Torrey Smith: The Next Greg Jennings + Jeremy Maclin

[Ravensfan23]

[quote name='berad' timestamp='1304546816' post='681691']
"Torrey Smith: The Next Greg Jennings + Jeremy Maclin".

You're making my comment into more than it was. Just saying that Smith could have all the measurables, talent, and character to make Jerry Rice blush but he isn't anything until he capitalizes on it.
[/quote]

No I agree 100%, I could even be wrong out the OP, I just don't feel as if he was saying that without a doubt Smith will be great because of those numbers and measurements. It was just something to have fun with, as to Smith's potential to be considered the best WR from this class.

Smith has the potential to be as good as he wants to be, but if he doesn't produce on the field then he'll either be let go, or just like Boller, his potential will get someone fired.

And for the record I don't consider Jeremy Maclin a great WR at all. He still has a lot to prove, but the potential is there.

[berad]

[quote name='Ravensfan23' timestamp='1304547224' post='681699']
No I agree 100%, I could even be wrong out the OP, I just don't feel as if he was saying that without a doubt Smith will be great because of those numbers and measurements. It was just something to have fun with, as to Smith's potential to be considered the best WR from this class.

Smith has the potential to be as good as he wants to be, but if he doesn't produce on the field then he'll either be let go, or just like Boller, his potential will get someone fired.
[/quote]

Can't disagree with any of that. Sorry for the confusion.

[Bltravens]

Does anyone know if Mcgridda was actually one of Torrey Smith's brothers lol....he showed up like 2 weeks before the draft, defended Torrey to the death that he will be an impact player, then we drafted him in the 2nd round and he disappeared.

[Romo Ravens]

He's probably mad we didn't draft him in the first

[Ed_Reed20]

[quote name='Ravensfan23' timestamp='1304546327' post='681678']
Yea Percy is really starting to come into his own. I like his physicality and I agree he could do just as much as Jennings or Maclin. I actually think he would thrive in either the Packers or Eagles systems.
[/quote]

Harvin would be lethal with those teams.

Staying on topic, does anyone else feel Torrey will return kick-offs next season?

[AwakenTheDemon]

[quote name='Ravensfan23' timestamp='1304546814' post='681690']
You can say whatever you feel or choose to. It's a message broad. [b]All I pointed out was that calling the potential for Smith to maybe be better then Jones or Green baffling, and saying Doss will be the better WR, then turning around and saying Torrey Smith needs to prove what he can do on the field before anyone can make a claim for him was contradicting imo. [/b]

If you would have made you statements first and the OP turned around and sayed.....Doss hasn't even proven anything on the field to make anyone think he'll be better the Smith. Then he followed that up with the statement of Smith has the potential to be better then Jones and Green, then i would have said that seems contradicting statement.

If you feel Doss will be better cool. If you feel there is no way Smith will be as good as Jones and Green, that cool too. I just simple commented on a statement you made, nothing more nothing less.

It doesn't make what you said wrong or what i say right.
[/quote]

I never once "contradicted" myself in the first place. Why? Because of what I actually said to entice your response in the first place:

[quote]However, regardless of all that and of my own personal feelings of Smith, [b]why don't we wait until he plays a game or two, or even a snap, in the NFL before people proclaim him to be the next anybody?[/b][/quote]

Did I say we should wait until he plays before we call him "the best WR in this class", or who's better between him and Doss? My original comment was about comparing a rookie who's never stepped foot onto a professional field to a top-notch professional receiver. That comment originally had nothing at all to do between comparing Smith to Green, Jones, or even Doss. Go ahead and compare the rookies all you want, because they are all on the same level, all of them have never played a professional game. But you cannot call someone who's never played one the next Greg Jennings, Maclin, Moss, Johnson, or anyone else.

[AwakenTheDemon]

[quote name='Bltravens' timestamp='1304547395' post='681701']
Does anyone know if Mcgridda was actually one of Torrey Smith's brothers lol....he showed up like 2 weeks before the draft, defended Torrey to the death that he will be an impact player, then we drafted him in the 2nd round and he disappeared.
[/quote]

I still say he [i]was[/i] Torrey Smith under an alias, getting all the frustration and angst out anonymously while still preserving his "perfect character" while he still could.

