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Steve Smith - Retired and still angry (4 Viewers)

Does anyone think it odd that LaFell, Ginn and Hixon would have all had expanded opportunity in CAR but all have decided to leave (or try to?).

Not just Smith, the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th WRs are all leaving too. Don't you think these guys would see a real chance to grow and become a featured player? But instead they decide to leave. Hard to believe the Panthers decided to kick them all out. What's going on there?
Ginn and Hixon were on one year contracts, LaFell's expired. They are free agents and testing the waters. LaFell sucks and we wouldn't want him. Hixon didn't make in roads during his audition. Ginn probably did enough to get a bigger contract elsewhere. All of our money is tied up in RBs.

 
Does anyone think it odd that LaFell, Ginn and Hixon would have all had expanded opportunity in CAR but all have decided to leave (or try to?).

Not just Smith, the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th WRs are all leaving too. Don't you think these guys would see a real chance to grow and become a featured player? But instead they decide to leave. Hard to believe the Panthers decided to kick them all out. What's going on there?
Yes it is strange. Do they just all hate Cam Newton? Or is it something else within the organization? Or maybe Carolina wants to start over at WR?
I'm waiting to see what Nicks does. Not just because of his prospects next year, but it's kind of interesting.

One of the links in maybe the Nicks thread reports that CAR already offered him a contract, yet he hasn't visited (I think) and he's going to Indy and SF, and it says he mentions SD too. Maybe he's looking for better money, I don't know. Have any FA WRs actually come into visit? If there is a problem my guess it's Shula's offense, but I don't know.

 
Did you notice how Smith ran the CB inside just enough that the ball came in out of his reach. It was subtle but made it an uncontested catch.

 
Does anyone think it odd that LaFell, Ginn and Hixon would have all had expanded opportunity in CAR but all have decided to leave (or try to?).

Not just Smith, the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th WRs are all leaving too. Don't you think these guys would see a real chance to grow and become a featured player? But instead they decide to leave. Hard to believe the Panthers decided to kick them all out. What's going on there?
Ginn and Hixon were on one year contracts, LaFell's expired. They are free agents and testing the waters. LaFell sucks and we wouldn't want him. Hixon didn't make in roads during his audition. Ginn probably did enough to get a bigger contract elsewhere. All of our money is tied up in RBs.
Hixon got signed really quickly by the Bears. Ginn finally turns a corner with the Panthers.... and they let him go. He and Hixon basically beat the Saints on that last drive in CAR. LaFell may be a bum but he was Carolina's bum, he's both a vet and has lots of game time in with Cam (as opposed to oh say McNutt and rookies and FA to be named later). If it's the money with everything tied up in the RB trio, maybe that's what's going on but if they can't keep Ginn that doesn't bode well for other FA's.

 
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I think that Smith is probably "done" from a fantasy perspective mainly. I'd agree that he has NFL value left in a lesser possession role.

 
Does anyone think it odd that LaFell, Ginn and Hixon would have all had expanded opportunity in CAR but all have decided to leave (or try to?).

Not just Smith, the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th WRs are all leaving too. Don't you think these guys would see a real chance to grow and become a featured player? But instead they decide to leave. Hard to believe the Panthers decided to kick them all out. What's going on there?
Ginn and Hixon were on one year contracts, LaFell's expired. They are free agents and testing the waters. LaFell sucks and we wouldn't want him. Hixon didn't make in roads during his audition. Ginn probably did enough to get a bigger contract elsewhere. All of our money is tied up in RBs.
It has to be more than that (though I agree about where the money is tied up). Maybe Gettleman wants his own guys, but that was Hixon and Ginn. While they maybe cannot make a splash like Decker, they literally need to sign some people, and after watching Ginn play, I am not sure how he is not one of those guys. I get the testing of FA waters thing, but Carolina did have an opportunity to lock a combination of those guys up and failed to do so (did they even try)? As a Jets fan living in Carolina, I got to see what happens when you do not have adequate pass catchers in 2013...Carolina could literally be worse off. I think it is a forgone conclusion that their 1st is spent on a WR, but it is a late first (as of now) and you are likely not going to bet the guy you choose will be coming out of the blocks firing on all cylinders. It could happen, but not a lock like they would get with a Watkins.

