Yasinskas Speculation: "Real Chance" Smith is Traded

[Urrymonster]

they did that last year. The majority of the time when they ran 1 WR sets Smitty was on the bench.

I think Smitty was mentally on vacation from about week 4-5 forward.

Smith played in 89% of all possible offensive snaps, far and above all other receivers. If any other receiver was on during single receiver sets, then they would naturally be involved in all other sets as well, thus have a higher percentage of snaps.

[CRA]

Smith played in 89% of all possible offensive snaps, far and above all other receivers. If any other receiver was on during single receiver sets, then they would naturally be involved in all other sets as well, thus have a higher percentage of snaps.

okay, but when they went to that standard formation they used over and over w/ 1 WR....Smitty wasn't the WR. They often ran out of it so I think they were just giving him a break in duties.

[Zaximus]

Well..

1) First off, stop getting worked up over a Yas article, I haven't seen anything he writes come to be true. He doesn't seem to get anything more right than we do on the huddle.

2) Smith is NOT a top 5 WR anymore. I'm sorry. Yes his QB play was lackluster, but top-5 WR's still get productive (look at Fitz/Bolden when LEINART was throwing to them). Tony Gonzalez was the best TE every year in KC with junk at the QB position. When Smith WAS a top-5 he made Jake look really good. He no longer can do that. He's not a bad WR, and he still may be top 15 or top 10 but he's definitely not top 5. He's a Panther through and through but let's be real guys. He's lost a step and he is dropping more and more balls each year.

3) We won't get enough value from trading him to justify it. WR's seem to go for cheap now, and I don't expect someone like Smith who's almost 32, slowing down (when his game is based off speed), drops more every year, is a pain and nuisance to the team, has past behavior issues, and also has some serious injuries (the broken arm WILL come back again and bite him) to get high draft picks. Before you even get to his drop in production he's already not worth it.

[Darth Bobo]

One big problem for Steve Smith has been his yardage after catch. Early on in his career, SS was a SUPER STUD at getting yardage after the catch, and it didn't matter where on the fied that he caught the ball. Though his effort and heart has not declined, he has lost ground speed, acceleration, and cannot cut as sharply either. He evades fewer tackles. The seperation he once created has narrowed, and that has resulted in better tackling, which probably takes its toll on his body as well.

Even if we fans consider that he hasn't been getting great passes, we can still look and consider what SS does with the ball AFTER it is caught. That is the most obvious place where you can isolate Steve Smith's individual skills and compare them only to himself in years prior. YAC is not the only aspect of his game that has declined, but it is one that requires a hefty dose of homerism to ignore.

[Skew]

I said it last year before the season was over and I'll say it again. Smith is gone. He will be traded.

I will be very surprised if he is on this team in December.

[PantherDude]

Smith bitched about the rookies not kissing his ass last offseason, but then goes out and drops balls and fumbles while Gettis and Lafell improve.

Did Smitty really bitch about rookies not kissing his ass or you're just lying & putting words in his mouth like you're known for doing the same for some of us here often when you disagree? Not to mention being cocky & full of it. Oh yeah, being rude and immature as well.

But then you saying Jerry Rice isn't really that good show you don't know about good football with dissing one of the best WR there ever was.

[PantherDude]

And I hope Smitty stay. He is just frustrated & need better QB. But at least he is somewhat the reason why LaFell & Gettis play good. Hopefully the 2 don't become another Keary Colbert.

[cookinbrak]

Did Smitty really bitch about rookies not kissing his ass or you're just lying & putting words in his mouth like you're known for doing the same for some of us here often when you disagree? Not to mention being cocky & full of it. Oh yeah, being rude and immature as well.

But then you saying Jerry Rice isn't really that good show you don't know about good football with dissing one of the best WR there ever was.

Yes, Steve, you bitched about it. We remember.

[Anybodyhome]

Well..

3) We won't get enough value from trading him to justify it. WR's seem to go for cheap now, and I don't expect someone like Smith who's almost 32, slowing down (when his game is based off speed), drops more every year, is a pain and nuisance to the team, has past behavior issues, and also has some serious injuries (the broken arm WILL come back again and bite him) to get high draft picks. Before you even get to his drop in production he's already not worth it.

And this is the real issue at hand. The question that has to be answered in the affirmative when contemplating a trade is simple: Will what we get in return increase the productivity over what we have now?

Sorry, I don't see it. I'd be surprised if Steve Smith would get anything better than a 4th rounder and for all the over-hyped accusations made about Steve Smith in the locker room, on the sidelines, at practice, etc. (I had no idea so many Huddle people had access to these places- where do I sign up?)there still is not a 4th round WR who is half as good as Smith.

