Baltimore Braces for the (Brief?) Troy Smith Era
NFL July 22nd. 2008, 12:12pm
As football fans contemplate fantasy drafts and preseason prognostications, consider this: Pro Football Talk is hearing that Heisman winner Troy Smith may start the season at QB for the Ravens.
A friend mentioned to us that new offensive coordinator Cam Cameron plus a schedule with some of the worst defenses in the NFL (Bengals twice, Browns twice, Dolphins, Texans, Raiders), may help Baltimore surprise some folks.
We’re thinking five wins, six if they’re lucky. On the macabre scale, we eagerly await the 5-foot-10 Smith running for his life against the aggressive NFC East defensive front sevens.
Troy Smith to Start for the Ravens? (Pro Football Talk)
119 Responses to “Baltimore Braces for the (Brief?) Troy Smith Era”
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July 22nd, 2008 at 12:16 PM
to paraphrase jack nicholson in the departed… when youre staring down the barrel of a kyle boller led team, whats the difference?
July 22nd, 2008 at 12:16 PM
this post compelled me to look at the ravens schedule. they have a bye in week 10 and then @NYG, PHI, @CIN, WAS, PIT, @DAL, JAX. i’m not usually a fan of looking that far ahead at strength of schedule, but….wow. good luck with that.
if alex smith can’t be a remotely competent QB in the NFL, how is troy smith going to pull it off?
July 22nd, 2008 at 12:16 PM
troy smith is good…one bad NC game ruined what was an incredible college career. i just hope the ravens dump him so when he becomes mcnair 2.0, he does it in a different division.
July 22nd, 2008 at 12:18 PM
I want to think BAL can win the division at 9-7 … but looking at that schedule, I see about 9 losses.
Flacco will be a bust.
July 22nd, 2008 at 12:18 PM
alex smith wasn’t half the player in college troy smith was. you should know that after watching him beat michigan 3x.
July 22nd, 2008 at 12:19 PM
Ravens go 5-11, book it Danno.
July 22nd, 2008 at 12:19 PM
you think baltimore can win 9 games with troy smith at QB? really? i’ll give you 3:1 odds on 9 wins. Want it?
and yes, this was intended as a subtle dig at OSU.
July 22nd, 2008 at 12:21 PM
Is that directed at me, TBL?
July 22nd, 2008 at 12:21 PM
Troy Smith = Craig Krenzel
July 22nd, 2008 at 12:22 PM
TBL…they wont win 9 games, but ill bet you that try smith does better this year than vince young.
July 22nd, 2008 at 12:22 PM
troy smith didn’t really impress me that much in college. he had a nice career, but being great at OSU and being great at utah are completely different. he played with freaking santonio holmes and ted ginn and anthony gonzalez. jared lorenzen would look good throwing to those pigs.
July 22nd, 2008 at 12:22 PM
@TBL: It’s a subtle dig gone horribly wrong.
Troy Smith = MVP this year.
/Never keep us tOSU homerz down.
July 22nd, 2008 at 12:23 PM
Troy Smith = Craig Krenzel
worst comparison in the history of awful comparisons. the only thing they have in common is their alma mater and the number of appendages they possess.
July 22nd, 2008 at 12:23 PM
Baltimore Braces for the (Brief) John Harbaugh Era
there ya go
July 22nd, 2008 at 12:24 PM
one more comparison: They’re both kick-ass.
July 22nd, 2008 at 12:24 PM
my favorite troy smith story
before the 2007 draft the sports writer for east carolina’s school newspaper predicted the browns would take him in the first and if they didnt the city would react worse than when they left for baltimore. what a fucking idiot.
July 22nd, 2008 at 12:25 PM
@ spencer as a 49er fan I must say I respectfully agree. When he was coming out of college I didn’t want him wasn’t sold on Rogers either. Played in a weak conference with a gimmick offense.
July 22nd, 2008 at 12:26 PM
Baltimore 9-7?…..SHIIIIIT
/Clay Davis’d
July 22nd, 2008 at 12:26 PM
You can make a good argument that Troy Smith was the best quarterback in the history of Ohio State. However, I still believe he will have a difficult time being an effective pro.
July 22nd, 2008 at 12:26 PM
ok, mike, jumped the gun at your first line.
how will you quantify this? TD passes? Efficiency? passer rating?
July 22nd, 2008 at 12:27 PM
Rumeal…the same can be said about Alex Smith. he played in the WAC in a system that gloriously inflates QB stats.
