Steve Smith is still our best player!

[panther4life]

I've seen a couple people lose faith in him, so now im gonna say the same thing i said in another thread.Smith's supporting cast has fallen off not him. Moose is the one whos skills have detoriated..and quite frankly im not mad at him, hes just past his prime.

[Sultan33g]

I've seen a couple people lose faith in him, so now im gonna say the same thing i said in another thread.Smith's supporting cast has fallen off not him. Moose is the one whos skills have detoriated..and quite frankly im not mad at him, hes just past his prime.

I think hollis thomas is our best player!

[PantherBrew]

I've seen a couple people lose faith in him, so now im gonna say the same thing i said in another thread.Smith's supporting cast has fallen off not him. Moose is the one whos skills have detoriated..and quite frankly im not mad at him, hes just past his prime.

I'd hope you wouldnt be mad at him for him being past his prime.

[mountainpantherfan]

I responded to you in the other thread as well.

I probably wouldn't go as far as saying he is still the best but he is still one of the best players on the team. The problem is, and I stated this in the other thread, is that he has reached the point of no longer improving and he isn't as great as he once was. This is the point that the great front offices trade players like Smith.

Now, what I am saying is based on the assumption that Fox and company are leaving after this season and a "rebuilding" mode would take place. If Fox would happen to stay then Smith would stay as well being a "core" player of this coaching/GM staff. New staff means new core players and a need for new talent. And the way you get that new talent is trading older, talented vets. It's just the nature of the business.

[OneBadassCat]

He'd look alot better if we could get him the fugging ball.

[CRA]

If Smith was making $1 million per Sunday.......I bet people would have blamed the last 2 losses on him. I mean, he didn't put much effort into that pick late in Atlanta and got beat to the ball (he would have made that catch 6 out of 10 times and broken it up 3 of the remaining 4 times)........and on Monday he cut of his route and caused a pick on the standard comeback win drive Carolina is known for.

I think everyone including Smith has played poorly. I don't think Smith is the same guy from a few years ago........still he is one of the best in the league at his position though.

[panther4life]

I responded to you in the other thread as well.

I probably wouldn't go as far as saying he is still the best but he is still one of the best players on the team. The problem is, and I stated this in the other thread, is that he has reached the point of no longer improving and he isn't as great as he once was. This is the point that the great front offices trade players like Smith.

Now, what I am saying is based on the assumption that Fox and company are leaving after this season and a "rebuilding" mode would take place. If Fox would happen to stay then Smith would stay as well being a "core" player of this coaching/GM staff. New staff means new core players and a need for new talent. And the way you get that new talent is trading older, talented vets. It's just the nature of the business.

well we already have a jumpstart on the "rebuildng mode" We've got our bookend tackles set and for if duke robinson can step up we pretty much have a good healthy young offensive line.Behind the line we have 2 young stellar running backs. our offense is lacking a good young qb and recieving threats outside of smitty..The Defense already has Beason, Davis and Gamble who are all still fairly young. If we get a new coach i dont know what kind of scheme would be in place but i think those guys can play an any scheme..now if we stay with a 4-3 kemo will be a serviceable runstuffer for a couple more years,Leonard will come back from I.R. and deserves to be on the roster. Charles Johnson is still very young (22) and is due to blossom anytime now.Jury is out on Brown right now..looks a lil shakey at the moment i must admit.....bottom line with a new coach to breathe new life in this team with an upgraded qb and recieving corps (keeping smitty as the #1) and 1 more DT, and a lil help in the secondary we could be a hell of a team.

[CharlotteBeer.com]

I think it's unfair to say Moose's skills have deteroriated after three games, but not to say the same of Smith. If anything we're just not using Moose correctly.

Mind you, I don't think either one has "deteriorated."

[OARevolution]

Steve Smith is still as good as he has always been. Last year Steve Smith was a beast. He didn't have the touchdowns he was acustomed to due to our outstanding running game but he made spectacular play after spectacular play. I don't think he has dropped off any from last year. Our team is just not playing good, and that includes him as well. I like Steve's fire but he does need to calm down on the sideline. I don't know if it was Jake not getting him the ball or what he was so pissed about. But when it mattered the most Jake went to him, like he always does, and for what ever reason Steve broke the route.....

But Steve Smith is still the best player on our team, and one of the best in the league...

[MurkN]

Jake and Moose need to chill out thinking this is still 2003 where they could connect on 85 yard touchdown passes. With that said I think the only thing Moose has lost is agility and speed, as he can still block for the running game and has the stamina after running so many deep routes in a game. I think Smith still has a few more good years in him. The problem though is that we need to find some new ones that can feel the void once we don't have either Moose or Smith. Once Moose is gone, and Smith starts to lose a step in the speed department, I could see Smitty being more of a possession guy as we eventually encorperate another speedy WR into this offense.

[panthers55]

Smith problems are partly his and partly scheme. His issues are that he is so emotional he lets people get under his skin and disrupt his game. He presses and makes mistakes or like against the Cowboys was taken out of his game and made mental errors.

As for scheme, he really needs to be the slot guy and someone we move around and start in motion. We need to get him better matchups and use quick hitters, reverses, and other ways to get him in the game as we did in the first half. Wouldn't hurt to use him as a decoy at times either and when they ignore him, bust him loose for a big one.

[BigE]

Smitty is still our best player, he just needs a better QB throwing him the ball.

[pstall]

I think right now SS is a victim of his own talent.

EVERYBODY knows what he can do. And that's the problem. EVERYBODY knows.

I think he is so demanding of wanting the ball it's to the teams detriment.

Off the top of my head. Those first few 3 and out's ended with a pass over the middle to him. Either it was just short of the marker or he missed it/overthrown.

[CharlotteBeer.com]

I think he is so demanding of wanting the ball it's to the teams detriment.

Somehow I don't think Smith calls the plays, nor do I think he demands the ball. Even if he did, I don't think it would have any bearing on the plays called.

How many blocks did Smith spring last year that led to long runs by Williams and Stewart? The guys a team player, no primadonna.