[News] Late For Work 10/30: Steve Smith's Agent Not Convinced He'll Retire

[BR News]

Smith tweaks knee. Rivers has baby No. 8. Hard work for No. 1 pick. Doctor explains Pitta risks. Game picks.

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[balfan23]

Please don't use the term "tweak" when referring to a knee injury to one of our players - ever, ever again.

[WNC-Raven]

From our outside perspective SSS sounds like he is going to retire to spend time with his family and there is nothing more important to him than not missing out on their lives anymore. He has proven he doesn't need to have his hand held to practice and stay in shape so why doesn't Harbough agree that he can play another year and have off for his wife's bday, couple of kids games, ect.. It seems to me SSS is one of those guys who could just show up for the games and still kick but. Question is can Harbs open his tunnel vision mind to allow this to happen?

[reed20fence]

I think we might see some semblance of what this offense was intended to be had Perriman remained healthy. The fact that Givens found a way to get behind the Cardinals secondary, which is one of the youngest and most athletic in the league, twice during the game could mean that we start to use him reliably as our deep threat. Hopefully that means at least one safety and one corner are taken out of the box to help open up the run game. With a healthy Crockett and Boyle along with SSS working underneath we might start to see some more stability in the offense.

Edited October 30, 2015 by reed20fence

[TheRavengers]

Let's not talk about Perriman until after bye week, please, I'm tired of being let down.

[reed20fence]

Also, this is one of the few years I'm looking more eagerly towards free agency than I am the draft.

We'll probably go edge rusher with the 1st pick. And rightfully so.

It's been shown not just by us but by the league in general, in spite of last year's WR trend, that picking a WR and immediately expecting to go deep into the playoffs is not likely.

WRs need time to develop proficiency in the full route tree and expertise to create space with defenders. It takes time.

Look at all the deep contenders in the last few years of the playoffs. No one heavily (or really at all) relies on young rookie or second year receivers to be an essential cog on their offensive schemes.

So I'm looking forward to what we do to get Joe some veteran weapons that bring some savvy to our attack to fill the SSS void.

Edited October 30, 2015 by reed20fence

[Militant X 1]

Let's not talk about Perriman until after bye week, please, I'm tired of being let down.

 

Let's not talk about him at all at this point!

[Ravenshine]

I'd be happy to see SSS stay another year. Maybe he was feeling family sentiment when he made the initial announcement, but now realizes he can have lots of family time and still compete in 2016. (Football players get several months off in spring, so that's something.) If his body is up to it, I see his heart is definitely still in it. Retire when your heart tells you to.

Edited October 30, 2015 by Ravenshine

[Prino61]

Let's not talk about him at all at this point!

before we hurt his feeling and he miss all of next season

[cobrajet]

Wow 8 kids, when does Rivers have time for football....lol

[Drew P]

They need to plan to move forward without him regardless. If he announces he is going to play another year for the Ravens then they won't do a thing to bolster the WR corp

[Ravensfan4life2010]

I want to keep trestman next year, he doesn't have the receivers that can manage his playbook only Steve smith, there is a reason why aiken, brown, were undrafted.

We need receivers, if you have notice the teams that are winning have that playmaking receiver: Cardinals- Fizgerald, Floyd, Brown. Bengals: AJ Green. Patriots; Gronk, Edelman. Raiders: Amari Cooper ( A rookie that is balling out more then we can say about Rookie WR) examples of teams that have chance in making the playoffs because they have playmakers on the outside we simply don't

[ksk316]

Did you guys see the Stefon Diggs catch? That would have been an overthrown pass to any of our receivers. Joe could definitely have used someone like him.

[ravensohyea]

Smith is an inspiration. When he announced his retirement, I got excited thinking we'd end at SB 50 on the shoulders of another GREAT. I'd say he's made even more of an impact so far in this final year than Lewis made in his final year, without Deer Spray. I only wish our record was something he could be proud of... stay around buddy.

[The Greek]

8 kids my goodness.

[salamander]

In my mind, if SSS decides to give the Ravens another year, that would be the best news I heard all season.

[The Greek]

i do not see us winning unless the offense has a hot start and avoids a 2 1/2 to 3 QTR. drought.

Edited October 30, 2015 by The Greek

[Bat-mite]

This week: Steve Smith says he won't retire! Tune in next week when Steve Smith says he will retire, followed by a special in which he announces he won't retire!

Let's just wait and see if he suits up next year, huh?

Edited October 30, 2015 by Bat-mite

[Run Pass Pass Punt]

All these people picking us? Really? Ok. Go Ravens!

[balfan23]

This week: Steve Smith says he won't retire! Tune in next week when Steve Smith says he will retire, followed by a special in which he announces he won't retire!

Let's just wait and see if he suits up next year, huh?

Has Steve Smith himself said anything except that he was going to retire?

 

These stories are all seem to be generated by analysts that need something to talk about or by people close to him (like his agent) that feel the need to chime in on the topic. 

 

I agree with your sentiment though ... how about we take him at his word and assume he will not be a Raven in 2016. If he changes his mind in the offseason, then we'll go with that. 

