Marcus Smith - Pro Football Rumors

Eagles To Decline Marcus Smith’s Option

May 1st, 2017 at 5:03pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Eagles will not exercise defensive end Marcus Smith‘s option for 2018, reports Zach Berman of Philly.com.

Fifth-year options are guaranteed for injury only, meaning the Eagles would not have necessarily committed themselves to Smith had they picked it up. Nevertheless, they didn’t want to take an $8.718MM risk on a player who has disappointed since going 26th overall in the 2014 draft.

Smith, a former Louisville Cardinal, hasn’t started in any of his 37 professional appearances, and he has totaled just four sacks. The 25-year-old is coming off his first 16-game season, in which he put up 12 tackles and 2.5 sacks in 268 defensive snaps. He was a bigger factor on special teams, playing over 40 percent of the unit’s snaps. That’s clearly not what the Eagles had in mind when they invested a first-round pick in him.

Looking to next season, potentially Smith’s last in Philadelphia, he could face even more of an uphill battle to make a defensive impact, as Berman notes. With two new additions – first-rounder Derek Barnett and free agent pickup Chris Long – joining Brandon Graham and Vinny Curry, the Eagles have plenty of non-Smith options at defensive end.

NFC Rumors: Kelly, Eagles, Randle, Cowboys

March 23rd, 2016 at 10:06pm CST by Sam Robinson

Chip Kelly told Philadelphia-area media, including Jeff McLane of Philly.com, he didn’t communicate directly with Howie Roseman last season before being fired by the Eagles. The current 49ers coach said owner Jeffrey Lurie constructed an arrangement where the then-demoted Roseman sent messages to the then-empowered Kelly through player personnel VP Ed Marynowitz.

Kelly also asserted he didn’t control the contracts given to Byron Maxwell and DeMarco Murray, with the three-year Eagles coach telling media Roseman, who has since traded both players, constructed those deals.

“I wasn’t the personnel guy. I was in charge of the 90-man roster,” Kelly said. “But I didn’t negotiate and say this guy gets this amount of money and that guy gets that amount of money. And Ed was the one who ran our personnel department. That really fell on Ed’s shoulders in terms of how he handled everything. And Ed communicated with him all the time.

Here’s some more on the Eagles and news from some additional NFC teams.

Former Eagles first-round linebacker Marcus Smith will move to defensive end in Jim Schwartz‘s 4-3 scheme, Zach Berman of Philly.com reports. Doug Pederson told media, including Berman, his linebackers right now will consist of Mychal Kendricks on the weak side, Jordan Hicks in the middle and Nigel Bradham on the strong side.
The Vikings inquired about Rueben Randle early in free agency, Darren Wolfson of KSTP tweets, but no substantial interest materialized prior to Randle choosing to trek to Philadelphia.
The Giants, however, had no interest in re-signing Randle, Jordan Raanan of the Star-Ledger tweets. John Mara said last week the Giants were going to seek receiving help, but the market has been mostly raided in terms of notable first-time free agents. Veterans Roddy White, Marques Colston and Percy Harvin remain unsigned.
The Cowboys are expected meet with Paxton Lynch again before the draft after doing so in a productive meeting today, NFL.com’s Rand Getlin tweets. Dallas is allotted 30 visits with prospects.
Washington safety Kyshoen Jarrett‘s status is uncertain for this season, with Jay Gruden telling media — including JP Finlay of CSNMidAtlantic.com — he’s “very concerned” about the lack of strength in Jarrett’s shoulder presently. A key backup and part-time starter as a rookie last season, Jarrett was injured in Week 17 against the Cowboys.

Zach Links contributed to this report

NFC Notes: Manning, Smith, Lions, Spadola

August 21st, 2015 at 8:35pm CST by Rob DiRe

Giants quarterback Eli Manning has been making headlines recently, as he has allegedly demanded and then refuted reports that he demanded to be the highest-paid player in the NFL. Gregg Rosenthal of NFL.com writes that all this could be the “storm before the calm” as was the case with Philip Rivers’ contract, noting that there is a reason all the top quarterbacks have received long-term extensions.

