Forget Andre Smith...

[DC_Bengals_Fan]

And so is Mike Mayock. After all, who is Andre Smith to blow off the combine in the manner he did? Far better for him to show up and play the "I'm not working out" game in the same manner as everyone has done in the past. (Play acting for grownups.)

Correct. Make a decision, explain it, and stick to it. And do what you're really there for as a top-10 pick, interview with teams and do it professionally.

You keep focusing on this as a "He didn't run!" thing, but that misses the point completely.

[HAPPYJAQ]

If you take Andre Smith out of the equation as a potential Top-5 pick, every player selected between #4 and the point where he gets drafted moves up. Essentially, if the Bengals themselves don't draft Smith, they lose out on a prospect that may have been there.

It really helps the Bengals if Smith remains a Top 5 pick and the Chiefs fall in love with Matt Sanchez but I really don't see either happening.

[HairOnFire]

I would trust the evaluation of guys who evaluate NFL talent for a living over a network color commentator any day but I am cognizant that every team values players differently based on need, scheme, etc. I'd put Jamie Dukes in the same category with Deion, Faulk, Sapp, Woodson and any other former player on the NFL Network as far as evaluating talent goes.

That's fair, and I'll admit without prompting I've already propped up Jamie Dukes as much as I'm willing to. Suffice to say I often appreciate the opinions of the other personalities surrounding Mike Mayock far more than his. Or perhaps in this example I'm just admiring their restraint.

That said, Charlie Casserly and Jon Gruden both expressed concerns about Andre Smiths combine adventures while repeatedly calling him the best OLT prospect in the draft. Bar none. No qualifications or reservations noted. No talk of shifting him to the right side either. Plus, Gruden openly mocked the idea that teams would remove Smith from their draft boards over this issue, saying point blank...."Do me a favor, take him off your board. Because I'm taking him."

[HairOnFire]

You keep focusing on this as a "He didn't run!" thing, but that misses the point completely.

Not at all. He butchered the meet and greet. He made a bad first impression. He gave people a reason to look closer or look elsewhere. He hurt his draft stock and cost himself millions. And that's stupid stuff and it may be a sign of a bigger problem. I get that.

I also get the part about him being projected for months to be off the board when the Bengals draft at #6, and how his availability becomes a much more realistic scenario now that he's screwed up. And without any guilt whatsoever I confess to you now how I consider that to be a positive.

[HAPPYJAQ]

I would trust the evaluation of guys who evaluate NFL talent for a living over a network color commentator any day but I am cognizant that every team values players differently based on need, scheme, etc. I'd put Jamie Dukes in the same category with Deion, Faulk, Sapp, Woodson and any other former player on the NFL Network as far as evaluating talent goes.

That's fair, and I'll admit without prompting I've already propped up Jamie Dukes as much as I'm willing to. Suffice to say I often appreciate the opinions of the other personalities surrounding Mike Mayock far more than his. Or perhaps in this example I'm just admiring their restraint.

That said, Charlie Casserly and Jon Gruden both expressed concerns about Andre Smiths combine adventures while repeatedly calling him the best OLT prospect in the draft. Bar none. No qualifications or reservations noted. No talk of shifting him to the right side either. Plus, Gruden openly mocked the idea that teams would remove Smith from their draft boards over this issue, saying point blank...."Do me a favor, take him off your board. Because I'm taking him."

I really respect Casserly's opinion. It's a travesty that he's not a NFL GM right now. He's done well regarding the draft in every place he's been. Gruden, not so much. Good X's and O's guy, horrible evaluator of talent.

Sounds kinda familiar.

[HairOnFire]

I really respect Casserly's opinion. It's a travesty that he's not a NFL GM right now. He's done well regarding the draft in every place he's been. Gruden, not so much. Good X's and O's guy, horrible evaluator of talent.

