Ravens tell Smith to take a little time out

[FootballMaestro]

Well, our fans still can't figure it out but Ravens fans seem to know. Via Ravens Talk;

Dec 21st 2014

I've noticed all season long that he'll jog through routes if we're losing or if he's not getting targeted. Now I see the bad side of his diva attitude. I'm seeing why Carolina cut him. When we signed him I was laughing at them and thought their new GM was a dumbass. He looks like a genius right about now. With grapefruits swinging between his legs for straight cutting the all-time face of that franchise. Benjamin had a great rookie year and is a flat out stud. I bet Smith would've been a terrible headache for them. Watching Cam take over as the leader and a rookie WR replace him. He would've ruined that team with his attitude.

 

Great Find (though it's one fans opinion, and probably true, lol)!!

 

Says it all.

[Panthers8969]

They just want to make sure they are still getting all of smith. They don't want him to say, "yeah I'm pumped for next year!" And then by week ten have thoughts of retirement.

[Dexterity]

I love Steve as much as the next Panthers fan, but it would do him some good to take a serious ass whoopin from somebody who doesn't want to put up with his poo anymore.

It'll happen eventually. Smith's bulldog mouth has bit off more than his puppy dog ass can chew his entire career. He's gonna mouth off to someone who doesn't talk and play games and get his ass whooped.

Smith isn't tough. He's a punk. He runs his mouth but he never does a damn thing. He's all talk. It's easy to beat your chest and shove guys when you're surrounded by 52 friends. If he got into an actual fight he would get his tiny ass whooped.

[Shufdog]

I love Steve as much as the next Panthers fan, but it would do him some good to take a serious ass whoopin from somebody who doesn't want to put up with his poo anymore.

 

I don't know. Smith seems to me like the type of guy hollering, "I'm gonna kick your ass!" while standing there with blood runnig out of his nose, fat lip and a knot on his forehead. While the guy that just whooped his ass is walking away.

[blackcat]

I wonder if he threatened to fight them?  Wouldn't surprise me.

 

 

this made me laugh.  all I can picture is 89 trying to fight the GM in his office.

[cbully]

[osd22]

One day contract, retire as a Panther. Everybody is happy.

[pantherfan49]

They may feel like Campanaro can slide into the slot position at a much reduced salary and much reduced headache.  

[Mr. Scot]

Here's the ESPN article PFT was citing (link)

 

And the one where he talked about returning (link)

[blackcat]

I guess, his reduced production the second half, capped off by wanting to fight his teammate (and the whole Ray Rice fiasco), has made the decision easier for The Ravens organization.

 

He really did tail off yardage wise after week 8. 

[Mr. Scot]

From the ESPN piece...

 

The Baltimore Ravens want veteran wide receiver Steve Smith Sr. to take time before deciding whether he wants to return for his 15th NFL season.

Soon after Saturday's AFC divisional playoff loss, Smith posted a message on Instagram that he intended on coming back in 2015. Smith, who will turn 36 in May, also expressed a desire to coach John Harbaugh that he wanted to return.

"One thing that Ozzie [Newsome, Ravens general manager] mentioned to him -- which made a lot of sense -- is to take three weeks," Harbaugh said. "Take three weeks and get a chance to take a nap, figuratively, and kind of decide how you feel."

In his first season with the Ravens, Smith led the team with 79 catches and 1,065 receiving yards. It was the most receiving yards in a single season by a player 35 or older since Rod Smith had 1,105 yards in 2005.

But Smith did show signs of wearing down during the final two months of the regular season. In the first six games, Smith was the NFL's fifth-leading receiver with 573 yards receiving. In his last nine games, he produced 602 yards receiving, which ranked 40th in the league.

Smith made an impact in the playoffs, but the Ravens hinted at reducing his playing time if he comes back.

"Steve was brimming with enthusiasm last time I talked to him to come back and play a role – whatever role that might be," Harbaugh said. "He doesn’t have to be [in] a role where he’s playing every snap or anything like that, but he looks like he still has plenty left in the tank to me. So, hopefully we can … It’s up to Steve, really, in the end – how he feels and if he thinks he can do it physically.”

 

Again, I can't ever recall a prior situation where a player expressed a strong desire to return for another season only to have the team tell him "maybe you should think about it".

 

It really is kind of off-kilter.

[Cpt slay a ho]

Yay let's make a big deal about nothing

[rmoneyg35]

Didn't he struggle in the end of the season? I could of sworn I heard smith was having drop issues in one of the ravens games not too long ago.

[Sam Mills Fan]

Steve Smith is as selfish as they come when it comes to football and will want to play for as long as even one team will have him. He desperately wants to keep going up the lists of receiving records and that's basically the only thing driving him now that he got to play, own, and beat the Panthers. He's never winning a championship.

 

Can you imagine Steve Smith's life post-NFL? What will a 45 year old Steve Smith look like?