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Steve Smith Sr.

Ravens No. 1 receiver getting long in the tooth

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
YearReceiversNoYdsAvgTDP
2005Jimmy Smith70102314.66
2007Joey Galloway57101417.86
2002Tim Brown8193011.52
2001Cris Carter7387111.96
2009Terrell Owens5582915.15
2010Derrick Mason6180213.17
1992James Lofton5178615.46
1992Drew Hill6062310.43
1998Irving Fryar4855611.62
2006Rod Smith525129.83
1997Henry Ellard3248515.24
2015Steve Smith????

Time for Ravens to start rebuilding that receiving corps.

—Ian Allan

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