MUST-WATCH: OLB Coach Mike Smith Presser

[YoHoChecko]

If you want to get excited about the season, just listen to this guy talk about football for a while.



I'm gonna break down some details here because there are some clips that I think we'll want to reference or discuss throughout this season.

Lets' start with his two most impassioned sections

On Sacks, 2:58 - 6:39:
"You guys know what I think about the whole 'sack' deal, right?"


On Rashaan Gary:
0:02 - 1:35: On being in shape and working hard
12:27 - 13:24: Benefits of learning for a year behind smart/great players
13:25 - 16:00: Why Rashaan will be a success.


Then this will certainly be interesting to dissect, for the Xs and Os crowd ([mention]Pckfn23[/mention]?)
On the 49ers game, 8:57 - 12:20:
Q: The Smiths' aggressiveness makes them good, but it was used against them by the 49ers.
A: Conversation about coaching and responses and how you come up with ideas to respond to specific approaches and how teams are attacking you.

On the depth
0:53: Asked About depth, but he basically doesn't say anything
16:05 - 17:23: Asked about depth, talks about hard work
17:25 - 19:03: Asked about how depth can stand out, "How important is football to ya?" "All in on everything"

Other topics:
1:35 - 2:45: The Smiths do things right... hard work gets rewarded
6:50 - 8:55: Preston Smith weight? Discussion of matchups, interior/exterior rushes
19:03 - end: Coverage drops, 4/3, 3/4, learning curves, etc.

[lupedafiasco]

If these OLBs have another good season this guys getting poached for a DC job I think. He’s coached up way too many good pass rushers not to get a chance.

[YoHoChecko]

If these OLBs have another good season this guys getting poached for a DC job I think. He’s coached up way too many good pass rushers not to get a chance.

That's possible; I wonder if he's seeking that or if he prefers the more hands on roles. I remember that we had the DL coach from the Panthers for a bit who said he missed being a position coach too much to ever be a coordinator again, things like that. Obviously, players love playing for him, and he has a lot of good concepts and a theory/mentality of how to make things work, so I could see it.

Unrelated to lupe's post, I genuinely just can't recall ever seeing a coach go out on a limb for a player's future as Smith just did about Gary. He's a true believer.

[YoHoChecko]

I want to see yoop, lupe, and all the others who hated the Gary selection get into a debate with Mike Smith on the forum on whether he was a good draft pick or not.

Agreed, that could be PPV

[go pak go]

If these OLBs have another good season this guys getting poached for a DC job I think. He’s coached up way too many good pass rushers not to get a chance.

That's possible; I wonder if he's seeking that or if he prefers the more hands on roles. I remember that we had the DL coach from the Panthers for a bit who said he missed being a position coach too much to ever be a coordinator again, things like that. Obviously, players love playing for him, and he has a lot of good concepts and a theory/mentality of how to make things work, so I could see it.

Unrelated to lupe's post, I genuinely just can't recall ever seeing a coach go out on a limb for a player's future as Smith just did about Gary. He's a true believer.

And he said the same thing last year after the draft. He was the one quote he ran down the hall after the pick he was so excited.

I also find it just overall interesting how both Jerry Gray and Mike Smith both basically said how rare and almost borderline stupid it is for rookies to have any meaningful role in the NFL. Both really made the case it is best for the rookie to sit on the sideline and watch and learn that first year.

Another topic I found very intriguing on this forum simply due to the long arguments we have deciding if high draft picks are successes not based on overall quality of the player, but instead how quickly the player shows quality.

[YoHoChecko]

I also find it just overall interesting how both Jerry Gray and Mike Smith both basically said how rare and almost borderline stupid it is for rookies to have any meaningful role in the NFL. Both really made the case it is best for the rookie to sit on the sideline and watch and learn that first year.

Another topic I found very intriguing on this forum simply due to the long arguments we have deciding if high draft picks are successes not based on overall quality of the player, but instead how quickly the player shows quality.

