HoosierCat Posted April 11, 2017 Report Share Posted April 11, 2017 http://www.bengals.com/news/article-1/Bengals-trade-for-backup-Jags-DE/3c8ae27c-bf37-49c5-a61c-767255102be1 Quote Less than three weeks before a draft they are expected to take at least two edge rushers from among their 11 selections, they swung a deal Tuesday when they sent a 2018 conditional draft selection to Jacksonville for a late fifth-round pick who has played just 19 games over three seasons in defensive end Chris Smith. The 6-1, 266-pound Smith appears to be a pure speed rusher who plays on passing downs on the edge and maybe down inside as well. A conditional draft pick, usually a seventh-rounder, is typically determined by how many games the player is active. This trade has absolutely no impact on the April 27-29 draft and Smith, the overall 159th pick in 2014 out of Arkansas, is going to be immersed in a terrific roster battle featuring the unknown newcomers as well as proven veteran Wallace Gilberry and highly-regarded 2015 fourth-round pick Marcus Hardison. Hardison has yet to play an NFL snap, but Smith is also looking for work after getting just 66 plays for the Jaguars last season in the seven games he was active despite showing flashes of production with three sacks in his rookie year in just 91 snaps. According to profootballfocus.com Smith has 312 snaps to go with 4.5 career sacks while averaging 16 plays per game. He missed about a month last season after he got poked in the eye. Although Smith had a hard time getting on the field in Jacksonville, the Bengals like his speed and wanted to see what he could do up close after rating him a late fourth-rounder when he was coming out of Fayetteville. Before the Bengals played the Jags last preseason, Smith had the most snaps of anyone on defense and had impressed head coach Gus Bradley by also playing nickel inside for basically the first time. But Smith ended up playing just 16 snaps in Jacksonville’s 26-21 win in which he had one of the four second-half sacks against the Bengals’ back-up offensive line. Smith, a Salisbury, N.C., native who went to high school in Mount Ulla, N.C., has terrific speed. His best 40-yard dash before he was drafted was 4.56 seconds and he impressed with a 4.71-second run at the 2014 scouting combine. That’s where he also added a nice dash of strength lifting 28 reps of 225 pounds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scottishbengal Posted April 11, 2017 Report Share Posted April 11, 2017 Why would the Bengals dish up a 2018 pick for a guy that, according to the write up, will have NO impact on this years draft and will be in a "terrific roster battle" for a roster spot?? It could be that we've wasted a 2018 pick (albeit a late rounder) on a guy who may not even make this years roster, ........or, being more cynically minded, there's injury concerns with the current Bengals Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
volcom69 Posted April 11, 2017 Report Share Posted April 11, 2017 Who is this guy never heard of him? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoosierCat Posted April 11, 2017 Author Report Share Posted April 11, 2017 24 minutes ago, Scottishbengal said: Why would the Bengals dish up a 2018 pick for a guy that, according to the write up, will have NO impact on this years draft and will be in a "terrific roster battle" for a roster spot?? It could be that we've wasted a 2018 pick (albeit a late rounder) on a guy who may not even make this years roster, ........or, being more cynically minded, there's injury concerns with the current Bengals It's a conditional pick. Like Hobs says, those conditions are usually playing time, so if he gets cut in August or sits on the bench all year, the Jags get nothing. If he makes the team and gets playing time, then the more he plays the better the pick gets for the Jags. So there's no real downside. OTOH since this guy couldn't dent the starting lineup in Jax, where they need pass rush help as bad as we do, there's probably not much upside here either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stripes Posted April 11, 2017 Report Share Posted April 11, 2017 I won't make fun of it yet. They have a decent track record in recent memory of turning scrub trades into production. The sample size is limited, granted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoosierCat Posted April 11, 2017 Author Report Share Posted April 11, 2017 Just to be clear, I'm not knocking it. Just calling him what he is at this point: a scrub. If they can make something of him, great. If not it won't cost them anything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArmyBengal Posted April 11, 2017 Report Share Posted April 11, 2017 Never heard of this guy, but those are some amazing sack numbers during his time in Jacksonville. Further confusion from a team that won't move up in the draft because it will cost picks, but will seemingly throw them away for a nobody. Couldn't they have gotten the same guy with one of their two draft picks in the 7th round this year without giving one up next year ?? This is just beyond stupid to me. Football bat stupid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scottishbengal Posted April 12, 2017 Report Share Posted April 12, 2017 11 hours ago, HoosierCat said: It's a conditional pick. Like Hobs says, those conditions are usually playing time, so if he gets cut in August or sits on the bench all year, the Jags get nothing. If he makes the team and gets playing time, then the more he plays the better the pick gets for the Jags. So there's no real downside. OTOH since this guy couldn't dent the starting lineup in Jax, where they need pass rush help as bad as we do, there's probably not much upside here either. Thanks Hoosier - that makes a lot more sense now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AMPHAR Posted April 12, 2017 Report Share Posted April 12, 2017 It's a conditional pick so there's limited downside and maybe a little more upside as they let it be known they once had a 4th round grade on the guy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GapControl Posted April 12, 2017 Report Share Posted April 12, 2017 With the way the conditional pick works,this is how the Bengals are taking advantage of their collect picks, comp. picks, draft develop. Like said above, if he becomes the starter over MJ, and a run stopping pass rushing monster, they only give up 6th rounder in 2018. They've "drafted" a young pro and given him the chance to make the squad before the draft. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GapControl Posted April 12, 2017 Report Share Posted April 12, 2017 At least that's how I understand conditional picks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GapControl Posted April 12, 2017 Report Share Posted April 12, 2017 Well, Jim Oswarski on Cincinnati.com says it would turn into a 7th but doesn't say on what condition.... maybe making the roster. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShulaSteakhouse Posted April 13, 2017 Report Share Posted April 13, 2017 Sort of an odd trade at an odd time. It seems they may not be planning on spending much if anything on DE/DT in the draft. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GapControl Posted April 14, 2017 Report Share Posted April 14, 2017 I think Fat Pat, Gilberry, Thompson, and Hardison are all able to be cut without the Family Brown having to pay out guaranteed money. Gilberry maybe gets a meager guarantee. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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