Here are some other notes from around the NFC:

With a need at safety, Jordan Raanan of NJ.com was asked if the Giants might be interested in the recently released Taylor Mays (via Twitter). Raanan opines that the team would not be interested, noting that perception around Mays isn’t positive.
Eagles’ 2014 first-round pick Marcus Smith will miss two to three weeks with a hamstring injury, writes Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer. “It was not as bad as I thought it was,” said Smith. “Three weeks is probably the most. I’ll definitely be ready for the Falcons game. Try to be ready for the last preseason game.”
The Lions have a pair of key starters dealing with high ankle sprains, in offensive guard Larry Warford and defensive tackle Caraun Reid, writes Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. It is uncertain when they will be able to return to the field, and head coach Jim Caldwell would not put a timetable on their recovery.
Cardinals receiver Ryan Spadola is considering a career as a ref after his football career comes to an end, writes Bob McManamoan of AZCentral.com. Spadola has been a practice squad player bouncing around the league for two seasons, and is competing for a spot on the Cardinals’ roster.

NFC East Links: Rolle, Smith, Cowboys, Cofield

November 22nd, 2014 at 8:50pm CST by Rob DiRe

Antrel Rolle is playing in a contract year for the Giants, and while he wants to stay with the team, he knows that anything can happen in an NFL offseason, writes Bob Glauber of Newsday.com.

“Staying here would definitely be ideal,” said Rolle. “I feel like there’s a lot of things that I would like to get accomplished with a new set of [teammates]. I feel like there’s a lot more to get done. Unfortunately, if you don’t have the opportunity to stay, you move on.”

The 32-year-old safety has been a stalwart of the Giants’ defense since coming over from Arizona in 2010.

Here are some other links from around the NFC East:

Eagles‘ first-round pick Marcus Smith has struggled to see the field as a rookie, but the team worries if he will ever develop into the player they had hoped when they drafted him, writes Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Smith has been compared to Danny Watkins, another failed first-round selection.
Cowboys‘ head coach Jason Garrett has been thought of as a puppet for Jerry Jones, but Jean-Jacques Taylor of ESPNDallas.com thinks Garrett has wielded more power within the organization recently. He cites the team drafting Zack Martin, letting DeMarcus Ware and Jason Hatcher leave in free agency, and holding off on extensions for Dez Bryant and DeMarco Murray as all uncharacteristic moves for Jones, likely influenced by Garrett.
Martin has been excellent as a rookie, validating the Cowboys‘ decision not to draft Johnny Manziel. However, if the Browns decide to sign Hoyer to a long-term contract, Manziel could still be a fit for the Cowboys, writes Steven Mullenax of The LandryHat.com. With the struggles of Brandon Weeden and Tony Romo‘s injury issues, Manziel could be a good backup and eventual replacement in Dallas.
Given the choice between Adrian Peterson, Marshawn Lynch, or Murray this offseason, Jon Machota of DallasNews.com believes the Cowboys should place Peterson at the top of their wish list. He believes that signing Peterson behind this offensive line would be more dangerous even than the younger DeMarco Murray.
Washington defensive lineman Barry Cofield eased his way back into action last week against the Buccaneers, after returning from injury. Cofield should see his snaps increase starting this week, reports Tom Schad of the Washington Times.
Washington defensive coordinator Jim Haslett has been in charge of an erratic defense during his tenure with the team, but despite scheme changes and coaching changes, he has survived, writes Mike Jones of the Washington Post. Jones paints the major problem in the consistency of the defense as a lack of talent on that side of the ball.
As the controversy with the Washington team name carries on, one devoted fan has decided to take a stand against the name, writes John Woodrow Cox of the Washington Post. He found a company to make strips of cloth that say “Washington” in which fans can use to patch over their old team apparel. Daniel Brown of the San Jose Mercury News points to the name change for the University of Stanford as a precedent for the change, and the New Yorker has used their cover to mock the name in anticipation of Thanksgiving, according to Sports Illustrated.

