Bills sign Lee Smith to 3-year deal -contract details released

[4BillsintheBurgh]

36 minutes ago, YoloinOhio said:

Fisher released 

 

Had 3 TDs last year. He isn’t targeted much, obviously. If you show me a big drop % then I agree he can’t catch. I don’t know what his drop % is. 

I find it interesting that Vlad Duccasse is still on the team. I expected them to release him to give him a chance to catch on with Castillo. I wonder if they think he has a chance to make the 53. I also wonder how many heads would explode around here if he does.?

31 minutes ago, Kirby Jackson said:

I asked in the other thread and still haven’t gotten an answer. Can someone please explain to me the advantage of a “blocking TE” as opposed to an extra tackle? No one is scared of Lee Smith in the passing game so he’s pretty much there to block. He’s not as good at blocking as an OT.  

Because Lee will look better going in motion? I don't have much else.

[YoloinOhio]

1 minute ago, Koko78 said:

 

I'm guessing Croom is pretty safe, if he's still banging Pegula's daughter.

I doubt it is as big of a factor as has been constantly presented on here. Or even a factor at all. 

[TPS]

1 hour ago, C.Biscuit97 said:

I just don’t understand how this helps the running game.  You have a guy who is not a threat in the passing game so you just load up on the run when he’s on the field.  It’s like with Star.  You just spread the field and he can’t play/ is a non factor.  It’s not like Oakland had a good rushing attack.

 

i mean it’s a back up TE so it’s whatever.  But much like paying veteran 30 year old rbs, it’s not what smart teams would do.

Load up on the run, meaning 8 in the box, leaving Foster and Brown on the outside with one of them guaranteed single coverage....I like it.

[Lurker]

1 hour ago, JÂy RÛßeÒ said:

Better get used to this again:

How so...?

Lee Smith

2018 - Oakland Raiders

Position: Tight End

View NFL.com Profile

Birthday: 11/21/1987

College: Marshall

Height: 6' 6"

Weight: 265 lbs.

Penalty Log

Penalty	Date	Opp	Week	Quarter	Time	Down	Distance	Declined	Offset	Yardage	Home
Totals			0	1.67		1.33	9	0	0	20	3
False Start	09/10/2018	LA Rams	1	1	11:16	1	7	No	No	5	Yes
Offensive Holding	10/14/2018	Seattle	6	2	14:07	2	10	No	No	10	Yes
False Start	12/09/2018	Pittsburgh	14	2	04:29	1	10	No	No	5	Yes

Penalty Counts

Name	Count	Yards Lost	Declined	Offset	Home	Away	Home/Away Diff
Totals	3	20	0	0	3	0	3
False Start	2	10	0	0	2	0	2
Offensive Holding	1	10	0	0	1	0	1

[hondo in seattle]

Considering we drafted 2 TEs, I wonder if Lee Smith's role is two-fold: block & mentor.

 

They say he's a hard-working ("process") guy.

[Lurker]

34 minutes ago, YoloinOhio said:

I believe it was Limeaid posted — 

Smith is a lot more mobile than most guards/tackles and will be blocking down the field for WRs/RBs when most guards/tackles would be left behind.  That is why you sign a TE like him rather than use an extra OL on play. 

When he is targeted he usually catches the ball (56/66) with 7 TDs - not many guards/tackles can do that.

 

That's the way I see it.  He's more effective as a downfield/move run blocker than any OT now on the roster.   Plus, he's the kind of veteran leader McD likes to have around...

[freddyjj]

1 hour ago, C.Biscuit97 said:

I just don’t understand how this helps the running game.  You have a guy who is not a threat in the passing game so you just load up on the run when he’s on the field.  It’s like with Star.  You just spread the field and he can’t play/ is a non factor.  It’s not like Oakland had a good rushing attack.

 

i mean it’s a back up TE so it’s whatever.  But much like paying veteran 30 year old rbs, it’s not what smart teams would do.

And New England just signed a soon to be 39 year old strong locker room presence TE - Ben Watson.  Bill's TEs couldn't block worth a @#$% last year

[hondo in seattle]

1 hour ago, C.Biscuit97 said:

I just don’t understand how this helps the running game.  You have a guy who is not a threat in the passing game so you just load up on the run when he’s on the field.  It’s like with Star.  You just spread the field and he can’t play/ is a non factor.  It’s not like Oakland had a good rushing attack.

 

i mean it’s a back up TE so it’s whatever.  But much like paying veteran 30 year old rbs, it’s not what smart teams would do.

 

There are of lot of running situations (3rd and 1, for example) where the D will load the box, whether the offense trots out a blocking TE or receiving TE. 

 

In those situations, Smith is a great blocker who can turn his assigned defender into a non-factor.  

