The Linc - Meet Marcus Smith

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Marcus Smith - Draft Breakdown Profile
Watch some film.

More on Marcus Smith - Tommy Lawlor, Iggles Blitz
Marcus Smith is a good football player and a good fit for the Eagles. I think he can be an outstanding 3-4 OLB. The Eagles are a better team with him in the mix. He offers size, versatility and athleticism that wasn’t there at ROLB as of Wednesday. But many people are upset with the pick because of the question of value. People think Howie Roseman is being untrue to his Best Player Available theory. Let’s discuss that notion. First, none of us knows the Eagles board. I get some info here and there, but didn’t hear a word about Smith. Chip Kelly went to his Pro Day. The Eagles brought him to Philly for a visit. They had definite interest in him. We now know that they liked him quite a bit. Let’s talk about why.

Thanks to Johnny Football, Eagles get tremendous value in trade back with Browns - JimmyK, Philly.com
A move up from 26 to 22 should have cost the Browns a 4th round pick. Eagles at 22nd overall pick = 780 points. Browns at 26th overall pick (1st round, 700 points) + 106th overall pick (4th round, 82 points) = 782 points. Instead, the Eagles were able to pry a 3rd round pick away from the Browns. Eagles at 22nd overall pick = 780 points. Browns at 26th overall pick (1st round, 700 points) + 83rd overall pick (175 points) = 875 points. That is tremedous value, especially considering the first round didn't quite go the way the Eagles would have preferred. But that's what happens when teams need a quarterback. They'll overpay to get them, and in this case, the Eagles reaped the benefits.

Draft Daily: Close-Up On Louisville OLB Marcus Smith - Sheil Kapadia, Birds 24/7
Kelly has on multiple occasions outlined the three things the Eagles want from the OLB position: a player who can set the edge against the run, rush the passer and drop back into coverage. Louisville showed multiple looks defensively last year, but Smith was asked to do all three of those things and lined up in a variety of places.

Kelly: Smith Brings Versatility To 'D' - Danta Klaus, PE.com
On Thursday night's opening round of the NFL Draft, the Eagles traded down from the 22nd-overall pick to 26th overall, adding to their arsenal a third-round pick (83rd overall) from the Cleveland Browns in the process. Then, with the 26th selection, the Eagles addressed the defensive side of the ball by taking Marcus Smith, a linebacker from Louisville. Smith fits the bill as a versatile athlete who can play all over the front seven and rush the quarterback.

New Eagle Marcus Smith surprised to go in 1st round - Reuben Frank, CSN Philly
Virtually nobody had Marcus Smith going in the first round. Nobody except the Eagles. And Smith thinks he knows why. "Maybe because of my junior film," Smith said after the Eagles selected him with the 26th pick in the NFL draft. "Maybe they thought this was just a one-year thing -- ‘He busted on the scene.’ Maybe because I didn't do well my junior year, only had four sacks. "A lot of people kind of brushed me to the side." You’re not the only one surprised the Eagles took Smith in the first round. He was, too.

Eagles trade down, take linebacker Marcus Smith in draft - Jeff McLane, Inquirer
The Eagles surprised some by trading out of the No. 22 slot and back four spots in the first round of the NFL draft. But they saved the shocker for what came next, when they selected Louisville outside linebacker Marcus Smith with the 26th overall pick late Thursday night. Defense was thought to be the more pressing need for the Eagles after they finished last season with the 29th-ranked unit. The Birds' pass rush ranked 31st in sacks per pass play, and Smith recorded 141/2 sacks last season.

Three Louisville Cardinals Selected In NFL Draft's First Round - Mike Rutherford, Card Chronicle
The shocker came eight picks later, when AAC Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smith was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles at pick 26. Despite some gaudy numbers -- 14.5 sacks and four forced fumbles -- while playing defensive end last season, Smith was projected by approximately no one to be selected on the draft's opening night. The one team willing to take a flyer on the guy who came to Louisville as a quarterback was the Eagles, who showed a significant interest in Smith during the entire pre-draft process, and who stated repeatedly that they believed he could be a perfect fit at linebacker for their defensive scheme.

What Off-Season? Draft’s Growth Means N.F.L. Has No Downtime - NYTimes.com
The draft is usually in late April, but it is two weeks later this year because of a scheduling conflict at Radio City. That has kept the N.F.L. in the news deeper into the off-season, one reason the league may continue to hold the event in May. Commissioner Roger Goodell also said the league could add a fourth day to the draft and perhaps hold part of it in another city. Other cities have expressed interest in hosting.

@JoshCollacchi Just @ me on it so I can see all the uneducated knee jerks! pic.twitter.com/tThyVtNW7Z

— NDT Scouting, KMC (@NFLDraftTracker) May 9, 2014