Is Kevin Smith likely to lose starting gig in 2010? (1 Viewer)

[Hoss_Cartwright]

Kevin Smith-RB-Lions Nov. 30 - 9:57 am et

Lions coach Jim Schwartz expressed frustration with his running game after reviewing the film of their Thanskgiving day loss.

Schwartz said that out of the Lions' 20 runs, 16 came against beatable fronts. Defenses have been able to stop Kevin Smith with seven-man fronts all season, but it's not like Schwartz has any better options. Smith should be able to hang onto the feature back job for the rest of the season.

Source: Detroit Free Press

Smith owners should take note if Detroit drafts a RB in the first 3 rounds.

 

[todisco1]

He's an okay runningback, nothing special. I wouldn't be surprised if he ends up losing the gig next year, or splitting heavily with a rookie/FA.

To a certain extent I think the same is true of Matt Forte, though I do think Forte is better than Smith.

 

[Avery]

Kevin Smith-RB-Lions Nov. 30 - 9:57 am et Lions coach Jim Schwartz expressed frustration with his running game after reviewing the film of their Thanskgiving day loss.Schwartz said that out of the Lions' 20 runs, 16 came against beatable fronts. Defenses have been able to stop Kevin Smith with seven-man fronts all season, but it's not like Schwartz has any better options. Smith should be able to hang onto the feature back job for the rest of the season. Source: Detroit Free Press Smith owners should take note if Detroit drafts a RB in the first 3 rounds.

I think the biggest thing Smith has going for him for next year are the multiple needs that the Lions need to address in the draft.

 

[Velcro]

Without knowing the original quote from Schwartz, it's possible that he's calling out the offensive line too. The point is well taken that Kevin Smith may bare the brunt of the blame, but from the TV angle it's hard to tell what kind of holes there are to run through.

 

[Da Guru]

1. A RB should be a combo of speed, agility and power

2. If you do not have speed and agility you better have the power, if you do not have the power you better possess speed and moves.

Kevin Smith has none of the above. Kevin would be a good backup type of RB who fills the roster out.

So add RB to the list of Lions needs. New O-line, new D-line, new secondary except for Delmas, another WR, and now a new feature RB.

 

[eoMMan]

1. A RB should be a combo of speed, agility and power

2. If you do not have speed and agility you better have the power, if you do not have the power you better possess speed and moves.

Kevin Smith has none of the above. Kevin would be a good backup type of RB who fills the roster out.

So add RB to the list of Lions needs. New O-line, new D-line, new secondary except for Delmas, another WR, and now a new feature RB.

I think Smith DOES have skills and that he just needs a better supporting cast (Oline, more consistent QB, etc.)This is from when he worked out at the combine in 2008:

RUNNING BACKS

• Darren McFadden may have solidified himself as the elite athlete in this draft, but his speed shouldn't overshadow the times turned in by the other junior backs. With times in the 4.4s turned in by fellow underclassmen Rashard Mendenhall, Jonathan Stewart, Felix Jones, Jamaal Charles, Ray Rice, Steve Slaton and Kevin Smith, teams were quickly reminded of just how talented and deep this year's crop of running backs has become with the infusion of young talent. Rice and Smith may have gained the most with their impressive 40 times Sunday. Rice, undersized at 5-feet-8, 199 pounds, was nonetheless known more for his power than speed while playing for Rutgers. Smith, who led the nation with 2,567 rushing yards for Central Florida, was known for his vision and cutting ability rather than pure speed. With the times, Rice and Smith may have pushed themselves into the second round.

Smith ran 4.43 40-yard dash Sunday.

http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/sports_co...r-rb-kevin.html

 

[BobbyLayne]

1. A RB should be a combo of speed, agility and power2. If you do not have speed and agility you better have the power, if you do not have the power you better possess speed and moves.Kevin Smith has none of the above. Kevin would be a good backup type of RB who fills the roster out.So add RB to the list of Lions needs. New O-line, new D-line, new secondary except for Delmas, another WR, and now a new feature RB.