Look, did I love this interview maybe a little more because he seemed to reaffirm my thoughts on those sorts of matters? Maybe. But did I also share it because I think it's particularly salient considering this specific offseason for our team that we need to come to grips with as a fanbase? Also that.

And of course because enthusiasm is infectious and the sack rant and the Gary rant were epic.

[YoHoChecko]

Unrelated to lupe's post, I genuinely just can't recall ever seeing a coach go out on a limb for a player's future as Smith just did about Gary. He's a true believer.

And he said the same thing last year after the draft. He was the one quote he ran down the hall after the pick he was so excited.

I think it's very different to hear someone talk about the PERSON after working with him for a year rather than to hear him run around in excitement about the prospect he's seen on tape and in the drills. This carries a lot more weight than being excited about a rookie he's barely met.

[Labrev]

Part of my spirited defense of the Gary pick was that the guy not only had elite talent, but that this setting was ideal for getting that talent to pan out, with Smith being a big part of making the environment ideal.

[Pckfn23]

Nagler is by far the best Packer beat writer. The guy asks the tough questions.

Big old chaw in the lip. Glad I got away from that 8-9 years ago, but I still love seeing it, in a nostalgic way.

The TE influence block was big, no doubt. However he then talks about setting the edge... We didn't do that against SF, we pushed upfield. Maybe setting the edge will be a mindset this year. That will have an affect on pass rush effectiveness. Who knows though, we shall see.

His talk on how the league is changing is great. I think he has a HUGE future just based on his answer on how you can't be complacent.

Then his talk on molding the game to the player... I want him to be the successor to Pettine... Mike Smith for President!

[Yoop]

If the slot 12 pick isn't a QB then he should be starting pretty quick, I didn't like the Gary pick becausr the chance of that was slim, and we had needs for other positional players, like OL, DL, WR, TE, CB, and according to Gute a QB

position coaches obviously gonna be excited for a player they wanted, what will excite me is double digit sacks and 60 plus cumulatives, it's all about the pressures to me, get those and your bound to get some sacks, it's not like I want this kid to fail so I can told you so, I simply would have chosen someone else.


ya I'am watching it twice, I'am just about done with the Gary segment, he's wiping cope of his lower lip

[TheGreenMan]

Mike Smith is a guy I'd hire to talk about me to me, so I feel good about me.

[go pak go]

Mike Smith is a guy I'd hire to talk about me to me, so I feel good about me.

You notice though when talking about everyone behind Smith he didn't really say much which based on the role he was going, I was expecting him to praise everyone like you see a lot of position coaches do....but he didn't really do that. He just mentioned names.

But lordy did he praise Gary.

[lupedafiasco]

I want to see yoop, lupe, and all the others who hated the Gary selection get into a debate with Mike Smith on the forum on whether he was a good draft pick or not.

Agreed, that could be PPV

It would still be an awful pick given the money already tied up in the OLB position. It makes no sense. You’re still benching a premium resource.

[go pak go]

I want to see yoop, lupe, and all the others who hated the Gary selection get into a debate with Mike Smith on the forum on whether he was a good draft pick or not.

Agreed, that could be PPV

It would still be an awful pick given the money already tied up in the OLB position. It makes no sense. You’re still benching a premium resource.

I just fail to see why when the 49ers have 5 premium players in their front 7 it is stroke of genius. Especially when they then get to trade away one of their top players...use that draft pick on another top end player and it's viewed as an even greater stroke of genius and the 9ers getting even better.

But then when the Packers do the same thing (only it is 4 players) it is a big pile of wasted resources.

[Yoop]

Agreed, that could be PPV

It would still be an awful pick given the money already tied up in the OLB position. It makes no sense. You’re still benching a premium resource.

I just fail to see why when the 49ers have 5 premium players in their front 7 it is stroke of genius. Especially when they then get to trade away one of their top players...use that draft pick on another top end player and it's viewed as an even greater stroke of genius and the 9ers getting even better.

