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Texans targeting DE Antonio Smith/in town Saturday

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TEXANS84

TEXANS84

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Per Bob Allen on ABC13 Houston. No link, heard and saw it.
Bob stated a "perfect compliment to Mario Williams on the defensive line".

LINK to player profile

Seems like another Anthony Weaver to me. If he is for depth and really cheap, sure. Big contract and I'll lose faith in the Smithiak regime.
 
Is it Bob's opinion that he is a perfect compliment and they should target him or does he have a Texan source saying they will pursue him?
 
Doesn't exactly seem like a pass rushing specialist that I thought we would be after.

At least he is a bit on that 'who dat' side so we shouldn't have to break the bank on him.
 
Found this scouting report on him, pre-superbowl:

Defensive line: Pittsburgh nose tackle Casey Hampton gobbles up double teams, and ends Aaron Smith and Brett Keisel are strong at the point of attack. The Cardinals don't play with great technique up front. Antonio Smith has been the best lately, recording four sacks in his past six games. Edge: Steelers
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http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/football/bal-superscout0131,0,2206610.htmlstory

Here's another one from Fox Sports, before he was drafted:

Smith has a lot of potential for success at the next level. In 2003, he came up with a total of five sacks and 29 tackles. He has the size and frame to get even bigger. Smith is noted for his strong work ethic and physical attributes. He is also known for giving 100 percent on every play and never giving up on a play. Some scouts are concerned with Smith's speed as an edge rusher. He often has difficulty shedding tackles once a blocker locks on, but improving his pass rushing skills should help him eliminate this problem.
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http://foxsports.foxnews.com/nfl/story/7985/Antonio-Smith-Scouting-Report

One more by Scott of NFLDC:

Strengths: Has good size with the frame to get bigger...Hard worker who always gives 100%...Tall...Good strength...Good un pursuit and never gives up on a play.

Weaknesses: Doesn't have the top speed of an edge pass rusher...Needs to develop some more pass rush moves...Once he gets locked on to he rarely makes a play.

Notes: A project who still needs to get bigger but could eventually develop into a solid pro.
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http://web.archive.org/web/20040408194343/www.nfldraftcountdown.com/profiles/de/antoniosmith.html

He was ranked as the 27th DE by Scott, in the 2004 draft. That's right, he was ranked 23 spot below the immortal Jason Babin.

Also, he was drafted in the 5th round of the 2004 draft. About 6'4, 285lbs, and is 27 years old.

Oh btw, he's from A&M. What a shocker.
 
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Hm. John McClain has openly pined for this guy, now Bob Allen. It would be nice if they would put the video of the segment on their site so we could get the full context. I echo Jackie's question - are you SURE he was actually saying that the Texans are going to pursue him? Or is he just throwing some names out?

I don't get how he's a "perfect compliment." I mean, he's okay... but he's not a dramatic upgrade IMO. They wouldn't sign this guy for depth, so I wonder how this will affect their draft plans for a DE.
 
DiehardChris said:
Hm. John McClain has openly pined for this guy, now Bob Allen. It would be nice if they would put the video of the segment on their site so we could get the full context. I echo Jackie's question - are you SURE he was actually saying that the Texans are going to pursue him? Or is he just throwing some names out?

I don't get how he's a "perfect compliment." I mean, he's okay... but he's not a dramatic upgrade IMO. They wouldn't sign this guy for depth, so I wonder how this will affect their draft plans for a DE.
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I doubt it would have any marginal affect to their plan of drafting a DE high. They know there's a good chance that a rookie DE might not be able to start/contribute right away. They had first-hand experience of that with Mario. Smith isn't a player that will make you "set" at that position, he's a stop-gap guy. He's a guy that will fill in for a year or two, play in his prime for us, while we ease the rookie in.
 
Card's fan take on Smith potentially leaving them.

He probably won't be back next year. He looked amazing in the playoffs, and he earned a big payday. Smith is good, dont get me wrong, but he will get overpaid like Calvin Pace. I wish the Cards would resign him, but I think he will end up leaving. Can Calais Campbell replace him? Thoughts?
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http://forums.azcardinals.com/showthread.php?t=40532

Atleast he actually raise his game in the post-season, unlike most Houston sport players. *cough* Yao *cough*

I really hope we don't overpay this guy, but then again I'm not watching tapes of him and reviewing him as a player like Smith/Kubiak are. The only knock on him was his fundamental part of his game, his techniques. It sure wasn't his athleticism, size, nor love for the game. Maybe the game just "clicked" for him, and he became a better player through the years. Kubiak/Smith would know whether or not he can help our team, and I know they're doing their homework to find out. Whatever Kubiak/Smith does, I will trust them.

