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Telvin Smith, LB, Florida State

kiwitexansfan

kiwitexansfan

Hall of Fame
I've been doing some 'research' and am intrigued by this guy.

He is a bit on the light side, but does anyone think that he might be viable in a 3-4?

Don't think he is heavy enough to set the edge, but do you think he can add weight enough to perhaps transition inside?

Love the potential he has to impact the passing game.

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Tampa had an incredibly light set of LBs. Shelton Quarles and Ian Gold both went 225 lbs, Hardy Nickerson at 230 lbs and Derrick Brooks was 235 lbs but that was an unconventional 4-3. Thomas Davis goes 230 lbs again in a 4-3. Bart Scott played inside in a 3-4 at 235 lbs and also Lawrence Timmons. Probably best and closest is Navarro Bowman at 230 lbs. Most of those guys are a couple inches shorter. Its not impossible but he'd be a project.
 
He has intrigued me as well. I'm not worried about his slim build, once in the NFL he'll add some bulk but hopefully not to much because I want him to stay fast. He's got lose hips, height and long arms, and coverage skills along with blitzing speed and potential. I'd love to see what he could do at ILB next to Cushing. He's got the raw athletic potential that just needs to be coached. He's definitely the type of ILB that I'd look for, but I think he could play any of our 3-4 LB positions. He or Christian Jones or both would be a nice addition(s) to this team, we definitely could use the athleticism and speed. If we could fill a position or 2 in FA with starters then I'd definitely take Smith in the 3rd.
 
I don't think he has the frame to add a ton of weight. He looks pretty maxed out. Don't think he's a fit in a 3-4. Looks like a great 4-3 WLB prospect though. Great instincts and top notch athleticism.
 
WolverineFan said:
I don't think he has the frame to add a ton of weight. He looks pretty maxed out. Don't think he's a fit in a 3-4. Looks like a great 4-3 WLB prospect though. Great instincts and top notch athleticism.
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Pretty much my thoughts. He has excellent instincts and if I could be assured that he would add and keep the weight/strength, I would be all over him. He's listed at 218, but who knows what he actually weighs. If we did decide to take on the project, I can assure that he would be an excellent special teams player in the meantime.
 
WolverineFan said:
I don't think he has the frame to add a ton of weight. He looks pretty maxed out. Don't think he's a fit in a 3-4. Looks like a great 4-3 WLB prospect though. Great instincts and top notch athleticism.
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^^^^
This

If I'm the Lions (I'm picking for them in the TT Mock Drat) and Smith is there in the 3rd he's my pick. The main thing the Lions defense is missing is a LB that can cover the TE down the seam. Smith can do this with ease.

I don't think it would be a reach to think Smith can add 7-10 Lbs witout losing speed. One thing is for sure, Smith is a playmaker and the Lions surely could use a few of those.
 
I think he could play WLB or SS depending on the scheme. He's got some Kam Chancellor in him. I don't like him at LB in a 34.
 
I feel like all our LBs get abused in coverage, with passing becoming more and more prolific, we need to upgrade that aspect of the D.

Will be eager to see his combine performance.
 
kiwitexansfan said:
I feel like all our LBs get abused in coverage, with passing becoming more and more prolific, we need to upgrade that aspect of the D.

Will be eager to see his combine performance.
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That's why I prefer a base nickel defense at the pro level. Put more speed on the field. But you need four linemen who can rush the passer and stop the run. You also need one LB who can cover the field when necessary and one S who can come up and play the run when necessary.
 
bah007 said:
That's why I prefer a base nickel defense at the pro level. Put more speed on the field. But you need four linemen who can rush the passer and stop the run. You also need one LB who can cover the field when necessary and one S who can come up and play the run when necessary.
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I feel Swearinger can be that safety, Smith can be a great compliment to Cushing. If you play some 3-3-5 fronts add in Mercilus and that is a great blend.
 
kiwitexansfan said:
I feel Swearinger can be that safety, Smith can be a great compliment to Cushing. If you play some 3-3-5 fronts add in Mercilus and that is a great blend.
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I agree on Swearinger. He has the potential.

Smith would be great in a system that utilizes some 3-3-5. He could float back and forth between LB and S depending on the situation, thus maximizing his skillset.
 
bah007 said:
That's why I prefer a base nickel defense at the pro level. Put more speed on the field. But you need four linemen who can rush the passer and stop the run. You also need one LB who can cover the field when necessary and one S who can come up and play the run when necessary.
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The line between those 2 positions is blurring in the new pass happy NFL. I've been saying it for a couple years now, you need at least 1 or better yet 2 ILB's in a 3-4 that can handle pass coverage. Teams are throwing 60-70% of the time so the old school ILB's built like a tank to handle O-linemen and stop the run are major pass coverage liabilities. As for Telvin Smith I'd love to have someone like him on the Texans and would take him in the 3rd if available, depending on how many spots we can fix in FA and scratch off our list of needs. He can handle the pass coverage aspect of the game and his quickness up the middle on a delayed blitz would be nice. He's got the height that adding another 15 lbs. shouldn't hurt his speed, and any weight added would be the right kind of weight in an NFL strength and conditioning program. If he's added 5-10 lbs. since that 218 weigh-in and is still fast at the Combine then he won't be available in the 3rd.
 
Like him as a player, don't think he's a fit for our scheme as I understand it. Adamant about playing LB, and I think he should.
 
One thing about him is that he has consistently faced and overcome adversity. There was always a talented player or two pushing him at Florida State, but he always outperformed them on the field. He plays with such high intensity and with such great instincts, it was hard for the staff to take him off the field.

