A Couple Notes On Geno Smith


A couple notes and thoughts while we wait to see if Geno Smith is coming to Philly:

— Yesterday was Smith’s mother’s birthday. Obviously, it wasn’t as festive of an occasion as everyone had hoped. That was part of the reason why Smith planned on leaving New York City instead of sticking around for Day 2 of the draft, according to a source who was with the signal-caller Thursday night. He didn’t want his mom to be upset, and planned on going home with her and watching the draft there.

After resting on it and getting some sound advice, Smith decided to stay in New York.

— Smith’s camp didn’t have a feel as of Friday morning as to where the QB would be picked, though the anticipation was that it would be early in the second round. The Jets (currently slotted 39th) could take a quarterback, and Jacksonville (33rd) may potentially grab one as well. They seemed uncertain as to whether the Eagles were even in the market for a quarterback. That doesn’t mean anything, necessarily. The Eagles often play it close to the vest.

Gil Brandt, for one, believes they want one.

— It’s always good practice to be on the lookout for smokescreens, but let it be known that the only pre-draft workout Jeffrey Lurie attended not just this year, but since 1999, was Smith’s.

“When you select a quarterback it’s a very big decision so you want to have every piece of information you can and just have as many eyes on it. Nothing more than that, but it’s an important thing,” said the owner.

I am on record as saying that there are a lot easier ways to run misdirection than putting your owner on a plane and flying him to West Virginia. If they were going to take a quarterback with that fourth pick, I believe it would have been Smith. Now he could be available at 35. It is still a big organizational decision to go with a QB that high. Maybe they pass a second time. Maybe they will feel fortunate that what they believe to be a first-round quarterback talent fell in their laps.

— Of all the write-ups on Smith I have read, this sliver of Greg Cosell‘s analysis was the most unsettling.

One final point with Smith, and this is the one that most troubles me. Quite honestly, I do not know if this can be rectified or not. Some I have talked to say yes, others no. It’s what I call “slow eyes.” Smith consistently took an extra beat to pull the trigger on well defined throws that were there. It was particularly noticeable, but not limited to, play action, which provides more clarity and definition for the quarterback since it’s almost always an either-or read. If it’s an anticipation issue, that’s something that must be looked at very closely. I thought back to Matt Ryan when he came out of Boston College in 2008. He threw with outstanding anticipation; he had an intuitive feel for delivering the ball before receivers came out of their breaks. That was one reason I felt very good about his transition to the NFL. Smith did not show that attribute on film. It must be evaluated carefully. It’s not something that can be overlooked.

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