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Justin Smith to the Niners (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Go Pack
- Start date
Jene Bramel
Footballguy
Is this official? I haven't yet seen it reported.
We've been speculating in the scheme and free agent rumor threads about this, but it seems evident that the Niners would align mostly in a 4-3 if Smith (and/or Briggs) end up there. Smith isn't quick enough to close the edge as a standup pass rusher and he can't cover. To me, he's a strong side 4-3 end only. It wouldn't be shocking to see them try Smith as a 1-gap 3-4 end, but he'll struggle to provide with Marques Douglas did and he'll be more expensive as well. His value -- big tackle, no sack -- probably stays the same regardless of the scheme he plays. If he's moved to LB, he's useless as an IDP option.
We've been speculating in the scheme and free agent rumor threads about this, but it seems evident that the Niners would align mostly in a 4-3 if Smith (and/or Briggs) end up there. Smith isn't quick enough to close the edge as a standup pass rusher and he can't cover. To me, he's a strong side 4-3 end only. It wouldn't be shocking to see them try Smith as a 1-gap 3-4 end, but he'll struggle to provide with Marques Douglas did and he'll be more expensive as well. His value -- big tackle, no sack -- probably stays the same regardless of the scheme he plays. If he's moved to LB, he's useless as an IDP option.
ffwebster
Footballguy
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3271999 linked here....
Jene Bramel
Footballguy
Just noticed that myself. Appreciate the link. So many rumors and reported sure things rescinded in the last 24 hours that I'm questioning just about everything I see. Dolphins Homer
Footballguy
Robert Geathers value change?
Jene Bramel
Footballguy
Not really. I think he'd fit as an all-around RDE, but the team really seems to want him as a standup LB option. Still waiting to see what scheme they want to align in.
Jene Bramel
Footballguy
Weiner Dog
Footballguy
Transcript from today's 2:00pm ET interview.
link:
http://49ers.pressdemocrat.com/default.asp...36575&mode=
Justin Smith is signed -- it's official
Defensive end Justin Smith has signed his contract with the 49ers. It is official, folks. He took part in a conference call with Bay Area reporters at 2 p.m.
Here's the transcript of the conference call, courtesy of the 49ers:
RE: Have you ever been in a helicopter before?
"Yes I have. But never over San Francisco."
RE: Tell us about the trip and what you got out of the helicopter tour:
"I didn't know anything about it (the tour). It was just an interesting view of the city. I was not too familiar with San Francisco and California as a matter of fact. It gave me a layout of everything. We flew over the city (San Francisco), Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge and came back down the coastline. It was pretty cool."
RE: What did you see with the 49ers that made you want to be a part of this?
"The main and only reason I decided to cancel my other visits and sign here was meeting the coaching staff and meeting some of the players and watching some tape and them and seeing where this defense is and the coaching staff. I was really impressed with the defensive coordinator. From top to bottom it is a first-class organization. With a situation like that, it was a no-brainer."
RE: How do you see yourself being used in this defense?
"Talking with Greg (Manusky), it is an attacking style defense. It is not a 3-4 where you two-gap. They try to utilize and move you around. I think it will be a great fit and I look forward to doing it."
RE: Can you play defensive end in the 3-4 as well as the 4-3?
"Absolutely. In Cincinnati we switched from 3-4 to 4-3 all of the time. A lot of people don't know, but a lot of teams do that depending on down and distance and the formations that offenses are throwing at the defense. I have done it a lot before."
RE: Do you envision yourself playing outside linebacker in a 3-4?
"It is clearly going to be the coach's call on where you are at, but I think I can be an asset moving around. I call it a joker, but a moving backer rush from the outside, rush from the inside. Things like that. I will definitely throw it out there."
RE: How much pride do you take in your durability?
"Every Sunday, you gear up and go fight with the guys you are practicing with and playing with. There were several games I probably could have missed or should have missed. I don't like to leave my guys out there and that is the way I have always been."
RE: Why not take the other visits? A lot of guys wait a long time to get to free agency and why not test the market any further?
"It was definitely in my mind. That is what I had planned going into it. But after meeting with Greg (Manusky) and Coach Nolan, it just felt right. The city felt right. The situation mainly felt right and I figured "Why go on another visit if you were going to be back here?" That was my thought process through last night and I called my agents back and decided to cancel my other visits."
RE: What other visits did you cancel? We knew about Minnesota, what was the other one?
"After that, I was possibly going to go to Jacksonville."
RE: Which players did you meet when you were out here?
"I met Jeff Ulbrich and Joe Nedney."
RE: Did you know Jeff Ulbrich?