Fair enough, but whether repsected or not they both said Andre Smith is still the best OLT prospect in this draft. Better than Oher, better than Monroe, and better than the far more eloquent OT also named Smith. So no matter how you or I feel about which side suits Andre Smith best it seems clear the debate about whether he could play OLT hasn't been decided yet.

[Kazkal]

People act like Right tackles don't deal with speed rushers,Who Plays on the other side Dwight Freeney? awww yes Robert mantis a speed rusher...

[HAPPYJAQ]

I would trust the evaluation of guys who evaluate NFL talent for a living over a network color commentator any day but I am cognizant that every team values players differently based on need, scheme, etc. I'd put Jamie Dukes in the same category with Deion, Faulk, Sapp, Woodson and any other former player on the NFL Network as far as evaluating talent goes.

That's fair, and I'll admit without prompting I've already propped up Jamie Dukes as much as I'm willing to. Suffice to say I often appreciate the opinions of the other personalities surrounding Mike Mayock far more than his. Or perhaps in this example I'm just admiring their restraint.

That said, Charlie Casserly and Jon Gruden both expressed concerns about Andre Smiths combine adventures while repeatedly calling him the best OLT prospect in the draft. Bar none. No qualifications or reservations noted. No talk of shifting him to the right side either. Plus, Gruden openly mocked the idea that teams would remove Smith from their draft boards over this issue, saying point blank...."Do me a favor, take him off your board. Because I'm taking him."

I really respect Casserly's opinion. It's a travesty that he's not a NFL GM right now. He's done well regarding the draft in every place he's been. Gruden, not so much. Good X's and O's guy, horrible evaluator of talent.

Sounds kinda familiar.

[DC_Bengals_Fan]

I also get the part about him being projected for months to be off the board when the Bengals draft at #6, and how his availability becomes a much more realistic scenario now that he's screwed up. And without any guilt whatsoever I confess to you now how I consider that to be a positive.

It's a positive if you want him to fall to you, by all means.

On the other hand, if it's bad enough to take him off your board and that of everyone in front of you, then it's a negative. It means one more guy on your list gets taken ahead of you, but you don't take him.

At this point, I truly don't know how bad it is with him. Honestly, I'd love to see him go 1-5 - otherwise, best case scenario we're getting a fat version of Manny Ramierez.

[HAPPYJAQ]

I say no to "Andre being Andre".

Doesn't this pick sound like defense to you all? I'm betting they take Orakpo. Marvin may figure that there isn't much drop off in the guys after Smith and Monroe and he didn't seem all that enamored with even those two.

[HairOnFire]

Bumpity bumpity bump.

My boy Andre "Train Wreck" Smith hasn't gone away. He's got his weight down into the 320's, claims he's working out three times day, and in the article mentions how at least two teams, one being the Bengals, have scheduled private workouts.

I'm telling ya' again, this guy geeking it up at the combine MAY have been exactly what this team needed.

Focused Andre Smith determined to overcome combine mistake

By Steve Wyche | NFL.com Senior Writer

ATLANTA -- The train wreck that was supposed to be Alabama offensive tackle Andre Smith walked down the 20-or-so steps into the old-school, basement gym that isn't for the feint of heart or the uncommitted. Smith, who had acquired the train-wreck tag after showing up to the combine nearly two weeks ago out of shape, had been a top prospect.

His unexpected exit on the day he was scheduled to go through drills in front of coaches, scouts and general managers at the Indianapolis showcase event only enhanced perceptions that Smith might not be worth the investment of millions of dollars, even though he had been the most dominant offensive lineman in college football.

Shortly before 7 a.m., the train wreck finally made it to the gym floor and it was clear that something was wrong. This was the guy who was supposed to make Santa Claus look like he was on Jenny Craig? Smith was tall, hardly fat and sloppy, and by all accounts, the prototypical body type of an Outland Trophy winner and a starting NFL left tackle.

"You can look at him now and see that he's been working extremely hard and he's focused," Smith said, as if playing the role of an NFL general manager evaluating him. "He's not just sitting around not working out; he's grabbed life by the horns and going all out."

