Jimmy Smith - Pro Football Rumors

Ravens Owner On Ngata, Yanda, Flacco

April 1st, 2015 at 6:36pm CST by Zachary Links

Earlier tonight, Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti hosted a conference call with season ticket holders and touched on a wide range of issues. Here’s a look at some of the highlights with all links going to Twitter..

Bisciotti didn’t rule out potential scenario of new Lions defensive tackle Haloti Ngata returning to the Ravens as a free agent in 2016, Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun tweets. Ngata is in the final year of his current pact. I can’t help but think that Bisciotti’s comments could lead to tampering accusations. Bisciotti added that Ngata rejected an extension offer that would have reduced his annual salary (link).
The owner identified cornerback and pass rusher as the two positions he’s looking at with the No. 26 overall pick, Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com tweets.
The owner indicated that the Ravens can carve out more cap space by extending the contracts of Marshal Yanda, Jimmy Smith, and Justin Tucker, Hensley tweets. Yanda, who has started 78 of his 80 games with Baltimore over the past five years, is entering the final year of his deal and is set to earn $5.5MM in base salary in 2015.
Bisciotti is confident that the Ravens can make it a “win-win” for the team and Joe Flacco when it comes to getting a new deal done after this season, Hensley tweets. Even with the pending contract restructuring next season, he’s not concerned about Flacco’s future in Baltimore, Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun tweets.
Bisciotti says he is still “praying” that tight end Dennis Pitta comes back from hip surgery, Clifton Brown of CSNBaltimore.com tweets. That language doesn’t sound too encouraging when it comes to the veteran’s chances of getting back on the field.
The owner said that you can’t do it with two pass rushers anymore and knows that the team has a need there too, as Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun tweets. “I would be just as pleased with a pass rusher. Quietest need we have,” Bisciotti said. He’d like to see Baltimore take a pass rusher in the first round, but things are wide open at this stage (via Wilson on Twitter).
Bisciotti said domestic violence issues have changed the Ravens’ approach to who sign in free agency and who they draft, according to Hensley (on Twitter). He added that if the team had seen the Ray Rice video sooner, the running back likely would have been released earlier, according to Zrebiec (link).
Bisciotti said Lardarius Webb is a much better player than he showed in first half of last year and pointed to his lower back issues as a reason for his 2014 struggles, Wilson tweets. Webb reworked his deal with the Ravens this offseason in order to stay on board.
Bisciotti says he wants to see the Ravens acquire another Pernell McPhee type, Wilson tweets. McPhee, of course, joined up with the Bears on a five-year deal worth just under $40MM.
Bisciotti knows the Ravens need a corner but he’s not desperate for a wideout, Wilson tweets. The Ravens, he says, absolutely need a tight end but they’re not exceptionally desperate for a wideout (link). He identified in-house names like Michael Campanaro, Kamar Aiken, and Marlon Brown as players who could help fill that WR need from within.
Bisciotti also identified safety as an area of need, Zrebiec tweets.
The Ravens are more likely to take a tight end in the third or fourth round rather than the first or second round, Zrebiec tweets.
Biscotti added that the Ravens might target wide receivers in the third round, Zrebiec tweets.
Bisciotti said there’s not one issue in seven years that GM Ozzie Newsome and coach Jim Harbaugh didn’t come to a resolution on, even after disagreeing vehemently, Hensley tweets.

Sunday Roundup: Panthers, Thomas, Levy

March 29th, 2015 at 12:46pm CST by Rory Parks

Let’s take a look at some notes from around the league on this Sunday afternoon:

