only decent... well he had to be more than decent to be playing on the 3rd ranked D in the game. a D that was constantly on the field because of an innept offense. i think he really does want to be a skin and if he leaves cause another team pays him more money i can't be upset. i think he is a genuine gamer. how soon we all forget the game last year against dallas with smoot puking his guts up because of the brusied or cracked sternum he had. he wanted to be on that field to represent the team and back up his teamates. the guy has heart and that makes up for any shortcomings he MAY have on the field. Smack Smoot should be kept a redskin.
just my opinion.

[DieselFan]

Because saying something like: "HHHHHhaaaaaaarrrrrrrisssssss" or "Spppppprrrrrrrrrinnnnnnngs" does not sound nearly as cool as "SSSSSmmmmmmmmooooooooooot!"

It really does change things. It's the reason we love squirrels but hate rats. I mean, that fluffy tail makes all the difference

[patjam77]

I will remind everyone again...Smoot is not a good tackler. He misses a lot, or gets dragged by the WR.

Remember all of those blitzes last year when Smoot could have knock the QB out of the game....but he dove in the air and missed the QB. The QB's back was turned and Smoot still missed!

It is plays like that that makes me not sweat his services much. He has room to improve, just don't overpay him.

Perfect example...shocker: Patriots.
Their starting CB's were hurt, and WR Troy Brown and no name CB's filled in and shut down the Colts, Steelers, and Eagles.

i know his tackling may not be up to par but at least he isnt afraid to tackle. no the skins can't afford to over pay him but he deserves deep consideration due to the fact that he embodies alot of what we need on this team

[JCaptMorgan12]

I agree with oafusp... if you notice, which I know I certainly did, Smoot time and time again, "threw" himself at the offensive player, which granted, whne injured he showed the heart he had, but a lot of time, those offensive players just bounce right off him and keep going, he is not a "wrap-up" tackler, he is just like his "idle," Deion Sanders when it comes to tackling... I would love for him to stay, and agree with all when we have all noticed he plays too far off on 3rd & long, but like we have all said, he is a solid CB, above average I would say compared to all other CB's in the league right now, but DOES NOT deserve top-notch dollar. He has to learn to tackle, and wrap players up, and stop giving up the heartbreaking first down on 3rd & long. If he wants top dollar and nothing less, I am quite confident that either Harris, or a pick-up through FA can replace Smoot with not much lost, except for his heart in the locker room. I remember a few years back when we let Brian Mitchell go, who to me was the leader of the locker room, the voice on the team, and to me it seems that when we released him, the Skins lost a lot of team morale, not sure if Smoot would have the same impact or not...

[oafusp]

Yeah....keep him, there is nobody in FA that is better and he still has a lot to improve on.

Just keep coaching him up. He has improved every season and plays hurt. The sky is the limit for him and I'd hate to see another team have Smoot at his peak.

[FatPat]

I think he was palying off on third down becuause of the scheme. Everybody and their mother knew that Williams in an obvious passing situation will bring the blitz. That means the qb will have to get rid of the ball quick (in theory) so all Smoot had to do was tackle the WR short of the first down if the WR was the hot read on the play. It is designed to let anything be completed short of the first down.

Thats where his poor tackling comes in to play. All teams know he cant tackle as well as Springs so they hope that their hot read will be able to pick up the extra yardage for the first down by beating Smoot (so it seemed he was always picked on in 3rd and Long).

I dont agree in playing off ever but thats why Im not a defensive coordinator and Williams is...

[skinsfan1]

I will remind everyone again...Smoot is not a good tackler. He misses a lot, or gets dragged by the WR.

Remember all of those blitzes last year when Smoot could have knock the QB out of the game....but he dove in the air and missed the QB. The QB's back was turned and Smoot still missed!

It is plays like that that makes me not sweat his services much. He has room to improve, just don't overpay him.