Let's just hope he won't be another big FA bust.
 
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Apparently he started slow and got stronger at the end of the year. I don't know if that's because the defense as a whole got so much better, or if he was just kind of Cadillac'ing it and decided he needed to get it in gear to earn a fat new contract.
 
I really think the Texans are targeting Smith. I feel that our new DC (Frank Bush) said he wants Antonio Smith and he would know better than any of us since he coached on that Cardnials team and coached Smith for 2 years and has seen Smith's ability and work ethnic.
 
Nawzer said:
For what its worth, Yahoo Sports has him listed at no.38 in their top 100 free agents list.
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http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news;_y...ys-freeagenttracker022509&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

Yeah, behind greats such as:

9. Phillip Buchanon, CB: Florida native likely to return to Tampa Bay. Bucs have the cash.

27. Drayton Florence, CB: He never fit in Jacksonville, but his age and experience will make him a commodity again.

35. Cedric Benson, RB: Finally showed some determined production in ’08, but he’s still too risky for a major contractual commitment.
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I'm fine with the Texans picking this guy up in Free Agency for cheap, so long as it doesn't change the fact that the Texans should STILL draft a DE in the 1st or 2nd round.
 
Nawzer said:
For what its worth, Yahoo Sports has him listed at no.38 in their top 100 free agents list.
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Prisco at CBS Sportsline him ranked #4 overall behind Haynesworth, Jason Brown, and Chris Canty.

CBS Sportsline

Scouts.com (Fox) has him at #29, but the list looks a bit dated, and at least 14 of the guys ahead of him have either been franchised, or re-signed (or in the case of Brandon Jacobs, both).

Fox Sports

Obviously, it's all pretty subjective, but it does appear there's a pretty good case to be made that he's one of the top FA DE's out there this year
 
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I'd be fine with this.

Would this mean the Texans might draft a OLB with their 1st pick and pick up another DE with a later pick?

Which OLB's would likely be available at #15? Brian Cushing
 
Mari-OWNED! said:
I'm fine with the Texans picking this guy up in Free Agency for cheap, so long as it doesn't change the fact that the Texans should STILL draft a DE in the 1st or 2nd round.
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If he was cheap the Cardinals would have re-signed him. This guy is going to get paid a ton of money. I would wager it will be significantly more than we paid Weaver in 2006. I think they could still draft a DE early but man, if you think hes gonna be cheap you are going to be sorely disappointed.
 
As a short aside about Antonio Smith.

He's the sort of high character team player that the Texan's love. I got to interview during the Superbowl this year.

When asked about what is important to him, his reply "Not a lot of guys will talk about this, but my faith in Jesus is number one. I don't care what the media says, I'm going to talk about it."

Legit. Plus I have a great photo of him doing his right arm pose.

-wi
 
texanfan2002114 said:
I really think the Texans are targeting Smith. I feel that our new DC (Frank Bush) said he wants Antonio Smith and he would know better than any of us since he coached on that Cardnials team and coached Smith for 2 years and has seen Smith's ability and work ethnic.
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Good point!:fans:
 
I think it's a great move he is only 26 years old and he looked good in the playoffs. The Texans will still draft another pass rusher in the draft in either the first or second round and right now we have no one at the spot and we don't want to have to rush a rookie into the starting line-up. Good move.
 
painekiller said:
Also his coach until two years ago was Frank Bush. This sounds like Bush getting one of his guys. Not that I like the pick up. Sounds like a Weaver type to me.
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That alone makes it a good pickup for me. Our coach knows the player and what he can contribute with, that's better than ANY scout would ever be able to come up with.
 