David Newton of ESPN.com passes along a couple of Panthers items. He believes an extension for Cam Newton will get done before the season begins, but both sides will wait until Russell Wilson signs his new deal before really moving forward. The ESPN scribe also expects an extension for Thomas Davis to happen at some point, but there is no real rush to get it done immediately.
Although the Broncos have to seriously consider taking a quarterback with one of their ten draft picks, Mike Kiszla of The Denver Post does not see any of this year’s crops of signal-callers outside of Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota as a legitimate heir to Peyton Manning.
Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com writes that Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians plans to give second-year quarterback Logan Thomas “a ton of work” this offseason. Most of Thomas’ reps will come with the second unit, but given that Carson Palmer and Drew Stanton are coming off injury, there should be opportunities with the first team as well.
Michael C. Wright of ESPN.com believes the Bears will look to the draft for a wide receiver to complement Alshon Jeffery, and they will only turn to the free agent pool if they are unable to adequately address their needs with a rookie or two.
Now that Ndamukong Suh is gone, Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com believes DeAndre Levy might be the player to build around as the cornerstone of the Lions‘ defense.
If Jimmy Smith were to hit the open market next offseason, Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com believes he would be the best cornerback in the free agent class. But Hensley thinks the Ravens will either lock Smith up with a long-term extension or else put the franchise tag on him, as he is too valuable for the team to let go. Byron Maxwell‘s new six-year deal with the Eagles, which includes $25.5MM guaranteed and has an AAV of $10.5MM, would be a good benchmark for a Smith extension.
David Moore of The Dallas Morning News says it is unlikely that Adrian Peterson will end up with the Cowboys, but given the unpredictability of owner Jerry Jones, it is too soon to dismiss the possibility altogether.

Ravens Links: Reed, Reid, Smith, Hill, Forsett

November 8th, 2014 at 8:57pm CST by Rob DiRe

The Ravens have had incredible struggles in the secondary, and that group only got worse as Jimmy Smith was officially moved to the IR. With their rival Steelers bringing legends James Harrison and Brett Keisel back into the fold to sure up their defense, Ravens fans have been left wondering if Ed Reed could be an option for a unit that could use some help.

There is no chance the team brings Reed back in any capacity other than on a one day contract to retire as a Raven, writes Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com. He writes that Reed showed nothing on the field last year, either with the Texans or the Jets, and that he would no longer inspire fear roaming center field at free safety.

He adds that bringing him back as a coach or a motivator would be a bad idea, as Reed had become a headache for the team towards the end of his tenure in Baltimore.

Here are some other links from around the Ravens’ organization:

In his mailbag, Hensley also addresses how the recent purge in the secondary will shape up for the team, how linebacker Arthur Brown is progressing within the defense, and the positions of interest the team should focus on in free agency and the 2015 NFL Draft.
Offensive tackle Jah Reid underwent surgery on his broken hand, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). Whether or not Reid will return at some point this season has not been decided as of yet.
With Jimmy Smith done for the season, there are questions as to whether the Ravens will be able to stop any legitimate quarterbacks the rest of the season. Brett Foote of EbonyBird.com examines what the team can do to survive the season so thin in the defensive backfield.
The team only has five interceptions on the season, and Smith is the only member of the secondary contributing to that figure. However, the team believes it could have the answer to improve that, and expects safety Will Hill to be the team’s top ballhawk now that is returning to the field, writes Garrett Downing of BaltimoreRavens.com.
Justin Forsett was cut by the Jaguars in March, but got the opportunity to compete for carries with the Ravens this offseason, with the added bonus of knowing incumbent starter Ray Rice would have to miss two games with a suspension. However, with Rice‘s eventual release from the team gave Forsett the best opportunity of his career, according to offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak, as reported by the Associated Press on SFGate.com. “This is probably his biggest opportunity as a player,” Kubiak said. “And he’s really taking advantage of it.”
The entire Ravens’ backfield should get credit for the improved running game, write Bryan Stauffer of NumberFire.com. Bernard Pierce, Justin Forsett, and Lorenzo Taliaferro are piecing together a formidable unit that has been more productive than last year’s combination of Pierce and Rice.

Ravens Move Jimmy Smith To IR

November 8th, 2014 at 1:51pm CST by Rob DiRe

The Ravens lost their top corner to a foot injury, as Jimmy Smith underwent surgery on his right foot. The decision to have surgery had essentially ended his season, and the team made it official today as Smith was placed on the IR, reports Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).