Perfect example...shocker: Patriots.
Their starting CB's were hurt, and WR Troy Brown and no name CB's filled in and shut down the Colts, Steelers, and Eagles.

I couldn't agree more. All those one arm clothesline type tackles he would try to make would kill me.

[SkinsHead56]

I will remind everyone again...Smoot is not a good tackler. He misses a lot, or gets dragged by the WR.

Remember all of those blitzes last year when Smoot could have knock the QB out of the game....but he dove in the air and missed the QB. The QB's back was turned and Smoot still missed!

It is plays like that that makes me not sweat his services much. He has room to improve, just don't overpay him.

Perfect example...shocker: Patriots.
Their starting CB's were hurt, and WR Troy Brown and no name CB's filled in and shut down the Colts, Steelers, and Eagles.

Yeah but how about the time he played in Dallas making tackles while nursing a brused sternum? I'v had a brused sternum from a moto fall. Let me tell you it is not a walk in the park. This guy is all about toughness. He was just not blessed with the size to be more physical. I take Smoot over Rolle or Harris or any other FA available this year.

[patjam77]

I will remind everyone again...Smoot is not a good tackler. He misses a lot, or gets dragged by the WR.

Remember all of those blitzes last year when Smoot could have knock the QB out of the game....but he dove in the air and missed the QB. The QB's back was turned and Smoot still missed!

It is plays like that that makes me not sweat his services much. He has room to improve, just don't overpay him.

Perfect example...shocker: Patriots.
Their starting CB's were hurt, and WR Troy Brown and no name CB's filled in and shut down the Colts, Steelers, and Eagles.

Yeah but how about the time he played in Dallas making tackles while nursing a brused sternum? I'v had a brused sternum from a moto fall. Let me tell you it is not a walk in the park. This guy is all about toughness. He was just not blessed with the size to be more physical. I take Smoot over Rolle or Harris or any other FA available this year.

That's what i said in a previous post. He's a gamer

[redskincity]

I use to like Smoot, because I thought he had a brain of his own.

[lamont_jordan_rules]

... i know there is talk about the jets being interested in smoot & i must say i don't love what i'm hearing about the tackling & hope that schemes were part of him playing that far off ... as a team the jets have been in search of that #1 man to man type of cover cb but so far seem to have similar decent but not great talent ... donnie abraham is getting up there and has lost a step ... when j. abraham went out at the end of the year & the secondary had to cover another second or two every play it really pointed out their short comings ...

... smoot would definitely be an improvement for us & i hope that he falls into the pattern that many of us would, where "money talks" ... i do like the fact that he's much younger than the c. woodson's & ty law ... with some potential still in the tank ...

... glad the free agent time has arrived, finally ...


l_j_r

[milkbone]

Smoot is a good tackler, he is one of the best up and coming corners in the league, I honestly don't think that walt Harris can replace him. He is at the phase in his career where he can be at the top of his game. I've never heard him say he does'nt want to be a skin (coles). We don't want to lose this guy, but we also don't want to pull a Snyder and ridiculously overpay him.

[Scottskins]

Smoot is an above average corner, but by no means is he a shutdown corner.

I love Smoot because of his toughness. But, the reason we even know about his toughness, is because he is so small. He's small and he's got little man syndrome. He tries too hard to play big man football. I can't count on both hands how many times last season, instead of just tackling a guy or dare I say it, pushing him out of bounds, he goes and throws his whole body into a guy to try and punish him. Unfortunately, most of the guys smoot tackles are bigger and badder, and while they do usually go down, Smoot is the one who takes most of the punishment. He then plays hurt. That's why we love him. He also gets burned more often when he's hurt obviously. Oh, and his name rolls of the crowds tongues pretty nicely too

What does this all mean? It would be great if Smoot just accpeted our offer and came back. We like him =) The only bad thing about Smoot is that if he continues to hurt himself like he always does, his career will be very very short. And while he's playing hurt, we give up more bigger plays...