Aldon Smith vs Oher

Maurice is right in that Aldon has had highs and lows during his rookie year, but I find it interesting that he comments ONLY after he has a non-impactful game, which happens to everyone (from Jared Allen to Peyton Manning), and outright disappears when he has a strong performance.

Originally posted by dtg_9er:
His bull rush today was something we haven't see a SF LB do for...ever? What I love most about Aldon Smith is that he will be playing next to J Smith, Sopoaga and McDonald. That group, along with Willis, Bowman...wow!

Oh my, do you remember the way Manny Lawson's arms crumpled and folded everytime he came into contact with an OT? I'd take a one armed Aldon over Manny at this point in time LOL!

Originally posted by Baugh_Area:

Originally posted by dtg_9er:
His bull rush today was something we haven't see a SF LB do for...ever? What I love most about Aldon Smith is that he will be playing next to J Smith, Sopoaga and McDonald. That group, along with Willis, Bowman...wow!

Oh my, do you remember the way Manny Lawson's arms crumpled and folded everytime he came into contact with an OT? I'd take a one armed Aldon over Manny at this point in time LOL!

Yeah this defense could b legendary. All it took was replacing one OLB for another.

Originally posted by Young2Rice:

Originally posted by Baugh_Area:

Originally posted by dtg_9er:
His bull rush today was something we haven't see a SF LB do for...ever? What I love most about Aldon Smith is that he will be playing next to J Smith, Sopoaga and McDonald. That group, along with Willis, Bowman...wow!

Oh my, do you remember the way Manny Lawson's arms crumpled and folded everytime he came into contact with an OT? I'd take a one armed Aldon over Manny at this point in time LOL!

Yeah this defense could b legendary. All it took was replacing one OLB for another.

Originally posted by HessianDud:

Originally posted by Young2Rice:

Originally posted by Baugh_Area:

Originally posted by dtg_9er:
His bull rush today was something we haven't see a SF LB do for...ever? What I love most about Aldon Smith is that he will be playing next to J Smith, Sopoaga and McDonald. That group, along with Willis, Bowman...wow!

Oh my, do you remember the way Manny Lawson's arms crumpled and folded everytime he came into contact with an OT? I'd take a one armed Aldon over Manny at this point in time LOL!

Yeah this defense could b legendary. All it took was replacing one OLB for another.

LOL, I think it's a joke. At least, these guys think it's a joke:

JIm harbaugh
Vic Fangio
Ray McDonald
Navorro Bowman
Carlos Rogers
Dashon Goldson
Dontae Whitner
Chris Culliver

Originally posted by Baugh_Area:

Originally posted by HessianDud:

Originally posted by Young2Rice:

Originally posted by Baugh_Area:

Originally posted by dtg_9er:
His bull rush today was something we haven't see a SF LB do for...ever? What I love most about Aldon Smith is that he will be playing next to J Smith, Sopoaga and McDonald. That group, along with Willis, Bowman...wow!

Oh my, do you remember the way Manny Lawson's arms crumpled and folded everytime he came into contact with an OT? I'd take a one armed Aldon over Manny at this point in time LOL!

Yeah this defense could b legendary. All it took was replacing one OLB for another.

LOL, I think it's a joke. At least, these guys think it's a joke:

JIm harbaugh
Vic Fangio
Ray McDonald
Navorro Bowman
Carlos Rogers
Dashon Goldson
Dontae Whitner
Chris Culliver

What i meant was by adding an elite pass rusher, we turned the team from a great unit to potentially legendary.

Originally posted by Young2Rice:

Originally posted by Baugh_Area:

Originally posted by HessianDud:

Originally posted by Young2Rice:

Originally posted by Baugh_Area:

Originally posted by dtg_9er:
His bull rush today was something we haven't see a SF LB do for...ever? What I love most about Aldon Smith is that he will be playing next to J Smith, Sopoaga and McDonald. That group, along with Willis, Bowman...wow!

Oh my, do you remember the way Manny Lawson's arms crumpled and folded everytime he came into contact with an OT? I'd take a one armed Aldon over Manny at this point in time LOL!

Yeah this defense could b legendary. All it took was replacing one OLB for another.

LOL, I think it's a joke. At least, these guys think it's a joke:

JIm harbaugh
Vic Fangio
Ray McDonald
Navorro Bowman
Carlos Rogers
Dashon Goldson
Dontae Whitner
Chris Culliver

What i meant was by adding an elite pass rusher, we turned the team from a great unit to potentially legendary.

Ah, I see. It is pretty amazing how much better we are on 3rd downs this year!!!

Aldon for DROY!!!!

Originally posted by Young2Rice:

Originally posted by Baugh_Area:

Originally posted by HessianDud:

Originally posted by Young2Rice:

Originally posted by Baugh_Area:

Originally posted by dtg_9er:
His bull rush today was something we haven't see a SF LB do for...ever? What I love most about Aldon Smith is that he will be playing next to J Smith, Sopoaga and McDonald. That group, along with Willis, Bowman...wow!

