Geno Smith is one of the most heavily discussed draft picks for the 2013 class and the Philadelphia Eagles are one team that will take a long look at the West Virginia quarterback, as the franchise will host him for a visit on Wednesday.
According to NFL.com, Smith visited with the Kansas City Chiefs on Tuesday and now will see Chip Kelly and the revamped Eagles. The team had the number four pick and although they already have Nick Foles, Dennis Dixon and Michael Vick on the roster, Kelly is leaving no stone unturned. Smith could be a long-term solution for the team and he fits the mold for a Kelly offense that he ran in Oregon.
There is a chance that the Eagles could trade down in the draft to get more picks if they feel no players is worth at four, but they are making sure to do all their homework before making that decision. The team also has Trent Edwards on the roster and chances are Dixon will remain with the team past training camp since Kelly had him with the Ducks. The team has not shown their cards yet when it comes to the draft and some options could include Dion Jordon as well as Jarvis Jones or Dee Milliner if he drops.
The Eagles are bringing in Smith for more meetings after having a private workout for him in West Virginia and although he has gotten a few bad reports from scouts, the Eagles want to make sure they see as much of Smith as they can. The team ranked 13th in passing last season while going 4-12 and they would like to add a long term solution to the mix if they decide to trade Foles down the line.
Smith has been taking it on the chin from some scouts, including from Pro Football Weekly draft analyst Nolan Nawrocki, who gave a harsh review to Smith, much like the one he gave Cam Newton two years ago. Many have come out to rail on Nawrocki, but he is one of the best analysts in the draft and he looks at things without any personal agenda.
Nawrocki wrote that he thinks Smith is not a "student of the game" and has a rough time with hard coaching and that he is not a leadership type of player. He compared him to Akili Smith and Aaron Brooks, two quarterbacks that never did much and that Smith is a product of a system. Smith started the season with 25 touchdowns and zero interceptions, but the rest of the way he threw 18 scores and had six picks while his completion percentage went from over 80 to under 65 percent during the final eight games of the year.
Others have laughed off the report, including his former quarterbacks coach at West Virginia, Jake Spavital, who said that Smith was a "dream" as a coach. The draft process can be a tough one and while Smith got a rough assessment from Nawrocki, his words did not stop the Panthers from drafting Cam Newton number one overall.