[Ravensfan23]

[quote name='Ed_Reed20' timestamp='1304547710' post='681706']
Harvin would be lethal with those teams.

Staying on topic, does anyone else feel Torrey will return kick-offs next season?
[/quote]

I think he definitely will. It's a rough transition for many WRs into the NFL, and with only 4 years under his belt at WR it'll probably be even tougher for Torrey. So imo the last thing you want to do is dub this guy as the playmaker we need, then have him struggle to make an impact on offense.

I think the Ravens will allow him to return kicks and hopefully get his feet wet and his confidence about making an impact in the NFL up. Then slowly, but not too slow, get him involved in the offense.

I think D. Reed will spend a lot of time early on being that #3 WR, behind Boldin and Mason. Then the Ravens will start to work both Smith and Reed on the field together.

[AwakenTheDemon]

[quote name='Ravensfan23' timestamp='1304548710' post='681714']
I think he definitely will. It's a rough transition for many WRs into the NFL, and with only 4 years under his belt at WR it'll probably be even tougher for Torrey. So imo the last thing you want to do is dub this guy as the playmaker we need, then have him struggle to make an impact on offense.

[b]I think the Ravens will allow him to return kicks and hopefully get his feet wet and his confidence about making an impact in the NFL up. Then slowly, but not too slow, get him involved in the offense. [/b]

I think D. Reed will spend a lot of time early on being that #3 WR, behind Boldin and Mason. Then the Ravens will start to work both Smith and Reed on the field together.
[/quote]

With how badly they most likely wanted a receiver, I really wouldn't be surprised to see Smith see playtime at receiver from the get-go. Unless Reed really makes an impact, however he can depending upon this lockout, I don't think he'll end up being removed from return duties to play receiver. However, I would like to see him at least get some looks. Between Doss, Smith, and Reed there's some potential for the future of Baltimore receivers.

[Ravensfan23]

[quote name='AwakenTheDemon' timestamp='1304547927' post='681707']
I never once "contradicted" myself in the first place. Why? Because of what I actually said to entice your response in the first place:



[b]Did I say we should wait until he plays before we call him "the best WR in this class", or who's better between him and Doss? My original comment was about comparing a rookie who's never stepped foot onto a professional field to a top-notch professional receiver. That comment originally had nothing at all to do between comparing Smith to Green, Jones, or even Doss. Go ahead and compare the rookies all you want, because they are all on the same level, all of them have never played a professional game. But you cannot call someone who's never played one the next Greg Jennings, Maclin, Moss, Johnson, or anyone else.[/b]
[/quote]

I never disagreed with you once, and I still don't. I agree 100% about letting all of these rookies prove themselves on the field. That's why your comment of saying Smith could be better then Green and Jones was baffling, and you didn't even have Smith as your 3rd best WR, struck me as odd.

What college is like Vegas. What happened in college stays in college. It's very well possible that either Jones or Green could have a hard time adjusting to the WR positon at the NFL level. Or they both could go into the NFL and be stars from day One.

I must have originally misunderstood your comments, but saying that Smith's potential to be better then Jones or Green was baffling, was just odd to me, considering that none of those guy have caught one pass in the NFL. That's all.

[Bltravens]

[quote name='AwakenTheDemon' timestamp='1304548024' post='681708']
I still say he [i]was[/i] Torrey Smith under an alias, getting all the frustration and angst out anonymously while still preserving his "perfect character" while he still could.
[/quote]
Man I hope so, we should go back and look at all the posts and see if he ever used "I" instead of "him or Torrey" lol. Didnt Mcgridda also say he played football currently too?

