Brad Smith

jones is a former missouri quarterback who is now an attorney in kansas city and breaking into the sports agent business. at the combine, jones was blunt when asked about smith.

"He's killing himself (by insisting he wants to be a quarterback)," Jones said. "If he concentrated on being a wide receiver, he'd be a second-round pick. And he can do it. He has the feet and the speed. But he doesn't have what it takes to be an NFL quarterback."

smith's ability as a runner could see him shift to wide receiver or halfback in the pros, as he tends to have a run-first mentality. but those who saw his passing ability in 2002 feel he has more than a capable arm to excel as a quarterback at the pro level if allowed time to develop under patient coaching. smith is still not technically sound as a passer, as he sometimes throws off balance or fading an awful lot. he just needs to do a better job of setting his feet, as this causes problems with his accuracy. yet, he also shows the ability to make some throws most guys can't.

He has a very lively arm, as he can put good zip and velocity on his throws. Smith is not as accurate on deep balls as he is on short and intermediate throws, but he has the arm strength to deliver the ball 70 yards downfield. He is inconsistent to read defenses, as he forces some throws into coverage. The Tigers do move him around, mostly a lot of play-action and rollouts and he does throw well on the run, both right and left. He has good size for a quarterback and is fluid and nimble with his release, but his long balls tend to flutter and sail.

feb 25, 2006 - by howard balzer

The Sports Xchange/NFLDraftScout.com

"i feel like i'm a quarterback and can be a great quarterback down the line in the league with the opportunity to develop and learn a system," he said. "i want to play quarterback, that's where my heart is.

"It's flattering to hear people say they think I can play another position because of my athleticism. I'm a team player, so it would be something as I'm learning or as I'm helping the team out at quarterback, that I would maybe help somebody in that sense."

indianapolis -- corby jones believes brad smith is making a big mistake. in fact, it's a million-dollar mistake, according to jones.

Smith is at the Scouting Combine this week, intent on being a quarterback in the NFL. As a quarterback at Missouri, Smith became the only player in Division I college football history to pass for 8,000 yards and run for 4,000 yards in a career. But he completed just 56.3 percent of his passes.

said one league personnel executive, "he shows a lot of promising qualities. but the things that make him good at quarterback are the things that are attractive at other positions - wide receiver or running back. because he wins games with his legs."

Despite what Jones said, Smith was just as forceful when talking about his goals.

asked about college quarterbacks like matt jones and antwaan randle-el, who each were selected as wide receivers in the draft, smith said, "we're different players. they do different things. i'm aware of all the guys and all their situations. i just don't see myself in that sense, in the way i think, in the way i play, i believe is a little different than other guys. it's hard to put me in a box in that sense.

"It comes down to an individual. And me, as a person, and working at something your whole life and having dreams of doing something and being committed at the best you can be at anything, that's something that's important to me. It doesn't matter what anyone else has done."

negatives

His accuracy suffered the as a sophomore and junior when operating out of a pro-set scheme, but it improved greatly as a senior in a more diverse (spread) system... When he drops the ball below his hip, he generates a big circle in his release...Cool under pressure, but will look to run the first sign the pocket is threatened...On his long throws, he fails to get the ball to the outside shoulder of his target...Can duck, elude and avoid pressure, but lacks the down field vision needed to locate his secondary targets...Does not face up with aggression as a blocker...Likes the ball in pressure situations, but will make some poor judgment calls (see 2004 Troy, Texas and Kansas State games)...Good open field runner, but needs to do a better job of distributing the ball and securing it on the run (does not tuck the ball in, leaving it exposed and that has resulted in thirteen fumbles during the last two years).

to say that he is a very good runner and scrambler is an understatement, as he makes a lot of plays with his feet. he has excellent body control and change-of-direction agility. smith is very elusive and it is easy for him to make lateral jump cuts. when he pulls the ball down and runs with it, he is very creative and elusive. he has outstanding quickness and feet for a quarterback, but with his explosion and burst, he could be a very capable receiver. he has excellent leaping ability, long arms, large hands and good concentration skills going up for the ball, making a move to receiver seem almost logical.

He is an exciting and productive player who just lacks ideal accuracy for a quarterback. If he stays at that position, he will have to fill out his frame more to absorb the punishment he would experience at the pro level. A pro team may need to adjust its offense to fit his abilities, but much like Michael Vick and Donovan McNabb, he must be accounted for at all times or he will certainly hurt a defense. Right now, he is a pleasant project, but if he can hone his passing skills he could be a mid-round find. With a lack of depth at the wide receiver position, his draft stock could be much higher there than it would be as a quarterback.

positives

Has a developing frame with long arms, large hands, very good balance, explosion and burst...Very nimble and light on his feet, making him a constant threat as a runner...Has enough arm strength to be effective on streaks and post patterns...Shows good focus when scrambling and has the separation agility to elude in the open, thanks to his ability to open his hips and explode down the sidelines...Natural leader who might not be a rah-rah type, but shows good command in the huddle...Throws an easy ball for backs to catch in the short area when he steps up in the pocket (loses accuracy on the move)...Has enough heat on his long throws to smoke it into the cornerback/safety void...Ducks, steps up and out of the pocket, eludes on the move and avoids linebackers in the open when he pulls the ball down and runs with it...Has the stop-&-plant action to pull up and hit a big play when scrambling out of the pocket...Very elusive open field runner with the leaping ability to get to the ball at its highest point as a receiver...Shows good field vision as a runner with the ball in his hands...Displays good ball handling skills and the large hands to secure the ball before running with it.

jones faced the same situation when he left missouri after the 1998 season. some scouts thought he could be a running back, some a safety. but jones wanted to be a quarterback, too.

"If I had to do it all over again, I would've agreed to play whatever," he said.

he ended up going to the canadian league, and later was briefly on baltimore's practice squad as a safety. at missouri's football dinner several weeks ago, jones said he talked to smith.

Said Jones, "I said you'll always have an opportunity to go play quarterback someplace. With him, particularly, he's a better athlete than I was. He could be a second-round pick at wide receiver if he agrees to do it."

2003: Sat out the second half of the Ball State game (9/06) due to a mild concussion. 2004: Was carried off the field by two of the team's trainers just before halftime when he was shaken up making a tackle after an Iowa State defender recovered a fumble (11/27). 2005: With just under nine minutes left in the Iowa State game (10/15), Smith was hit in the head on a tackle by linebacker Tim Dobbins. Smith was down for a couple of minutes before slowly walking off on his own with a teammate's arm around him, but did not return to the game...The following week, Smith again suffered a head injury (jaw) on a helmet-to-helmet hit vs. Nebraska (10/22).

Campus: Not available. Combine: 4.46 seconds in 40-yard dash (third-best among quarterbacks who ran).

39 1/2-inch vertical jump.

10'7"-inch broad jump.

Attended Chaney (Youngstown, Oh.) High School, playing football for coach Ron Berdis

One of the top prospects in the state of Ohio as a senior

Two-time All-State and All-City Offensive Player of the Year selection in 2000

Threw for over 2,700 yards in his career and 34 touchdowns and also rushed for over 1,200 yards and 19 scores

All-City pick in basketball and a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

Graduated in May, 2005 with a degree in Business Administration

Enrolled in post-graduate studies (Economics) in 2005

Volunteers with the Mike Jones Football Clinic, Chancellor's Lunch, Big Brothers and Big Sisters Bowl for Kids Sake, Student-Athlete Advisory Committee Food Drive, Truman Club and Athletes-in-Action, among many other activities

Son of Sherri and Phillip Smith

Born Bradley Alexander Smith on 12/12/83

Resides in Liberty, Ohio.