 
Does anyone think it odd that LaFell, Ginn and Hixon would have all had expanded opportunity in CAR but all have decided to leave (or try to?).

Not just Smith, the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th WRs are all leaving too. Don't you think these guys would see a real chance to grow and become a featured player? But instead they decide to leave. Hard to believe the Panthers decided to kick them all out. What's going on there?
Ginn and Hixon were on one year contracts, LaFell's expired. They are free agents and testing the waters. LaFell sucks and we wouldn't want him. Hixon didn't make in roads during his audition. Ginn probably did enough to get a bigger contract elsewhere. All of our money is tied up in RBs.
Hixon got signed really quickly by the Bears. Ginn finally turns a corner with the Panthers.... and they let him go. He and Hixon basically beat the Saints on that last drive in CAR. LaFell may be a bum but he was Carolina's bum, he's both a vet and has lots of game time in with Cam (as opposed to oh say McNutt and rookies and FA to be named later). If it's the money with everything tied up in the RB trio, maybe that's what's going on but if they can't keep Ginn that doesn't bode well for other FA's.
Honestly Hixon's 7-55-1 stats in 15 games can probably be replaced by a couple of hundred guys bagging groceries right now. While Ginn had some huge plays, he also dropped a ton of balls. With Smith gone I rather have Rice over Ginn. Don't get me started on LaFell.

 
Does anyone think it odd that LaFell, Ginn and Hixon would have all had expanded opportunity in CAR but all have decided to leave (or try to?).

Not just Smith, the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th WRs are all leaving too. Don't you think these guys would see a real chance to grow and become a featured player? But instead they decide to leave. Hard to believe the Panthers decided to kick them all out. What's going on there?
Ginn and Hixon were on one year contracts, LaFell's expired. They are free agents and testing the waters. LaFell sucks and we wouldn't want him. Hixon didn't make in roads during his audition. Ginn probably did enough to get a bigger contract elsewhere. All of our money is tied up in RBs.
Hixon got signed really quickly by the Bears. Ginn finally turns a corner with the Panthers.... and they let him go. He and Hixon basically beat the Saints on that last drive in CAR. LaFell may be a bum but he was Carolina's bum, he's both a vet and has lots of game time in with Cam (as opposed to oh say McNutt and rookies and FA to be named later). If it's the money with everything tied up in the RB trio, maybe that's what's going on but if they can't keep Ginn that doesn't bode well for other FA's.
Honestly Hixon's 7-55-1 stats in 15 games can probably be replaced by a couple of hundred guys bagging groceries right now. While Ginn had some huge plays, he also dropped a ton of balls. With Smith gone I rather have Rice over Ginn. Don't get me started on LaFell.
Hixon was signed pretty quickly by the Bears and I remember him being pretty decent with the Giants and IIRC he even got to start a few games there, had a couple 40 catch seasons. The Cards snapped Ginn right up.

The LaFell comments are getting pretty funny; I remember him from LSU and vs the Saints and I'm aware of the drops etc. but the man has obviously pssd off the Panther faithful one too many times. Oh well the Jets will take him.

 
WR Steve Smith agrees to 3-year gdeal with Ravens By DAVID GINSBURG - AP Sports Writer

2014-03-14 16:42

Free agent wide receiver Steve Smith has signed a three-year deal with the Baltimore Ravens.

The Ravens announced the signing of the 34-year-old Smith on Friday.

Smith was released by the Carolina Panters on Thursday after 13 seasons and headed to Baltimore to talk to the Ravens, who were eager to add provide quarterback Joe Flacco another target.

Smith ranks 19th in the NFL in career receptions. He caught 64 passes for 746 yards and four touchdowns in 2013.