July 22nd, 2008 at 12:27 PM
how will you quantify this? TD passes? Efficiency? passer rating?
Amount of times pictured shirtless in a gay club.
July 22nd, 2008 at 12:28 PM
Where’s August West to refute this claim?
I don’t think Smith will get the opportunity to prove it either way — Flacco will take over in due time.
July 22nd, 2008 at 12:28 PM
TBL…YPA, total TD’s, fewest INT’s. winner takes 2 out of 3. deal?
July 22nd, 2008 at 12:29 PM
Like Mike said, that bet will be meaningless, Flacco is getting the majority of the snaps this year.
July 22nd, 2008 at 12:31 PM
browns defense is gonna be a lot better this season, especially against the run
July 22nd, 2008 at 12:32 PM
photographed or pictured? because i picture both of them in such a manner on a fairly even basis
July 22nd, 2008 at 12:32 PM
Plus, Troy Smith and no QB will be successful in Baltimore with the shit WR’s they have. Please don’t sell me on Derrick Mason either, he is past his prime.
I may hate Art Modell more than any Clevelander. Because of him moving them to Baltimore I miss great AFC games and get stuck with watching the Ravens play the most boring brand of football every week. Until last year Cleveland/Baltimore was the best way for anyone to try to argue that football is boring.
July 22nd, 2008 at 12:34 PM
so when he becomes mcnair 2.0,
Easy now Spence… I like Smith, but that’s a stretch.
July 22nd, 2008 at 12:35 PM
McNair 2.0 in my eyes would be one of the most overrated QB’s of all time. Somehow him being injured every year made him tough, rather than what he really was, injury prone.
July 22nd, 2008 at 12:36 PM
Rumor has it, that Smith has been eating his Flutie Flakes every morning. I think he will be fine and a great backup the rest of his NFL career.
July 22nd, 2008 at 12:36 PM
but ill bet you that try smith does better this year than vince young.
I’ll take that bet based on any 2 statistical categories on the ESPN stat line. If Troy Smith beats VY in ANY 2 categories, you win.
July 22nd, 2008 at 12:37 PM
Yes, Rumeal, I was being TOTALLY serious when I called Troy Smith Craig Krenzel. Everything everyone writes in the comment section of this is always 100% true.
By the way, Krenzel > Troy Smith. He won a national championship.
July 22nd, 2008 at 12:37 PM
terms august? i accept.
July 22nd, 2008 at 12:38 PM
you guys might want to qualify this before smith goes 1-1 for a 18 yard garbage time TD and doesnt play the rest of the season
July 22nd, 2008 at 12:38 PM
Troy Smith played well for the time he received last year, and he should have received more. He has a strong, accurate arm and great leadership skills. I don’t know why people sell him short, even the Ravens in drafting a QB, but I think Smith can be a Pro Bowler in the NFL.
July 22nd, 2008 at 12:39 PM
i’m trying to think of something good… you have any ideas on the stakes?
July 22nd, 2008 at 12:39 PM
Troy Smith is better than he gets credit for. I think he can be a solid starter in the NFL given the right situation.
July 22nd, 2008 at 12:39 PM
ok…in order for this bet to be valid, Troy Smith must START at least 8 games for the Ravens. if not, null and void.
July 22nd, 2008 at 12:39 PM
Rush Limbaugh has a tip of the cap for you
July 22nd, 2008 at 12:39 PM
Anyone want to bet me that Fred Davis has a better season at tight end than Jeremy Shockey?
July 22nd, 2008 at 12:40 PM
YYSA, don’t know if you are being serious, but race has nothing to do with what I said.
July 22nd, 2008 at 12:41 PM
loser has to get their eighth grade haircut
July 22nd, 2008 at 12:41 PM
July 22nd, 2008 at 12:41 PM
ok…in order for this bet to be valid, Troy Smith must START at least 8 games for the Ravens. if not, null and void.
Agreed.
July 22nd, 2008 at 12:41 PM
dunno…we got time to think of something good.
July 22nd, 2008 at 12:42 PM
Mole that is a great idea, I have rarely met anyone that liked their 8th Grade haircut, the part in the middle with bowl cut would be pretty brutal for me.
July 22nd, 2008 at 12:42 PM
anyone want to bet me that cadillac williams will have more attempts from scrimmage than fred lane?
July 22nd, 2008 at 12:45 PM
@spencer- remember when Smith got kicked out of Ed’s?