The Ravens signed cornerback Rashaan Melvin off of the Dolphins’ practice squad to provide them help at corner. The 6’2″ defensive back was on IR last year with the Buccaneers, and was released this past September, when the Dolphins signed him.

Smith, 26, was drafted in the first-round in the 2011 NFL Draft. Although he struggled at times early in his rookie season, he excelled late in the year and played a huge role in the Super Bowl win over the 49ers. Since then, he has overtaken Lardarius Webb as the best defensive back on the team.

Now, as the team nears a decision on his future, the injury has robbed Smith of the back half of his best season as a pro. Had he kept his play at this level through the end of the season, and possibly into the playoffs, he could have been in line for a monster extension comparable to some of the top ten cornerbacks in the league. The Ravens will likely still do whatever is needed to keep Smith on the roster going forward, but the price tag may have come down after the injury.

Jimmy Smith Out For Season

November 6th, 2014 at 3:07pm CST by Luke Adams

The Ravens’ embattled secondary was dealt another blow today, according to the team, which announced (via Twitter) that standout cornerback Jimmy Smith underwent surgery on his injured foot and will be sidelined for the remainder of the 2014 season. The injury was initially expected to keep Smith out of action for a few weeks, but it was determined to be serious enough that he now won’t be back until next season.

“The plan for Jimmy was to do more testing once swelling subsided,” said Ravens head coach John Harbaugh, per Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter links). “With this exam, doctors decided he needed surgery. That means Jimmy is finished for the season, but is ready for our offseason.”

The coming offseason could wind up being a big one for Smith, whose rookie contract expires at season’s end. The Ravens exercised their fifth-year option on the 26-year-old for 2015, meaning the team will have him under control for one more year, but working out a longer-term arrangement this offseason for the Ravens’ top cornerback could be in the club’s best interest.

In the meantime, a shorthanded Ravens secondary will look to cope with Smith’s absence as best it can. The team released Chykie Brown and Dominique Franks this week, meaning Lardarius Webb is now the only healthy veteran cornerback on the roster. Defensive backs Danny Gorrer and Tramain Jacobs also figure to see plenty of action, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see Baltimore add one more veteran corner before this weekend’s game against the Titans. Currently, there are no defensive backs on the team’s practice squad.

AFC North Notes: Smith, Brown, Allen, Browns

October 28th, 2014 at 6:06pm CST by Matt Feminis

Ravens cornerback Jimmy Smith (foot sprain) will be out “at least a few weeks,” writes the Baltimore Sun’s Aaron Wilson, who points to Nov. 24 against the Saints or the following week against the Chargers as possible return dates for Smith. When asked about adding a free-agent cornerback, head coach John Harbaugh said, “We don’t have to. If we can find the right guy, we’ll do that. They are scarce.” Instead, for now, the Ravens will turn to Dominique Franks to replace Smith. The team also has Chykie Brown, who has been inactive the last two games.

In other AFC North news…

Despite the Ravens stating publicly they don’t intend to go outside the current roster for cornerback help, Wilson tweets the team inquired about Tony Carter of the Broncos prior to the trade deadline.
The Steelers are another AFC North team with cornerback issues because Cortez Allen, who signed a five-year, $25MM deal before the season, has not only lost his starting job, but is in danger of being inactive, writes Ray Fittipaldo in the Post-Gazette. Head coach Mike Tomlin insists he remains confident in Allen’s abilities, but says the cornerback is leaving too many plays on the field: “[Allen] has to finish opportunities that he’s not getting done. Oftentimes, he is in position because he does a great job getting in position, but position is just an element of it. You have to finish.”
Fittipaldo also notes the Steelers expect to have right tackle Marcus Gilbert back in the starting lineup. He sat out last week with a concussion.
Steelers receiver Antonio Brown leads the NFL in receptions and targets, ranks second in receiving yards, is fourth in receiving touchdowns and paces all receivers with a 13.1 grade from Pro Football Focus. In Brown’s case, the stats don’t lie, says Tomlin, who boasted (via the team’s website) that the fifth-year playmaker is performing at an elite level. “He’s one of the best in the world at what he does,” said Tomlin at his weekly news conference. “(Antonio) is physically and mentally on top of his game, and when you have somebody who’s playing like that, you step into a stadium and he’s a known issue but still he performs. We say similar things about guys like J.J. Watt. We knew what he was capable of when we were getting ready to play the Houston Texans, but it still doesn’t stop the storm from coming. Antonio is playing at that type of a level from a wide receiver standpoint, a J.J. Watt discussion kind of a level.”
The Browns rank last in the NFL in punt returns, which prompted ESPN Cleveland’s Tony Grossi to wonder if Josh Cribbs might get a phone call. However, head coach Mike Pettine quashed any speculation by saying, “Josh’s name hasn’t come up.”