Baltimore has had a void at wide receiver since trading Anquan Boldin to the San Francisco 49ers after winning the Super Bowl in February 2013. The Ravens went 8-8 last season and missed the playoffs for the first time in six years.

Smith is Carolina's all-time leader in receptions (836), yards receiving (12,197) and touchdowns (67).

Gotta be better than where he was.

 
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Rotoworld:

Newly acquired WR Steve Smith said he's fine with being a "complementary dude" with the Ravens.
Smith, who turns 35 years old in May, has no illusions about the current state of his game. "I don't see myself in coach Kubiak's system like Andre Johnson," Smith said. "I see the complementary dude of Kevin Walter. I see how he contributed and how he was instrumental in getting Andre the ball but also getting his own opportunities." Walter's best season with the Texans was 60-899-8. That's the high end of Smith projections for 2014.

Source: baltimoreravens.com
 
Rotoworld:

Panthers coach Ron Rivera said the Steve Smith release was strictly a football decision.
Both Rivera and GM Dave Gettleman have denied reports that they viewed Smith as a "distraction." But they've been willing to take shots at the 34-year-old's remaining ability. "He doesn't have the top-end speed like he used to, but he still has good speed," Rivera said Wednesday. Smitty won't be asked to take the top off of defenses in Baltimore. He'll be playing the possession-style Kevin Walter role in Gary Kubiak's offense.

Source: Charlotte Observer
 
Ron Rivera: Steve Smith doesn't have top-end speed like he used to


By Ryan Wilson | CBSSports.com

March 26, 2014 1:46 pm ET

Shortly before the Panthers decided to part ways with wide receiver Steve Smith, the Charlotte Observer reported that general manager Dave Gettleman viewed the 35-year-old fan favorite as a distraction, and was ready to hand over the locker room to emerging stars Cam Newton and Luke Kuechly.

But Smith's exodus was about more than his personality. On Tuesday, Gettleman called it a football decision, and a day later, coach Ron Rivera agreed. According Rivera, Smith, who signed with the Ravens two weeks ago, isn't the player he once was.

"He doesn't have the top-end speed like he used to, but he still has good speed," Rivera said Wednesday at at the annual league meetings, via the Observer. "Steve will still find ways to make plays. And as far as football decisions go, we have to move on eventually. This was an opportunity to do it."

Meanwhile, John Harbaugh, Smith's new coach in Baltimore, is happy to have the veteran playmaker on his roster.

"Steve is going to be a leader," Harbaugh said during the league meetings. "I love where he's at. What he was telling me about his plans for enhancing our team and our organization were just exactly the things that I wanted to hear and expected to hear.

"He's got a plan. He understands our culture to a degree and I think he sees where he fits in as a veteran coming into the program, as opposed to the guy that's been there all the years. I'm pretty excited about it."

As for the contention that Smith may have lost a step, Harbaugh sounded unconcerned.

"I saw him catch the deep balls. So when he had a chance, when he was running a (go) route or a (post) route, and he was even with the defender, he was leaving (him) still," Harbaugh said. "He was able to accelerate and go make the catch. If he does it, that means he can still do it. And that's all we really needed to see."
 
Let him have a, "wow, Steve Smith's still got it kind of year" on someone else's team. He's a veteran and outclassed. You'll have weeks where he pulls a Boldin and goes to town on a defense but for the most part I don't think he will be consistent.

What's his ceiling, honestly? Torrey Smith? Blech, if he falls to the waivers at some point I'll take him but I draft definitively a: WR1, WR2, WR3 who I know will produce accordingly. If I can get him as my WR 4/5 and plug him during bye weeks and matchups, that's an arrangement in which I would want Steve Smith on my team. But in no way am I expecting Steve Smith to produce weekly in 2014.

 
Been shopping him also. Was offered a 2015 3rd round pick (Dynasty). Shopping around for better, but the responses have been consistently pessimistic about him. Not surprising given his age and recent history. Was hoping to give up a 2015 3rd with Smith to get a 2015 2nd, but I think the 2015 3rd is going to be the best offer I see. Unless I hold into the season and wait for a good game, or an opportunity where another owner is desperate, which may be the best strategy with Smith. His current market is really, really soft - not surprisingly.

