Prior to the 2014 season, the Ravens offered wide receiver Torrey Smith a five-year, $35MM contract extension, which included $19MM guaranteed, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (via Twitter). It’s not clear if such an offer remains on the table, but clearly Smith decided to pass at the time it was proposed.
Coming off a 2013 season in which he established new career highs in receptions (65) and receiving yards (1,128), Smith took a step backward in ’14, with just 49 catches for 767 yards. Still, he scored 11 touchdowns, and led the league in pass interference penalties drawn (12), which resulted in another 261 yards. Additionally, his presence on one side of the field likely played a large part in Steve Smith having a bounce-back year across from him.
When our Rory Parks examined Smith as an extension candidate before the season, he suggested that Baltimore would likely have to commit between $40-60MM on a five-year offer for Smith, so it makes sense that the wideout would turn down an offer worth just $35MM. Still, that proposal may look a bit more appealing now. Structurally, it’s fairly similar to the contract Eric Decker signed with the Jets a year ago — Decker’s deal included a little more overall money ($36.25MM), but a slightly smaller guarantee ($15MM).
If Smith reaches the open market, he should draw plenty of interest from teams in need of receivers, such as the Raiders, Panthers, and Chiefs. His value would be particularly strong if potential free agents like Demaryius Thomas, Dez Bryant, and Randall Cobb were locked up by their current teams prior to March 10. Still, Smith has indicated that he’d like to work out an extension with the Ravens before that point, so we’ll see if the two sides reach an agreement in the next few weeks.