Originally posted by Joecool:
Originally posted by dj43:
After completing my OL analysis (different thread) yesterday, I was much more encouraged with his pocket presence and ability to put the ball where it needs to be. Also, a full off-season with the young receivers will help everyone a lot. Far too many times the receivers did not run routes consistently or deep enough for first downs.
Smith MAY get to the point where he is good enough to overcome all these other deficiencies, but for now, he can't throw from a pocket that doesn't exist and he can't run routes for the receivers. What he does need to do is learn to keep his passes lower. That is one thing that still bothers me.
Still much work to be done in coordinating the offense. The radical change it went through this year after it became obvious the OL couldn't be a power running line, makes it far too difficult to decide see the end of the tunnel from here.
The bold, I totally agree with and would like to add a couple of other things. He REALLY needs to work on his pass to the 5-8 yard crossing route. He must hit the receiver on stride more often than he has done.
The second thing he MUST work on is the tendency to not step into some of his deeper throws. It seems as though he wants to get the ball out there too fast and rushes the throw. He needs more knee bend on those.
As for the other things such as shifting in the pocket, seeing passing lanes and moving his throw into those lanes rather than trying to throw through the line, he will get with more comfort.
So far, he has shown enough to be given a complete look and chance to help this team win. However, if people keep posting on here that he has all this "talent" and is playing like a top level QB, then believe me, I will be the first to post his many, many inconsistencies. 
We are in overall agreement.
I will say he has looked better on those crossing routes. The problem, to my eye, is that frequently the routes are not being run consistently. Far too many times I have seen Vernon Davis break off routes, sometimes just because the umpire is in the way. He needs to learn to read the umpire and use him as an asset instead of an obstacle.
Finally, I was very impressed with Smith's decison to step up in the pocket yesterday. As I did my OL analysis, I did not see a single time when there was a pocket there, that he did not take advantage of it. In fact, on the long pass completion to Crabtree, he hung in there until the last split second to throw off his back foot, and still had enough on the ball the complete it.
Still work to be done but the closer I look, the more hope I have.