Smith was put through a grueling, unorthodox, one-hour workout by gym owner Ty "Ropeman" Felder, the NFL's trainer to the stars. Ray Lewis, John Abraham, Laveranues Coles, Shannon Sharpe and at least a dozen other current and former pro players are among his clientele. This day, it was biceps, triceps, and cardio. Smith and four others did multiple sets of 100 repetitions, alternating high steps on a 2½-foot support bar on a machine designed for a chest lift. Brutal.

"What are you waiting for? The second round?" Felder screamed at Smith, who looked back at his trainer as if he'd rather chew glass than do the final 200-repetition set of a grueling drill.

Smith popped off the required amount like he was a drum major on Red Bull. Nothing to it. This supposed slouch was fluid and motivated. The session ended with 10 sets of 50 sit-ups. Ropeman pointed to the door at the back of the gym in case Smith needed to puke. All he got was a belch, a smile and a "see you tomorrow."

In between those workouts, Smith has an evening track and agility session with two coaches who work with pro athletes in the Atlanta area. Six times a week in this old-school sweatbox of a gym in the morning. At least three times a week on the track. Smith is serious.

Now.

Prior to the combine, the Alabama tackle was with other prospects in Pensacola, Fla., supposedly training. He admittedly wasn't working hard enough or staying disciplined with his eating habits. He switched to Felder and moved to Atlanta the week before the combine but said he wasn't in good enough shape to perform at the NFL's crucial job audition.

During interviews at the combine, Smith told teams he wouldn't work out in Indianapolis. But he failed to inform combine officials that he was leaving town to continue training with Felder on the day offensive linemen were set to go through drills. He was announced as AWOL, a frenzy to find him ensued, and he was quickly dubbed this year's combine knucklehead.

His decision to bolt the combine followed his suspension from the Sugar Bowl, which stemmed from him having illegal contact with an agent. Smith's decision-making was, and is, being rightfully questioned. Publicly, he hasn't been given a pass because he's the only major prospect whose judgment went so awry, a pattern of behavior NFL teams find difficult to ignore.

"Prior to those things at Alabama, I never had issues as far me missing anything, never had a character issue," Smith said. "I just felt like I made a bad business decision as far as leaving the combine and not telling anyone. As far as a football decision, I think I made the best decision I could possibly make. I was so excited to come back and start a workout and get ready for my pro day (on) March 11. I would never want to insult anybody by just getting up and leaving like that. If I had to do it all over again, I wouldn't have handled it like that."

As much heat as Smith has taken publicly, teams haven't bailed on him. After all, he was considered the best offensive lineman just a few weeks ago and there is a premium on left tackles in the NFL.

"I talked to several teams, actually," Smith said. "A couple teams called me the day after to make sure everything was alright. It was good to hear from those guys."

Several interviews and private workouts have been arranged already, including one with the Cincinnati Bengals, who hold the sixth overall pick. At least one St. Louis assistant coach –- the Rams have the second overall pick and want to beef up their line -– has scheduled a private meeting with Smith at his pro day next week at the University of Alabama.

Most prospects valued as highly as Smith tend not to schedule interviews or private workouts with teams outside of the top 10, but because of the potential damage Smith might have caused himself at the combine, his list has been expanded. Philadelphia, which has the 20th and 28th picks in the first round, could be in that group. There are some who believe the Eagles, in need of a left tackle, could attempt to trade up to get Smith.

Though teams are showing faith that one bad weekend didn't ruin a dominant three-year body of work, Smith knows that his pro-day performance is of the utmost importance, as are his follow-up interviews.

"That's No. 1 on my priority list," Smith said. "There's so much I'm putting into March 11. They say don't put all your eggs in one basket but I'm doing that on this occasion because I feel like I need to give the best showing I can."

Still, why should an NFL team guarantee him $20 million to $30 million with everything that's gone on the past few months?