If you take him, I think you'll get a player that works hard and competes every single day. You'd be getting a hungry and intense player.
 
from what i have read Roc likes converting typical OLB to play at ILB in his system mostly due to there ability to shed blocks. don't think smith fits that billing due to his size. but what people have said about pass coverage LBs he certainly fits that.
 
218lbs.

That is soooo small for a LB.

Still love to have him though.

What round are you thinking he'll be gone by?

Too small for the 2nd now?
 
Reading up on Dion Bailey, seems like a similiar sort of prospect.

More safety than LB but still a tweener style of play.

Might be a later round/cheaper option that Smith.
 
kiwitexansfan said:
Reading up on Dion Bailey, seems like a similiar sort of prospect.

More safety than LB but still a tweener style of play.

Might be a later round/cheaper option that Smith.
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Not a fan of Bailey.

Smith appears to have Safety athleticism but plays LB.

Bailey appears to have LB athleticism but plays S.
 
kiwitexansfan said:
218lbs.

That is soooo small for a LB.

Still love to have him though.

What round are you thinking he'll be gone by?

Too small for the 2nd now?
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If he runs well, which I expect he will, I think he'll go in the mid 2nd round. I hope that maybe we can trade down at 2.1 and get extra picks so that we can get a good OT and Smith.
 
Wolf6151 said:
If he runs well, which I expect he will, I think he'll go in the mid 2nd round. I hope that maybe we can trade down at 2.1 and get extra picks so that we can get a good OT and Smith.
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Wow, really?

I don't mean that in a nasty way, I have just never really been able to grade T. Smith. If I had to guess, I'd say 4th round, but that's really a blind guess. He's got a lot of good attributes that I have already spoken about, but he's just so small.
 
There needs to be a new metric.

In electronics you have:
Voltage which equates to MASS (sort of for this analogy)
Amps which equate to SPEED (flow really)
Resistance which equates to EFFICIENCY (or technique)
and Wattage which is Volts times Amps to derive a POWER number.

It should work for player analysis as well.

{Perhaps Weight times Speed (Actually it's inverse or 1/Speed)(for POWER)} divided by some combination of weight transfer and efficiency drills (where lower is better)

My terminology could use some work, but you know what I'm getting at.
 
TexansSeminole said:
Wow, really?

I don't mean that in a nasty way, I have just never really been able to grade T. Smith. If I had to guess, I'd say 4th round, but that's really a blind guess. He's got a lot of good attributes that I have already spoken about, but he's just so small.
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I'm thinking late 2nd or early 3rd for Telvin Smith. The NFL has become a passing league and this guy has very good coverage skills for a LB, he blitzes up the middle very well, very good speed for sideline to sideline movement, and many teams are going to be looking to copy the Seattle model of great defensive speed.
 
Wolf6151 said:
I'm thinking late 2nd or early 3rd for Telvin Smith. The NFL has become a passing league and this guy has very good coverage skills for a LB, he blitzes up the middle very well, very good speed for sideline to sideline movement, and many teams are going to be looking to copy the Seattle model of great defensive speed.
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I definitely agree with all the positive attributes you pointed out. He ran a 4.52 at the combine, which should serve him well. Maybe a team will like him in that Glover Quin, Honey Badger, Lemarcus Joyner at FSU role as LB/S in the nickel. I'd be all for taking him in the 4th round, but I would hope to get someone that had a higher chance to be an every down guy in the 2nd and 3rd. Having said that, that nickel package is almost a bar package now, so you may be on to something.
 
TexansSeminole said:
I definitely agree with all the positive attributes you pointed out. He ran a 4.52 at the combine, which should serve him well. Maybe a team will like him in that Glover Quin, Honey Badger, Lemarcus Joyner at FSU role as LB/S in the nickel. I'd be all for taking him in the 4th round, but I would hope to get someone that had a higher chance to be an every down guy in the 2nd and 3rd. Having said that, that nickel package is almost a bar package now, so you may be on to something.
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Nickle has almost become a base defense, depending on the team your playing. Depending on how the draft falls to us, ie: if we're able to trade down the 2.1 pick and get a early-mid 2nd and an early-mid 3rd then I'd take Telvin Smith with our 3.1 pick while still being able to fill our other needs at OT etc... I think he can be an every down LB either at OLB or ILB. He's got alot to learn just like every other prospect. He's got the speed for OLB, and enough height that if he plays at ILB he should be able to add some weight without affecting his athleticism, and ILB's aren't the tank's they used to be. ILB's are used alot in pass coverage. Ray Lewis dropped weight his last few years with the Ravens, he got down to 230-235 range because he recognized the change in the ILB position and responsibilities of the position.
 
Wolf6151 said:
Nickle has almost become a base defense, depending on the team your playing. Depending on how the draft falls to us, ie: if we're able to trade down the 2.1 pick and get a early-mid 2nd and an early-mid 3rd then I'd take Telvin Smith with our 3.1 pick while still being able to fill our other needs at OT etc... I think he can be an every down LB either at OLB or ILB. He's got alot to learn just like every other prospect. He's got the speed for OLB, and enough height that if he plays at ILB he should be able to add some weight without affecting his athleticism, and ILB's aren't the tank's they used to be. ILB's are used alot in pass coverage. Ray Lewis dropped weight his last few years with the Ravens, he got down to 230-235 range because he recognized the change in the ILB position and responsibilities of the position.
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he would be very interesting to see at ILB
 
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