Tell you what, 2009 was a pretty solid draft, prolly the best since Millen's 1st (Backus and Raiola have been starting o-linemen ever since, and Shaun Rogers has made 3 pro bowlers). Very impressed with Delmas, Pettigrew and Stafford, jury is still out on Aaron Brown and Derrick Williams (nothing special IMO but they're young, give em another year).Anyway, that's 4 offensive skill position players and a DB in their first 7 picks. Which is fine, they didn't have enough thumbs to plug all the holes in the dyke. But if they draft anything other than big uns in the first 3 rounds next year I'll be pulling my hair out. We have got to replace Backus - a finesse LT is no recipe for success in this league. On the other side, the DBs are horrible (albeit 9 out of 10 weren't with the team 15 months ago) besides Delmas, but its pretty rough when you get no push. The pass rush is terrible and the LBs are poor in coverage. 32nd in passing yards allowed, 32nd in TDs allowed, 32nd in passes intercepted, 27th in sacks. Pathetic!Eff taking a RB; let's get by with Mr. Serviceable another year and focus more on building this from the inside out.ETA: reworded

 

[treat88]

1. A RB should be a combo of speed, agility and power2. If you do not have speed and agility you better have the power, if you do not have the power you better possess speed and moves.Kevin Smith has none of the above. Kevin would be a good backup type of RB who fills the roster out.So add RB to the list of Lions needs. New O-line, new D-line, new secondary except for Delmas, another WR, and now a new feature RB.

That said, RB is very low at that teams list of needs.

 

[Da Guru]

1. A RB should be a combo of speed, agility and power2. If you do not have speed and agility you better have the power, if you do not have the power you better possess speed and moves.Kevin Smith has none of the above. Kevin would be a good backup type of RB who fills the roster out.So add RB to the list of Lions needs. New O-line, new D-line, new secondary except for Delmas, another WR, and now a new feature RB.

That said, RB is very low at that teams list of needs.

Smith is a very mediocre RB, if you watched the game on Thursday many times there were nice holes, Smith left alot of yards on the field.The guy plays tries hard and plays hard, he just does not have the tools.

 

[noneother]

any thoughts on aaron brown? purely situational player?

 

[Dought Man]

He also seems to have that Willie Parker trait where, as soon as anyone so much as touches his ankle, he is on the ground in an instant. The next tackle he breaks will be his first.

 

[GreatLakesMike]

Schwartz says this every week and they keep giving Smith the ball. Smith is not AP, but he's far from back-up material.

Bad O-line

Rookie QB who is not scaring anyone.

Banged up #1 WR who's missed time.

Porous defense.

Yeah, it's all Smith's fault that the running game is less than stellar this year.

 

[dmac37]

1. A RB should be a combo of speed, agility and power2. If you do not have speed and agility you better have the power, if you do not have the power you better possess speed and moves.Kevin Smith has none of the above. Kevin would be a good backup type of RB who fills the roster out.So add RB to the list of Lions needs. New O-line, new D-line, new secondary except for Delmas, another WR, and now a new feature RB.

That said, RB is very low at that teams list of needs.

Smith is a very mediocre RB, if you watched the game on Thursday many times there were nice holes, Smith left alot of yards on the field.The guy plays tries hard and plays hard, he just does not have the tools.

All game on Thanksgiving Smith was tripped up or brought down by weak arm tackles. If he does not overcome this he will be part of an RBBC at best next year and beyond.

 

[The Captain]

any thoughts on aaron brown? purely situational player?

Jerious Norwood Light. IMOCould be a 3rd down back, but I don't see him ever taking on a significant role.

 

[The Captain]

1. A RB should be a combo of speed, agility and power2. If you do not have speed and agility you better have the power, if you do not have the power you better possess speed and moves.Kevin Smith has none of the above. Kevin would be a good backup type of RB who fills the roster out.So add RB to the list of Lions needs. New O-line, new D-line, new secondary except for Delmas, another WR, and now a new feature RB.

