Smitty in the slot?

[OARevolution]

Steve Smith should've been moved to the slot in 2011 the day Cam put on his Panthers draft hat. If a mediocre player like Wes Welker can put up huge numbers from the slot without a "#1 WR" on the outside, why can't Steve? 

 

 

I wouldn't call Welker mediocre.....

[Panther4lyfe]

It's been obvious for years that he's really wanted to play slot.

 

Ya, Smitty just doesn't want to play that #1 spot. He's has always said that he loved when Moose was here because he wasn't getting double teamed as much.

 

By the way I'm not disagreeing with you just adding to the fact that he just wants to get away from that #1 receiver role. Lafell is a good option as a #2 receiver we just have to go somewhere and get that #1 receiver.

[j2sgam]

Granted things have changed, but Smitty said he's wanted the slot since prior 2010.. Smitty & G-Reg underneath, LaFell & Hixon on the outside, throw in GinnJr on the 9 route, what do you do? Don't forget about Tolbert out of the backfield & Cam possibly keepin it.... Never liked Hogan but seriously, "Whatcha gonna do?" Think Smitty move inside is perfect, love Proehl mentoring him.

Remember reading an article back in '05 about Ricky wanting to retire. Steve's wife called him up & said "you can't, my husband needs you", paraphrasing of course... Much respect between them 2, Ricky was a helluva player. Remember that catch to end the game week1 of '03? Fug yeah Smitty has respect...

[Carolinaboy1979]

Welker isn't mediocre but he's nowhere near the player that Smitty is. If Hixon, Gettis, Edwards or whoever could be a deep outside threat the sky would be the limit for our offense.

[Guest Spider Monkey]

Wont believe it until I see it happen on the field. Every year we talk about 89 being in the slot, and 89 have mentioned it himself. It never happened because no fuggn body can play on the outside. Maybe this is the year with the additions of Ginn and Hixon.

Pessimistic, over-analyzing, arm chair coaching, Debbie Downer.

"LOL Jordan is coming back? Dude is washed up." --chuck '95

"One year wonder. Dude is too small. Already broke his leg. SMH." --chuck '04

"Roy Williams sucks. He got lucky in '05. Look what he did this year with his own players." --chuck '08

"Cam Newton?!?!?!" --chuck '11

"Another friggin LB?!?!?!" --chuck '12

"Smitty won't play slot. I don't care what coaches are saying." --chuck '13

[Guest Spider Monkey]

Oh, by the way, this is why Gettleman is the GM and not one if the many arm chair GMs on this board.

Instead of having a pair of young stud DTs, two new veteran WRs, Smitty in the slot, and a 3rd year coach with a pedigree of dominate defenses;

We would have reached for a mediocre WR in the draft, signed a washed up 35yo DT, kept wearing the piss out of Smitty, and brought in a 1st year HC.

[PhillyB]

a lot depends on how well ginn/hixon work out

[carolina-chuck]

Pessimistic, over-analyzing, arm chair coaching, Debbie Downer.

"LOL Jordan is coming back? Dude is washed up." --chuck '95

"One year wonder. Dude is too small. Already broke his leg. SMH." --chuck '04

"Roy Williams sucks. He got lucky in '05. Look what he did this year with his own players." --chuck '08

"Cam Newton?!?!?!" --chuck '11

"Another friggin LB?!?!?!" --chuck '12

"Smitty won't play slot. I don't care what coaches are saying." --chuck '13

 

Yea, Im lost.

 

[carolina-chuck]

Steve Smith should've been moved to the slot in 2011 the day Cam put on his Panthers draft hat. If a mediocre player like Wes Welker can put up huge numbers from the slot without a "#1 WR" on the outside, why can't Steve? And before some dumb ass says the Patriots top threats are TEs, Greg Olsen is just as good as a receiver. Although, I bet Hernandez is really getting good at catching.

The biggest thing I take from this is we will see a ton of single back sets with Ginn, Smith, Olsen, LaFell. They may not be superstars but Olsen and LaFell are very, very good targets. Smith will dominate LBers and nickels from the slot. And say what you want about Ginn, but he still has those jets and Cam has the arm to hit him.

