DT Tanzel Smart attempts to crack rotation

[BonifayRam]

https://www.turfshowtimes.com/2019/...-rams-roster-preview-depth-chart-tanzel-smart

2019 Los Angeles Rams roster preview: DT Tanzel Smart attempts to crack rotation
Third times a charm, right? Tanzel Smart is hoping that’s the case as the third-year defensive lineman looks to earn consistent playing time.

By Sosa Kremenjas@QBsMVP Jul 9, 2019, 9:30am CDT

Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Heading into his third season as a Los Angeles Rams player, DL Tanzel Smart is looking to earn a steady role in the rotation of defensive lineman. Up until now, the former sixth-round draft pick has bounced around between the inactives list and the bench, hardly garnering any playing time outside of a short spurt in 2017.

Roster Battle
The defensive line battle is one of the tougher positions on the roster to evaluate. Veteran DT Michael Brockers and superstar DT Aaron Donald are surefire starters, though the potential for playing time behind them is available. Rookie fifth-round pick NT Greg Gaines has a good shot to start at nose tackle on base downs, with Sebastian Joseph-Day as a sneaky candidate to earn reps behind him. Other guys who’ll factor in on the defensive line are John Franklin-Myers who may play more 5-tech/defensive end, and Morgan Fox who’s making the switch back to having his hand in the dirt after a short stint at outside linebacker in 2018.

Expectations
The expectations for Smart should be to simply crack the 53-man roster. If he’s able to impress in training camp and during the preseason, that goal should be attainable. Regardless, Smart isn’t likely to be a major factor on the defensive line in 2019.

Chances of making the final roster (4.5/10)
For a player on the back-end of the roster, Smart actually has a decent shot to make the roster. The battle will likely come down to Smart versus Morgan Fox. The leg up for Smart is Fox is still recovering from a torn ACL in 2018 that ended his season before it started.

 

[Loyal]

Not very hopeful about this. Smart just hasn't been able to do it by now, younger guys will get a better shot than he gets now...

 

[Merlin]

Yeah Smart hasn't really shown any growth. And this DL group has some better depth now for this scheme. Gonna be tough.

 

[shovelpass]

He played 6 snaps last season. Yeah Suh is gone but with a rookie and a 2nd year player to replace him and a healthy Fox along with JFM I don't see him topping that number.

 

[OldSchool]

A sixth round pick being a career backup and rotational guy isn’t a bad thing at all. It would be nice if you grabbed a starter there but we can live with a backup.

 

[oldnotdead]

Tanzel has the physical measurables you want as strictly a 3T. He's got good quickness, long arms (just under 33") and decent strength. That said he simply hasn't taken that next step. IMO this is a show or go TC for him. He needs to show growth in his game, which he simply hasn't done. He needs to be the man that is without question the guy that is on the field when Donald isn't.

Smart isn't a NT that much is shown in his time. He isn't a DE as well. Tanzel is strictly a 3T so he lacks scheme versatility that Wade wants. He's played behind the best DT in the NFL for two years. He needs to show he has learned something in that time.

 

[den-the-coach]

Never liked Smart, but maybe this year he'll be better. Just too light and not quick enough for my liking and barring injury I believe this year will be his last year in horns,.

 

[Akrasian]

I went to grad school at Tulane, so I really, really want to like him. He's going to have to look impressive in training camp in order to make the team. If by year 3 he's not clearly the best guy for a deep backup spot, then time to move on with one of the UDFAs. The cap hit is about the same this year and less for future years, and maybe they will take a step forward, where he apparently hasn't.

 

[Ram65]

Tanzel got pushed around his rookie year. You don't read much about him so it's hard to say if he has improved enough to stay. Seems the odds are getting longer for Tanzel to stick with the Rams.

 

[BonifayRam]

Tanzel has the physical measurables you want as strictly a 3T. He's got good quickness, long arms (just under 33") and decent strength. That said he simply hasn't taken that next step. IMO this is a show or go TC for him. He needs to show growth in his game, which he simply hasn't done. He needs to be the man that is without question the guy that is on the field when Donald isn't.

Smart isn't a NT that much is shown in his time. He isn't a DE as well. Tanzel is strictly a 3T so he lacks scheme versatility that Wade wants. He's played behind the best DT in the NFL for two years. He needs to show he has learned something in that time.

So true Tanzel Smart is not as versatile as our other DL'ers. Like you said he backs up a MVP who does not leave the field. TS does not bring much to the other two DL posts either. So activating on game day basically a one post playing DL'er who backs up AD just does not make much sense.