That said, RB is very low at that teams list of needs.

Smith is a very mediocre RB, if you watched the game on Thursday many times there were nice holes, Smith left alot of yards on the field.The guy plays tries hard and plays hard, he just does not have the tools.

All game on Thansgiving Smith was tripped up or brought down by weak arm tackles. If he does not overcome this he will be part of an RBBC at best next year and beyond.

 

[Sigmund Bloom]

I wonder how much Smith's injuries are affecting him. I was pretty impressed with how efficient his running style and decisions had become earlier in the year. he doesn't have exceptional power, but he was initiating contact and winning collisions, and he was also making sharp cuts with a solid burst. He has made great strides as a receiver, i'd say he's one of the 10 most natural receiving RBs in the league. At the very least, I think you'll see him remain in a role somewhere between Tim Hightower's in ARI and Joseph Addai's in IND for the next 2-3 years.

 

[thatguythere]

I wonder how much Smith's injuries are affecting him. I was pretty impressed with how efficient his running style and decisions had become earlier in the year. he doesn't have exceptional power, but he was initiating contact and winning collisions, and he was also making sharp cuts with a solid burst. He has made great strides as a receiver, i'd say he's one of the 10 most natural receiving RBs in the league. At the very least, I think you'll see him remain in a role somewhere between Tim Hightower's in ARI and Joseph Addai's in IND for the next 2-3 years.

I believe the injuries have piled up on Smith and he at least is showing that he can play injured. He just isn't going to be a game breaker with the current oline/WR/QB woes that the Lions have. RB should be waaay down on the list for the Lions draft needs. Although QB and TE should have been this year and look what we got.I get a kick out of all the Lions fans bashing Kevin Smith on the Lions boards. WTH do you expect. Stafford scares nobody, except maybe his own receivers.....Calvin can barely get up off the ground after being tackled and looks like his attitude is shading towards Roy Williams on us....the oline is moldy swiss cheese with below average players playing musical chairs weekly. A guy like Chris Johnson or Jones-Drew might be able to crack off a few long runs behind this line if they weren't on IR first. Yes he goes down on first contact....but maybe if he wasn't beaten to a pulp playing behind this oline he would actually have some juice left this time of year. IMO Kevin Smith is tough as nails..... and with the list of injuries he has, of course he isn't going to carry the team. He is the least of our worries.When the Lions start focusing on the trenches and actually draft someone with some talent....then maybe we can think about a RB of the future. Until then nothing will change in Detroit and it doesn't matter who is carrying the ball, or who is throwing the ball, or who is catching the ball.

 

[sparkky]

let me say first I don't get to watch much Lions football.

next, I agree with the "get a better supporting cast around him" theory.

I suspect anyone would look pretty "average" playing with a rookie qb, bad line, bad defense, playing from behind.

 

[Addai's Adidas]

If my Lions draft an RB in the first or second round I'm gonna puke.

 

[Ladsud]

Granted that the Lions rarely open holes, but when there is a hole Smith never seems to hit it, when he does he turns a 15-20 yard run into a 5 yard run. Smith is part of the problem and will be need to be upgraded sometime soon.

 

[Sigmund Bloom]

If my Lions draft an RB in the first or second round I'm gonna puke.

They were gonna take Beanie over Delmas if the Cards passed... Just sayin.

 

[Da Guru]

If my Lions draft an RB in the first or second round I'm gonna puke.

They were gonna take Beanie over Delmas if the Cards passed... Just sayin.

I doubt the Lions will draft a RB high. Too many other needs.

 

[thriftyrocker]

Was he better last year? His stat lines seemed much better, and he seemed to have more big plays. Is he worn down? He didn't seem to wear down at the end of the year last year, but certainly he got a ton of carries in college and that wear could have accumulated into a sophomore wall.

 

[corpcow]

Kevin Smith is one of those guys - like Forte - who I thought was good but was not a special talent. I think he's above average, and could have job security because of needs around him which they will address first, but it also would not surprise me if the Lions grabbed a BPA who just happened to be a RB in the next few years. (See Taylor, Chester).

One of the more desperate owners in my league came knocking for a "young franchise RB" this off-season, and offered identical deals (2x each of 1st, 2nd and 3rd rounder) for CJ3 and Kevin Smith. Needless to say, I'm very pleased that I accepted the Kevin Smith deal quickly and refused to budge on CJ3

 

[zamboni]

I think this is a case where we as FBG see a drop in production and are likely presumptous in speculating if the starting RB will lose his job.

Granted, Smith hasn't been the back he was last year, but he performed quite well last year for a team that didn't win a game. The team is slightly better now, but still is dealing with a rookie QB, their star WR who has been hobbled, and a suspect (at best) offensive line. The situation is exactly favorable for him.

I think that we can agree that Smith isn't special, and maybe a special talent RB (e.g., Steven Jackson) would still thrive with these conditions. But that doesn't mean that Smith can't boost his production if he gets more help.

I am not a close follower of the team, but I don't think Smith will lose his job outright. That said, it wouldn't shock me if, as someone said, the team drafts a BPA in the 3rd or 4th that happens to be a RB. Incidentally, the same round in which Smith himself was drafted.

 

[MIMN]

1. A RB should be a combo of speed, agility and power2. If you do not have speed and agility you better have the power, if you do not have the power you better possess speed and moves.Kevin Smith has none of the above. Kevin would be a good backup type of RB who fills the roster out.So add RB to the list of Lions needs. New O-line, new D-line, new secondary except for Delmas, another WR, and now a new feature RB.

That said, RB is very low at that teams list of needs.

It would be a shock to see Detroit draft based on need.

 

[Futz]

I believe Smith plays exactly how and when the Lions took him. Like a 3rd round pick. He has the mental drive and effort but he lacks any true remarkable skill sets. He's just pretty good at all of it.

Lions need to make him a tandem back in a RBBC. He's got value just not feature back value. Having said that, the Lions would be foolish to do anything about it in this upcoming draft. If they don't go all defense with a sprinkle of OL, they are going to be hurting for years to come.

 

[tribecalledjeff]

If my Lions draft an RB in the first or second round I'm gonna puke.

They were gonna take Beanie over Delmas if the Cards passed... Just sayin.

Is this true or speculation?

 

[Sigmund Bloom]

If my Lions draft an RB in the first or second round I'm gonna puke.

They were gonna take Beanie over Delmas if the Cards passed... Just sayin.

Is this true or speculation?

link

While talking about rookie linebacker DeAndrea Levy, Detroit Lions coach Jim Schwartz discussed the fact that the Lions were going to consider Ohio State running back Beanie Well at the top of the second round.

"We did some work on Beanie Wells late in the week with an anticipation of where he might drop. Levy did a great job of playing him and that's one of the things that had attracted us to him,'' Schwartz said.

When asked if the Lions would've considered drafting Wells -- who went to Arizona with the 31st pick -- Schwartz said, "We considered just about everybody. We had done a lot of work on where he was and looking at a lot of mock drafts late in the week and who might take him. We were ready in case he would've fallen.''

With Wells gone, the Lions used the 33rd pick in the draft to select Western Michigan safety Louis Delmas.

 

[Urlacher54]

He has definitely not been as explosive as I had hoped, but I cannot think of one other running back in the league that has had a tougher schedule against the run. It doesn't get any easier over the next two weeks either (at Cin and at Bal). I have him for two more years after this in a dynasty league, and I am hoping that this is the major contributor to his disappointment thus far. Every week it seems his schedule has been brutal, and it makes it worse when his team is constantly playing from behind.

I think as Stafford progresses and if the bulk up the offensive line a little bit next year he could put up 1,600 - 1,800 combined yards.

 

[Michael Fox Fan]

If my Lions draft an RB in the first or second round I'm gonna puke.

They were gonna take Beanie over Delmas if the Cards passed... Just sayin.

I doubt the Lions will draft a RB high. Too many other needs.

It's almost as if you completely ignored the post that you just quoted.