"I'm going to do whatever it takes to protect my quarterback," Smith said. "I consider the quarterback like my mother. As a person in life, you don't want anybody to hit your mother so you'll go through any means necessary to protect your mom. I'm a hard worker -- on and off the field."

Smith said his weight is in the "320s" (he weighed 332 at the combine) and that his stamina is where it needs to be. Felder said Smith's weight is closer to 330 pounds but it is being worn on a leaner and stronger frame than just a few weeks ago. Losing too much weight to impress scouts isn't healthy. Any weight loss can be made over time, but that might not be necessary, Felder said.

"When I first got him three weeks ago, his conditioning wasn't good, you could tell he hadn't been training hard," Felder said. "He's about 95 percent of where he needs to be. I'd put him against anyone his size right now, and keep in mind the type of guys I work with. I wish I would have had him for the past two months."

[ArmyBengal]

Well well well... That didn't take long.

[Kazkal]

"I'm going to do whatever it takes to protect my quarterback," Smith said. "I consider the quarterback like my mother. As a person in life, you don't want anybody to hit your mother so you'll go through any means necessary to protect your mom. I'm a hard worker -- on and off the field."

I like that quote ... Hmmmmm

[derekshank]

A month ago no one thought he would drop past the 2nd pick of the draft. Now, there is potential he might be there at 6, and some people don't want him... mostly because he has a little maturing to do. In my mind, the little immaturity thing that scares so many teams away from him right now was a gift from God.

A #1 talent at the #6 pick - at a position of desperate need? Seems like a no brainer to me

[ArmyBengal]

I said it before and I'll say it again. When the comments were made about Smith and then later on some were saying it was rumors, I couldn't help but think the Bengals would stand to benefit from any of those rumors VERY much...

[BlainThePain]

If it's true that the Bengals want to go back to the power running game then Andre Smith would definitely be the way to go. He is by far and away the best run blocker of the first round O-linemen.

If Andre Smith could work out at left tackle, could you imagine the holes that Andre Smith and Andrew Whitworth would open up? You could run on any side you wanted and it would give you the power to steer the running plays away from defenders like Albert Haynesworth.

[UF_Gators_15]

It depends on who's there but, I can't say I would be mad about drafting this kid...I'm torn, he's got all the talent in the world, hopefully he's a LT cause if he's not, no way do I want a RT at number 6 especially since we have Whit and Collins, that is also y I don't think it is completely necessary to draft a Tackle. But if the kid made a mistake and realizes this and would protect Carson like he protects his mom then draft him now!

[HairOnFire]

There's a video nugget on NFL.com where Charlie Casserly discusses Smith. He starts by ranking him as the best LT prospect in the draft bar none, and by a fairly wide margin.

As for concerns about his work ethic he said teams typically try to meet with the prospect after his pro day, then schedule a private workout to be held several weeks later. During that workout you monitor the players conditioning to see if he continued to work hard after his pro day. Finally, for teams drafting in or near the TOP 5 you ask for another meeting just prior to the draft....giving you one last chance to judge if the player has stopped working. But whether you pull the trigger or not he insisted you have to keep a player like this on your draft board.

Just saying.

[ArmyBengal]

I was just watching NFL Network and one of those guys had Smith going to the Bengals with the #6 pick.

I really think if he does well at his pro day, #6 may be to late...

[HAPPYJAQ]

I was just watching NFL Network and one of those guys had Smith going to the Bengals with the #6 pick.

I really think if he does well at his pro day, #6 may be to late...

This is all very interesting. So if he has a strong pro day, who would you choose between him and Orakpo?

[ArmyBengal]

I was just watching NFL Network and one of those guys had Smith going to the Bengals with the #6 pick.

I really think if he does well at his pro day, #6 may be to late...

This is all very interesting. So if he has a strong pro day, who would you choose between him and Orakpo?