"I knew him a little bit. The way I knew him was through a teammate of mind at Cincinnati, Brock Gutierrez. He actually played two years in San Francisco. Brock told me a little bit about him and about the city. We talked about the type of guys we had here and the attitude they had here. I saw how they played and the potential of this defense. I think it can be a very strong unit."
RE: If a fan is looking at the stat sheet from last year, you had two sacks. Is there any explanation for that and is that a good measure of your abilities?
"For me, there were a lot of reasons for last year. Both me and Robert Geathers were hampered by injuries that we had. We were forced into blitzing situations that caused us to have to have to pinch and penetrate and take other gaps. That was the reason for that. If you look at my stats compared to anyone else over my seven year career, I think they match-up pretty well."
RE: It seems like your game is an all-around game. Is that something you take pride in?
"My thing is that I never try to specialize myself. I generalize myself as a football player. Not a pass rusher, not a run stopper. I never got into the specialization of football. I just play football. The only way to play football is to go 100%."
link:
http://49ers.pressdemocrat.com/default.asp...36575&mode=
Justin Smith is signed -- it's official
Defensive end Justin Smith has signed his contract with the 49ers. It is official, folks. He took part in a conference call with Bay Area reporters at 2 p.m.
Here's the transcript of the conference call, courtesy of the 49ers:
RE: Have you ever been in a helicopter before?
"Yes I have. But never over San Francisco."
RE: Tell us about the trip and what you got out of the helicopter tour:
"I didn't know anything about it (the tour). It was just an interesting view of the city. I was not too familiar with San Francisco and California as a matter of fact. It gave me a layout of everything. We flew over the city (San Francisco), Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge and came back down the coastline. It was pretty cool."
RE: What did you see with the 49ers that made you want to be a part of this?
"The main and only reason I decided to cancel my other visits and sign here was meeting the coaching staff and meeting some of the players and watching some tape and them and seeing where this defense is and the coaching staff. I was really impressed with the defensive coordinator. From top to bottom it is a first-class organization. With a situation like that, it was a no-brainer."
RE: How do you see yourself being used in this defense?
"Talking with Greg (Manusky), it is an attacking style defense. It is not a 3-4 where you two-gap. They try to utilize and move you around. I think it will be a great fit and I look forward to doing it."
RE: Can you play defensive end in the 3-4 as well as the 4-3?
"Absolutely. In Cincinnati we switched from 3-4 to 4-3 all of the time. A lot of people don't know, but a lot of teams do that depending on down and distance and the formations that offenses are throwing at the defense. I have done it a lot before."
RE: Do you envision yourself playing outside linebacker in a 3-4?
"It is clearly going to be the coach's call on where you are at, but I think I can be an asset moving around. I call it a joker, but a moving backer rush from the outside, rush from the inside. Things like that. I will definitely throw it out there."
RE: How much pride do you take in your durability?
"Every Sunday, you gear up and go fight with the guys you are practicing with and playing with. There were several games I probably could have missed or should have missed. I don't like to leave my guys out there and that is the way I have always been."
RE: Why not take the other visits? A lot of guys wait a long time to get to free agency and why not test the market any further?
"It was definitely in my mind. That is what I had planned going into it. But after meeting with Greg (Manusky) and Coach Nolan, it just felt right. The city felt right. The situation mainly felt right and I figured "Why go on another visit if you were going to be back here?" That was my thought process through last night and I called my agents back and decided to cancel my other visits."
RE: What other visits did you cancel? We knew about Minnesota, what was the other one?
"After that, I was possibly going to go to Jacksonville."
RE: Which players did you meet when you were out here?
"I met Jeff Ulbrich and Joe Nedney."
RE: Did you know Jeff Ulbrich?
"I knew him a little bit. The way I knew him was through a teammate of mind at Cincinnati, Brock Gutierrez. He actually played two years in San Francisco. Brock told me a little bit about him and about the city. We talked about the type of guys we had here and the attitude they had here. I saw how they played and the potential of this defense. I think it can be a very strong unit."
RE: If a fan is looking at the stat sheet from last year, you had two sacks. Is there any explanation for that and is that a good measure of your abilities?
"For me, there were a lot of reasons for last year. Both me and Robert Geathers were hampered by injuries that we had. We were forced into blitzing situations that caused us to have to have to pinch and penetrate and take other gaps. That was the reason for that. If you look at my stats compared to anyone else over my seven year career, I think they match-up pretty well."
RE: It seems like your game is an all-around game. Is that something you take pride in?
"My thing is that I never try to specialize myself. I generalize myself as a football player. Not a pass rusher, not a run stopper. I never got into the specialization of football. I just play football. The only way to play football is to go 100%."