 

[az_prof]

I believe Smith plays exactly how and when the Lions took him. Like a 3rd round pick. He has the mental drive and effort but he lacks any true remarkable skill sets. He's just pretty good at all of it.Lions need to make him a tandem back in a RBBC. He's got value just not feature back value. Having said that, the Lions would be foolish to do anything about it in this upcoming draft. If they don't go all defense with a sprinkle of OL, they are going to be hurting for years to come.

I could see Ronnie Brown going there if the Finns let him walk and Brown and Smith being a tandem in RBBC.

 

[teamroc]

If my Lions draft an RB in the first or second round I'm gonna puke.

They were gonna take Beanie over Delmas if the Cards passed... Just sayin.

I doubt the Lions will draft a RB high. Too many other needs.

That was his point. They had many other needs last year and probably would have drafted Wells. It's a good idea to read the posts before you click reply.

 

[Futz]

I believe Smith plays exactly how and when the Lions took him. Like a 3rd round pick. He has the mental drive and effort but he lacks any true remarkable skill sets. He's just pretty good at all of it.Lions need to make him a tandem back in a RBBC. He's got value just not feature back value. Having said that, the Lions would be foolish to do anything about it in this upcoming draft. If they don't go all defense with a sprinkle of OL, they are going to be hurting for years to come.

I could see Ronnie Brown going there if the Finns let him walk and Brown and Smith being a tandem in RBBC.

I think that's a great fit for both Smith and Brown. I really don't see the Fins allowing him to walk though. What would they have left? Ricky? Pfffttttt....he's had a nice season in a part time roll but he's aproaching his mid 30's next year. No way they are hanging their hopes on him.

 

[sinatravolta]

I wonder how much Smith's injuries are affecting him. I was pretty impressed with how efficient his running style and decisions had become earlier in the year. he doesn't have exceptional power, but he was initiating contact and winning collisions, and he was also making sharp cuts with a solid burst. He has made great strides as a receiver, i'd say he's one of the 10 most natural receiving RBs in the league. At the very least, I think you'll see him remain in a role somewhere between Tim Hightower's in ARI and Joseph Addai's in IND for the next 2-3 years.

When the Lions beat the 'skins early this year - Kevin Smith looked very impressive in the 1st half. The 'skins run D is not that bad but he was gouging them for 6 or 7 yards a carry. Then he got injured and went out and the running game did very little in the 2nd half. He's come out of multiple games due to injury - I think that is likely hurting his production at this point in the year. He may not be a world-beater, but I don't think he's the problem.

 

[gsmayes]

Granted that the Lions rarely open holes, but when there is a hole Smith never seems to hit it, when he does he turns a 15-20 yard run into a 5 yard run. Smith is part of the problem and will be need to be upgraded sometime soon.

I agree, he seems to have pretty terrible vision. That seems strange when he rushed for a billion yards in college, but at this point I'll just assume he had trucking lanes to run through. Smith is average at best...I'd be nice if the Lions hit on one of those second day running backs that turn out to be awesome, for once.

 

[Anthony Borbely]

I wonder how much Smith's injuries are affecting him. I was pretty impressed with how efficient his running style and decisions had become earlier in the year. he doesn't have exceptional power, but he was initiating contact and winning collisions, and he was also making sharp cuts with a solid burst. He has made great strides as a receiver, i'd say he's one of the 10 most natural receiving RBs in the league. At the very least, I think you'll see him remain in a role somewhere between Tim Hightower's in ARI and Joseph Addai's in IND for the next 2-3 years.

This is my thought. I am not the biggest Smith fan, but he is not as bad as he is playing right now. He can't hit a hole at all right now and he was able to hit some of them before. I have to agree with this and believe he is hurt.I don't think the Lions can afford to draft a RB with the defense being so terrible, and needs on the offensive line and WR, so we are probably going to see one more year of Smith.