[Urrymonster]

And this is the real issue at hand. The question that has to be answered in the affirmative when contemplating a trade is simple: Will what we get in return increase the productivity over what we have now?

Sorry, I don't see it. I'd be surprised if Steve Smith would get anything better than a 4th rounder and for all the over-hyped accusations made about Steve Smith in the locker room, on the sidelines, at practice, etc. (I had no idea so many Huddle people had access to these places- where do I sign up?)there still is not a 4th round WR who is half as good as Smith.

That is because you are looking at it from the wrong perspective. The initial compensation is a 4th, but what if we pick up Green with our first? That will then allow Green, LaFell and Gettis to progress, rather than always playing the balancing act of having Smith the featured receiver.

Did Smith produce anything more than the other two last year?

So yes, you may only get a 4th or worse, but it should give players who have shown potential the chance to become a starter and become every down guys. If LaFell & Gettis are our future, one more year of Smith won't achieve anything.

Or something else to consider, what if that 4th round pick allows us to package together to move into the 2nd round?

[Anybodyhome]

That is because you are looking at it from the wrong perspective. The initial compensation is a 4th, but what if we pick up Green with our first? That will then allow Green, LaFell and Gettis to progress, rather than always playing the balancing act of having Smith the featured receiver.

Did Smith produce anything more than the other two last year?

So yes, you may only get a 4th or worse, but it should give players who have shown potential the chance to become a starter and become every down guys. If LaFell & Gettis are our future, one more year of Smith won't achieve anything.

Or something else to consider, what if that 4th round pick allows us to package together to move into the 2nd round?

I didn't know perspectives could either be wrong or right. I knew they could be different from someone else's but shame on me for having a "wrong" perspective. But that's another story.

I'm taking the Steve Smith issue at face value. I'm not assuming anything, including whatever inside info some Huddle members may have with regard to his behavior in and around the football field. I won't speak to that because there are no facts to back it up. What I will speak to is his age and the fact he has lost some speed, not necessarily at the top end, but his burst and his cuts have lost their edge.

Another assumption I certainly wouldn't go on a limb for- a new CBA done before the draft which would allow a pre-trade draft. Major issue here- cannot trade anyone without a CBA and you certainly cannot trade someone for draft picks or a player/pick package without a CBA.

Yet another assumption I won't make is drafting AJ Green #1 overall, making Steve Smith expendable. If that occurs have you just equated a 32-year old, slower Steve Smith to a #1 draft pick? And if such a move is made, the Panthers have a pretty decent, young WR corps with a lot of potential and nobody who can get them the ball.

The Panthers with Steve Smith, LaFell and Gettis are already a "vertically capable" team if they get the right QB, and I don't believe that QB is on the roster today. I'm not sure that QB is in this year's draft, either. Drafting AJ Green makes this team vertically capable as well, but with less chance of getting a vertically capable QB. In other words, the Panthers can only afford to draft Green if they have a QB who can get him the ball.

And let's not forget about this- perhaps the most important intangible in the whole deal. The relationship between Smith and JR.

[SPANKY]

Smith has done so much for this team over the year's, it would be sad if we loose him on top of the fact that the 2010 season was flushed down the toilet. Some people think he's washed up, lost a step, too old ect.ect. I suppose the fact that he had rookie a QB, and was flanked by rookie WR's had nothing to do with his rough year. What about Fox and Davidson? My 12 year old could've called better play's than Davidson. But none of those thing's has anything to do with it...sure. I don't blame Smith if he want's a chance at winning a superbowl, I sometime's wonder if the FO remember's that's the goal for an NFL football team. Our FO is too busy lowering payroll, and pushing for a lockout.

[riddel]

Anybody that watches the game, knows that Steve Smith is a top 5 WR. If you don't know that, then I can't help you, but if you don't understand that a WR needs the ball thrown to him to succeed, then there is no help for you.

This thread is hilarious.....where are all you morons saying Smith is washed up at now?

I will admit I never dreamed Newton and Smith would be on the same team....but damn I'm happy "it is what it is!"

[riddel]

2010 most yards for a WR makes those WRs the best? Wow.

We haven't had a QB in 2 years. Here's Smith's 2008 yardage when he had a Qb throwing the ball to him.

http://www.nfl.com/stats/categorystats?seasonType=REG&d-447263-n=1&d-447263-o=2&d-447263-p=1&d-447263-s=RECEIVING_YARDS&tabSeq=0&season=2008&experience=null&Submit=Go&archive=true&conference=null&statisticCategory=RECEIVING&qualified=true

By the way, I don't agree that most yards received indicates that the WR is the best only the most targeted, meaning a capable QB who can throw...Carolina doesn't have one of those.

Freakin awesome.