Oh my, do you remember the way Manny Lawson's arms crumpled and folded everytime he came into contact with an OT? I'd take a one armed Aldon over Manny at this point in time LOL!

Yeah this defense could b legendary. All it took was replacing one OLB for another.

LOL, I think it's a joke. At least, these guys think it's a joke:

JIm harbaugh
Vic Fangio
Ray McDonald
Navorro Bowman
Carlos Rogers
Dashon Goldson
Dontae Whitner
Chris Culliver

What i meant was by adding an elite pass rusher, we turned the team from a great unit to potentially legendary.

I think I get what you're saying, but I think my confusion comes from the fact that he arrived more or less at the same time as several other newcomers, as well as changes in position or on the depth chart for several guys who were already here. Its hard to separate him out as the piece that brought about a lot of change.

Originally posted by MadDog49er:

Originally posted by oldninerdude:
Actually, you've got it backwards.

You're just now saying what many of the rest of this board have been saying all along: Aldon Smith's got great potential (and was well worth the 7th pick).

Nobody on this board has been throwing a "mountain of accolades" at Aldon Smith. That's a gross overstatement, hyperbole compounded.

It's just another of the many straw men you so often set up so you can knock it down, and thereby belittle the "many [anonymous, non-existent] board members" you're pretending might have actually said this.

Thus you go to great extremes, and insult virtually the entire board, to try to make yourself look better, and in this case to try to backpeddle from your initial criticism of the Aldon Smith pick.

Its sad, really.

Now stop bothering me.

Beating dead horse once again: If you read my draft review, you will notice that I stated that Smith has a ton of potential, but that I felt he was not worth the risk at number seven, even though I had him as the top OLB on my board when the team picked. I saw him as a player down the board a bit, and that other players were better options for the team. Hence, the C grade, not an F grade. Nobody is saying the pick is a disaster. I leave that to my analysis of Taylor Mays and Chilo Rachal.

Many on the board simply cannot accept the fact that when he has an off day, that he is having an off day. Excuses are thrown his way..."if the QB held the ball three more seconds, "if he had more playing time", "if this" and "if that". Right now, the past few games, he is not producing in the main role assigned to him, get to the QB. It doesn't mean his career is doomed, it just means he is up and down. Meanwhile, guys like Von Miller, who are consistently chewing up offenses, would not be traded if Smith was offered? That is the sentiment by a lot of people on this thread, which to me, is crazy talk.

As for your previous statements on JJ Watt, you are not being intellectually honest when reading my writing. Nobody has stated that Watt is single-handedly changing the Texans' defense. However, he in undeniably a giant piece in the transformation, and he is emerging as one of the better 3-4 DE's in the game as a rookie, not a guy who is coming off the bench in nickle situations. The impact of a Watt, Kerrigan, Miller, is much greater than Smith. You would surely not deny that, would you?

Originally posted by HessianDud:

Originally posted by Young2Rice:

Originally posted by Baugh_Area:

Originally posted by HessianDud:

Originally posted by Young2Rice:

Originally posted by Baugh_Area:

Originally posted by dtg_9er:
His bull rush today was something we haven't see a SF LB do for...ever? What I love most about Aldon Smith is that he will be playing next to J Smith, Sopoaga and McDonald. That group, along with Willis, Bowman...wow!

Oh my, do you remember the way Manny Lawson's arms crumpled and folded everytime he came into contact with an OT? I'd take a one armed Aldon over Manny at this point in time LOL!

Yeah this defense could b legendary. All it took was replacing one OLB for another.

LOL, I think it's a joke. At least, these guys think it's a joke:

JIm harbaugh
Vic Fangio
Ray McDonald
Navorro Bowman
Carlos Rogers
Dashon Goldson
Dontae Whitner
Chris Culliver

What i meant was by adding an elite pass rusher, we turned the team from a great unit to potentially legendary.

I think I get what you're saying, but I think my confusion comes from the fact that he arrived more or less at the same time as several other newcomers, as well as changes in position or on the depth chart for several guys who were already here. Its hard to separate him out as the piece that brought about a lot of change.

Let's add getting rid of Manusky and his super passive game planning as another reason the defense improved.

Originally posted by BrianGO:
What is the debate going on right now?

Which of these statements is wrong?

1. Miller is better than Smith right now.
2. Smith's sack production PER SNAP is close to, if not equal to Miller's.
3. Because Smith is making such a big transition from college, he is much more raw than Miller right now.
4. Because Smith is raw, he has a chance to get even better.
5. If not for Von Miller, Aldon Smith would be a very strong candidate for DROY.

What is there to not be excited about?
Miller is one of the most amazing OLB's to come out since Merriman. I am confused as to how this diminishes Aldon Smith's performance.

There is every reason to be excited. Smith has played very well in a number of games this year. But, for some to attempt to equate his success this year with Miller's is laughable. Miller is in a league of his own, and those who are blinded to reality only make a joke of themselves. Take this question to any other non-49ers board, and you'd have a 99.9% to 0.1% vote that Miller is superior in 2011.