 

[Northbound Train]

1. A RB should be a combo of speed, agility and power2. If you do not have speed and agility you better have the power, if you do not have the power you better possess speed and moves.Kevin Smith has none of the above. Kevin would be a good backup type of RB who fills the roster out.So add RB to the list of Lions needs. New O-line, new D-line, new secondary except for Delmas, another WR, and now a new feature RB.

That said, RB is very low at that teams list of needs.

Smith is a very mediocre RB, if you watched the game on Thursday many times there were nice holes, Smith left alot of yards on the field.The guy plays tries hard and plays hard, he just does not have the tools.

I disagree....Smith is better than avg IMO.He doesn't have exceptional burst but he is a load and seems to be always falling forward...a quality I love in a RB. He won't give you many highlight reel runs but I like that he runs with some power and runs N-S....he seems to have been tip-toeing around lately and that's clearly not his game, he needs to hit the holes with a burst. He's not extremely flashy but he does have some elusiveness.Is he the long term answer, prolly not, but he certainly is a viable RB for at least another year or two until they fill some huge, gaping defensive holes. I can't believe how poor defensivley we are after grabbing a defensive guru (if you will)...that secondary, especially the corners are ####en brutal....Will James gets lit up at least twice a game for huge game changing plays. Delmas looks like a player as does Levy...We MUST go defense with our first next year Did somebody mention WR Build your WR corp via Free agency, leave that position for another 5 yrs, Millen ####ed us so good there that we need to let it come around and balance out.D-Line, O-Line and Corners with all picks next year

 

[Northbound Train]

I wonder how much Smith's injuries are affecting him. I was pretty impressed with how efficient his running style and decisions had become earlier in the year. he doesn't have exceptional power, but he was initiating contact and winning collisions, and he was also making sharp cuts with a solid burst. He has made great strides as a receiver, i'd say he's one of the 10 most natural receiving RBs in the league. At the very least, I think you'll see him remain in a role somewhere between Tim Hightower's in ARI and Joseph Addai's in IND for the next 2-3 years.

I believe the injuries have piled up on Smith and he at least is showing that he can play injured. He just isn't going to be a game breaker with the current oline/WR/QB woes that the Lions have. RB should be waaay down on the list for the Lions draft needs. Although QB and TE should have been this year and look what we got.I get a kick out of all the Lions fans bashing Kevin Smith on the Lions boards. WTH do you expect. Stafford scares nobody, except maybe his own receivers.....Calvin can barely get up off the ground after being tackled and looks like his attitude is shading towards Roy Williams on us....the oline is moldy swiss cheese with below average players playing musical chairs weekly. A guy like Chris Johnson or Jones-Drew might be able to crack off a few long runs behind this line if they weren't on IR first. Yes he goes down on first contact....but maybe if he wasn't beaten to a pulp playing behind this oline he would actually have some juice left this time of year. IMO Kevin Smith is tough as nails..... and with the list of injuries he has, of course he isn't going to carry the team. He is the least of our worries.When the Lions start focusing on the trenches and actually draft someone with some talent....then maybe we can think about a RB of the future. Until then nothing will change in Detroit and it doesn't matter who is carrying the ball, or who is throwing the ball, or who is catching the ball.

 

[Faust]

The answer to this question is yes.

 

[bicycle_seat_sniffer]

If my Lions draft an RB in the first or second round I'm gonna puke.

:

 

[Ray_T]

well, I dont think any pro football team would use a first round pick on a RB so he can sit on the bench as your second stringer.

Kevin Smith is no longer the starter there, and wont be a starter unless he gets traded or Best gets hurt.

with that being said, I will wait to see what happens.

 

[gandalas]

well, I dont think any pro football team would use a first round pick on a RB so he can sit on the bench as your second stringer.

How about:2008 - Jonathan Stewart drafted 13th overall by panthers. STILL second string on that team (albeit productively...)2008 - Felix Jones drafted 22nd overall by Cowboys. May get shot at starting gig 2 years later?2008 - Rashard Mendenhall drafted 23 overall by Steelers. 2nd string first 1.5 years there.2009 - Donald Brown drafted 27th overall by Colts. Still looking to see any significant playing timeJust saying...it happens all the time. I don't necessarily think that is the case with Best, but to say it never happens?