[CardinalScotts]

tackle with an eligible numbers....Fisher experiment over

[Just Joshin']

25 minutes ago, YoloinOhio said:

 

Kinda makes you wonder about how they rank.

[Lurker]

42 minutes ago, bourbonboy said:

Even without knowing the details, this contract is not as bad as it first may seem.....Smith averaged $3 million/year in Oakland on his last contract, and that was signed 4 years ago. He was also PFF's #1-rated run blocking TE in 2015 (I could not find more recent stats).

 

This is the 2018 all-around grade for Smith:

 

https://raiderswire.usatoday.com/2019/02/25/pff-raiders-tes-jared-cook-and-lee-smith-dominated-in-2018/

 

"...Lee Smith, also had an excellent year for the Raiders. While he didn’t play as many snaps as his teammate (284), Lee was one of the most well-rounded blockers in the NFL. He caught just 10 passes for 73 yards, but he makes for the perfect complement to Cook. Together, Cook and Smith graded as two of the top three tight ends in the AFC West, according to Pro Football Focus."

 

View image on Twitter

Pro Football Focus

✔@PFF

 

2018's highest-graded tight ends from the AFC West

 

4:47 PM - Feb 21, 2019

 

 

 

 

[Codyny13]

Hafta imagine they have an out after year 1. I remember him getting a ton of penalties didn’t he? Anyway he’s an upgrade over Fisher as a blocking tight end, so in reality, we’ve just upgraded our roster.

[John from Riverside]

2 hours ago, hondo in seattle said:

A 1 year deal doesn’t surprise me.  A 3 year deal does.

Its all in the details of the contract......we all know Beane knows how to do this pretty well

[Helpmenow]

Smith will be your gronk. Lol

[CommonCents]

11 minutes ago, John from Riverside said:

Its all in the details of the contract......we all know Beane knows how to do this pretty well

Star agrees. 

[MrEpsYtown]

53 minutes ago, Kirby Jackson said:

I asked in the other thread and still haven’t gotten an answer. Can someone please explain to me the advantage of a “blocking TE” as opposed to an extra tackle? No one is scared of Lee Smith in the passing game so he’s pretty much there to block. He’s not as good at blocking as an OT.  

 

I think this is a fair question. For me, using an extra tackle is just a little different. While he reports as eligible on plays, there's very little chance he goes out for a pass and teams largely ignore these guys, which gives them an extra guy to play the run. In the rare situation where the guy goes out for a pass, defenses just leave him and eat the play. While Lee Smith is not much of a receiver, you have to cover him and defend him as a true tight end. He is running routes in practice and catching balls all of the time. He is trained in all of the nuances of the game, which is not something a tackle eligible player will have. This is likely where the Jake Fisher experiment failed. He's been kicksteping for the last 8 years, not running routes and catching balls. There is simply not enough practice time for a guy to train as a tackle and a tight end. The tight end is also used to moving around the formation and being out in space and blocking from off the line. I guess my point is that even though the blocking tight end is not much of a threat in the pass game, he is a much higher threat than any tackle eligible player. Defenses have to respect him. That's just my 2 cents. 

[John from Riverside]

1 minute ago, CommonCents said:

Star agrees. 

I see....so lets take one of maybe TWO contract he has done while he is here and ignore the several other contracts he has done well......

 

Cool beans

[thebandit27]

1 hour ago, Kirby Jackson said:

I asked in the other thread and still haven’t gotten an answer. Can someone please explain to me the advantage of a “blocking TE” as opposed to an extra tackle? No one is scared of Lee Smith in the passing game so he’s pretty much there to block. He’s not as good at blocking as an OT.  

 

The only real advantage in playing Lee Smith over, for example, Waddle, is that he wouldn't have to report as eligible.

[MrEpsYtown]

42 minutes ago, Nick the Greek said:

Kroft, Lee Smith, Croom, 2 draft picks.. seems like a lot. Who’s gonna play? I gotta think someone is getting cut. 

 

 

To me Kroft-Knox-Smith-Sweeney make the final roster. 

 

To me, Croom is a fun experiment, like Logan Thomas, Jake Fisher. It's an interesting experiment when your team sucks, but Croom does not provide anything special here. He should be out. I get that he dates the bosses' daughter, but i doesn't make football sense for him to be on the team and I trust that the brain trust here will understand that. Knox can do everything Croom can  do, is faster, and a much better blocker already. Kroft is a very underrated receiver as well. No need to have such a 1 dimensional player hogging a roster spot this year. 

[DrDawkinstein]

2 hours ago, RiotAct said:

Noooo, not even top 5 most questionable, IMO.

 

What do you have in your top 5?