Monday Roundup: Cutler, Trades, Landry

October 27th, 2014 at 8:54pm CST by Rory Parks

Our Zach Links wrote earlier that Bears GM Phil Emery is not currently thinking about parting ways with head coach Marc Trestman, and Emery and Trestman both reaffirmed their support for embattled quarterback Jay Cutler one day after Chicago’s embarrassing Week 8 loss to the Patriots. As Michael C. Wright of ESPN.com writes, Emery and Trestman remain committed to Cutler, attempting to accentuate the positives in their signal caller’s performances while acknowledging the struggles.

Emery claimed that his club’s decision to stick with Cutler has nothing to do with Cutler’s salary, but ESPN’s John Clayton is understandably skeptical. In his “Clayton Minute” video segment, Clayton says that, given the Bear’s $18MM annual commitment to Cutler, Chicago simply has no other choice than to hope that Cutler can right the ship.

Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun Times writes that Emery has been approached with “two or three interesting” trade proposals, but nothing that helps the Bears win in 2014. As Emery stated that the team is far from giving up hope on this season.
Derek Carr is showing tremendous promise and the Browns have to be second-guessing their decision to target Johnny Manziel in the draft instead of him, writes Jodie Valade of the Plain Dealer.
Browns head coach Mike Pettine says that the team’s phones are ringing but cautions that the deadline brings few trades in comparison to the amount of talk that happens, tweets Nate Urlich of the Akron Beacon-Journal.
Citing ESPN’s Adam Schefter, CSNBaltimore.com staff reports that the league has levied a $1.4MM salary cap charge on the Ravens as a result of Ray Rice‘s grievance against the club. According to Schefter, it is normal practice for the NFL to make such a move when a grievance is pending. Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun writes that the cap charge reduces the Ravens’ cap room to about $4.1MM. Baltimore may need to utilize some of that room, as star cornerback Jimmy Smith is expected to miss “a few weeks” with a left foot sprain, according to Garrett Downing of BaltimoreRavens.com.
Titans head coach Ken Whisenhunt said that his club is unlikely to make any more trades,according to Terry McCormick of TitansInsider.com (via Twitter).
The Colts are in no hurry to bring back LaRon Landry after his four-game PED suspension, writes Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star.
Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com looks at how Jon Beason‘s salary, and the Giants‘ salary cap, will be affected by Beason’s season-ending injury.

Zach Links contributed to this post

Injury Updates: Sunday

October 26th, 2014 at 3:46pm CST by Rory Parks

We will keep you informed of any major injuries that arise throughout the course of today’s games.

In addition to suffering an embarrassing loss at the hands of the Patriots, the Bears may have lost one key contributor on each side of the all. Guard Matt Slauson left the game with a pectoral injury (Twitter link via Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune), and as we saw with Brian Orakpo, a torn pectoral will likely force a player to miss the remainder of the season. Campbell’s Tribune colleague, Brad Biggs, tweets that defensive lineman Lamarr Houston had to be carted off the field after suffering an injury while celebrating a sack of Tom Brady.
Rams receiver Brian Quick suffered an arm injury in today’s game against the Chiefs, and had to be carted off the field, per Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Dispatch (Twitter link).