I went to grad school at Tulane, so I really, really want to like him. He's going to have to look impressive in training camp in order to make the team. If by year 3 he's not clearly the best guy for a deep backup spot, then time to move on with one of the UDFAs. The cap hit is about the same this year and less for future years, and maybe they will take a step forward, where he apparently hasn't.

TS is going to have some serious competition for his roster spot. John Franklin-Myers passed Tanzel in his rookie season. Now with his added size pounds & muscle & his rookie season behind him there has been talk of both the 5 tech & 3 tech back-up roles in his future. Henderson might chose JFM as his starter @ his best skilled post @ 5 tech thus freeing up our most experienced DL Micheal Brockers to play a major role in all three DL posts. Besides the DE posts Brockers can help out the new rookie NT's when needed & slide into Aaron Donald's post to spell him without too much of a drop off. Brockers has good 3 tech skills & was playing that position when Aaron Donald arrived in 2014.

Second season Sebastian Joseph-Day has been working as the starting NT going into TC with our talented drafted Rookie NT Greg Gaines right there beside him. Both of this DL'ers look to have a roster spot already locked up. Greg Gaines is fully capable of playing both the NT & 3 tech posts. Likewise SJ-D is capable of playing the 5 tech & NT posts on early run downs.

Aaron Donald's buddy Morgan Fox is a proven 4 yr vet so versatile that he has played both DE's posts in the 43 DL alignment. Fox also fits in good in Wades 34 DL alignment in the 5 tech & 3 tech,plus as an emergency 2 point stance as his Edge Rusher. Tanzel Smart can not compete with a healthy Morgan Fox pass rush skill & abilities. Of course the key here is healthy. Snead then decided to sign & provide Wade & Henderson with 3 other rookie DL'ers... Marquise Copeland, Boogie Roberts, Bryant Jones. Copeland is a 5 tech/ NT DL'er & Roberts is more 3 tech/5 tech DL & Jones is primarily NT.

He played 6 snaps last season. Yeah Suh is gone but with a rookie and a 2nd year player to replace him and a healthy Fox along with JFM I don't see him topping that number.

From what I observed last season as to why we did not see but a glimpse of Tanzel was there was simply no need to put him on the field. The Rams 3 tech starter (Donald may be the best defensive player in the NFL). When AD was relieved (which was not often) Wade would shift or insert Suh / Brockers / John Franklin-Myers or Westbrooks . All of them much better overall DL'ers than Tanzel.

 

[oldnotdead]

IMO the only way they slot JFM behind AD is because they moved Obo behind Brockers. They could do it but I doubt they will. Obo is their insurance in case they can't extend Fowler. With Mathews behind Ebukam they could do it using Samson in rotation with Brockers. JFM took all of his snaps in rotation with Brockers. Personally I think JFM is a better DT than DE due to his power style of play. It's why I think if they can extend Fowler, they should shift Obo to DE which will give them better pass rush from both the outside positions. JFM can backup both AD and Obo at those positions in rotation.

I think JFM would be fine as an early down DE but he hasn't shown he can flat out beat an OT in his pass rush. He's got one move the bull rush with no apparent counters. His first step is decent but not good enough to threaten a good OT outside. Obo is smaller and lighter and equal in straight line speed. But IMO Obo's first step is more explosive and he can then get around the edge, threatening the OT in that regard. This opens up Obo's spin move to get by the OT. In other words, Obo is the better pass rusher.

So IMO this season both JFM and Obo will stay where they are and next season any change will be tied to Fowler and Brockers future with the team.

 

[Rams43]

Lot’s of good comments about backups and roster spot battles in this thread.

Plenty of food for thought as we wait for many battles within this loaded roster.

I’m gonna try to just sit back while the respective players and coaches sort all this out. This camp should certainly be a doozy, huh?

 

[BonifayRam]

Tanzel Smart can prove he belongs with Ndamukong Suh gone

Every team NFL needs a big dude who holds down the middle, and the Rams have that in Smart.

www.sbnation.com

Tanzel Smart can prove he belongs in the Rams’ lineup without Ndamukong Suh around anymore
Every team NFL needs a big dude who holds down the middle, and the Rams have that in Smart.

By Stephen White Aug 23, 2019



Tanzel Smart probably doesn’t have many fond memories of last season, even though his Rams made it all the way to the Super Bowl. He went from playing quite a bit, and even starting four games, as a rookie sixth-round pick in 2017, to not recording a single statistic while active for just two games last season.

