At 6-foot-3, 282 pounds, Will Smith is more Wilforkian than Revish, but during a drop-back drill for defensive ends, the big man moved well and made one leaping grab that was particularly impressive. For a player of his size – coming off of ACL surgery, no less – Smith showed glimpses of what made him a hard-to-handle athlete in New Orleans.
Will Smith
Being a defensive end, I feel like the thing you look at is pass-rush ability. That’s what you get paid for. That’s one thing I like about him – he’s a great pass-rusher.
Chandler Jones on Will Smith. Sure hope Smith is still a great pass rusher. If he is… oh boy…
Chandler Jones targets lower-body strength – New England Patriots Blog – ESPN Boston
I think Will has tread left on his tire — no doubt in my mind,” said Loomis, who was scheduled to host a pre-draft press conference Wednesday morning. “As long as he does a good job of rehabbing that injury, which I know he will and has, … he has a lot of football left in him.
Source: Patriots to sign DE Will Smith | masslive.com
Source: Patriots to sign DE Will Smith | masslive.com
This was somewhat of an expected move and it’s a solid one to lock down right before the draft. This is a classic Patriots signing, a veteran whose old team might’ve thought they were done, getting one last shot in Foxboro.
Smith had a down year in 2012, then bad luck with an ACL tear in 2013. So who knows, maybe he still has something to prove. He should be a good rotational third defensive end with Nink and Chandler, though I think the door is still open for Michael Buchanan as a pure pass rusher. It’s doubtful that Smith still has the explosion that a younger player like Buchanan does.
I think Will Smith could fit any defense,” Belichick said of Smith in 2009 when asked about what he thought about Smith coming out of college. “I can’t imagine there being a defense that he wouldn’t be able to help. He’s certainly a guy that we had a lot of interest in. (He’s) a big guy that can run, rush the passer, pursue well, strong play at the point of attack, athletic, plays on his feet. He’s got a good group of skills. (He) plays hard. He’s been productive. I think he’s been about the player, where he was drafted, and what people thought he would be, including us.
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Not holding my breath if the Pats do sign Smith that he’ll be the impact player he once was, but at this point I’ll take what I can get at defensive end.