[Ravensfan23]

[quote name='AwakenTheDemon' timestamp='1304548949' post='681716']
With how badly they most likely wanted a receiver, I really wouldn't be surprised to see Smith see playtime at receiver from the get-go. Unless Reed really makes an impact, however he can depending upon this lockout, I don't think he'll end up being removed from return duties to play receiver. However, I would like to see him at least get some looks. Between Doss, Smith, and Reed there's some potential for the future of Baltimore receivers.
[/quote]

Naw i think both Reed and Smith will return kicks. You usually have you top 2 return guys back deep so teams can't really kick away from your return.

It wouldn't surprise me either to see Smith line up day one as the #3. I just think this lock out will slow both him and Doss. Reed was here all last season, so he's mentally prepared for Training Camp, preseason and that first Ravens Steelers game, or at least he should be.

I agree about Doss Smith and Reed. I've said a few times, after watching Doss, that I think he could provide for us on 3rd downs the same thing as Kelley Washington. I actually think he could be more then that.

I can't wait to see the young WR, and although it doesn't guarantee anything, Having the likes of Boldin and Mason around will put these young guys in a much better position then Taylor, Johnson, Clayton, Hymes, Moore, and i really don't need to continue.

[AwakenTheDemon]

[quote name='Bltravens' timestamp='1304549574' post='681723']
Man I hope so, we should go back and look at all the posts and see if he ever used "I" instead of "him or Torrey" lol. Didnt Mcgridda also say he played football currently too?
[/quote]

I can't remember, I've tried to erase his arrogance from my memory. I figure he must have played, because of how well he knew the finer aspects of the sport, much better than anyone here, obviously.

[Yatagarasu]

Just reading from the responses here, I think you guys are taking this too seriously. Remember, this thread is all speculations. Sure, comparing Torrey Smith to some of the great NFL receivers before his first snap is absurd, however I don't see why any fan wouldn't want the best for their players.

Even though, Torrey Smith hasn't played his first NFL snap, his chance for success in the NFL has never looked so good. The Ravens Front Office stated that after drafting Torrey Smith in 2nd Round that their elation was much more than the celebration from the Torrey Smith's family. The Ravens clearly wanted this guy to be our their team and can't be more excited about it. Torrey Smith is also going into Cam's Offense that focuses speed, and this should play according to his strength. In addition, with the statistics and measurables provided by R.C. Fischer and recent history of drafting NFL WRs, we, Ravens fan, should feel grateful that we didn't have to go trade up or reach for the expensive big-time receivers that we like to have (Julio Jones or A.J. Green), if Torrey Smith can provide the same expectation at his perceived value. I must say that drafting WRs in the league has been such a conundrum with more misses than hits, including Ozzie's pick on Travis Taylor and Mark Clayton. However, with the perfect organization, along with his strengths, work ethics, and past history, there's too much good things going for Torrey to fail our high expectations of a big-time receiver.

[Bltravens]

Torrey's success depends just as much on Flacco and Cam getting him the ball as it does on himself, very very seldom are good WRs playing with bad QBs.

[-Truth-]

[quote name='AwakenTheDemon' timestamp='1304549774' post='681727']
I can't remember, I've tried to erase his arrogance from my memory. I figure he must have played, because of how well he knew the finer aspects of the sport, much better than anyone here, obviously.
[/quote]
I see what you did there.

[atljbo]

I think A.J Green or Julio Jones will be the best WR's in this draft class... But i like Torrey Smith A LOT... I think his ceiling would be a Jeremy Maclin type guy... I wanted the Falcons to get get him... you guys got GREAT vaule with him in the 2nd round... I think he will become a really good #2 WR that can stretch the field.

The only things that bothered me about Torrey was his rawness at route running (that can be learned) and he body catch a lot of balls.

But at the end of the day... I think you guys got 2 good WR's in Torrey and Doss... I think Doss plays faster then his 4.6 40 speed

[Ronthekeys]

I have a strange feeling that Doss might beat out Reed for his spot. I think he is the better receiver then Reed. Smith is the only real vertical threat we have and the coaches were so high on him I cant see Reed or Doss beating out Smith. He's different then anyone we have and is the only one that can open up the field for the other receivers. Doss have great hands and is more of a slot receiver and Reed brings a similar game Doss is just the bigger receiver. I see them using Smith and Reed as the kickoff and punt returners, but Smith brings to much to the table to be on the bench watching. We brought him in to be our vertical threat and we will use him to do just that.