from espn.com

Smith is a fifth-year player who started 10 games during the regular season. He has good size and strength and uses good technique versus the run or pass. He is versatile enough to line up inside or outside and the Cardinals have utilized his versatility in a variety of roles within their schemes. Against the run, he has good initial quickness with very good hand placement. He can stack, slip off contact quickly and shows good reactions to blocking schemes. He gives good effort to the ball and has enough lateral quickness to flow effectively down the line or give good backside chase. As a pass-rusher, he has good strength to push the pocket as an inline rusher. Smith also uses his hands well to work off the frame or to counter contact in a tight area. He has good short-area quickness with the ability to flip or change directions quickly, which allows him to be effective on twists and stunts. Overall, Smith is a good technician who plays with solid effort. He is a versatile player that can take reps inside or outside, depending on the situation.
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ESPN's grade is 73 which equals a good starter and 4th in the DE category.

http://www.nationalfootballpost.com/2009/02/notes-from-lombardi-free-agent-d-ends/

THIRD-DOWN AND CAN RUSH

Name, height, weight; speed; age; agent

Chris Canty, 6-7, 280; NA; 26; Brad Blank — A big, physical, young base end who can slide inside and play over the guard in nickel. Can flash dominating talent at times, and when he rushes from the inside it’s difficult to throw the ball over his outstretched arms.

Antonio Smith, 6-3, 272; 4.98; 27; Drew Rosenhaus — Not a big-time rusher but has an impact on third down if other rushers are able to get there. His quickness is good and he can move inside.
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Antonio Smith is a starting DE and will get starter's money from us or whereever he lands. At 27, he is entering the prime of his career. If he does sign with Houston, it changes the priority of DE in the draft as he coming to be an everydown player. He won't preclude the Texans drafting a DE relatively high, but the chances go down greatly.
 
ArlingtonTexan said:
Antonio Smith is a starting DE and will get starter's money from us or whereever he lands. At 27, he is entering the prime of his career. If he does sign with Houston, it changes the priority of DE in the draft as he coming to be an everydown player. He won't preclude the Texans drafting a DE relatively high, but the chances go down greatly.
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I could see us taking a chance on a more situation type pass rusher, like the Broncos did with Dumervil.
 
In the last 4 years this guy has a total of 14.5 sacks. If you do the numbers that averages out to < 4 sacks per season. Very mediocre at best.
 
J-Russ said:
I doubt it would have any marginal affect to their plan of drafting a DE high. They know there's a good chance that a rookie DE might not be able to start/contribute right away. They had first-hand experience of that with Mario. Smith isn't a player that will make you "set" at that position, he's a stop-gap guy. He's a guy that will fill in for a year or two, play in his prime for us, while we ease the rookie in.
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It would allow us to get a pass rush specialist. He would be a 2 down DE, one down DT. As long as he is cheap, it should be a good signing. I like the Van Den Bosh like write up. Motor is good, and contagious.
 
ArlingtonTexan said:
Antonio Smith is a starting DE and will get starter's money from us or whereever he lands. At 27, he is entering the prime of his career. If he does sign with Houston, it changes the priority of DE in the draft as he coming to be an everydown player. He won't preclude the Texans drafting a DE relatively high, but the chances go down greatly.
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I agree. I still think we'll grab a DE somewhere in the draft, but other than a couple two or three, this class of DE's isn't very strong.

As for Smith, anybody know the numbers of his previous contract?
 
GP said:
Anthony Weaver, the sequel.

Not liking all the stuff I have read about him.
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This is what I'm thinking.

Kirwan likes him alot so that gives him some validity in my book.

He did look like he was capable of rushing the passer in the playoffs.
 
Says the guy has a high motor...

If thats the case then he's nothing like Weaver...
 
GP said:
Anthony Weaver, the sequel.

Not liking all the stuff I have read about him.
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The few Cardinal fans that I can talk to have expressed their desire for him to stay. He was drafted in the 5th round and was very raw but has turned into a pretty decent DE in their eyes. High chaeracter, high motor, not going to out-talent or out-athlete anybody but can out-work people.

Obviously if he's signed to a ridiculously high contract that would be bad, but I don't mind Bush trying to bring a few players over here to usher in his philosophy (and if it keeps us from giving a billion dollars to Haynesworth or Peppers, then I'm down with that too). I'll have to wait and see what he wants to play for monetarily before I decide if I like him or not.

But yeah, a move like this just smells Texansish.
 
why overpay for top guys that can actually make plays when you can overpay for 2nd and 3rd tier guys that can't do squat.

this is just another second rate free agent signing. you would think they would learn from past mistakes both pre and post Kubiak, but it sure seems like they are more than happy to overpay for someone else's garbage.

until they start going after the top free agents that can actually improve the team, i am not sure about this current regime. i will give them credit for going after someone without Denver ties but this smells Weaver-ish to me.

