Prowl33 wrote:I haven't heard too much on talk shows, forums, or sports news articles about Preston Smith.
He came into last year a rookie with terrible training habits and substituted in and out of the lineup, and finished the year with the most sacks of all rookies.
He has the same measurables as JJ Watt. His strength and training weren't comparable... but he has been working out with the strongest man in the nfl for months now Ricky-Jean. He had completely changed his diet and habits.
Not saying he will be close to JJ that man is a freak of nature.... but Preston had more sacks in his first year than JJ did with less play time, has the same measurable, now has a great work ethic.
I think this kid may be the huge surprise on our team this year. I'm excited to see what he does.
Yes.
I would not be surprised by a huge year.
He was first team all-SEC as a senior and acted like it last year.
Scot:
On outside linebacker Preston Smith, the team’s second-round pick:
“First and foremost: SEC, dominant player. Size, length. He has the ability to play, on certain downs, stand up in a two-point stance, and on certain [downs], pass rush in a three-point stance. He played down at Mississippi State a majority of the time. What was unique about him, when they go to the three-man front, he’d move to nose tackle and play over the center and had success rushing the passer from inside there. You’ll see as I go through each year, more and more, you’re going to see I do a lot of big school guys and a lot of SEC guys. That’s important to me. Because they’ve been in the big games. They’ve been around the 80,000 fans. They’ve been playing Alabamas. They’ve been playing LSUs. ANd it’s not too big for them to come out here. He’s unique because he’s got 34 1/2-inch arms. He’s almost 6-5. He’s 270 pounds. And he can rush the passer. It’s a great tandem.”
On why he believes Smith, who played defensive end at Mississippi State, can make a seamless transition to linebacker in a 3-4 scheme:
“You could see the athleticism on tape, no doubt about it. Flexibility in his lower body, length in his arms. But at the pro day, they worked him as a linebacker. Dropped him, flipped his hips, made him catch the ball. He might have the best hands on our team when he comes in here. So I mean, he’s a unique athlete. He’s impressive. Like I said, 6-5, 270 and he ran a 4.7. He had sack production like I said, even on the center, in college, in the SEC, which is hard to do. He’s got natural pass-rush instincts, and you’ll see, he’s got the flexibility in his hips and lower end and the quickness to get it done.”
MICHAEL PHILLIPS Richmond Times-Dispatch:
When new Redskins safety Su’a Cravens was getting frustrated at not having the playbook down last week, teammate Preston Smith told him not to worry.
It was sage advice, and it came from experience. Smith was a rookie last year who struggled to keep up with the demands of the NFL early in the season.
“He told me, ‘It took me until the last four games of the season to play like I normally play, and play with confidence, just because I didn’t know the playbook and I would hesitate and second-guess myself,’” said Cravens. “He’s like, ‘You’re expecting to do what I did the third day of practice.’ So that’s not going to happen. You have to be realistic with yourself.”
After getting called out by one of his teammates last year for having a “lazy” work ethic, Smith said he turned a corner late in the year.
Now he’s getting ready for this week’s OTAs with a new mentality and leadership potential.
Smith is likely to be the first outside linebacker off the bench, with Ryan Kerrigan and Junior Galette in the two starting spots.
“His growth has been real impressive to see,” Kerrigan said of Smith. “Not just how he plays on Sundays, but him in the meeting rooms — he’s real quick, knows the defense inside and out. He’s impressed.”
General manager Scot McCloughan said it can be tough for rookies, even second-round picks like Smith, to have an immediate impact.
“All of a sudden Preston is like, ‘Wow, look at this, it’s the NFL and all that,’” McCloughan said. “This offseason has been incredible. And for him to go to Su’a and (provide advice) is excellent. It shows his leadership coming forward, and it shows his maturity coming forward as an NFL football player.”
Cravens is also a second-rounder, one who will also be inserted into the lineup early in the season.
This week marks the beginning of “Phase 3” offseason drills, also known as OTAs, or organized team activities.
The Redskins can spend 10 days on the field and can work in 11-on-11 situations, though no hitting or tackling is permitted.
It will be an opportunity to see the full defense for the first time since the 2015 season ended, and to see where Cravens, Smith and linebacker Trent Murphy, who has moved to defensive end, fit.
It’s also an opportunity for Smith to show what he learned in his first NFL season.
“I think he kind of realized he had to change how he practiced, change how he ate, change how he approached life and football if he wanted to be a dominant player,” Kerrigan said.
“Who better to lead than someone who saw one way wasn’t working, then found a way that was working.”
For Cravens, it’s another voice to help ease his transition as he tries to absorb everything being thrown at him.
“I’m used to being a perfectionist,” the USC alumnus said. “I’m used to always being first to the ball or getting things fast. And getting an NFL playbook and learning 12 plays in three hours isn’t exactly ideal for me. So I would talk to him about that, and he calmed me down like, ‘You got it. Just take it play by play.’”