[Crusader]

I think it just wrong to tempt Steve to stay. Ravens over his family? For this team? Get real. Ravens have sunk to a new low.

[salamander]

I am somewhat shocked that more analysts are picking the Ravens than I would have guessed at this point. I don't pay much attention to predictions but it's at least encouraging that there is enough confidence left in this Ravens team to believe we will break out of this losing funk. I am more than ready to see the Ravens come out on the winning end of things for a change.

[Godfather A]

He is thinking about family and being with them. I am a pediatrician and see far too many fathers who miss out on significant portions of their kids' lives. Ray wanted to be with his growing sons and it sounds like Steve Smith is following that same trajectory. I used to work for a boss in the Air Force who would say: "One of these days you will retire and your family will still be there unless you screw it up first".

[Raven_Don]

@Ravensfan4life2010... Marlon Brown actually was actually projected by some analysis to have been a mid to late round draft pick if he had not tore his acl his final year of college ball.. and Kamar is actually not bad when in the slot... problem is more of the scheme... I find it as a real disservice to Trestman that he's calling someone else's plays... I think that's where the real problem lies.. let's be honest how comfortable can you really be if you have to drive somewhere using another person's car... even though you know how to drive... you are not sure of how the car will drive... therefore you hesitate when taking sharp turns... I feel Trestman should be able to use his own playbook...

[RavensVAfan]

SSS was supposed to be on a reduced snap count yet he's on a career trajectory. Maybe NEXT year he can be on a reduced snap count and still be around to mentor the guys who get to stay and the guys Ozzie picks up in his do over at WR.

But if he decides to stick to his retirement plans I personally will applaud him for it and for giving us Raven's fans two great years.

[MikebRaven]

Interesting news coming from his agent. Since agents are essentially salesmen for whom the represent. So, clearing the way for Steve Smith Sr. to announce changing mind on retirement?

[RavensVAfan]

@Ravensfan4life2010... Marlon Brown actually was actually projected by some analysis to have been a mid to late round draft pick if he had not tore his acl his final year of college ball.. and Kamar is actually not bad when in the slot... problem is more of the scheme... I find it as a real disservice to Trestman that he's calling someone else's plays... I think that's where the real problem lies.. let's be honest how comfortable can you really be if you have to drive somewhere using another person's car... even though you know how to drive... you are not sure of how the car will drive... therefore you hesitate when taking sharp turns... I feel Trestman should be able to use his own playbook...

But Trestman has been driving that car through OTAs, Mini-camp, Camp, Pre-season, and 7 games into the season.  He knows exactly how it works.  I don't believe all the parts are working properly.  It won't drive well when you have a high-performance engine, strong frame, a racing tire on one side, and a bunch of low budget tires everywhere else.

 

How far can we take the car analogy, lol?

[fusuymada]

@Ravensfan4life2010... Marlon Brown actually was actually projected by some analysis to have been a mid to late round draft pick if he had not tore his acl his final year of college ball.. and Kamar is actually not bad when in the slot... problem is more of the scheme... I find it as a real disservice to Trestman that he's calling someone else's plays... I think that's where the real problem lies.. let's be honest how comfortable can you really be if you have to drive somewhere using another person's car... even though you know how to drive... you are not sure of how the car will drive... therefore you hesitate when taking sharp turns... I feel Trestman should be able to use his own playbook...

This is Trestmans offense not Kubiaks.  Not only is it clear to anyone watching the games, pundits have been talking about it for weeks.  None of these run plays are left over from Kubiaks scheme and Kubiaks scheme had a lot more 3 step drops and 5 step drops where Joe got the ball out a lot quicker.  No, the Ravens tried to fool the league by spreading that misinformation early in the off season, but if you look back at Chicago last year and the Ravens this year, it is exactly the same scheme and it is exactly why Joe looks just like Jay Cutler this year where he looked a lot better last year.

[bioLarzen]

"Ravens Would Have To Work Hard For No. 1 Pick"

 

Strange... One would think getting the #1 pick is probably te easiest feat to achieve in the NFL - and certainly requires the least amount of work...

 

(That said, I still think a pick spot at the #5-#8 range seems the likeliest for us.)

Edited October 30, 2015 by bioLarzen

[Purplepowers88]

For those of you who are saying that Trestman is way worse than Kubiak and should go - let's think of all the differences between last year and this year:

1) Their offensive line was amazing last year and is terrible this year. And they're not worse schematically, they're just not playing as well

2) How would Kubiak have fared without Torrey Smith, Jacoby Jones (and Steve Smith for some games) last year. Kamar Aiken is a #3 receiver being asked to play #1 at times and Marlon Brown shouldn't be in the league

3) Because none of their receivers get separation - defenses are able to load up against the run

4) Our defense has been beyond terrible this year which exposes our offenses' biggest flaw - needing to throw the ball with a terrible receiving unit that can't get open. We have NO deep threat at all (hopefully Chris Givens will turn into one)

Kubiak might indeed be a better offensive coordinator but even if we had him this year there's no guarantee that we would be playing at a high level on offense. Food for thought.