As to answer your questions:
1) Yes, Miller is better
2) You cannot project out sacks per snap. You don't know if he would produce at the same level if he had more opportunities. It is a phantom stat. Most importantly, as a 4-3 OLB, Miller is rarely rushing the QB in non-nickel down situations. So, Smith is probably on the field as much as Miller on passing downs. And, his only role right now is to rush the QB, while Miller plays multiple roles on the team (he does not always rush, but sometimes drops into coverage on passing downs).
3) Everyone is making such a big transition to college. In fact, Smith's transition is probably less challenging that Miller, as Miller is switching from a 3-4 OLB to a 4-3 OLB, while Smith is primarily playing the same position in college, as a 4-3 DE in nickel downs.
4) Every player has a chance to get better. He is raw because he is young, but other guys like JJ Watt are only 6 months older, and have about the same playing experience as a starter.
5) If not for Miller, Smith is still a third or fourth place candidate. No non-starter is going to win DROY, period. Too many other guys making a huge impact on their team. Smith is right now a one-dimensional, part time player. He is very good at what he does, but is not in contention for DROY.

We have every reason to be excited. However, we also have to be realistic, and fair to the other players making bigger contributions to their teams around the league. If we only have our 49ers blinkers on, it makes us blind homers. And, that is not a good thing.

For those who think I have gone overboard with the blind homer statement, think about the Bryant Young for Hall of Fame thread on the board from the past. The vast majority of the board stated he is a lock to be a Hall of Famer because....they want him to be a Hall of Famer. I do too, but if you look at the other candidates, and the history of the hall, and the few that make it every year, the chance of him getting in is very small. 49ers fans have every reason to be thrilled and excited, but they also have to be realistic about how the rest of the league and the rest of the fans feel about individual players. Nobody is talking about the dominance of Aldon Smith outside of this board.

Originally posted by MadDog49er:
If we only have our 49ers blinkers on, it makes us blind homers. And, that is not a good thing.

why.

Originally posted by MadDog49er:
There is every reason to be excited. Smith has played very well in a number of games this year. But, for some to attempt to equate his success this year with Miller's is laughable. Miller is in a league of his own, and those who are blinded to reality only make a joke of themselves. Take this question to any other non-49ers board, and you'd have a 99.9% to 0.1% vote that Miller is superior in 2011.

As to answer your questions:
1) Yes, Miller is better
2) You cannot project out sacks per snap. You don't know if he would produce at the same level if he had more opportunities. It is a phantom stat. Most importantly, as a 4-3 OLB, Miller is rarely rushing the QB in non-nickel down situations. So, Smith is probably on the field as much as Miller on passing downs. And, his only role right now is to rush the QB, while Miller plays multiple roles on the team (he does not always rush, but sometimes drops into coverage on passing downs).
3) Everyone is making such a big transition to college. In fact, Smith's transition is probably less challenging that Miller, as Miller is switching from a 3-4 OLB to a 4-3 OLB, while Smith is primarily playing the same position in college, as a 4-3 DE in nickel downs.
4) Every player has a chance to get better. He is raw because he is young, but other guys like JJ Watt are only 6 months older, and have about the same playing experience as a starter.
5) If not for Miller, Smith is still a third or fourth place candidate. No non-starter is going to win DROY, period. Too many other guys making a huge impact on their team. Smith is right now a one-dimensional, part time player. He is very good at what he does, but is not in contention for DROY.

We have every reason to be excited. However, we also have to be realistic, and fair to the other players making bigger contributions to their teams around the league. If we only have our 49ers blinkers on, it makes us blind homers. And, that is not a good thing.

For those who think I have gone overboard with the blind homer statement, think about the Bryant Young for Hall of Fame thread on the board from the past. The vast majority of the board stated he is a lock to be a Hall of Famer because....they want him to be a Hall of Famer. I do too, but if you look at the other candidates, and the history of the hall, and the few that make it every year, the chance of him getting in is very small. 49ers fans have every reason to be thrilled and excited, but they also have to be realistic about how the rest of the league and the rest of the fans feel about individual players. Nobody is talking about the dominance of Aldon Smith outside of this board.

Really?? I think his Defensive Rookie of the Month and 2 Rookie of the Week awards say otherwise. Give me a break.
You also conveniently left out that Miller was benched earlier this year for being...one dimensional and struggling in coverage. Shocking I know given he's a future HOF already.
Oh and you have proven yourself wrong again with the assertion that "No non-starter is going to win DROY, period". Suggs would beg to differ.

Aldon must have stole Maddogs lunch money or something

Originally posted by Hoovtrain:
Really?? I think his Defensive Rookie of the Month and 2 Rookie of the Week awards say otherwise. Give me a break.
You also conveniently left out that Miller was benched earlier this year for being...one dimensional and struggling in coverage. Shocking I know given he's a future HOF already.
Oh and you have proven yourself wrong again with the assertion that "No non-starter is going to win DROY, period". Suggs would beg to differ.

Yeah, not to mention he gets pimped by every announcer we've had this year. During the Rams game they were absolutely gushing about him and that was before his 1st sack.