I don’t know how much that had to do with the fact that the Rams signed Ndamukong Suh to take over for Smart as the starting “nose tackle,” but it does seem curious to me that he was rarely even on the game day roster. Even in the two games in which he was active, Smart only played a handful of snaps.

Smart is particularly puzzling to me because I thought he played pretty well when I watched his rookie film. Now, we all know that Suh wasn’t just a nose tackle. I’m not sure how well Smart could have handled moving around the line the way that Suh did last season. But solely judging him as a nose tackle, I thought there was a lot to like about how Smart played.

And now that Suh has moved on to the Buccaneers, the Rams once again have an open starting nose tackle spot.

I don’t see any reason why Smart can’t work himself back into the lineup.

At 6’1 and 295 pounds, Smart isn’t the biggest nose tackle, but he plays with good leverage, which makes him hell on offensive lines. It doesn’t matter whether Smith gets singled or doubled, the guy does a good job of anchoring down and refusing to be pushed around.

He also has a pretty quick get-off at times that allows him to get some push of his own. Smart also gets good extension with his arms when taking on blocks to keep offensive linemen off of him. He didn’t get overwhelmed very often on film because he always stayed low and kept a good base with his feet.

Smart probably won’t ever be a big sack guy, but he is still pretty athletic for a nose tackle. He has the ability to push the pocket with his power rushes, and he does a good job of working to an edge once he recognizes pass blocking.

I think he has room to improve on escaping off of the block once he has gotten some push and worked to an edge, but he is still young, and as he heads into his third season the 24-year-old still has a ton of upside.
For all we know, Smart may have used last season to work on improving his pass-rush skills.

And he certainly could have improved this offseason as well. I would imagine after not playing much last season, Smart has to be motivated to earn himself some playing time this preseason. How he performs will be the key to whether he writes his redemption story this season.

I tell you what, he sure looked much improved in his first preseason appearance against the Raiders. He had more lateral quickness and wiggle than I saw on his rookie tape.

Yeah, I know it was just the preseason, but he was getting after it, and I, for one, was encouraged to see his growth as a player. It was also interesting to see the Rams play him at three-technique instead of nose tackle. If he can move around a little up front, and it appears that he can, that versatility could help him break into the Rams’ rotation if he’s not in the starting lineup.

No matter what anybody tries to tell you, every team still needs big boys on defense to hold it down in the middle. Those guys are sometimes overlooked these days with the NFL becoming such a passing league. But no one seems to miss having a good run-stuffing nose tackle until they don’t have one.

Suh’s departure created an opening for someone to step up to the plate and take over that job. Smart looked to be on track to be a fine nose tackle as a rookie, but somewhere things got sidetracked. Now he has the opportunity to once again show his team that it can count on him. If he can finish this preseason strong, I believe he will be able to get back in the mix, and his production will soar.

Confidence level: Moderate

 

[nighttrain]

Smart's best chance is with another NFL team
train

 

[Riverumbbq]

I'm thinking/wondering if SJD should somehow beat out Gaines at NT, Gaines might be our best answer for back-up at both NT and Donald's 3T position. Similarly, should Gaines win NT, SJD could cover as back-up for Brockers' interior DT positions. Flexibility is what Phillips wants out there, and this might open a spot for Copeland if he can beat out what looks like a struggling Morgan Fox. Since Brockers will become a free agent following this season, perhaps Copeland can also give the equally struggling JFM a run for his money. jmo.

My score after two pre-season games :

DE) 1-Brockers, 2-JFM, 3-Copeland
NT) 1-Gaines, 2-SJD
3TDT) 1-Donald, 2-Gaines
DT) 1-Brockers, 2-SJD, 3-Copeland

6 Defensive Linemen Total

 

[BonifayRam]

Wade is very quick to move from his base D to a 2-4-5 D. If he continues to trend in this direction is more DL'ers really needed?

You're right, Wade/Henderson do have some serious versatility in their starting base front five. The reserve DL'ers have it too. I have not seen much to get excited about from our front 3 player DL in preseason.

UDFA Copeland is a DL'er I like & I have seen some flashed from. He started @ NT most of his college career but his skills scream 5 tech DE in this defense. Morgan Fox does offer something different where he can line up @ 5-tech DE or one either wings @ ER.

DE/DT Franklin-Myers seems to have taken a few steps back from last year. Tanzel Smart who was strictly 3 tech & did nothing last season has flashed on a few but missed a lot of tackles on the field too in the 2 preseason gms. I am not a fan.

It would be awful if we kept a DL'er like Smart but released LB'ers like Natrez Patrick & Dakota Allen.

If Wade went with only five DL'ers I like DT Copeland & NT Jones to make the PS