[izvoodoo]

[quote name='RL52TheGreatest' timestamp='1304535567' post='681499']
I have a hard time believing that Torrey will end up being better than both A.J. and Julio, but interesting post nonetheless.
[/quote]

If he did, Ozzie would be THE greatest GM of all time.

[Bltravens]

[quote name='izvoodoo' timestamp='1304555277' post='681791']
If he did, Ozzie would be THE greatest GM of all time.
[/quote]
Ill consider Ozzie a sav if he hit on both the Smiths and Reid in this draft. That will greatly reduce our needs next draft, and we may be able to take an actual MLB who is a playmaker as well as a rush OLB depending on Kindle.

[izvoodoo]

[quote name='Bltravens' timestamp='1304556354' post='681808']
Ill consider Ozzie a sav if he hit on both the Smiths and Reid in this draft. That will greatly reduce our needs next draft, and we may be able to take an actual MLB who is a playmaker as well as a rush OLB depending on Kindle.
[/quote]

I'm actually sort of happy we passed on OLB. If kindle shores up, we could snatch up maybe Manti Te'o or Vontaze Burfict. ILB gets under drafted anyway. I hope we had gaither... so we could trade him for Oaklands #1 pick and draft Kalil out of USC... but that's a dream.

If he doesn't we could spend a First on an OLB. This was a pretty weak class for 3-4 OLB.

[ellicottraven]

Awesome post! I am much more informed after reading your post than before. For that I thank you.

[SpeedKills]

Really good analysis here. I think you're right to an extent - he'll be a good #2. But I also think Smith will need to have a guy like Boldin, Doss or Mase on whatever team he ever plays for to make sure he doesn't have to do it all himself. I just don't think he's that good of a WR. But as long as he has a Boldin or a Mason, whoo... I'm really looking forward to this coming season, if there is one that is.

[blitzking33]

I don't want Torrey to be the next anybody. I want teams who are looking to draft WRs in the future to say "We got the next Torrey Smith!!!" Let him get on the field and make a name for himself.

[atljbo]

I think Ozzie gave you guys another great draft class... If Ray and Reed can keep Jimmy Smith Focused... Dude is going to be a heck of a CB


Like i said... Torrey Smith is no A.J Green or Julio Jones ... But like i was telling falcon fans (before the draft) ... Torrey Smith will be a very good #2 WR that can stretch the field... Thats all you guys need tho with Boldin on the other side moving the chains... Doss will be a good slot guy also...

[Ravensfan23]

[quote name='atljbo' timestamp='1304610985' post='682148']
I think Ozzie gave you guys another great draft class... If Ray and Reed can keep Jimmy Smith Focused... Dude is going to be a heck of a CB


Like i said... Torrey Smith is no A.J Green or Julio Jones ... But like i was telling falcon fans (before the draft) ... Torrey Smith will be a very good #2 WR that can stretch the field... Thats all you guys need tho with Boldin on the other side moving the chains... Doss will be a good slot guy also...
[/quote]

I continue to remind people, that Torrey Smith has only been a WR for 4 years. So while guys like Green and Jones are much close to finished product, Torrey is still grown into a well rounded WR and he'll also have to develop into a NFL WR.

Now i'm not saying that Torrey will definitely be better then the 4 guys taken ahead of him, or he'll be the best WR in the NFL one day. However, because he's still a bit raw, he'll continue to be molded into the WR the Ravens need him to be.

At UMD, he was the guy they needed to stretch the field, take bubble screen, and just really use his speed to beat defenses. So he wasn't asked to run a route tree, but it doesn't mean he can't or won't develop into a good route running.

Look at a guy like Reggie Wayne, he was raw coming out of the U, and many people thought he would just be a deep threat for Peyton Manning, but he worked hard, learned from Harrison, and developed into one of the best WRs in the NFL.

