Mr. Scot

They're trying to talk him into coming back and playing for them next year instead of retiring. Given that, what makes you think they'd part with him this year?

Oh, I think it's absolutely zero chance, and not just because of the Panthers. The Ravens trading him for anything less than a good value would essentially equal an admission that the season is over. John Harbaugh and Ozzie Newsome aren't the kind of guys to do that with half the season still remaining. And given that they've already publicly stated that they have no plans to trade him, I think they'd be very hard to convince. These kinds of pre-deadline trade discussions go on all around the league on an annual basis, but hardly ever happen.

Related note: Remember this story? The Wall Street Journal Note that this took place in 2013. Steve Smith was released in 2014. Coincidence? It makes one wonder.

Yep. And again, why should they? Newsome addressing it directly does make me wonder if Smith may have floated a trial balloon himself behind the scenes.

Some of the posts in this thread sound like they were written by kids as well. The NFL is a business, and in the business of putting together the best team possible, chemistry matters. It's not as simple as pulling together as many talented players as you can find. If it were, then 'dream teams' like the ones the Eagles and Dolphins have put together in prior years wouldn't have flopped so badly. If you really think talent covers everything, then answer this: Why did guys like Terrell Owens, Randy Moss and Percy Harvin keep getting dumped by their respective teams when they were putting up great numbers? It's not Madden. In the real world, men not getting along causes problems. If the problems get big enough, the team is forced to deal with it.

Jerry Rice, Emmitt Smith, Steve McNair, Marcus Allen, Tony Gonzalez, Steve McMichael, Brett Favre, Reggie White (remember him) and many other star players finished their careers with teams other than the one they were most closely identified with. Guys like Barry Sanders, Dan Marino, Bruce Matthews, Brian Urlacher and many others toiled their entire careers for one team but never got a championship ring. While others like Troy Aikman and Warren Sapp saw glory but then stuck around long enough to see their teams spiral downward into mediocrity. Happy endings aren't really the norm in the NFL. If Smith's career doesn't end like he'd have wanted it to, he'll be one of many.

And honestly, why should they? They're not in business to help out other teams or give players the sendoff they want. The only incentive for them to make a trade is if they get something that helps them, and that's probably more than I'd be willing to give up for a guy who's not even going to play a full season.

Not a matter of sensitivity to me. It's one of practicality. Smith is 36 and his production dropped off in the latter part of last season. And that was without him having an injury like he does this year. It'd take an awful lot to talk me into giving up anything for a guy who's only going to play a partial season anyway (you don't trade a pick for a guy to only play 11 games) but the circumstances here make that idea even less desirable than it would have been anyway.

Well, at least when Smith was let go, nobody had to call the police. Police called to Bears HQ after release of Jeremiah Ratliff

The trade deadline also stops these threads (or at least renders them moot).

Mike Florio also thinks the Ravens should trade Steve Smith...to the Cardinals.

Given the thread title, I expected to see heavy use of the language filters.

I did see this one big doofus acting lke a moron. Oh wait...That was Graham himself.

Anybody else notice how chippy this game was? These two teams really don't like each other.

Some of us don't roll over and whine when things get tough.

Hey Panic Bunnies, Maybe you should be called Panic B--ches. Some of you guys give up easier than a French slut at Mardi Gras.

Stewart is scratching and clawing for every inch.

That's better.

Ugh. Terrible throw.

Stewart fought hard for that.

Defense did their job there.

Remmers got pushed right back into Newton.

Ouch.

Coleman wasn't burned. He was actually in perfect position. He just went for the pick when he pprobably should have knocked it down. The receiver went over his back and snatched it out of his hands.

Incomplete shovel pass? That's rare.