The Baltimore Ravens learned a critical lesson last season, one that was remedied with the recent signing of wide receiver Steve Smith: Quarterback Joe Flacco needs all the help he can get. Even with a Super Bowl ring and a $120 million contract in hand, Flacco isn’t going to help this franchise contend for another championship on the strength of his skills alone. He needs more weapons around him, which is exactly what the 34-year-old Smith can give him.
This should come as no surprise to the countless skeptics who wondered how Flacco would fare once his annual salary rivaled the likes of Tom Brady, Peyton Manning and Drew Brees. He simply isn’t worth the kind of money Baltimore paid him in the wake of that Super Bowl XLVII win over San Francisco. Flacco was in the right place at the right time, a man fortunate enough to find his ultimate rhythm when it was most beneficial to him and his franchise. Such cash is reserved for signal-callers who can carry entire teams on their backs, not the quarterback Flacco was in 2013, when injuries and inconsistency within his supporting cast led to the worst season of his six-year career (19 touchdowns, 22 interceptions and a 73.1 passer rating that ranked 32nd in the NFL).
The key for Flacco during that Super Bowl run is the same thing that will make him successful going forward: The man needs his employers to recognize his limitations. This much became true from the moment Baltimore decided it didn’t need wide receiver Anquan Boldin on its roster after he helped Flacco thrive during that championship run. The Ravens traded Boldin to San Francisco last March, with the belief that he wasn’t worth the $6 million to remain on their roster. All he did was make himself look like a bargain for the 49ers while catching 85 passes for 1,179 yards in the process.
Flacco needed Boldin for the same reasons he should be grateful for Smith’s arrival. Both are veteran receivers with a habit of making tough catches, moving the chains and bringing an invaluable nastiness to the game. Whatever Boldin and Smith lack in lost speed and aging bodies, they make up for with reliability and productivity. Each plays with a chip on his shoulder, and Smith — who openly has said he can’t wait to see his old team, the Carolina Panthers, later this fall — ranks among the most fiery receivers this league has ever seen.
from espn.com
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