 
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Same thing I've seen. I ended up taking a 2015 3rd -- was the only offer out there and needed the roster spot. I think he'll struggle to even match last year personally. I love the guy, but he looked done last year.

 
Rotoworld:

Ravens OC Gary Kubiak says Steve Smith has brought an "edge" to practice.

In other words, he's still Bottom Line 89. "He's just so competitive," Kubiak said. "He challenges people as far as how you play, how you go about doing things. ... He challenged coaches, too." DC Dean Pees says he's instructed his players not to upset Smith. Although Smith's game is in steep decline, he'll provide the leadership and sure pair of hands the Ravens lost when they dealt Anquan Boldin to the 49ers.

Source: Baltimore Sun

Jun 10 - 7:16 PM
 
Rotoworld:

Newly acquired WR Steve Smith said he's fine with being a "complementary dude" with the Ravens.
Smith, who turns 35 years old in May, has no illusions about the current state of his game. "I don't see myself in coach Kubiak's system like Andre Johnson," Smith said. "I see the complementary dude of Kevin Walter. I see how he contributed and how he was instrumental in getting Andre the ball but also getting his own opportunities." Walter's best season with the Texans was 60-899-8. That's the high end of Smith projections for 2014.

Source: baltimoreravens.com
Is this the concensus? THat the high end for Smith is 60/899/8? I can easily see him being the #1 guy in receptions on this team. Am I alone here? He seems like a good undervalued redraft PPR target.

 
Rotoworld:

Newly acquired WR Steve Smith said he's fine with being a "complementary dude" with the Ravens.
Smith, who turns 35 years old in May, has no illusions about the current state of his game. "I don't see myself in coach Kubiak's system like Andre Johnson," Smith said. "I see the complementary dude of Kevin Walter. I see how he contributed and how he was instrumental in getting Andre the ball but also getting his own opportunities." Walter's best season with the Texans was 60-899-8. That's the high end of Smith projections for 2014.

Source: baltimoreravens.com
Is this the concensus? THat the high end for Smith is 60/899/8? I can easily see him being the #1 guy in receptions on this team. Am I alone here? He seems like a good undervalued redraft PPR target.
I feel the same as you but maybe we're in the minority. Flacco loved Boldin and I feel like Smith is pretty similar. Torrey isn't really a complete WR or they don't use him like one at least. Brown is a good redzone threat but not sure how many snaps he'll see between the 20's.

I feel like Pitta and Smith will lead the team in targets on a weekly basis and they are both being underrated.

 
I love Smiff for his toughness and burning core. I have owned him wherever I could for many years. But with Cam, he went 1,394 yards (17.6 ypc) and 7 TDs in 2011, 1,171 (16.4) and 4 in 2012 and 746 (11.6) and 4 in 2013. Those were his 11th, 12th and 13th years in the NFL. That's just how I would expect a great career to wind down. In a new offense, now behind lead receiver Torrey Smith, I see another 750/4 as his absolute (and unlikely) upside. There's at least as good a chance he has lost enough not to survive camp. Age takes everyone. Easy to see for a small guy who made his mark on speed and explosion he clearly no longer has. Small and slow, even with great desire and superior instincts, is tough to overcome. IMO, honor what he's done, but don't think CAR miss-read his circumstance and mistakenly let their all-time best player slip away with some good years left in him.

 
Rotoworld:

Steve Smith caught 7-of-15 targets for 118 yards and a touchdown in the Ravens' Week 1 loss to the Bengals.