I fully expect Ron Rivera to have our defense dominating this year. Our offense may be just as scary.

"So you locked up Olsen and LaFell on the right side, doubled Steve over the middle, kept up with Ginn blasting down the left sideline, and took out my check down (Williams/Stewart/Tolbert/Barner). Very impressive. Oh, be right back, I gotta give this ball to a kid in the stands." --Cam

 

Yea, I stopped reading at Welker being mediocre.

 

[Argus Plexus]

Chuck CAN be an asshat but he's right, we want actions at this point, not words. So tired of words with the Panthers, seems like all we ever get is words anymore.

[Guest Spider Monkey]

Yea, I stopped reading at Welker being mediocre.

[Vagrant]

It's a bad idea because while it does take advantage of a lot of the traits that make Smith great, it also puts him in a hell of a lot more danger. Cam has a lot of power in his arm and as a result he does airmail a lot of passes over the middle on timing routes. You combine that with the fact that Smith is a player that never gives up on a catch and you have a recipe for disaster.

 

WR that play in the slot are the guys that get hit the hardest of anybody on the field because they're getting matched up against coverage linebackers and safeties. Wes Welker may get a lot of crap around here, but he's as tough as nails and his hands are elite as is his ability to take hits. As much as I love Smith, is that really the position that we want to put him in? Do we want him taking shots from linebackers instead of corners? I personally don't and think it's a dumb move.

 

Smith is still our best man on man WR and putting him in the slot does not utilize that ability as well as it should be and makes him vulnerable at the hands of a young and inexperienced starting QB. Cam will get there in terms of protecting his WRs in the future but I don't think that future is now.

 

This is one of those moves to file under "probably works best in Madden". When you do it in real life, it gives us two weak options on the outside of the formation that will allow teams to clog up the middle of the field to take away our two best hands guys in Olsen and Smith, forcing plays to the outside in single coverage where guys like LaFell and Hixon will have trouble creating space for themselves.

 

If you want a waterbug to put in the slot then let it be Ginn. If he goes down we're not out our best WR and he still stands to be a strong big play option in the middle of the field if we can get him clean looks.

 

How do you get your two best targets open in the middle of the field when you have two outside guys that can't stretch the play?

[Lumps]

Steve Smith should've been moved to the slot in 2011 the day Cam put on his Panthers draft hat. If a mediocre player like Wes Welker can put up huge numbers from the slot without a "#1 WR" on the outside, why can't Steve? And before some dumb ass says the Patriots top threats are TEs, Greg Olsen is just as good as a receiver. Although, I bet Hernandez is really getting good at catching.

The biggest thing I take from this is we will see a ton of single back sets with Ginn, Smith, Olsen, LaFell. They may not be superstars but Olsen and LaFell are very, very good targets. Smith will dominate LBers and nickels from the slot. And say what you want about Ginn, but he still has those jets and Cam has the arm to hit him.

I fully expect Ron Rivera to have our defense dominating this year. Our offense may be just as scary.

"So you locked up Olsen and LaFell on the right side, doubled Steve over the middle, kept up with Ginn blasting down the left sideline, and took out my check down (Williams/Stewart/Tolbert/Barner). Very impressive. Oh, be right back, I gotta give this ball to a kid in the stands." --Cam

 

I agree Smith should have been in the slot for a while now. He is perfect for it. Crisp route running, speed and hands. I think you're overestimating what Ginn can do. He is a good returner but he is not a #1, or really even a #2. While this lineup is good for Madden the flaw here is there is is not any young #1 talent. Putting Smitty in the slot is pointless if there is no threat down the field. Greg is great but again not a #1 WR talent.

 

I hate how the Panthers have ignored the position if Smitty goes down no way in hell we go anywhere this season. The WR position has competition, but someone is going to have to seriously step it up and surprise us.

[Carolinaboy1979]

I wouldn't call Welker mediocre, but perhaps overrated.

That's pretty accurate....but he is going to get the media's praise/accolades because he's played with Brady and now Manning. Welker is an ideal slot receiver but he"ll never hold a candle to Smitty.