Ravens will have to address the wide receiver position, I think. Torrey Smith signed with San Francisco; he was their deep threat. And Steve Smith Sr. is getting way up there in years. Smith Sr. went over 1,000 yards last year and remains one of the most competitive players in the league, but he’ll be 36 on next month.
The Ravens have some other receivers that have flashed some ability. Kamar Aiken, Marlon Brown and Michael Campanaro all, remarkably, caught at least 75 percent of the passes thrown to them last year. They are roster-worthy. But there’s a difference between being on a roster and heading out for a few plays here and there and being a starter. Brown and Campanaro, I am confident, don’t have enough physical ability to be starters. Aiken probably better as a backup also.
Smith comes off the 1,000-yard season, but he can’t go on forever. Flipping thru the database, I see 11 other receivers who went over 1,000 when they were 35. Only two of those guys came back and did it again. The usual kind of production is about 800 yards, and that’s probably about what to expect from Smith.
| 36-YEAR-OLDS COMING OFF 1,000 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Receivers | No | Yds | Avg | TDP |
| 2005 | Jimmy Smith | 70 | 1023 | 14.6 | 6 |
| 2007 | Joey Galloway | 57 | 1014 | 17.8 | 6 |
| 2002 | Tim Brown | 81 | 930 | 11.5 | 2 |
| 2001 | Cris Carter | 73 | 871 | 11.9 | 6 |
| 2009 | Terrell Owens | 55 | 829 | 15.1 | 5 |
| 2010 | Derrick Mason | 61 | 802 | 13.1 | 7 |
| 1992 | James Lofton | 51 | 786 | 15.4 | 6 |
| 1992 | Drew Hill | 60 | 623 | 10.4 | 3 |
| 1998 | Irving Fryar | 48 | 556 | 11.6 | 2 |
| 2006 | Rod Smith | 52 | 512 | 9.8 | 3 |
| 1997 | Henry Ellard | 32 | 485 | 15.2 | 4 |
| 2015 | Steve Smith | ? | ? | ? | ? |
Time for Ravens to start rebuilding that receiving corps.
—Ian Allan