Earlier updates:

Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports tweets that Ravens CB Jimmy Smith has been carted off the field with a left leg injury.
Lions DT Nick Fairley suffered a right knee injury and has already been declared out for the rest of today’s game in London, tweets Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.
Texans rookie Jadeveon Clowney is expected to suit up for the first time since Week 1, tweets NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport. Clowney is expected to contribute primarily in obvious passing situations.
Rapoport adds (via Twitter) that Bengals WR A.J. Green, who was listed as doubtful for today’s divisional tilt against Baltimore, will not play. He hopes to return next week, but how he feels on Wednesday will be a major part of that decision.
NFL.com’s Kevin Patra confirms that Lions star wideout Calvin Johnson will not play in today’s game against the Falcons in London.

AFC Links: Talib, Ravens, Pouncey

September 27th, 2014 at 9:51am CST by Ben Levine

Patriots safety Devin McCourty has a playful rivalry with his brother, Titans cornerback Jason McCourty. Therefore, as the Patriots prepare to take on the Chiefs, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the Patriots’ All-Pro defender is looking to top his brother’s production against quarterback Alex Smith. In the Titans’ first game of the season, McCourty picked off Smith twice.

When asked if he’d somehow outdo Jason, Devin sounded optimistic (via Jeff Howe of The Boston Herald). “I hope so,” he said. “You’ve got to tell Alex Smith to throw me the ball.”

Devin acknowledged that he has watched some of his brother’s interceptions to get a read on opposing quarterbacks:

“I always watch every interception a quarterback throws just to get an idea, see if there is a similarity of where it happens and different formations and what they like. I always try to see the turnover opportunities out there as far as throwing the ball, especially if it’s downfield.”

Let’s see what else is happening around the AFC…

The NFL was not impressed by Broncos cornerback Aqib Talib‘s late, fourth quarter hit against the Seahawks. According to Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com, the league has fined Talib $8,268.
Ravens defensive back Jimmy Smith has been assigned an October 7th court date in regards to his misdemeanor disorderly conduct case, according to Baltimore County police spokesman Shawn Vinson (via Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun). Smith is subject to a maximum punishment of 60 days in jail.
Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com says the the Jaguars‘ biggest free agent disappointment is linebacker Dekoda Watson. The former Buccaneers draft pick has already had a pair of surgeries and couldn’t earn the starting spot once he returned.
However, DiRocco writes that he liked the majority of the Jaguars‘ offseason moves and still hasn’t soured on many of them. Instead, he criticizes the team for failing to sign center Alex Mack.
Dolphins center Mike Pouncey was hoping to make his season debut in London against the Raiders, but ESPN.com’s James Walker warns that it’s unlikely. Instead, Walker says it’s more likely that the former Pro-Bowler will make his debut in two weeks following the team’s bye.

Ravens Not Planning Contract Extensions

August 28th, 2014 at 8:18pm CST by Zachary Links

The Ravens gained some financial flexibility this week when they restructured cornerback Lardarius Webb‘s $50MM contract, but that doesn’t mean contract extensions for their current players are on the way, sources tell Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun.

Extension candidates in Baltimore include wide receiver Torrey Smith, Pro Bowl defensive tackle Haloti Ngata, cornerback Jimmy Smith, and Pro Bowl kicker Justin Tucker, but it doesn’t sound like they’ll be inking new deals right away. Smith is probably the most likely candidate of that group as he enters the final year of his deal, but Wilson hears that talks haven’t advanced all that quickly between the club and the former Maryland standout. Ngata, whose contract talks with the Ravens didn’t get far earlier this year, is under contract for the next two seasons at $8.5 million per year. Tucker, meanwhile, can be retained as a restricted free agent after this season and there haven’t been any talks between the two sides. Jimmy Smith has two years left on his deal and recently said that he’s not expecting an extension to materialize.

Meanwhile, even after signing veteran cornerback Derek Cox to a one-year deal, the Ravens are actively monitoring the waiver wire and the trade block for a CB, according to Wilson.