So I honestly think that Torrey Smith's potential is whatever he wants it to. Depending on how hard he's willing to work, and if he can continue to get better each year like he did at UMD.

Torrey Smith and David Reed, could turn into a dynamic duo, who teams fear. With Doss working underneath, and getting the occasional deep balls. Add our 2 TEs Dickson and Pitta, the Ravens have the potential to have a explosive passing attack for years to come. However potential without production is just a waste of time and energy, so we'll see how all of these young guys turn out.

[atljbo]

[quote name='Ravensfan23' timestamp='1304614726' post='682186']
I continue to remind people, that Torrey Smith has only been a WR for 4 years. So while guys like Green and Jones are much close to finished product, Torrey is still grown into a well rounded WR and he'll also have to develop into a NFL WR.

Now i'm not saying that Torrey will definitely be better then the 4 guys taken ahead of him, or he'll be the best WR in the NFL one day. However, because he's still a bit raw, he'll continue to be molded into the WR the Ravens need him to be.


[/quote]


Dont get me wrong... I like Torrey... I wanted my Falcons to to trade back in the 2nd round and draft him (before the Julio Jones trade)... I saw the guy play a ton... He has everything it takes to be a good WR... I think he will be a great #2 WR.

The thing that separates Green and Julio is that they are big 6'3 (6'4 for Green) type WR's with great speed... I feel like those 2 guys have endless ceilings (they still have partzs of their games that they have to improve on also) ...

I will say this tho... if Torrey Smith played more aggressive... He could develop into a roddy white type guy... But i think he is more of a finesse guy like Maclin... Regardless... You guys got a great Value on a really talented WR

[AwakenTheDemon]

[quote name='Ravensfan23' timestamp='1304614726' post='682186']
I continue to remind people, that Torrey Smith has only been a WR for 4 years. So while guys like Green and Jones are much close to finished product, Torrey is still grown into a well rounded WR and he'll also have to develop into a NFL WR.

Now i'm not saying that Torrey will definitely be better then the 4 guys taken ahead of him, or he'll be the best WR in the NFL one day. However, because he's still a bit raw, he'll continue to be molded into the WR the Ravens need him to be.

At UMD, he was the guy they needed to stretch the field, take bubble screen, and just really use his speed to beat defenses. So he wasn't asked to run a route tree, but it doesn't mean he can't or won't develop into a good route running.

Look at a guy like Reggie Wayne, he was raw coming out of the U, and many people thought he would just be a deep threat for Peyton Manning, but he worked hard, learned from Harrison, and developed into one of the best WRs in the NFL.

So I honestly think that Torrey Smith's potential is whatever he wants it to. Depending on how hard he's willing to work, and if he can continue to get better each year like he did at UMD.

[b]Torrey Smith and David Reed, could turn into a dynamic duo, who teams fear. With Doss working underneath, and getting the occasional deep balls.[/b] Add our 2 TEs Dickson and Pitta, the Ravens have the potential to have a explosive passing attack for years to come. However potential without production is just a waste of time and energy, so we'll see how all of these young guys turn out.
[/quote]

Sorry, but I think it'd be Doss as our future number one, with either Smith or Reed as the two, and the remainder as the slot guy.

[Romo Ravens]

[quote name='AwakenTheDemon' timestamp='1304624219' post='682335']
Sorry, but I think it'd be Doss as our future number one, with either Smith or Reed as the two, and the remainder as the slot guy.
[/quote]

I know that Doss has a lot of promising qualities, but what is it that makes you think he'll be our number one when Boldin is finished, as opposed to Smith?

[AwakenTheDemon]

[quote name='Romo Ravens' timestamp='1304624456' post='682339']
I know that Doss has a lot of promising qualities, but what is it that makes you think he'll be our number one when Boldin is finished, as opposed to Smith?
[/quote]

Smith does not strike me in the least bit as a reliable number one option. Doss' is not that far behind Smith in terms of speed and his hands are [i]vastly[/i] superior to Smith's. He's tough, so won't miss much time. Everything about Doss strikes me as a number one option. Smith, not so much.