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Eagles
Chip Kelly: "We think he’s an outstanding athlete. Got recruited to Louisville as a quarterback. He’s a big kid. He’s transitioned to the OLB position. He’s got a huge upside. Great athlete. Ran 4.68, he’s got speed coming off the edge. We thought having a pass rusher was a big thing for us. Young kid to bring in behind Trent [Cole] and Connor [Barwin]. His ceiling is very, very high. We’re excited. He’s a tough, hard-nosed football player. New to the position. Similar to Lane Johnson -- you’re getting a guy who’s a huge upside because he hasn’t played the position very long."
BGN Radio
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BGN Comments:
StoneCollerKill58: Vomit. You better know something we don’t Chip…
RogueConvict: Don't love it, don't hate it. Guess we’ll have to see how he does.
Casper Jasper: I hate it. It’s ineffective. If you’re set on Smith, you trade back and pick up some extra picks. He wasn’t about to fly off the board.
Cowboy KILLER: IN CHIP WE TRUST. I hope Howie knows what he’s doing…
rohan915: Maybe we should wait till he actually you know plays
bleedinggreen4life: This is unbelievable. What an offseason mess!
InVickWeTrust: I truly believe Andy Reid snuck into the war room and made one of his infamous High Character, High Motor guy picks…
IwantVick: The pass rush was horrendous last year, so I’m not about to criticize the pick. May have been a reach, only time will tell, but no reason to get upset about it. Also picking up the extra 3rd was big.
IronLion35: Surprising, but I like Smith a lot. I’m not sure this is as much of a reach as you guys think. Just because he wasn’t hyped as a first rounder doesn’t mean he isn’t a first round talent.
LiBrarian Booker: The pick is in... and it’s decidedly unsexy. A guy who seems like he’ll have to work to get a starting position. I don’t know…all I can say is definitely not something you can get excited about.
SIC BARREL: I am 100% satisfied with the pick Marcus Smith was one of my favorite prospects in the draft, I did not think he would be picked at 26 via a cle trade that landed johnny manziel but the unexpected should be expected in the NFL draft; so they need a 3 4 outside LB and they got him, im cool with it, all the fans need to realize the media and NFL execs really differ on their opinions and I trust Chip and co.
PeaceVT: On a scale of 1-10 with 1 being burn down the Linc, 5 being meh, and 10 being draft boner, I'll go with a 4 on this. Mildly annoyed. I think we got worse value than a majority of other teams but I also think Smith could be a pretty good NFL OLB in a couple of years.
Twitter:
Wow, the #Eagles take OLB Marcus Smith. I liked him quite a bit. Just wasn't sure they'd go for him this early.
— Tommy Lawlor (@lawlornfl) May 9, 2014
BPA my ass.
— Jimmy Kempski (@JimmyKempski) May 9, 2014
Well that's certainly a surprise.
— Andrew Kulp (@KulpSays) May 9, 2014
Well the last time #Eagles fans at Radio City booed a first round pick it worked out pretty well, so he has that going for him.
— Ryan Messick (@rm975) May 9, 2014
Marcus Smith is from Louisville. Not many had him going 1st round, but #Eagles obviously like him. Definitely needed to address pass rush.
— Jeff McLane (@Jeff_McLane) May 9, 2014
Its the first time the Eagles have drafted a LB in the first round since Jerry Robinson in 1979. #NFLDraft14
— Jeff Warner (@Jeff1470TheFox) May 9, 2014
The more think about the pick the more I like Marcus Smith. Long, quick, athletic, and has exp in a 34. Plus we got a 3rd. @Eagles #NFLDraft
— Jared Coleman (@1st_Son_of_MD) May 9, 2014
Re: Marcus Smith -- I went to Louisville-Temple in Oct. Eagles had reps there. Smith starred -- 3 TFL, 1 sack, 1 FR, blocked kick
— Zach Berman (@ZBerm) May 9, 2014
So a few things... Mock drafts don't matter any more. This is the real draft where real NFL teams tell us where guys are really valued
— BleedingGreenNation (@BleedingGreen) May 9, 2014
I'm a big Marcus Smith fan. Felt he was a darkhorse 1st rounder since the Combine. Good for Smith. Loads of upside.Near elite speed-to-power
— Eric Galko (@OptimumScouting) May 9, 2014
Smith was our 33rd rated prospect as an early 2nd round pick. Not a reach in my opinion. Fits the #Eagles 3-4 OLB need.
— Eric Galko (@OptimumScouting) May 9, 2014
Because of the limited # of edge rushers in this draft, Attaochu & Marcus Smith will both go higher than expected.
— Daniel Jeremiah (@MoveTheSticks) April 14, 2014
@RumfordJohnny I've talked to 2 GM's in the last week that swear Smith will be gone by pick 35
— Daniel Jeremiah (@MoveTheSticks) April 14, 2014
Eagles pick of Smith wasn't random. Brought him in for pre-draft visit. Chip attended his pro day & talked to him there. They did their HW.
— Brandon Lee Gowton (@BrandonGowton) May 9, 2014