On Tuesday Baltimore Ravens' owner Steve Bisciotti made comments that foreshadowed the departure of wide receiver Torrey Smith. On Wednesday the team terminated the contract of fellow receiver Jacoby Jones. With limited cap room, will they target a receiver in the upcoming draft?
Baltimore relieved themselves of $2.6 million in cap space by terminating Jones' contract, but that still leaves them with little room. They have $135 million committed to the 2015 season and the cap is expected to be around $143 million, so it's likely the Ravens will be limited in what they can do in free agency.
The top free-agent receivers - Dez Bryant, Demaryius Thomas, Randall Cobb, Jeremy Maclin, Michael Crabtree and Smith - will likely get deals the Ravens won't be able to match, or they'll remain with their incumbent teams (with the exception of Smith). The Ravens reportedly offered Smith a five-year, $35 million deal prior to the season, but he declined in hopes of getting more money. With his imminent departure, Baltimore will need a cost-effective deep threat since they have Steve Smith and Marlon Brown helping control possession for the offense.
Ohio State wide receiver Devin Smith could be an option for the Ravens. ESPN Insider Mel Kiper Jr. has Baltimore selecting Minnesota tight end Maxx Williams and Todd McShay has them drafting LSU cornerback Jalen Collins in their mocks. Those projections are bound to change as the team makes more moves between now and April 30, and right now [Devin] Smith looks like a solid option to succeed [Torrey] Smith.
"Devin reminds me of another Smith: Torrey Smith, the deep threat in the Baltimore Ravens' passing attack," writes McShay. "Devin Smith is the best vertical route-runner in this class, as he does an excellent job of tracking the ball and using his body to establish positioning. He was at his best with Cardale Jones at QB because Jones had the arm to maximize Smith's vertical ability. While he's undoubtedly a home-run hitter, Smith needs to improve as a short and intermediate route-runner."
The six-foot 190-pound receiver is ranked 27th on McShay's big board and he's very much a possibility with the Ravens sitting at the No. 26 overall spot. Smith hauled in 33 catches for 931 yards (28.2 ypc) and 12 touchdowns as a member of the 2014 National Champion Ohio State Buckeyes.
In fact, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun, the Ravens met with Smith during the NFL Combine last week. Coincidence?