But then when the Packers do the same thing (only it is 4 players) it is a big pile of wasted resources.

simple, it wasn't the same as SF, what we could have used last year was another DT, a ILB, a better WR, same at TE.

It's like the LOve pick, drafting for the future leaves holes in the roster today, Smith obviously wont trash any of his players, coaches rarely do, look how he gushed over Fackrells ability to drop and cover, yet he's no longer on the team, so how good was he really? we'll see how good Gary is when the games start.

same with Love, right now Boyle is schooling him, sure it's great to have this situation, but it came at a steep price, and cost us the oppertunity to improve another position on the team, whatever, the jury is on sabaticle concerning these two picks.

and Smith should wait till after pressers to load his jowels with copenhagon

as to the pass rush I thought he made it clear, the #1 goal of a OLB is to get to the passer, and dialing that back to defend the edge is secondary, and 80% of the time we are in some sort of 4-3 alignment, which suggest that we mostly single gap our DT's.

It's nice to have a coach confirm what you believe ya saw during the games

[go pak go]

whatever, the jury is on sabaticle concerning these two picks.

Thank you.

[lupedafiasco]

Agreed, that could be PPV

It would still be an awful pick given the money already tied up in the OLB position. It makes no sense. You’re still benching a premium resource.

I just fail to see why when the 49ers have 5 premium players in their front 7 it is stroke of genius. Especially when they then get to trade away one of their top players...use that draft pick on another top end player and it's viewed as an even greater stroke of genius and the 9ers getting even better.

But then when the Packers do the same thing (only it is 4 players) it is a big pile of wasted resources.

That’s a different situation. In the 9ers case they were getting the best player in the entire draft in Bosa. Even if they had the top pick this year and took chase young I wouldn’t have criticized that either. Just makes sense.

They also knew they could trade one of them for a high pick without picking up the huge cap hit like we are going to incur when we have to cut Preston early to get use from our pick.

[go pak go]

It would still be an awful pick given the money already tied up in the OLB position. It makes no sense. You’re still benching a premium resource.

I just fail to see why when the 49ers have 5 premium players in their front 7 it is stroke of genius. Especially when they then get to trade away one of their top players...use that draft pick on another top end player and it's viewed as an even greater stroke of genius and the 9ers getting even better.

But then when the Packers do the same thing (only it is 4 players) it is a big pile of wasted resources.

That’s a different situation. In the 9ers case they were getting the best player in the entire draft in Bosa. Even if they had the top pick this year and took chase young I wouldn’t have criticized that either. Just makes sense.

They also knew they could trade one of them for a high pick without picking up the huge cap hit like we are going to incur when we have to cut Preston early to get use from our pick.

Or Rashan Gary turns out to be the great player Mike Smith is saying he is and his talent and genetics suggests he is. We have a three-headed monster rushing attack who all have 60+ pressures per season. Opposing OC's have a hell of a time game planning because they can't just focus on taking away one rusher but instead need to focus on three which means one rusher...likely 2 rushers are always in a one on one matchup to get to the quarterback. And this isn't even considering that Kenny Clark may get less double teamed where he can get to the QB right away.

We enjoy the best or close to the best front 7 for the next two years (which would really take a step forward if we get good production from just one more Dlineman who honestly has everything going for him because the opposing offense is so concerned about Gary, Z, P smith and Clark.

And then we get either good trade comp or compensatory compensation for Preston Smith as early as spring 2022 but maybe have to wait until spring 2024. But in the meantime we have a front 7 we have all dreamed and complained we never had the last 15 years.

We can get exactly what the 49ers had. We just need to let it play out. The highly coveted 49ers front 7 was starting to be labeled as a bust in 2017 and 2018 too....until it wasn't.

[Backthepack4ever]

Love listening to him talk. Great share. The guy knows and loves this game.

IF gary can be anything close to what Mike thinks this pass rush along with the secondary will be unreal.

Great points on sacks not being everything. The pressures and hits are important

His take on being the best conditioned team. Late it games last year I thought we did get tired 1st. Hope they can improve that area