Philadelphia Eagles

Connor Barwin: Marcus Smith gained 15 pounds, put on a lot of muscle

Published May. 19, 2015 10:04 a.m. ET

foxsports

You can't judge an NFL player by his rookie season alone, but it's safe to put the Philadelphia Eagles' 2014 first-round pick, outside linebacker Marcus Smith, on bust watch. Despite the investment, Smith managed to make the field for just 74 total defensive snaps in 2014. At one point, the Eagles tried converting him to inside linebacker just to get him on the field. That transition inevitably failed. Entering his second season, Smith has reportedly added bulk in an attempt to earn some playing time on defense.

Starting outside linebacker Connor Barwin has taken note of the new look Smith.

"Physically, he looks different. He gained 15 pounds, he put on a lot of muscle," Barwin said to CSN Philly."He's one of the stronger guys on our defense now. He took the offseason and did what he needed to do, which was get bigger, stronger."

The Eagles are hoping that Smith's added strength will help to earn him a much greater role in defense in 2015. Trent Cole leaving in free agency has left a void at outside linebacker. Barwin acknowledged that the team is hoping Smith can fill that void, but the role won't just be handed to him.

"At outside linebacker, we lost Trent and we haven't really gained anyone yet, so someone in our room needs to step up," Barwin said. "Whether it's Marcus Smith, Travis Long, Jordan DeWalt(-Ondijo), someone needs to step up and be the third guy in that rotation."

Whoever steps into this role has big shoes to fill. Cole accounted for 26 quarterback pressures, 14 quarterback hits and seven sacks in 2014. Smith will need to prove that he can set the edge against the run and provide constant disruption in the passing game. The added bulk should help with the former, and in turn, it will provide Smith the opportunity to showcase his skill set as a pass rusher.

(h/t True Jersey)

Photo Credit: Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images