There is a Sleeper Leo on the Jags roster and nobody is even noticing. His name is Chris Smith and he was a 5th Rd selection for the Jags in the 2014 draft. Yes the very same round where the Jags took Telvin Smith. Chris Smith didn't even make the 53 man roster initially and was placed on the practice squad. When he was called up for the final 6 games he only had 6 tackles but 3 of those tackles were sacks.
At Arkansas, this 6'1", 266 Lbs DE had 8.5 sacks his Sr. season in the SEC West. Compare that total to that of Dante Fowler. At the Combine, he ran a 4.66/40, which is plenty fast enough for the Leo position.
Many rookies need a year under their belt to acclimate to the NFL. Given the opportunity, Chris Smith could be that hidden gem the Jags are looking for, so take notice of this guy and recognize that the Jags do have a potential Leo on its roster.
I do think he is the forgotten guy on the roster. Honestly, it would not surprise me if Clemons is cut if we draft a LEO high. Then run with a rotation of the rookie, Branch, Davis, and Smith.
Quote:I do think he is the forgotten guy on the roster. Honestly, it would not surprise me if Clemons is cut if we draft a LEO high. Then run with a rotation of the rookie, Branch, Davis, and Smith.
I think Branch will be the odd man out. I would not be surprised if he ends up released or traded for a late round pick.
Quote:I think Branch will be the odd man out. I would not be surprised if he ends up released or traded for a late round pick.
Why? The coaching staff seems to like Branch.
Quote:There is a Sleeper Leo on the Jags roster and nobody is even noticing. His name is Chris Smith and he was a 5th Rd selection for the Jags in the 2014 draft. Yes the very same round where the Jags took Telvin Smith. Chris Smith didn't even make the 53 man roster initially and was placed on the practice squad. When he was called up for the final 6 games he only had 6 tackles but 3 of those tackles were sacks.
At Arkansas, this 6'1", 266 Lbs DE had 8.5 sacks his Sr. season in the SEC West. Compare that total to that of Dante Fowler. At the Combine, he ran a 4.66/40, which is plenty fast enough for the Leo position.
Many rookies need a year under their belt to acclimate to the NFL. Given the opportunity, Chris Smith could be that hidden gem the Jags are looking for, so take notice of this guy and recognize that the Jags do have a potential Leo on its roster.
I have been surprised by the lack of talk about Chris. Seems like we are so involved in getting a new Leo that we may already have that guy.This is Chris 2nd year so we will most likely find out if he is going to be a good Pro or will be playing in Arena Football.
Chris had several good pressures last year with very limited play.If we pick a DE/OLB at 3 I think Clemons days are numbered.That would give us a nice 4 deep rotation.Ryan Davis is going to cost some money next year if he gets say 8 sacks in 2015. Branch will most likely be gone after 2015.
Stigma I am glad you started this tread. Like to see the response of what everyone thinks of Smith.
Do you know out of those 3 sacks how many (if any) were not from a blitz? I understand 3 sacks is better than no sacks (and he had one forced fumble), but one sack really consisted of two assist sacks (.5). and almost all but a half a sack came against his own division when losing at the opponets side of the field. If the 2 sacks occuried when the team wasnt blitzing I would be very impressed, but I think they were in a blitz situation.
I am happy to see that Chris Smith showed flashes but I dont think the team could count on him solely as the LEO at this point, Clemons is far better and suited for the role.
Quote:There is a Sleeper Leo on the Jags roster and nobody is even noticing. His name is Chris Smith
Dude was a freak in the preseason game vs TB. It's almost as if he knew the cadence.
IDK about Chris Smith, he didn't show that motor someone would look for in a LEO. LEO is a fast DE that has killer speed and technique to get to the QB. My picks would be Beasley or Gregory. Love Gregory ceiling but he doesn't look to be an impact player right away. I also love Eli Harold with a trade down, he is the most perfect LEO fit.
The one thing I noticed is his burst off the line and his anticipation of the snap. He almost always looked like he would draw a flag. I hope he'll get a lot more playing time this season.
But I'm still ok with drafting another passrusher at 3
Ryan Davis may actually be the best pass rusher on the roster
I like Chris Smith's potential. You're right that he may be a LEO of the future that nobody is talking about.
The only problem is that we already cut him once... so it may be that he's not that high on the coaches' list in terms of playing time. He lucked out because Branch got injured.
Quote:Why?
Because he can't rush the quarterback.
Well he had more sacks than Clowney
he's going to compete for a spot on the roster like the rest of the players, but I like his potential. He's a noticeably strong dude.
Quote:Ryan Davis may actually be the best pass rusher on the roster
Without a doubt.
Chris Clemons is the best pass rusher and the teams LEO with 8 sacks 4 forced fumbles, 1 rec, and 36 tackles not being on the field all the time I dont see too many players being able to come in and dethrone him unless he gets injured or starts to show his age....
Quote:Chris Clemons is the best pass rusher and the teams LEO with 8 sacks 4 forced fumbles, 1 rec, and 36 tackles not being on the field all the time I dont see too many players being able to come in and dethrone him unless he gets injured or starts to show his age....
I believe whoever we draft for LEO at 3 or in the 1st round will play right behind Clemons as well as starting after the bye week. That should give him enough time to learn the game speed to become a starter. Good thing we have Clemons.
Quote:Because he can't rush the quarterback.
It doesn't hurt for depth purposes. Even if you have to scheme him to get to the passer he still has some production to show for it. His value on this team is worth more than some late round draft pick.
Quote:It doesn't hurt for depth purposes. Even if you have to scheme him to get to the passer he still has some production to show for it. His value on this team is worth more than some late round draft pick.
Is he..?
Telvin Smith (Round 5)
Luke Bowenko (Round 6)
Demetrius McCray (Round 7)