ESPN.com: (Andre) Smith looks to redeem his status

[Thinking Skins]

I heard that Andre Smith looks bad at everything except run and pass blocking.

haha, and I don't mind that at all

[jnhay]

What people seem to forget is they have no idea who Andre Smith is personally, so really, trying to judge his character is kinda tough.

[Travdaskin]

If we trade down and he is available I would take him...

[COWBOY-KILLA-]

I fully support picking him at 13, the guy can flat out play!

He's a kid, he'll learn.

[earl]

Here's a great quote from Hugh Douglas:

As a certified armchair GM, that swagger, attitude, chip-on-shoulder, fire, whatever you want to call it, is the first thing I look for in a player.

did you not read the article? are you just chiming in w/o clicking the link? The article goes on to say on the field he doesn't just block a guy, he dominates them w/ a mean streak? What are you talking about? have you seen the guy play? does he look passive to you?

[downbeat87]

I heard that Andre Smith looks bad at everything except run and pass blocking.

sounds like a lineman to me

[boofMcboof]

did you not read the article? are you just chiming in w/o clicking the link? The article goes on to say on the field he doesn't just block a guy, he dominates them w/ a mean streak? What are you talking about? have you seen the guy play? does he look passive to you?

What are you looking at? Have you paid attention to his act and demeanor off the field? Andre Smith is mentally soft which is what I was referring to when I quoted Hugh Douglas. No doubt Andre Smith is a naturally gifted athlete and dominated the college ranks with is natural abilities. That's why I made the comparisons to Winston Justice and Mike Williams. They dominated on the field.

He didn't have the fire and desire to workout for the biggest interviews of his life. His mindset is on getting paid. To put Smith’s offseason in perspective, he did not post a single number on his pro day that would have placed him in the top performers at his position at the combine and many of his numbers were not even close to the top 10 at his position at the combine. The NFL is made up of grown men and you want him manning the RT spot that goes up against the toughest and fiercest athletes in pro sports?

[downbeat87]

What are you looking at? Have you payed attention to his act and demeanor off the field? Andre Smith is mentally soft which is what I was referring to when I quoted that article. No doubt Andre Smith is a naturally gifted athlete and dominated the college ranks with is natural abilities. That's why I made the comparisons to Winston Justice and Mike Williams. They dominated on the field.

He didn't have the fire and desire to workout for the biggest interviews of his life. His mind set is on getting paid.

you know... the human mind does a lot of stupid things when it has no money.

like crack.

maybe cinci will take him and well get oher and not have to worry

[wildbill1952]

Roll the dice on this guy. He's got a lot of upside, no pun intended. He's young and may have made some stupid mistakes that hurt his draft chances, but it didn't take away his God-given talent. He will dominate.

But we need 4 replacements on the OL. If we do them one a year, we can expect a dominant OL in 2013 and Samuels will have to be replaced by 2014 and Dockery by 2015. If that's the plan...well, then at least the Skins finally have a plan. Might as well start with Smith.

[psu2008]

Stay away. Has bust and lazy work ethic written all over him

[Never4get#21]

Take him. He was slated as a top 5 prospect prior to messing things up at the combine. He's a talented Tackle that could eventually replace Samuels. The worst that could happen is you move him inside and he becomes a probowl guard.

Mayock has him slipping out of the top 10 at this point so I hope he's available at #13.

Hail!

[goldenster95]

I'm worried about his weight problem and attitude. Did anyone catch his workout on NFL Network when he had his shirt off? Can you say B-cup? I thought there was some nudity on the channel until I realized it was Andre Smith.

[IbleedBnG83]

I would only draft him in the late first at this point.

[alwaysaskin]

I'm not sure about gambling on Smith and his undulating manflesh with the 13th Pick. On the one hand he had a great college career and it really is how you perform in games, on the other hand, dude seriously needs to mix in a salad. We need a Tackle like we need air to breathe, I think Samuels might be able to get AS to work hard, on the other hand, his pro-day was flat out embarrassing. Although that 40 run is one of my favorite unintentional comedy spots. This guy could seriously be the next Orlando Pace or he could be the next Demetrius Underwood.