Bracie Smathers
Footballguy
Yesterday, March 6th. Plan is to have Justin move all over the field. Interesting. Wonder how he's going to be listed for IDP purposes if he's a hybrid.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?...6/SPP8VE9CB.DTL
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?...6/SPP8VE9CB.DTL
Jene Bramel
Footballguy
I'm as big a fan of Justin Smith as anyone as a football player but this is a
. Put him at LDE in your 4-3, let him anchor the edge and pursue and be happy with his every play effort. Justin Smith /= Willie McGinest.
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Weiner Dog
Footballguy
link:
http://www.sacbee.com/static/weblogs/49ers...ves/010978.html
From the Niners GM (McCloughan):
He (McCloughan) said the addition of Justin Smith gave the 49ers the option of becoming a primarily 4-3 defensive team next season. McCloughan said that if the 49ers draft a defensive end with the 29th overall pick next month, that alignment (4-3) very well could be their base defense next season. The point was that players like Smith and Ray McDonald give the 49ers flexibility. Look for them to jump around from 4-3 to 3-4 regardless of whom they draft.
http://www.sacbee.com/static/weblogs/49ers...ves/010978.html
From the Niners GM (McCloughan):
He (McCloughan) said the addition of Justin Smith gave the 49ers the option of becoming a primarily 4-3 defensive team next season. McCloughan said that if the 49ers draft a defensive end with the 29th overall pick next month, that alignment (4-3) very well could be their base defense next season. The point was that players like Smith and Ray McDonald give the 49ers flexibility. Look for them to jump around from 4-3 to 3-4 regardless of whom they draft.
Weiner Dog
Footballguy
Smith may very well flop like Banta-Cain, but it needs to be noted that the talents of Banta-Cain pale in comparison to Smith. Banta-Cain was a former 7th-round pick who signed a palty 3-year, $8mm deal last year. He was a project and his one and only job was "GET TO THE QB". Well...he didn't and the project failed. No big deal...no big loss.Smith, on the other hand, is a former Top-5 OVERALL pick who just inked a 6-year, $45mm deal. Smith will have multiple assignments and will be expected to execute. He will rush the passer. He will stop the run. He will barely leave the field.If Smith is forced to play with his hand off the ground, I think the Niners may have a problem on their hands. However, if Smith is allowed to play end (either 4-3 or 3-4), Smith should again net his 70+ tackles and 6+ sacks.
KellysHeroes
Footballguy
I see hes still listed at #20 in your IDP dynasty rankings... i guess this is a wait and see type of think.
He could be B Thomas from 06 or B Thomas of 07...
Rozelle
Moderator
Smith spending lots of time as outside 'backer
Source: PFW WWHI
There have been plenty of new defensive wrinkles so far this offseason, but by far the most intriguing in the eyes of daily team observers has been the usage of high-priced free-agent addition Justin Smith as an outside rush linebacker in the base defense much more so than at right end, the position he primarily played with the Bengals. Although looks can be more than a little deceiving in OTAs, it would appear that the team just might be preparing to have Smith replace Tully Banta-Cain in the starting lineup — a move that would qualify as a real eyebrow-raiser, even though Banta-Cain was a disappointment in his first season with the Niners in ’07, particularly in coverage. There has been plenty of talk about shifting Smith around regularly in the Niners’ multi-look 3-4 scheme, but appearances with him standing up on the outside were expected to be minimal. “But they seem to really like the contrast with him and Manny Lawson on the other side,” a longtime team insider told PFW. “I personally don’t know how that’s going to work. Smith just seems more like a ‘power strength’ type of guy to me, but who knows? Maybe they’re onto something.”
Source: PFW WWHI
There have been plenty of new defensive wrinkles so far this offseason, but by far the most intriguing in the eyes of daily team observers has been the usage of high-priced free-agent addition Justin Smith as an outside rush linebacker in the base defense much more so than at right end, the position he primarily played with the Bengals. Although looks can be more than a little deceiving in OTAs, it would appear that the team just might be preparing to have Smith replace Tully Banta-Cain in the starting lineup — a move that would qualify as a real eyebrow-raiser, even though Banta-Cain was a disappointment in his first season with the Niners in ’07, particularly in coverage. There has been plenty of talk about shifting Smith around regularly in the Niners’ multi-look 3-4 scheme, but appearances with him standing up on the outside were expected to be minimal. “But they seem to really like the contrast with him and Manny Lawson on the other side,” a longtime team insider told PFW. “I personally don’t know how that’s going to work. Smith just seems more like a ‘power strength’ type of guy to me, but who knows? Maybe they’re onto something.”
Last edited by a moderator:
