Marcus Smith is the X-Factor

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Marcus Smith managed to disappoint every Eagles fan and coach last season as he was virtually non-existent, impact-wise, and completely invisible on the stat sheet. Questions regarding his strength and awareness on the field were cited by many as the reasons for his inactivity in games. As a result of this, the first round pick was buried in the depth chart by veterans Trent Cole, Connor Barwin, and Brandon Graham; all of which contributed greatly to the defense.

Considering the fact that it’s not a new phenomenon for rookie pass rushers to struggle, Smith was given a partial-pass until he could learn the proverbial ropes, but the bottom of the depth chart is no longer a viable option for Smith. Switching positions to inside linebacker is also not a viable option anymore after the trade for Kiko Alonzo. Even marginal production as the primary backup pass rusher wouldn’t be enough for this defense. Marcus Smith needs to come out on September 14th and record the first sack of his career in game one of the season against Matt Ryan in Atlanta. The reason for such an expectation is overwhelmingly clear and completely necessary.

SHOCKING PREDICTION: If Marcus Smith doesn’t prove he belongs on Chip Kelly’s roster, he will be released, regardless of dead money, at the end of the season.

Objectively speaking, it would be considered unfair to release a first round selection, after just two seasons in a backup role, for not producing on the field. Pass rushing is considered by many to be one of the few abilities that can translate quickly to the professional level, but Smith was also considered to be a reach in the first round and did not even show a glimpse of how good he COULD be during the course of last season. Smith will need the game to slow down for him tremendously in the upcoming season for him to call the season a success.

The other side to the objective coin could also look very bleak for Eagles fans and could even blindside many people with a dose of realism. Last season, Trent Cole, Connor Barwin, and Brandon Graham created a certain comfort for Billy Davis when he devised game plans. Trent Cole’s sack numbers had dropped overall on the year, but his impact as a rusher was constantly respected by left tackles across the league and Barwin was allowed single coverage in many cases because of that. Billy Davis also seemed to toy with the idea of getting Barwin, Cole, and Graham on the field at the same time in crucial passing situations.

With Trent Cole now gone and Graham stepping into his starting position for the first time in his career, Smith will have the duty of providing highly effective and productive snaps in limited opportunities. This is something that Brandon Graham excelled at during his time as a backup. In fact, Graham consistently contributed some of the most productive snaps in the NFL for multiple seasons as a backup, according to Pro Football Focus. Depth at pass rusher in the 3-4 defense is what makes the entire 3-4 system a pain to deal with. So if Smith proves that he isn’t ready to spell Graham or Barwin, at least on a part-time basis, then Billy Davis will find himself in the middle of the season without enough impact rushers to threaten opposing quarterbacks.

Since Graham and Barwin cannot play 100 percent of the defensive snaps, Smith will no doubt have a chance to play. Even playing 10-20 percent of the defensive snaps would give ample opportunity to prove he is progressing as a player. Sacks are usually used as the barometer for success as a pass rusher, I would go so far as to say that Smith needs only to prove that he isn’t a complete bust to his coaching staff and accomplishing that should not take too much since he played so little last season.

At this point, the expectations should be a whopping ‘ZERO’ for Smith and any production from there on out should be considered a plus for the team, whether he is consistently controlling the edge of the defense (which is something Connor Barwin does consistently) or is moving the pocket enough to cause the quarterback to vacate the pocket. Neither of those plays will show up in a stat sheet but his active role as part of the defense can be displayed in this way. Trent Cole’s sack numbers were not robust in any way but his contribution to the defense in terms of stopping the run and pass rushing was not questioned in any way.

Marcus Smith is going to need to get his game together this season because we are all watching him now, which means that Chip Kelly could be watching even closer.

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