NFC East Links: Garrett, Bryant, Eagles, RGIII

November 22nd, 2014 at 12:03pm CST by Ben Levine

Cowboys coach Jason Garrett will be a free agent at the end of the season, but that’s not distracting anyone within the organization. That includes owner Jerry Jones, who talked about his lack of concern on 105.3 The Fan (via Jon Machota of The Dallas Morning News):

“It’s really a non event for me, whether there is concern [from the outside] about it or not. I don’t mean to sound that way, but it hasn’t been a concern of mine and we haven’t made it a concern for the club this year. This talk about these contracts, no matter who it is that has a pending contract or one that’s coming up, that’s all for [media and fans] to talk about. That really has no impact on my day.”

Let’s check out some more notes from the NFC East…

Rainer Sabin of The Dallas Morning News looks at how Garrett and the Cowboys front office have constructed the team’s current roster. Instead of rebuilding the team from scratch, Garrett has done a nice job of bringing in young pieces while keeping the team competitive.
ESPN.com’s Todd Archer believes a deal will eventually get done between the Cowboys and Dez Bryant. However, the writer believes the franchise tag is the most likely option at this point.
There is an “ominous feeling” in the Eagles organization that rookie linebacker Marcus Smith will not develop into an impact player, writes Jeff McLane of Philly.com. The first-rounder hasn’t seen the field much this season, but the Eagles are not panicking and refuse to rush their young player.
ESPN.com’s John Keim thinks Washington could give Robert Griffin III another offseason with coach Jay Gruden before ultimately make a decision on their quarterback.

NFC Notes: Cards, Cowboys, Hardy, Eagles

October 22nd, 2014 at 3:24pm CST by Luke Adams

While the 6-1 Cowboys and 5-1 Eagles are vying for the best record in the NFC, it’s the 5-2 Packers who currently have the best Super Bowl odds, according to betting site Bovada.lv. Bovada lists Green Bay as 8/1 to win this year’s championship, while the Cowboys have 9/1 odds and the Eagles are down at 16/1, behind the Seahawks (9/1) and 49ers (12/1). As we look forward to seeing how those NFC frontrunners fare this weekend, let’s check in on the latest updates from around the conference….

The Cardinals would like to extend Carson Palmer‘s deal before season’s end, but he isn’t the only player on the roster whose contract situation the team could address. As Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic details, GM Steve Keim said during his weekly appearance on Arizona Sports 98.7 that there are several other extension candidates on expiring contracts. Although Keim didn’t name those players, Somers identifies a few possibilities, examining the likelihood of new deals for each of them.
Meanwhile, the Cowboys also have several players who deserve contract extensions, but Brandon George of the Dallas Morning News argues that the team should wait until after the season to open serious negotiations. When so many key contributors are playing for contracts, extending one or two of them and sending the message that certain players are more valuable than others could upset the balance in Dallas, says George.
Greg Hardy remains on the commissioner’s exempt list for the Panthers, but his attorney is preparing for the defensive end’s trial to get underway on November 17, writes Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer.
Marcus Smith has shuffled back and forth between outside and inside linebacker for the Eagles so far, and the first-round pick’s future role with the team remains cloudy, according to Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com.

NFC Notes: Murray, Harbaugh, House

October 10th, 2014 at 3:19pm CST by Luke Adams

The NFL’s leading rusher, DeMarco Murray, told Calvin Watkins of ESPNDallas.com today that he’s happy his camp has opened extension talks with the Cowboys, though he acknowledged it’s not something he’s focused on at this point. While Murray’s hot start in the final year of his rookie contract has made him a logical extension candidate, Joel Corry of the National Football Post notes that even in a career year, the running back may not receive a huge offer from the Cowboys. The team also has to address other potential free agents like wideout Dez Bryant, and if Murray’s workload continues at its current pace, the club could have concerns about his future production, particularly given his past durability issues.