[boofMcboof]

http://www.footballoutsiders.com/walkthrough/2009/walkthrough-tale-tackles

Some insight into how he interviewed plus comments from a reporter who followed Alabama closely:

It's one thing to run a bad 40, drop a few passes, or get baffled by the Wonderlic at the Combine. It's another thing to show up overweight, go to interviews poorly dressed and unprepared, then go AWOL. No player in Combine history torpedoed himself as thoroughly as Andre Smith did in February. At the end of the college football regular season, he looked like a guaranteed top five selection. In the wake of his Sugar Bowl suspension and his Combine disappearance, Smith may be dropping to the bottom of the first round, perhaps further. One estimate suggests that Smith cost himself $24 million with his Combine escapade.

For those who follow Alabama football closely, Smith's February judgment lapses came as no surprise. No one doubts his raw power or ability to turn it on at the snap. But whispers of Smith's immaturity, ego, and poor work habits became howls after the Combine. Smith could be Jonathan Ogden, or he could be Tony Mandarich.

Ian Rapoport of the Birmingham News covered Smith throughout his college career. He understands why Smith struggled at the Combine: "Smith has always been the best player on the field on every play, going back to high school. He never learned how to sell himself. Having to interview was strange for him." Rapoport believes that some teams took Smith right off the board after he shanked his interviews. "A lot of teams were a little offended. They couldn't tell how seriously he was taking it. He shrugged at the whole process."

For a player who isn't emotionally ready for the demands of NFL life, a good support system is vital. Smith may not have one. "Smith hasn't been getting stellar advice," Rapoport said. Neal McReady, who covered the Crimson Tide for years and now runs the Ole Miss Rivals.com Web site, agreed. "Teams want to know: Who do you surround yourself with? That's all part of the package."

Character isn't Smith's only question mark. He has battled weight problems since high school, and the bigger he gets, the slower he gets. "He's the kind of player who you can tell the level of his play by the weight he's carrying," Rapoport said. Smith's ideal playing weight is around 315 pounds, but he has never been forced to trim down to that level. The extra girth could prevent him from playing left tackle. "He looks like a guard to me," said Mark Murphy of Scout.com. McReady and others feel that Smith fits best inside or at right tackle; few teams want to invest a high first-round pick on a player who can't cut it at left tackle.

Alabama's Pro Day answered some questions but raised others. Smith showed up weighing a reasonable 325 pounds, but he only benched 225 pounds 19 times and gave marginal performances in the 40-yard dash and other drills. Rang reported that one scout saw "some guys were rolling their eyes at how bad he looked with his shirt off," but at the same time, Smith demonstrated good technique and agility in his blocking drills. He also faced the media without wilting.

The Pro Day performance may have been enough to move Smith back into the top half of the first round. "All it takes is one team to say that he can play left tackle for them for the next 10 years," Rapoport said. Smith's body of on-field work is impressive enough to make scouts overlook a few judgment lapses, and his game tape will speak louder than his workout statistics. Smith's immaturity and mental makeup will still scare some teams away, but bargain hunters in the middle of the first round might relish the opportunity to turn him around.

Not a bad character by the sounds of it but woefully unprepared for adult life.

[Dark Acre]

A lot of people here with short memories. How much have Mike Williams or Winston Justice matured since they've been drafted?

Didn't John Riggins "de"-mature when he got to the NFL? OTOH, Riggins never put his free spirit personality ahead of his game. There's a difference. Winston who?

[Dark Acre]

I heard that Andre Smith looks bad at everything except run and pass blocking.

Great, so he can't catch tipped balls either? :mad:

[Dark Acre]

The #13 pick in the draft should read like this:

www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/players/504640

The "poster boy" for the 2009 NFL Draft center class, Mack has been a model of consistency on the field, anchoring the Bears' front wall since taking over for All-Pac-10 Conference center Marvin Phillips as a sophomore. The two-time finalist for the Rimington Trophy, given to the nation's top center, he has not only excelled on the gridiron, but also in the training room and the classroom. His power clean lift of 374 pounds is a school record for all positions.

Mack was recently awarded the Draddy Trophy, given to college football's top scholar-athlete, an award that also includes a $25,000 post-graduate scholarship. He was named the Pac-10 Conference's Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 2008, having earned league academic honor roll recognition four times while attending Cal.

As a senior, he was also a finalist for the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award, given for academic and athletic accomplishment. In addition, he was named the school's 2008 winner of the Schlessinger Coaches Award, which recognizes outstanding athletic ability, academic success and community service.

