jeanpierre

****TRADE****

There are plenty of teams who are going to need a Defensive End; and the fact he's in Sean Payton shape, teams will need a ProBowl 43 Defensive End...

We need 34 Outside LBers and we need Offensive Tackles, and we could always add quality depth for a Championship Run...

homerj07

1st game just like with Stills I will wait & reserve judgement after a couple of more games.

SaintsBro

I'm with Jeanpierre, I absolutely believe the man is trade bait. I believe this whole weird linebacking experiment is just a temporary placeholder...I think they are being patient with him until the right situation comes along to unload him.... Something will pop when we least expect it, and someone will want him. Some other team will discover they have a glaring need during preseason, word will get around that he's a Pro Bowl player caught in a situation where he's "not a good fit in the new scheme," and the phone will ring. By forcing Smith into a concocted bad situation, it gives him an "out," it makes it look to other GM's like he's on the block because of the scheme and coaching change, instead of him being on the block because he is old and/or consistently underperforms.

Danno

Pro bowl defensive end?
Seriously?
Are y'all on drugs?

ClintSaints

If we were going to cut Will Smith all along it would have been nice to do this a long time ago so we could have gone after some of the better OLB's in free agency.

My prediction is that he will stay.

Cruize

He was an above average to good player at DE in his prime. He is a serviceable DE right now. He is not in any way shape or form an OLB nor will he ever be. Every OLB on the roster has more talent at OLB than he does. And that group is a long way away from having any Pro Bowlers. His salary and veteran status is the only reason he's being given a shot at a roster spot for the 2013 Saints.

|Mitch|

With his size, he may be serviceable when not having to drop back in coverage. When his only duty is to stop the run and rush the passer. He has the size to blow up any TE's or RB's trying to block him.

But not as a full time starter...

None of our LB's looked particularly good in the passing game in that first game. Smith dinked and dunked all the way for a TD that first drive.

RaginCajun83

I'm getting sick and tired of seeing him on the field. He should of been cut after he couldn't keep outside contain on Alex Smith, not Micheal Vick or RG III, freaking Alex Smith in 2011.

He's been holding Gallette back for what 3 years now. Time for the coaching staff to admit their mistake and cut this dead weight before his below average ability costs them a game or 2 this season. Why does this feel like 2007-2009 with Jason David all over again?

QBREES9

Will Smith, He's not and OLB.

FinSaint

I do agree with the spirit of your comment, but...


Smith hasn't been holding back Galette - it was the mismanagement of Galette by GW that slowed down his development towards being a NFL caliber player, a development which was slow to begin with.

Smith has been a very valuable player for the Saints and arguably one of the better 1st round picks that they've made this decade, and no other Saints' player has had as many sacks as he has during that time.

The problem isn't really Smith, but agents and the front office, and to be more specific Charles Grant's agent and the Saints FO. Once Grant was given his huge contract, which was a colossal mistake - the cards were on the table and Smith had to be given at least an equal contract monetary wise. That shortsightedness by the FO cost the Saints in the short-term with Grant's disappearing act and with Smith's longterm pricey contract, which they are still in a way paying with the re-structures and re-negotiations. So, while Smith has been a franchise DE for the Saints this past decade - especially in 2006 and 2009 - he has been and is overpaid for his services.

And I won't even talk about the comparison to Jason David.

"I'm not bashing people, I'm bashing their opinions because in my opinion their opinion is wrong" - Danno