Ravens Insider: Ravens news, notes and opinions on Steve Smith, offensive line decisions and more

[ExtremeRavens]

New Ravens wide receiver Steve Smith is confident. But if you listen to every interview that he’s done since signing with the team, it’s clear that he wants everybody to know that he doesn’t view himself as the final piece to the Ravens’ puzzle. The 34-year-old has been refreshingly honest about the fact that he’s in the twilight of his career. He’s acknowledged that he’s no longer a No. 1 receiver at this stage, and he admitted that one of the draws of signing with the Ravens was that they have several established players on offense – he specifically mentioned Torrey Smith , Jacoby Jones and Ray Rice – so there’s not as much pressure on him. Then, when he spoke about Gary Kubiak’s offense with the Houston Texans, he said he saw himself not in the role of perennial Pro Bowl wide receiver Andre Johnson , but in the role of Kevin Walter , who never caught more than 65 passes in a season. Whether it was intentional or not, it was absolutely the right message for Smith to send. He’s a great fit for the Ravens offense, and he has a lot to offer on the field and in the locker room. But at this stage of his career, he’s a nice complementary piece. He should help quarterback Joe Flacco , but the success of the Ravens’ passing game in 2014 will still depend primarily on Flacco improving his accuracy and decision-making, and the offense line doing a better job of keeping him upright.

 

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