July 22nd, 2008 at 12:48 PM
I’ll keep thinking Spencer. If you come up with any proposals, just give me a shout…
/easy money
July 22nd, 2008 at 12:49 PM
irish…yea, he was a thug back then, but tressel and ted ginn sr. really helped him turn everything around.
July 22nd, 2008 at 12:49 PM
you got it august.
July 22nd, 2008 at 12:50 PM
right on spencer. Ginn Sr played a valuable role in his life. Glenville was nasty with Smith and Ginn Jr.
July 22nd, 2008 at 12:52 PM
cbh…there’s still gonna be a league. ill get it goin and send out some emails in a little bit.
irish…ted ginn sr. was a godsend to that school.
July 22nd, 2008 at 12:55 PM
Cool Spencer, looking forward to it.
July 22nd, 2008 at 12:56 PM
definitely wasn’t serious CBH
July 22nd, 2008 at 1:07 PM
yea 6′1″ college QB’s don’t really pan out in the NFL, so all this Troy Smith will be a pro bowler chatter is garbage, not to mention they lost THE LT of LT’s and that is going to hurt. Not to mention Troy tends to get a bit “plump” when he has nothing to do so he may have gained a few lb’s since last season.
July 22nd, 2008 at 1:09 PM
Count me in on the Troy Smith Bandwagon… I think he going to surprise some people down there in Baltimore, though kinda feel bad for him because the org just wants him to be cannon fonder at the beginning of the season while they continue to work on the offensive line and make sure Flacco doesn’t get hit a lot early.
July 22nd, 2008 at 1:09 PM
Wow…Baltimore is gonna suck.
July 22nd, 2008 at 1:20 PM
yea, drew brees is pretty good and jeff garcia can play in the NFL. hell, even flutie had a nice run when he wasn’t getting benched by wade phillips.
plus, he looked decent last year, you michigan guys are just salty because he was 3-0 against you.
July 22nd, 2008 at 1:23 PM
For every Drew Brees there’s a Rex Grossman, Spence.
July 22nd, 2008 at 1:25 PM
Michigan QB’s >>>* tOSU QB’s
/in the NFL
* x 1000
July 22nd, 2008 at 1:27 PM
no need to bring that up spencer. i think i speak for most football fans in this state when i say this is the first fall i’ve been looking forward to since charles woodson was roaming around ann arbor.
July 22nd, 2008 at 1:29 PM
OSU LB’s, DE’s, DT’s, CB’s, S’s, WR’s, OT’s, RB’s >>> Michigan’s
i will say Michigan has a lot better guards tho.
July 22nd, 2008 at 1:31 PM
i wish we could edit comments…
Michigan has better DT’s, professionally speaking of course. well, i guess they were better in college too. whatever. i cant wait for football season.
July 22nd, 2008 at 1:46 PM
I look forward to every fall football season. When you are up it is never quite as good as it seems and when you are down you never think you are going to get back up again, but that’s how it is Georgy. that is how the game is played. 6/7 will quickly turn into 1/7 for the stache fans… then all will be right in the world again.
July 22nd, 2008 at 1:49 PM
we will see Mags.
would you be up for a bet come november?
July 22nd, 2008 at 1:49 PM
This is a total rumor. Reports here in the city are leaning towards more Flacco.
July 22nd, 2008 at 1:50 PM
Brees was so awesome the first 3 years they drafter Rivers, and Garcia & Flutie had to play in the CFL before making it in the league.
Smith is a baller with every intangible I’d want in a QB, but I think he needs an organization that’s more committed to him than Baltimore is… and he’s no VY!
July 22nd, 2008 at 1:52 PM
Hey Spencer theres this guy named Tom Brady I heard hes real good.
July 22nd, 2008 at 1:53 PM
HA! If you gave me odds, no way I am betting strait up. I will say this, I certainly hope with every ounce of hope I have for an M victory againt the staches, but there is a reason I won’t bet my house on it, it would be a long shot. I am a realist.
July 22nd, 2008 at 1:54 PM
Tampa Bo…notice i never said OSU QB’s are better than UM QB’s. plus, brady and maybe john harbaugh are the only UM QB’s who were any good. drew henson and john navarre really tore it up didn’t they?
July 22nd, 2008 at 1:55 PM
Greise…
July 22nd, 2008 at 1:55 PM
Mags…we’ll discuss when it comes closer to the date. id be willing to give you the point spread.
