Carlos Rogers online journal

[joecrisp]

Originally Posted by dieselhog

Let's not all start forgetting what Smoot brought to this team in terms of toughness, passion for winning and ecellent play.

Maybe Rogers will be better but he shouldn't really be touted as 'better than Smoot' before he has even played a competitive down as a Redskin - I think that's a bit disrespectful to Smoot.

I agree dieselhog. I truly hope Rogers turns out to be 'better than Smoot from day one,' but Smoot established a pretty high standard of performance-- particularly over the last two years-- and I don't think it would be fair to either player (or ourselves, for that matter), to expect Rogers to be a better overall player than Smoot right off the bat.

One thing I know for sure, though. Smoot whiffed on an awful lot of corner blitzes, and I fully expect Rogers will provide a significant improvement in the effectiveness of that play, which is a staple of the Williams defense. If there's one reason that could justify allowing a 'true Redskin' like Smoot to walk in free agency, while spending a top-10 draft pick to replace him with a less-experienced, yet nearly as expensive model, it would be the fact that Williams prefers defensive backs than perform more like linebackers in the tackling and blitzing departments. While Smoot had certainly improved his tackling over the past couple of years, he wasn't what you'd call a 'physical presence' as a hitter or tackler.

One could say that Rogers has the potential to be a better all-around cornerback than Smoot ever was or ever will be. Personally, I think Rogers could become one of the top five cornerbacks in the league within his first three seasons. I'm not sure he will represent an immediate upgrade over Smoot from day one-- there's usually a pretty ugly introductory period for rookie cornerbacks-- but I have little doubt that his potential as a 'complete cornerback' far exceeds what Smoot brought to the table. I also think Rogers brings a professional attitude and personality, so in that respect, I don't think he will be a downgrade from Smoot, though he still has to prove his heart and desire on the field on gameday. Playing through injuries really tests a player's mettle, and Smoot brought toughness by the truckload.