Greg Cosell of NFL Films was conversing with his nearly 7,400 Twitter followers this morning about whether or not a true two-gap, 3-4 defensive end would ever be considered for the Hall of Fame. The point of the discussion was to highlight the outstanding play of true five-technique ends like Aaron Smith and Richard Seymour.
Naturally, the NFL's all-time leading sack artist and a 3-4 defensive end - Buffalo Bills Hall of Fame end Bruce Smith - was brought into the discussion. Cosell pointed out that Smith wasn't a classic 3-4 end.
"Like Ware, 3-4 DE in name only. Did not do much 2-gaping. Aligned wider + rushed QB. Outstanding getting low + skimming corner," Cosell tweeted.
Cosell compares the role Smith played to that of Dallas' DeMarcus Ware - a pass-rushing specialist that wasn't counted on to play the five-technique as classic 3-4 ends like Smith and Seymour have. All of this underscores a previous point made by Bills rookie Marcell Dareus, a two-gap defender: don't compare him to Smith.