As we wait to see if negotiations between Murray and the Cowboys move forward, let’s take a look at a few more notes from around the NFC….

In the view of ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter, it would be an upset if Jim Harbaugh is still coaching the 49ers in 2015. While Schefter isn’t entirely ruling out the possibility, he says he “wouldn’t count on it right now.”
Davon House‘s name is a little ways down on the Packers‘ depth chart, but the cornerback could be setting himself up for a nice payday in the offseason based on his performance, writes Pete Dougherty of the Green Bay Pass-Gazette. So far, the team has yet to talk to House’s agent about an extension. “If I continue what I’ve been doing, good things are to come, here or somewhere else,” House said. “Hopefully here.”
Top draft pick Marcus Smith is itching to get on the field more, but Eagles coach Chip Kelly says he won’t rush things with the young linebacker, as Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes. “We don’t look at a guy and say, ‘Hey, he’s this, we have to force him in,’ ” Kelly said. “I think you’d lose the rest of the guys on your team if you say, ‘Why are you playing this guy? Just because we drafted him high.’ He has to prove that he deserves playing time.”
Wide receiver Nick Williams, who was released from Washington’s practice squad about a month ago, tried out this week for the Falcons, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Extra Points: Dreessen, Cutler, Ferguson

July 12th, 2014 at 1:11pm CST by Matt Feminis

Speaking with Vic Carucci & Dan Leberfeld on SiriusXM NFL Radio, Broncos tight end Joel Dreessen weighed in on the Jimmy Graham ruling, saying the decision struck a nerve and that he agreed with Tony Gonzalez’s take on the situation: “It’s kind of frustrating that guys who get asked to do probably the second most after the quarterback is kinda down there on the pay scale.”
Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune listed 12 NFL training camp storylines to watch, including Jay Cutler‘s new deal. “The Bears signed quarterback Jay Cutler to a $126 million contract extension that is essentially a $54 million deal for the next three seasons before it goes year-to-year,” says Biggs. “It’s a huge payday that general manager Phil Emery based on future performance, as Cutler’s resume includes only one postseason victory.”
Last year was an “uncharacteristically bad year” for Jets left tackle D’Brickashaw Ferguson, says the New York Post’s Brian Costello, who believes 2013 will prove to be “an aberration and not a sign of decline.” However, Costello does caution: “Ferguson has the highest salary cap figure on the team at $11.7 million. After a few restructurings to help the team gain salary cap space in 2012 and ’13, the bill is now coming due for the Jets. Ferguson’s cap numbers are huge for the next four years. If Ferguson’s play slips, the Jets might have to consider releasing him before the 2016 season, when they could save $9 million in cap space by cutting him.”
Branden Albert of the Dolphins and Jairus Byrd of the Saints topped ESPN’s list of free agents who will transform teams. The last three seasons, Albert has allowed just 4.6 pressures per 100 pass blocks, good enough for third in the league over that span. As for Byrd, he allowed a paltry 0.23 yards per coverage snap last season, third-best in the league.
Answering questions about the Eagles’ projected roster, PhillyMag.com’s Tim McManus said he doesn’t expect many “curveballs,” i.e. surprises, when the team’s 53-man is finalized. McManus expects LeSean McCoy, Darren Sproles and Chris Polk to serve as the running back trio, and he expects Brad Smith to stick as the fifth receiver. The one mild surprise could be Travis Long forcing veteran Brandon Graham out, though that would mean employing two backups at defensive end (Long and first-rounder Marcus Smith) with no NFL experience.
Entering training camp, 49 Patriots players are “sure-fire locks” or “near locks,” in the estimation of ESPN New England’s Mike Reiss, who breaks down the projected roster.

Eagles Sign Marcus Smith, Lock Up Draft Class

June 9th, 2014 at 3:58pm CST by Luke Adams

The Eagles have signed first-round edge defender Marcus Smith to his four-year rookie contract, the team announced today (via Twitter). Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports first reported earlier this afternoon (via Twitter) that the Eagles were closing in on an agreement with Smith, whose deal will also include a fifth-year team option for 2018.

