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zn
It is true that GR is nothing like Jason Smith.
But the real reason Smith failed is not mentioned here.
Yes he was as green and raw as GR coming out if not more so. But then people seem to count that in GR's case and discount it in JS's case.
The reason JS basically washed out of the league is because serious injuries including to his neck caused him to completely lose interest in football. So in fact as he often does DB missed the crucial thing (not that anyone could have seen it necessarily):
DB: He looks to be mentally tough ... Jason is a player who plays with excellent passion
And it's that stuff that was his actual undoing. He was traumatized by being carted off the field and was never the same.
If not for THAT I don't know how he would have done. Everything else wrong with him was technique, same with GR.
In terms of GR, he is far and away a better athlete and prospect than JS, and that's given the fact that JS was a good athlete.
GR may not be the ideal left island type tackle but he is going to be a very good one, and possibly perfect for a play action offense that wants its LOT to be a great run blocker too.
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You use DB's profile to make the argument that Smith was mentally tough as a positive attribute and that's fine. But you ignore DB's profile when he essentially says Smith really has no business being a LT.
My point with this is that, indeed Smith may have made it in the NFL if he did not incur those serious injuries, but that doesn't mean he would have been any good at LT, he may have been at best a Guard as DB said.
I do agree that GRob is likely to be just fine at LT, although not as a pure or outstanding pass blocker, and that does fit well with what Fisher is trying to do. And that's one reason why I'm not freaking out about his weight. I actually like him better in the 330 range. He was 332 lbs at the Combine when he ran the 2nd fastest 40 time of the OL. The guy is naturally big man; I say let him stay big and have him mash people.
