interesting Stewart Mandel take on Troy Smith

**ExiledRaven** · 02-28-2007, 03:27 PM

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/200...ith/index.html

In all honesty, having lived in Cleveland for five years and having no real college allegiance (I went to a DIII school, oh, and everyone in Ohio roots for OSU, unless you're living in Toledo, that's basically Michigan) I got trucked into the OSU fanbase from the beginning of the Jim Tressel era, so I've seen a lot of Troy Smith and his development.

Anyhow, not saying we should draft the guy. But the read is interesting and Mandel makes some great points. I'd strongly advocate taking smith with a 3rd round pick if teams are silly enough to leave him available.

**UKRavenStockers** · 02-28-2007, 03:35 PM

Senior Bowl practices pushed him to the tail end of day one. If his Combine drills don't push him out of day 1 then nothing will. He won the Heisman by default and I really don't rate him as a pro prospect. You don't draft on gut feelings, you draft on a system and the Ravens have a damned good drafting system. If he fits that, and we draft him, I'll give him time. But the second someone says, I can tell he's gonna be good, gut feeling, I get worried. Gut feelings get you fired.

**AA-Raven** · 02-28-2007, 06:32 PM

Troy Smith = Akili Smith, both had 1 great season in College and now everybodys pimping him as a All Pro in the NFL...pass

**LBoogy** · 02-28-2007, 07:42 PM

I'd think about taking Troy in the 3rd.

He may even be in the mold of a Steve McNair (best case scenario). Smith has great arm strength, mobility, and produced in college. Sure he's a little short and may have been a system QB, but I'd take a chance on him in the third. For him to learn under Stevie Mac would be HUGE.

Smith is not a first or second round prospect, but I'd take him for a third. You can't ignore his production and athleticism.

**ExiledRaven** · 02-28-2007, 07:46 PM

Originally Posted by AA-Raven

Troy Smith = Akili Smith, both had 1 great season in College and now everybodys pimping him as a All Pro in the NFL...pass

Pop Quiz

What do the following quarterbacks have in common?

Trent Dilfer
David Carr
Joey Harrington
Akili Smith
Kyle Boller
Aaron Rogers
Billy Volek
AJ Feeley

**UKRavenStockers** · 02-28-2007, 07:54 PM

All Tedford QBs?

**jonboy79** · 02-28-2007, 09:03 PM

Originally Posted by UKRavenStockers

All Tedford QBs?

If that's the case of course he left Steve Young off the list on purpose.

**ClericBlackDave** · 02-28-2007, 09:41 PM

If that's the case of course he left Steve Young off the list on purpose.

And thats the problem with these arguments. People decide what and what not to use to make their argument look infallible.

Smith isn't going to be an NFL starting talent. At this point, I think Boller has a brighter future as at least a backup, if not a starter somewhere.

**ExiledRaven** · 02-28-2007, 09:56 PM

Originally Posted by jonboy79

If that's the case of course he left Steve Young off the list on purpose.

What are you talking about? Steve Young was in the USFL for a short time with the LA Express.

"Tedford's coaching career began as a volunteer assistant at Fresno State in 1987, spending two years there before joining Calgary in the CFL in 1989. He served as an offensive assistant with the Stampeders for three seasons, including the 1991 team that advanced to the Grey Cup title game."

"During his 18-year coaching career at California, Oregon (1998-2001), Fresno State (1992-97) and the CFL's Calgary Stampeders (1989-91)"

http://calbears.cstv.com/sports/m-fo...rd_jeff00.html

So I'm not really following you.

If you're talking about Jeff Garcia, he wasn't in Calgary until 1994.
Doug Flutie wasn't with Calgary until 1992, Tedford left in '91.

Maybe I missed something somewhere, but I'm 99.9% sure young had nothing to do with Tedford.

**jonboy79** · 02-28-2007, 10:33 PM

I'm looking it up right now, but I believe that Tedford was the QB coach at BYU in the early '80's, when Young was there.

edit... my bad I'm pretty sure that was Norm Chow... oops sorry, your argument holds more weight now. I knew it was someone.

**ExiledRaven** · 02-28-2007, 10:44 PM

oh wow, norm chow was with steve young? I didn't know that.....that's interesting.

**jonboy79** · 02-28-2007, 10:52 PM

Yeah, my bad, I knew that Steve Young was an odd early addition to a long list of recent QB's, but interstingly enough it was the Rivers, Palmer, Leinart, JDB chain, not the Akili, Carr, Volek, Harrington, Boller, Rodgers chain.