 

[bigmarc27]

well, I dont think any pro football team would use a first round pick on a RB so he can sit on the bench as your second stringer.

How about:2008 - Jonathan Stewart drafted 13th overall by panthers. STILL second string on that team (albeit productively...)2008 - Felix Jones drafted 22nd overall by Cowboys. May get shot at starting gig 2 years later?2008 - Rashard Mendenhall drafted 23 overall by Steelers. 2nd string first 1.5 years there.2009 - Donald Brown drafted 27th overall by Colts. Still looking to see any significant playing timeJust saying...it happens all the time. I don't necessarily think that is the case with Best, but to say it never happens?

I don't disagree with this, but I also don't think Kevin Smith is on the same level as Deangelo Williams, MBIII, Willie Parker (2 years ago), and Addai.

 

[gandalas]

I don't disagree with this, but I also don't think Kevin Smith is on the same level as Deangelo Williams, MBIII, Willie Parker (2 years ago), and Addai.

I agree as well, but I was just playing Devil's Advocate. (LOVE that movie... )

 

[Go deep]

well, I dont think any pro football team would use a first round pick on a RB so he can sit on the bench as your second stringer.

How about:2008 - Jonathan Stewart drafted 13th overall by panthers. STILL second string on that team (albeit productively...)

2008 - Felix Jones drafted 22nd overall by Cowboys. May get shot at starting gig 2 years later?

2008 - Rashard Mendenhall drafted 23 overall by Steelers. 2nd string first 1.5 years there.

2009 - Donald Brown drafted 27th overall by Colts. Still looking to see any significant playing time

Just saying...it happens all the time. I don't necessarily think that is the case with Best, but to say it never happens?

I don't disagree with this, but I also don't think Kevin Smith is on the same level as Deangelo Williams, MBIII, Willie Parker (2 years ago), and Addai.

I think Smith is every bit as good as Addai.

 

[bicycle_seat_sniffer]

well, I dont think any pro football team would use a first round pick on a RB so he can sit on the bench as your second stringer.

How about:2008 - Jonathan Stewart drafted 13th overall by panthers. STILL second string on that team (albeit productively...)

2008 - Felix Jones drafted 22nd overall by Cowboys. May get shot at starting gig 2 years later?

2008 - Rashard Mendenhall drafted 23 overall by Steelers. 2nd string first 1.5 years there.

2009 - Donald Brown drafted 27th overall by Colts. Still looking to see any significant playing time

Just saying...it happens all the time. I don't necessarily think that is the case with Best, but to say it never happens?

I don't disagree with this, but I also don't think Kevin Smith is on the same level as Deangelo Williams, MBIII, Willie Parker (2 years ago), and Addai.

I think Smith is every bit as good as Addai.

No he's not

 

[Go deep]

well, I dont think any pro football team would use a first round pick on a RB so he can sit on the bench as your second stringer.

How about:2008 - Jonathan Stewart drafted 13th overall by panthers. STILL second string on that team (albeit productively...)

2008 - Felix Jones drafted 22nd overall by Cowboys. May get shot at starting gig 2 years later?

2008 - Rashard Mendenhall drafted 23 overall by Steelers. 2nd string first 1.5 years there.

2009 - Donald Brown drafted 27th overall by Colts. Still looking to see any significant playing time

Just saying...it happens all the time. I don't necessarily think that is the case with Best, but to say it never happens?

I don't disagree with this, but I also don't think Kevin Smith is on the same level as Deangelo Williams, MBIII, Willie Parker (2 years ago), and Addai.

I think Smith is every bit as good as Addai.

No he's not

Over the last two years Smith averaged 3.8 YPC and Addai, 3.7. Not a big difference until you look at their situation. I would break it down for you, but im sure you already know.

 

[Hoss_Cartwright]

If my Lions draft an RB in the first or second round I'm gonna puke.