Smith’s selection at 26th overall was viewed as a bit of a surprise, considering the Eagles already have Trent Cole and Connor Barwin at the outside linebacker spots in their 3-4 defense. Brandon Graham also played well when given the opportunity last season. Still, Smith had an excellent senior season at Louisville in 2013, racking up 14.5 sacks and being named the AAC Defensive Player of the Year. Philadelphia picked up the selection used to draft Smith in a trade with the Browns — the Eagles sent Cleveland the No. 22 pick and also received the No. 83 pick in the swap.

As Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap details, Smith’s signing bonus comes in at just under $4MM, while his four-year total amounts to nearly $7.8MM. Based on what we’ve seen from first-round signings so far, most – but not all – of that money should be guaranteed.

By signing Smith, the Eagles have now locked up all seven members of their 2014 draft class. To keep tabs on all of this year’s draft pick signings, be sure to check out our tracker.

NFC East Notes: Beckham Jr., Bryant, Mathis

June 7th, 2014 at 2:07pm CST by Peter Sowards

After receiving a $5MM cap credit on June 1 for cutting offensive lineman David Baas in March, the Giants have just over $7MM to spend on fine-tuning the roster, writes Jordan Ranaan of NJ.com. 91 players are currently under contract for the G-Men, with a team cap of $124.98MM.

As Ranaan points out, $7MM might sound like a lot of money, but 20 teams have more room to spend. All seven 2014 draftees except for third-round defensive tackle Jay Bromley have signed their rookie deals, and it’s only a matter of time before the former Syracuse Orange joins the fold.

More news and notes from the AFC East below…

Giants first-round wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. is being rested for precautionary reasons while recovering from a hamstring injury that sidelined him at OTAs, reports National Football Post’s Aaron Wilson. Beckham told reporters he’s also suffering from a tight back.
Cowboys quarterback Brandon Weeden waxed poetic about his former college and current pro teammate, Dez Bryant, per The Dallas Morning News’ Jon Machota. “He’s unbelievable at what he does,” Weeden said. “It’s the same stuff he did when he was 18 when he came in. I have said it when we came in the same year, he’s just a freak. The guy is probably the most passionate football player. He loves the game more than anyone I’ve ever been around.” Both players arrived at Oklahoma State in 2007.
At a function honoring former Arkansas head football coach and athletic director Frank Broyles, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said nothing has made him prouder than to know the Arkansas Razorbacks — Jones’ Alma mater — will play at AT&T Stadium next season, tweets Robbie Neiswanger of the Arkansas News Bureau.
Eagles guard Evan Mathis said the team is light years ahead of where it was compared to this time last year, reports CSNPhilly.com’s Michael Barkann. “This year, you can just see so much more confidence on the field. Everybody’s executing, it’s much more crisp, and that’s what you get with a year under this system.”
Michael Bamiro has been working mainly at right guard on the Eagles‘ second-team offensive line, writes CSNPhilly.com’s Geoff Mosher.
According to a tweet by last year’s No. 4 overall pick Lane Johnson, the Eagles‘ rookie dinner totaled nearly $18k, including a $3,495 bottle of wine.
Eagles first-round pick Marcus Smith, who will be outside linebacker in Philadelphia’s base 3-4, was tabbed by National Football Post’s Greg Gabriel as one of five players to keep an eye on during the 2014 NFL Season.
Niles Paul, the Redskins wide receiver and core special teams player, is optimistic about a potential turnout for the ST unit under Ben Kotwica, the first-year coordinator, writes CSNWashington.com’s Tarik El-Bashir.
Training camp practices under new Redskins head coach Jay Gruden will likely start earlier, end later and feature a longer break in between sessions, reports CSNWashington.com’s Rich Tandler.
Learning his fifth offensive system in five years, Redskins quarterback Colt McCoy likes the fit in Washington and is eager to learn behind Kirk Cousins and Robert Griffin III, writes ESPN.com’s John Keim.