Mack's work ethic speaks volumes for the player he has become. "Being a center, there's a lot of thinking that's involved," says Mack. "Before the play, you get the play, you go to the line, you have to remember what the snap count is, you have to call out the front and what everyone's assignment is, tell both the guards what they have to do and then I have to focus on what I have to do."

But such attention to detail goes far beyond game day. Mack is usually the last lineman off the field after practice, always getting in a little extra footwork and hand work while other players grab some Gatorade. For such a large individual, he is surprisingly quick. He can run the 40-yard dash in 5.0 seconds, a feat only four linemen at the 2008 NFL Combine surpassed. That quickness and Mack's brute strength have terrorized opposing defensive lines.

Mack's experience was with a primarily ground-based offense in high school. Since coming to Cal, however, he has had to learn to protect pocket passers. "In high school, I didn't know what a pass set was," says Mack. "Here, half the day we work on pass blocking, pass sets, pass technique. It's so technical. It's amazing how hard it is." But those extra hours spent after practice has helped him make the job look easy.

At San Marcos High School, Mack excelled on the gridiron and on the wrestling mat. He was named to PrepStar's All-West team as a senior, helping his team rush for 2,031 yards in 2003. He was a member of Super Prep's Top 132 seniors in California squad, landing him on that service's All-Far West team. The 2003 San Marcos Most Valuable Player, he was named the Channel League's Co-Most Valuable Player on defense and a first-team All-League selection. He was also a two-time All-CIF choice and a three-time All-County and All-League member.

Mack played on both the offensive and defensive lines during his time at San Marcos High. As a senior, he registered 93 tackles and eight sacks. He added four letters in wrestling, advancing to the state wrestling tournament as a CIF heavyweight champion. As a senior, he compiled a 26-1 record on the mat.

Mack enrolled at California in 2004, spending the season acclimating to center while performing on the scout team. He was an Academic All-Pac-10 honorable mention as a redshirt freshman, playing behind Marvin Phillips while making five knockdowns in seven games in 2005.

The team's Most Improved Offensive Lineman took over center duties in 2006, earning All-Pac 10 first-team and Academic All-League second-team recognition. He delivered 83 key blocks/knockdowns and was named to ESPN's All-Bowl Team after registering nine knockdowns and paving the way for two 100-yard rushers vs. Texas A&M in the Holiday Bowl.

Mack received All-American and All-Pac-10 first-team honors in 2007. The Rimington Trophy finalist captured the league's Morris Blocking Trophy, given to the best offensive lineman in the conference. He was a semifinalist for the Lombardi Award as he anchored a line that allowed only 11 quarterback sacks. He led the team with 81 key blocks/knockdowns and his 11 touchdown-resulting blocks were the most by any major college center in 2007.

The All-American center seriously considered leaving school early to apply for the 2008 NFL Draft. He submitted his paperwork to the league's advisory board, but when he was told that he would be a second-round draft choice, he decided to return to college for the 2008 campaign.

"This is a really great opportunity for me to help the team," Mack said. "There is a lot I can do at Cal to improve my game and to further my career. I didn't want to miss the experience of my senior season and helping the team get back on track and finish things right. This also gives me an opportunity to finish my degree and continue my education. I came to Cal because of the outstanding education and I want to finish that before I'm done. I'm really just looking forward to getting into spring ball and seeing how the team comes together for 2008."

Mack was again awarded with All-American and All-Pac-10 Conference honors as a senior. He was a finalist for both the Lombardi Award and Rimington Trophy and received numerous national honors for academics. On the field, he started all 13 games in the pivot. He again paced the Bears with 92 knockdowns/key blocks and matched his junior season total with 11 touchdown-resulting blocks.

[HOF44]

Seems like all players that are also good wrestlers end up doing pretty well.

[That Redskins Fan]

The #13 pick in the draft should read like this:

www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/players/504640

The "poster boy" for the 2009 NFL Draft center class, Mack has been a model of consistency on the field, anchoring the Bears' front wall since taking over for All-Pac-10 Conference center Marvin Phillips as a sophomore. The two-time finalist for the Rimington Trophy, given to the nation's top center, he has not only excelled on the gridiron, but also in the training room and the classroom. His power clean lift of 374 pounds is a school record for all positions.

