Smallwood – Can he make it with the Falcons?
Today, Yawin Smallwood signed his NFL contract with Atlanta. It was for 4 years with a $45,896 signing bonus. He’ll earn base salaries of 420K, 510k, 600k, & 690k. Congrats!
To my surprise, Yawin Smallwood dropped to the 7th round in this past weekend’s NFL draft. Clearly, not many people outside of our fanbase know a lot about this guy. Add that to a poor combine showing, and Smallwood’s stock fell. Husky fans know the type of player the Falcons are getting, and I bet most of us expect he can make the team because watching him for 3 years playing at a high level tells us he will. However I’ll try to put my homerism aside and I’ll break down why I think Smallwood will make this team and possibly have an impact on the Falcons defense.
1.) Scheme
The falcons play as a base 3-4 defense, with some 4-3 mixed in as well. Smallwood has experience playing in both. As an ILB, it’s a numbers game. The 3-4 has two ILB’s usually on the field, so he may have more value because of the position he plays.
2.) Depth
The falcons went into the 2014 NFL draft needed help at LB. They ended up taking 4 total linebackers in the draft. That tells me there are spots on this team for the taking. You don’t draft 4 of any position if you don’t feel at least 2 or 3 of them have a realistic shot of making the team. All of Atlanta’s starters return at LB, but they only have 1 other backup signed. Usually, teams carry anywhere from 6-8 LB’s on game day, so again, the numbers are working in his favor.
3.) Tape
Look at Smallwood’s game film. Look at any of it from his 3 years at UConn. The guy is all over the field. Always involved. Always in the middle of things. I’ll admit, I don’t know much about the other 3 guys Atlanta drafted. But just doing simple internet searches for their highlights, none of them matchup to Smallwood’s IMHO.
4.) Combine All Stars
We all know Smallwood’s combine was atrocious, and the reason why he slid so much in the draft. However, every year guys get drafted higher than their ability dictates because they wowed scouts at the combine. Then the pads get put on, and they can’t compete. We know that won’t be an issue with Yawin. Dude is a baller. His talent and production at the college level is comparable to the top LB’s in this draft.
5.) Character
Now let me start by saying everyone makes mistakes, and the past is the past and hopefully whatever people have done in their lives, they’ve learned from it and moved on. With that said, Spruill and Shembo both have had legal issues in the past. I have no reason to think these guys aren’t wonderful people who just got involved one time with something stupid. Seems they’ve stayed out of trouble since their incidents, but it’s the NFL. Money, fame, etc. Sometimes, roster decisions can come down to something as simple as this: who is less of a headache? Smallwood’s past is squeaky clean.
I think Smallwood has an incredible opportunity in Atlanta. His talent, plus a chip on his shoulder, should prove to be a good mix for the Falcons. Around here, we know Atlanta got a steal in the 7th round. Hopefully, during future year’s draft coverage, Yawin’s name is always mentioned as an example of a guy who made a nice career for himself despite being a 7th rounder. UConn country is definitely behind him!
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