Smith shook off a slew of early-game drops to get behind the Bengals' defense on a fourth-quarter rollout by Joe Flacco, where he found "89" deep for a lead-grabbing 80-yard touchdown catch, at the end of which Smitty broke two tackles. It was one of the most thrilling plays of Week 1. Although we're skeptical Smith will provide consistent fantasy numbers in Baltimore's offense, he certainly has enough left to help the Ravens' team. He remains a WR3/4 in fantasy. Our minds will change quickly, however, if Smith sees this heavy usage in games moving forward. The Ravens face the Steelers on Thursday night.

Sep 7 - 4:38 PM
 
Steve Smith loudly announces he can still play, can't wait to face Panthers:

http://www.cbssports...o-face-panthers

 
Rotoworld:

Steve Smith caught 7-of-15 targets for 118 yards and a touchdown in the Ravens' Week 1 loss to the Bengals.

Smith shook off a slew of early-game drops to get behind the Bengals' defense on a fourth-quarter rollout by Joe Flacco, where he found "89" deep for a lead-grabbing 80-yard touchdown catch, at the end of which Smitty broke two tackles. It was one of the most thrilling plays of Week 1. Although we're skeptical Smith will provide consistent fantasy numbers in Baltimore's offense, he certainly has enough left to help the Ravens' team. He remains a WR3/4 in fantasy. Our minds will change quickly, however, if Smith sees this heavy usage in games moving forward. The Ravens face the Steelers on Thursday night.

Sep 7 - 4:38 PM
Can't imagine that Flacco tosses it 62 times again, but then again without Rice....

 
Week 3 NFL Roundtable

Excerpt:

Adam Levitan: If old guys are going to be the best guys, I'm going to lose. And I'm OK with that.

To me, the surprising starts by previously withered vets like Antonio Gates, Steve Smith Sr. and Darren Sproles are not sustainable. There's a reason Gates averaged just 3.0 catches for 27.8 yards with one touchdown over the final eight games of last year. There are reasons why Smith was cut by the Panthers, Sproles was traded away for pennies. It's a long season and a young man's game.

I'll gladly keep betting on the guys ascending on their career arcs, the ones with talent on the verge of bubbling over. In the long run, Father Time is undefeated.

Daugherty: Gates scored more touchdowns on Sunday (three) than Ladarius Green has targets this season (two). But I agree with Levitan. The young guns will come crawling back. The Chargers need Green. The Ravens needTorrey Smith. These fast starts from players like Steve Smith Sr. and Gates are luxuries, but not sustainable.

Another guy who's really going to put this theory to the test is Arian Foster. He has 55 carries, putting him on pace for 440. That would break Larry Johnson's single-season record by 24.

<a data-ipb="nomediaparse" data-cke-saved-href="http://www.rotoworld.com/player/NFL/9277/Bill-O" href="http://www.rotoworld.com/player/NFL/9277/Bill-O" brien"="">While everyone seems to be talking about Foster's 55 carries, it seems like folks are overlooking DeMarco Murray's 51. That's a 408 pace, which isn't sustainable. It's also concerning given Murray's propensity for missing games.

And going back to Levitan's point about the elder statesmen, Steve Smith has 25 targets through the first two games, and Torrey Smith has just nine. That's about as surprising as it gets for me. Logical thinking says this disparity ultimately evens out, but still, it's a very eye-opening gap in how frequently Flacco has looked to each player so far.

Daugherty: Couldn't agree more with Jeff re: Murray. You could argue his injury history is far more concerning than Foster's, and he's getting essentially the same amount of work.

With Steve Smith, I've come across some interesting stats. Per Pro Football Focus, he's leading all receivers in missed tackles (10), and is third in yards after the catch (105). As a big Torrey backer, I want Steve's fast start to be a fluke, but ... not 100 percent convinced it is. We'll see.

Levitan: Right, Steve Smith has forced 10 missed tackles on just 13 catches this season. Last year, he forced a grand total of 16 missed tackles on 68 catches (including playoffs).

As for yards after catch, Smith is at an incredible 8.1 per reception this season. Last year, he was at 2.9 — also known as 98th in the league.

To me, the advanced stats only highlight that these first two weeks are fluky. At age 35, he's far more likely to regress to last year's levels than sustain his current level of play.
 