Mack was recently awarded the Draddy Trophy, given to college football's top scholar-athlete, an award that also includes a $25,000 post-graduate scholarship. He was named the Pac-10 Conference's Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 2008, having earned league academic honor roll recognition four times while attending Cal.

As a senior, he was also a finalist for the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award, given for academic and athletic accomplishment. In addition, he was named the school's 2008 winner of the Schlessinger Coaches Award, which recognizes outstanding athletic ability, academic success and community service.

Mack's work ethic speaks volumes for the player he has become. "Being a center, there's a lot of thinking that's involved," says Mack. "Before the play, you get the play, you go to the line, you have to remember what the snap count is, you have to call out the front and what everyone's assignment is, tell both the guards what they have to do and then I have to focus on what I have to do."

But such attention to detail goes far beyond game day. Mack is usually the last lineman off the field after practice, always getting in a little extra footwork and hand work while other players grab some Gatorade. For such a large individual, he is surprisingly quick. He can run the 40-yard dash in 5.0 seconds, a feat only four linemen at the 2008 NFL Combine surpassed. That quickness and Mack's brute strength have terrorized opposing defensive lines.

Mack's experience was with a primarily ground-based offense in high school. Since coming to Cal, however, he has had to learn to protect pocket passers. "In high school, I didn't know what a pass set was," says Mack. "Here, half the day we work on pass blocking, pass sets, pass technique. It's so technical. It's amazing how hard it is." But those extra hours spent after practice has helped him make the job look easy.

At San Marcos High School, Mack excelled on the gridiron and on the wrestling mat. He was named to PrepStar's All-West team as a senior, helping his team rush for 2,031 yards in 2003. He was a member of Super Prep's Top 132 seniors in California squad, landing him on that service's All-Far West team. The 2003 San Marcos Most Valuable Player, he was named the Channel League's Co-Most Valuable Player on defense and a first-team All-League selection. He was also a two-time All-CIF choice and a three-time All-County and All-League member.

Mack played on both the offensive and defensive lines during his time at San Marcos High. As a senior, he registered 93 tackles and eight sacks. He added four letters in wrestling, advancing to the state wrestling tournament as a CIF heavyweight champion. As a senior, he compiled a 26-1 record on the mat.

Mack enrolled at California in 2004, spending the season acclimating to center while performing on the scout team. He was an Academic All-Pac-10 honorable mention as a redshirt freshman, playing behind Marvin Phillips while making five knockdowns in seven games in 2005.

The team's Most Improved Offensive Lineman took over center duties in 2006, earning All-Pac 10 first-team and Academic All-League second-team recognition. He delivered 83 key blocks/knockdowns and was named to ESPN's All-Bowl Team after registering nine knockdowns and paving the way for two 100-yard rushers vs. Texas A&M in the Holiday Bowl.

Mack received All-American and All-Pac-10 first-team honors in 2007. The Rimington Trophy finalist captured the league's Morris Blocking Trophy, given to the best offensive lineman in the conference. He was a semifinalist for the Lombardi Award as he anchored a line that allowed only 11 quarterback sacks. He led the team with 81 key blocks/knockdowns and his 11 touchdown-resulting blocks were the most by any major college center in 2007.

The All-American center seriously considered leaving school early to apply for the 2008 NFL Draft. He submitted his paperwork to the league's advisory board, but when he was told that he would be a second-round draft choice, he decided to return to college for the 2008 campaign.

"This is a really great opportunity for me to help the team," Mack said. "There is a lot I can do at Cal to improve my game and to further my career. I didn't want to miss the experience of my senior season and helping the team get back on track and finish things right. This also gives me an opportunity to finish my degree and continue my education. I came to Cal because of the outstanding education and I want to finish that before I'm done. I'm really just looking forward to getting into spring ball and seeing how the team comes together for 2008."

Mack was again awarded with All-American and All-Pac-10 Conference honors as a senior. He was a finalist for both the Lombardi Award and Rimington Trophy and received numerous national honors for academics. On the field, he started all 13 games in the pivot. He again paced the Bears with 92 knockdowns/key blocks and matched his junior season total with 11 touchdown-resulting blocks.

A Center at 13.. with Cerrato Jesus will have to be standing by Cerrato for that happen.. heck we maybe fortuante that Cerrato drafts a lineman at all