Remember all the things that they said about Weaver....deja-vu anyone?
 
Scout.com has an article on him saying that the Chargers should get this guy for their 3-4 defense.

That is the question. Is he a 4-3 or 3-4 DE? Is he going to stand his ground and occupy blockers, or is he going to split double teams and rush the passer.

If they do sign Smith then we know that Weaver was cut for lack of heart and lack of a motor as they seem like roughly the same type of player.
 
Second Honeymoon said:
why overpay for top guys that can actually make plays when you can overpay for 2nd and 3rd tier guys that can't do squat.

this is just another second rate free agent signing. you would think they would learn from past mistakes both pre and post Kubiak, but it sure seems like they are more than happy to overpay for someone else's garbage.

until they start going after the top free agents that can actually improve the team, i am not sure about this current regime. i will give them credit for going after someone without Denver ties but this smells Weaver-ish to me.

Remember all the things that they said about Weaver....deja-vu anyone?
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Well, there it is folks. If SH is bitching about a potential signing.....then it must be a good one. :)
 
texanfan2002114 said:
I really think the Texans are targeting Smith. I feel that our new DC (Frank Bush) said he wants Antonio Smith and he would know better than any of us since he coached on that Cardnials team and coached Smith for 2 years and has seen Smith's ability and work ethnic.
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I agree with this. Kubiak does listen to his coaches and I'm sure Bush put in a word for him.

Also, maybe the Texans see some talent in the later rounds like 2 or 3 for DEs and really like a DB or LB.
After watching Prime Time U, I really liked Emmanuel Cook. I also like the show, it really showed you how you can't go with combine #s too much. Cook was running 4.4 and 4.3 while preparing and then ran a 4.6 at the combine.
 
Second Honeymoon said:
why overpay for top guys that can actually make plays when you can overpay for 2nd and 3rd tier guys that can't do squat.

this is just another second rate free agent signing. you would think they would learn from past mistakes both pre and post Kubiak, but it sure seems like they are more than happy to overpay for someone else's garbage.

until they start going after the top free agents that can actually improve the team, i am not sure about this current regime. i will give them credit for going after someone without Denver ties but this smells Weaver-ish to me.

Remember all the things that they said about Weaver....deja-vu anyone?
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Typical Second Honeymoom. Let's see... you are criticizing the Texans for:

1. Signing someone they haven't signed
2. his quality of play even though he hasn't played a down.. he's no even on the team.
3. Complaining that the Texans have overpaid for a guy whome they haven't paid anything for yet.



Classic!
 
b0ng said:
The few Cardinal fans that I can talk to have expressed their desire for him to stay. He was drafted in the 5th round and was very raw but has turned into a pretty decent DE in their eyes. High chaeracter, high motor, not going to out-talent or out-athlete anybody but can out-work people.

Obviously if he's signed to a ridiculously high contract that would be bad, but I don't mind Bush trying to bring a few players over here to usher in his philosophy (and if it keeps us from giving a billion dollars to Haynesworth or Peppers, then I'm down with that too). I'll have to wait and see what he wants to play for monetarily before I decide if I like him or not.

But yeah, a move like this just smells Texansish.
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Outside of Mario, Bulman, Robinson, and Cochran...I don't see a "high motor" on our dline. Weaver was touted as bringing great leadership, high character, and the residue of being on that Ravens defense.

If Smith is signed, and he has a high motor, then good.

At the moment, it looks like we dumped one high character guy and replaced him with another high character guy. Frank Bush trusts him, he knows him. But I hope that's not the deciding factor here.

Here's to hoping that the change in dline coach, dcoord, and a second-year effort by Mario, Bulman, Robinson, Cochran can be coupled with improved play by TJ, Amobi, and Okam. It has got to come together this year, IMO.
 
Super Mario said:
Scout.com has an article on him saying that the Chargers should get this guy for their 3-4 defense.

That is the question. Is he a 4-3 or 3-4 DE? Is he going to stand his ground and occupy blockers, or is he going to split double teams and rush the passer.