July 22nd, 2008 at 1:55 PM
and it is Jim Harbaugh…
July 22nd, 2008 at 1:55 PM
I will say OSU running back shit on Michigan RBs.
July 22nd, 2008 at 1:56 PM
come on…really?
July 22nd, 2008 at 1:57 PM
I actually think Troy could be half decent, everyone talks about his size, but there have been enough small guys to play the position well to debunk that. It was unbelievably stupid to not play him more last year, he looked decent when he did play, and they could have seen if he was someone to invest in. As much as I despise OSU, I kind of root for the $500 handshake guy. I guess having seen east cleveland, its nice to see a kid from there make good.
July 22nd, 2008 at 1:58 PM
good call, Mags. i got caught up in the Ravens talk.
July 22nd, 2008 at 1:58 PM
I hate Drew Henson.
July 22nd, 2008 at 1:58 PM
oh well how generous of you! Anybody who bets strait up on something that has a line is a moron, a child or a Cub fan. Seriously, you can rope Cub fans into the worst bets of all time. It is awesome. I know a kid in college who bet a friend of mine $1000 on who would win a WS first, Boston or Cubs… $100 a year installments later and the kids still owes… $600. Silly Cubs fans, play with your head not your heart.
July 22nd, 2008 at 1:59 PM
Hey Griese was a serviceable NFL QB for a good number of years, which is more than I can say for Smith, Krenzel, etc…
July 22nd, 2008 at 2:00 PM
Two good QBs definitely makes a trend.
/in bizarro world.
July 22nd, 2008 at 2:01 PM
as opposed to zero.
July 22nd, 2008 at 2:02 PM
Cubs are horrible I loved how there about to lose the division lead. Being a White Sox fan its like Christmas.
July 22nd, 2008 at 2:03 PM
I’m not arguing tOSU has had good QBs, though.
July 22nd, 2008 at 2:03 PM
good to have you back, Mags.
July 22nd, 2008 at 2:04 PM
What exactly are you arguing?
July 22nd, 2008 at 2:04 PM
This just in…Calzaghe cancels Jones Jr. fight over injury.
July 22nd, 2008 at 2:05 PM
That two good QBs plus one dogshit back-up does not mean Michigan produces QBs.
And also that Michigan sucks balls.
July 22nd, 2008 at 2:05 PM
calzaghe is a bitch, he’d get destroyed by pavlik.
Mags…it’s a shame you didn’t like cleveland, tho downtown is a wasteland. all the good stuff is in the suburbs.
July 22nd, 2008 at 2:06 PM
So you are saying Michigan does NOT produce NFL QB’s? Because that would be retarded…
Position: Quarterback
School that rules: Michigan (Tom Brady, Todd Collins, Scott Dreisbach, Elvis Grbac, Brian Griese, Drew Henson, John Navarre).
Coming attractions: Chad Henne.
Runners-up: Boston College (Doug Flutie, Matt Hasselbeck, Tim Hasselbeck, Brian St. Pierre); East Carolina (Jeff Blake, David Garrard); Purdue (Drew Brees, Kyle Orton) Southern Cal (Matt Cassel, Rob Johnson, Matt Leinart, Carson Palmer, Rodney Peete); Tulane (Shaun King, J.P. Losman, Patrick Ramsey); Washington (Mark Brunell, Chris Chandler, Brock Huard, Cody Pickett, Marques Tuiasosopo); Wherever Jeff Tedford is coaching (Kyle Boller and Aaron Rodgers at Cal, Joey Harrington, A.J. Feeley, Akili Smith at Oregon and David Carr, Trent Dilfer and Billy Volek at Fresno State).
July 22nd, 2008 at 2:07 PM
Where is YOUR school?
July 22nd, 2008 at 2:08 PM
Pavlik is a beast.
July 22nd, 2008 at 2:09 PM
it’s hard to quantify who produces good NFL QB’s, as there rarely is a school that produces nothing but good ones.
if anything, BYU has had the best run of anyone with Steve Young, the Detmers and Jim McMahon. ND has to be up there too.
July 22nd, 2008 at 2:09 PM
Game. Set. Match?
July 22nd, 2008 at 2:10 PM
Rob Johnson=Cock Smoker
July 22nd, 2008 at 2:11 PM
well, yea actually. michigan wins the QB battle hands down, i dont think anyone was arguing otherwise.
July 22nd, 2008 at 2:12 PM
Game, set, match for those droogs? Really?