To start, I expect Orakpo to go to the Browns after Curry goes to the Chiefs and won't be there at #6.

I would prefer a trade down as well, but if Orakpo AND Smith were both there and Smith has the pro day I expect him to, I would say Smith only because of what he would do for the o-line for many years. But that is just me...

[HairOnFire]

Bumpity.

Program alert: Todays NFL Network's Total Access [Monday] features a lengthy interview with Andre Smith as well as lot's of workout video for the doubters.

Recap: Mayock continues to insist Andre Smith has now fallen into the draft depths of 12 or 15. Jamie Dukes responded in the same familiar way by ranking Andre Smith the best OLT available in this draft, and claimed he wouldn't fall past #10. Mayock countered by noting Smith's poor performance against the only true speed rusher he faced last season, Tennessee's Robert Ayers. Dukes waved the complaint away, saying all of Smith's remaining technique problems were minor and easily corrected. And not only did Dukes repeat his claim that Andre Smith was a far superior OLT prospect today, but further claimed he has more future upside than Jason Smith or Monroe. Mayock didn't disagree, but insisted Smith didn't play at an elite level last season, as he had his first two seasons.

Pro Day next.

Bring it, fat man!!!

[HAPPYJAQ]

Bumpity.

Program alert: Todays NFL Network's Total Access [Monday] features a lengthy interview with Andre Smith as well as lot's of workout video for the doubters.

Recap: Mayock continues to insist Andre Smith has now fallen into the draft depths of 12 or 15. Jamie Dukes responded in the same familiar way by ranking Andre Smith the best OLT available in this draft, and claimed he wouldn't fall past #10. Mayock countered by noting Smith's poor performance against the only true speed rusher he faced last season, Tennessee's Robert Ayers. Dukes waved the complaint away, saying all of Smith's remaining technique problems were minor and easily corrected. And not only did Dukes repeat his claim that Andre Smith was a far superior OLT prospect today, but further claimed he has more future upside than Jason Smith or Monroe. Mayock didn't disagree, but insisted Smith didn't play at an elite level last season, as he had his first two seasons.

Pro Day next.

Bring it, fat man!!!

Hair, I respect your opinion (along with Army's) as much as any on this board. I am beginining to warm up to the idea of taking Andre.

My only question is...

If this is Marvin's "make or break" season, would he support or endorse such a questionalbe pick as Smith, regardless of talent??

Human preservation and recent failed gambles tells me that he doesn't...I don't see him or Alexander jumping on the War Room table to state their colllective cases for Andre Smith at #6 overall.

[Kazkal]

I don't think teams need be that worried yes the guy blew combine off but alot of players do and he was getting rdy for the nfl in another way..As for who paul alexander likes let's see..

1.)Do I take the guy who was considered the most dominate tackle coming out this year,Who was considered Ready to start day one(Alexander:Hey if he works out i'll be considered a good coach again!)

2.)Do I take Oher who is the least NfL ready,Who has to be groomed and coached and has boom or bust written all over him

3.)Or do I take the guy who has durability concerns after losing Levi Jones to Bum Knees...

I dunno about you but I think Alexander would be drooling over Andre followed by Monroe with oher being at the bottom of his board....Btw I would take Orakpo over Smith followed by top center then a RT or guard in Rnd3....

[HairOnFire]

My only question is...

If this is Marvin's "make or break" season, would he support or endorse such a questionalbe pick as Smith, regardless of talent??

But I don't think it is Marvin's make or break season. I think the decision to rebuild under Lewis, rather than a new head coach, all but guarantees he completes his contract here. In fact, if the rebuild shows success I can easily envision Lewis remaining as head coach for years to come.

...I don't see him or Alexander jumping on the War Room table to state their colllective cases for Andre Smith at #6 overall.

I agree if there's more to the Andre Smith story than the combine fiasco. But if there isn't? Do you really think Alexander and Lewis are going to look at the gaping hole at RT and then ignore the things Andre Smith can bring?