When the Eagles drafted Marcus Smith, they were hoping he would help provide their defense with a pass rushing presence off the edge.
In two years playing linebacker in former defensive coordinator Bill Davis’ 3-4 scheme and one year as a defensive end in Jim Schwartz’s system, those hopes have not been realized. Smith has four sacks over the three years and has never started a regular season game for the Eagles.
Given those facts, it comes as no surprise that Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports that the team will not pick up the 2018 option on Smith’s contract.
The next question is whether Smith makes it through a fourth season in Philly. The Eagles signed Chris Long as a free agent, drafted Derek Barnett in the first round and already have Brandon Graham and Vinny Curry on hand at defensive end, which may not leave space for Smith when it comes time to trim the roster later this year.