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Rotoworld:

Steve Smith Sr. caught five passes for 101 yards in the Ravens' Week 3 win over the Browns.

Steve Sr. saw seven targets to Torrey Smith's eight in this game, but the former continues to run higher-percentage routes and now has at least 100 yards in two of Baltimore's first three games. Smith will be a low-end WR3/flex option when the Ravens take on his former team, the Panthers, in Week 4.



Sep 21 - 4:20 PM
 
Boy oh boy, NFL network just got me hyped for this game, even more so because I'm starting smith this week. Will definitely be the main game i'm tuned in to at 1:00, Bears/Packers being second. I think I may be expecting too much from Smith this week, but I know we'll get an exciting game one way or another.

 
Steve Smith vs. Panthers' secondary among matchups to watch

Excerpt:

Most intriguing matchupSteve Smith vs. Panthers' secondary

Carolina Panthers at Baltimore Ravens, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, CBS

The energetic veteran has always played with a chip on his shoulder, but the edginess will be at an all-time high when he takes on the team that released him. Smith will want to show Panthers brass that he remains a dominant player despite his advanced age (35), and he will get plenty of opportunities to do so, with the Ravens increasingly leaning on him to carry the passing game in injured tight end Dennis Pitta's absence. With a pair of 100-yard games and six catches of 20-plus yards already on his résumé for 2014, Smith could be the focal point of the Ravens' offense on Sunday.

The Panthers' patchwork secondary has held up well, despite questions surrounding their ability to contain receivers on the outside. Antoine Cason and Melvin White have consistently kept receivers from getting behind the defense, which is why Carolina has allowed just six receptions of 20-plus yards in 113 pass attempts. If the Panthers can keep Smith from snagging deep balls, forcing the veteran to settle for short and intermediate connections, Carolina could walk out of M&T Bank Stadium with a huge road win.
 
At least this "revenge" game is living up to the hype after the Desean Jackson game last week didn't live up to its hype.

 
Rotoworld:

Steve Smith caught seven balls for 139 yards and two touchdowns in Sunday's Week 4 win over the Panthers.

Smith promised "blood and guts" against his former team and delivered. It was his first multi-TD game since Week 1 of the 2011 season. Smith Sr. made two highlight-reel plays, the first on a first-quarter pass intended for Owen Daniels. Daniels tipped the ball into the air, and it fell directly into the hands of Smith, who took it 61 yards to the house. Smith's second touchdown occurred after Joe Flacco fumbled the snap at the line of scrimmage. Flacco recovered it and quickly threw it up for grabs into Smith's direction, where secured it for a 21-yard score. Through four games, Smith is on pace for 100 receptions, 1,716 yards, and eight TDs. He's an every-week WR2 entering a Week 5 date with Indianapolis.

Sep 28 - 3:43 PM
I would attempt to sell high with Steve Smith, especially in keeper and dynasty league formats.

 
Rotoworld:

Steve Smith caught seven balls for 139 yards and two touchdowns in Sunday's Week 4 win over the Panthers.

Smith promised "blood and guts" against his former team and delivered. It was his first multi-TD game since Week 1 of the 2011 season. Smith Sr. made two highlight-reel plays, the first on a first-quarter pass intended for Owen Daniels. Daniels tipped the ball into the air, and it fell directly into the hands of Smith, who took it 61 yards to the house. Smith's second touchdown occurred after Joe Flacco fumbled the snap at the line of scrimmage. Flacco recovered it and quickly threw it up for grabs into Smith's direction, where secured it for a 21-yard score. Through four games, Smith is on pace for 100 receptions, 1,716 yards, and eight TDs. He's an every-week WR2 entering a Week 5 date with Indianapolis.

Sep 28 - 3:43 PM
I would attempt to sell high with Steve Smith, especially in keeper and dynasty league formats.
I tried that in the offseason, then again after weeks 1, 2, and 3. At this point, I'm just playing (#1 in points for, can start 4 WRs).

 

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