Congrats: We’ve produced equally shitty QBs that have taken snaps in the NFL, too.
Krenzel, Germane, Troy Smith (up to this point, I guess you’d say shitty). The problem is you don’t see us bragging about producing those shitty QBs.
July 22nd, 2008 at 2:12 PM
@spence
If you look at comment 90, I believe stat boy was arguing other wise.
July 22nd, 2008 at 2:14 PM
I was arguing that it’s a position you win by default. You’ve had 1 great, 1 average, and a ton of shit versus all our shit. It’s a position battle not worth arguing about.
July 22nd, 2008 at 2:14 PM
Pavlik and Calzaghe will never fight. They can’t promote it as a race war. And we have no beefs with the Welsh.
July 22nd, 2008 at 2:15 PM
Greise and Grbac were both Pro Bowlers… so I wouldn’t exactly say they are “shitty”
you = fail
July 22nd, 2008 at 2:16 PM
yea QB definately isn’t a pivotal position, definately not worth arguing about… it certainly isn’t what the post is about, certainly off topic…
July 22nd, 2008 at 2:16 PM
Mags…i dont think so, Nick acknowledged OSU’s shitty QB history in comment 86. i think he’s saying brady was a fluke (he was…nobody expected him to be THIS good based on his Michigan career), harbaugh was solid, and greise had one good year and then fell into bolivian.
if we’re talking NFL OSU QB’s, why no mention of steve bellisari?
July 22nd, 2008 at 2:17 PM
Pro Bowl means nothing. It’s a glorified Gold Glove.
July 22nd, 2008 at 2:18 PM
Jeff Blake was a pro-bowl QB.
July 22nd, 2008 at 2:19 PM
@spence
Stat boy is arguing that Michigan does NOT produce NFL QB’s, when in fact, they do and quite well. I am not saying osu doesn’t produce NFL caliber QB’s, when in fact, they don’t. What I am arguing is that Michigan most assuredly produces the best NFL caliber QB’s as a whole than any other college in history, because that is a fact.
July 22nd, 2008 at 2:20 PM
Joe Germaine is tearing it up for the Utah Blaze!!
July 22nd, 2008 at 2:22 PM
Mags…sorry but BYU (young, detmer 2x, mcmahon) and ND (montana, theisman, powlus – just kidding) > michigan (brady, harbaugh, greise, grbac)
July 22nd, 2008 at 2:31 PM
Here’s a relevant article on this subject…
July 22nd, 2008 at 2:34 PM
great link August.
July 22nd, 2008 at 2:34 PM
I’d even throw Marc Wilson into the BYU mix.
July 22nd, 2008 at 2:38 PM
Player, Games, Games Started, Completions, Attempts, CMP %, Yards, TD, TD%, INT, INT %
K. Detmer WENT TO COLORADO
T. Detmer Career 54 25 546 946 57.7 6351 34 3.6 35 3.7
S. Young Career 169 143 2667 4149 64.3 33124 232 5.6 107 2.6
J. Montana Career 192 164 3409 5391 63.2 40551 273 5.1 139 2.6
J. Thiesmann Career 167 124 2044 3602 56.7 25206 160 4.4 138 3.8
T. Brady Career 112 110 2294 3642 63.0 26370 197 5.4 86 2.4
J. Harbaugh Career 177 140 2305 3918 58.8 26288 129 3.3 117 3.0
B. Greise Career 88 78 1642 2612 62.9 18367 114 4.4 92 3.5
E. Grbac Career 106 70 1446 2445 59.1 16774 99 4.0 81 3.3
It isnt even a discussion. Michigan is QB U and if you don’t like facts then, the sky is purple in Columbus.
July 22nd, 2008 at 2:41 PM
come on Mags…we all know the sky over Columbus is always gray.
July 22nd, 2008 at 2:44 PM
spence, go look at MLJ, I left you a message over there.
July 22nd, 2008 at 2:53 PM
Jim Kelly, Kosar, Testaverde, plus lesser cheese balls Steve Walsh, Craig Erickson, Gino Torretta, and Ken Dorsey from Miami.
Brady > Kelly, but Kosar/Testaverde crush Greise/Grbac
July 22nd, 2008 at 2:57 PM
wow. Michigan is now QB U huh? lmao
July 22nd, 2008 at 3:40 PM
I think he was listed first on the depth chart in Sunday’s Baltimore Sun. not surprised. They should be below .500 for sure.