If they do sign Smith then we know that Weaver was cut for lack of heart and lack of a motor as they seem like roughly the same type of player.
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According to the thread on the Cardinals fansite, Smith is not interested in playing in a 3-4.

So, in that facet, he's nothing like Anthony Weaver.
 
First things first; I think everybody needs to get over the pipedream of signing somebody like Peppers to be the complimentary DE to Mario. That's the key here, whomever we sign isn't going to, or expected to, put up huge sack numbers (nor will they have ever put up big sack numbers, because a) teams don't let those guys go and b) they're too damn costly). He needs to be better then average against the run and have the ability to disrupt the pocket; making Mario's job easier.

Mario is our primary sack artist, what we need is a complimentary player not another star.
 
Hoth-Boy said:
First things first; I think everybody needs to get over the pipedream of signing somebody like Peppers to be the complimentary DE to Mario. That's the key here, whomever we sign isn't going to, or expected to, put up huge sack numbers (nor will they have ever put up big sack numbers, because a) teams don't let those guys go and b) they're too damn costly). He needs to be better then average against the run and have the ability to disrupt the pocket; making Mario's job easier.

Mario is our primary sack artist, what we need is a complimentary player not another star.
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Agreed.

If this DE is signed then I think that a lot of peoples mocks need to change.
 
nero THE zero said:
According to the thread on the Cardinals fansite, Smith is not interested in playing in a 3-4.

So, in that facet, he's nothing like Anthony Weaver.
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From that thread you posted

BirdWatch1 said:
Keep him, this cat has busted his tail to not only make the team year after year but he is a contributer. I don't think I've seen 1 game that I was thinking that he needs to go.
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Ok, now first of all I'm very happy that I don't root for a team that might inspire me to choose "BirdWatch1" as my screen name but aside from that I like this post. It's like this is the exact opposite of what someone would say about Anthony Weaver. The Anthony Weaver version of this post goes something like

BullWatch1 said:
Ditch him, this cat has coasted on other players coat tails year after year and is not a contributor. I don't think I've ever seen a game that I was thinking that we sure need to keep Anthony Weaver
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Hervoyel said:
From that thread you posted



Ok, now first of all I'm very happy that I don't root for a team that might inspire me to choose "BirdWatch1" as my screen name but aside from that I like this post. It's like this is the exact opposite of what someone would say about Anthony Weaver. The Anthony Weaver version of this post goes something like
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:goodpost:

Especially the "BullWatch1" screen name.
 
Hoth-Boy said:
First things first; I think everybody needs to get over the pipedream of signing somebody like Peppers to be the complimentary DE to Mario. That's the key here, whomever we sign isn't going to, or expected to, put up huge sack numbers (nor will they have ever put up big sack numbers, because a) teams don't let those guys go and b) they're too damn costly). He needs to be better then average against the run and have the ability to disrupt the pocket; making Mario's job easier.

Mario is our primary sack artist, what we need is a complimentary player not another star.
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What?? I want TWO star DE's if I can get them! I want to hear them meet in the middle w/ a little crunch sound where the opposing QB is.
 
Hoth-Boy said:
First things first; I think everybody needs to get over the pipedream of signing somebody like Peppers to be the complimentary DE to Mario. That's the key here, whomever we sign isn't going to, or expected to, put up huge sack numbers (nor will they have ever put up big sack numbers, because a) teams don't let those guys go and b) they're too damn costly). He needs to be better then average against the run and have the ability to disrupt the pocket; making Mario's job easier.

Mario is our primary sack artist, what we need is a complimentary player not another star.
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Great post.

This is the year it has to come together. If our dline is disappointing and does not make a jump up, there will be a lot of angry Texans fans.

We have three 1st round draft picks on the dline, and 2 of those 3 are borderline busts so far. I know that a change in dline coaching and dcoord can make a difference. Let's just say "It HAS to."

If it doesn't make a difference, what do you do? How does it get fixed? And does Mario become an Andre Johnson on defense: A guy who deserved to play on a better defense and is stuck on a mediocre team.

I don't want to sound terribly fatalistic. But at some point, you do want to know whetehr "the plan" is worth the investment. And this will be a huge year for Kubiak. But I think Rick Smith is safe no matter what. He has done more than Casserly did, IMO, in terms of helping Kubiak get the players Kubiak wants but without those "WHAT?!?!" types of personnel moves that we had with Casserly.
 
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