July 26, 2017
After just three seasons after being picked in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft, Marcus Smith was released by the Philadelphia Eagles. He will go down as one of the biggest draft busts in Eagles history.
In his three seasons in Philly, Smith played just 413 snaps with the regular defense, making almost no impact whatsoever. He will finish his Eagles career with just 23 tackles (16 solo), 1 tackle for loss, 4 sacks, no forced fumbles, no fumble recoveries, no interceptions, no batted passes, and no pass breakups.
Despite his awful first three seasons with the team, Smith chose to skip OTAs this spring. Comically, it took almost the entire first day of OTA practices for anyone to even notice.
When Smith returned from his absence for a mandatory minicamp in June, Smith found himself playing with the fourth team defense behind literally every other defensive end on the team. After practice, Smith noted that OTAs were "voluntary" in an odd back and forth with reporters.
Smith's release was a no-brainer, as his base salary this season is $889,515, with a roster bonus of $594,000 that would have been due on the third day of training camp, according to former NFL agent Joel Corry. The Eagles will save $1,483,515 with his release.
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