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QB Troy Smith (2006 Heisman Trophy Winner)

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Ravens score with Cameron hire ~ January 24, 2008
Offensive coordinator could provide a spark for Troy Smith
By Dev Panchwagh
( [email protected] )

While the free agency period and the draft still lie a bit beyond the horizon, the Ravens made their biggest acquisition of the off season, when they agreed to terms with former Miami Dolphins head coach Cam Cameron to take over as the offensive coordinator.
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One of the first orders of business for Cameron and his staff is to figure out which quarterback will lead the team. Hopefully, they will give some serious consideration to Troy Smith.

Doubters and skeptics of Smith cite his inexperience as a major detriment for the former Buckeye in his efforts to secure the Ravens? top signal calling job. But here are some other issues to consider.

Of the three quarterbacks currently on the roster, Smith is clearly the most adept at evading pressure. McNair?s mobility has been sapped due to injuries; Boller simply does not have any sense of how to escape the pocket.

Although there are times when Smith misjudges when to run, he generally has a sound knack for buying time while bouncing to open areas as the rush is caving in around him.

Moreover, when Smith does leave the pocket to scramble, he can gain yards in chunks.

He has better arm strength than McNair, and better accuracy throwing the deep ball than Boller. Consistent accuracy will always be an issue with Smith, especially on intermediate passes. But when he does time his throws precisely, those passes hit receivers in stride.

The fact that Smith lacks experience has not dissuaded his teammates from backing him. Veterans like Derrick Mason and Jason Brown have expressed how impressed they were with Smith?s demeanor and approach to leading the huddle. Even at a young age, Smith appears to be capable of being the leader of the offense.

Perhaps what is most impressive about Smith is his ability to manage the tempo of the offense. In the three games he played in, the offense committed few penalties and was routinely on schedule. Also, Smith himself had a good grasp on how to change up the cadence.

These are just some of the many factors that the new coaches will have to compare when they evaluate the quarterbacks over the next seven months. At this point, it appears that Smith is ahead in almost every category except of course in the height department. But keep in mind that Cameron was able to work well with another vertically challenged QB in San Diego. In 2004 Drew Brees earned Pro Bowl and Comeback Player of The Year honors.
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Baltimore Ravens News - Ravens score with Cameron hire
 
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I grew up a Browns fan, so of course the Ravens have always disgusted me. But now Troy is there and I can't help but root for him. Is that wrong? :biggrin:

It would be so awesome to see Troy get the starting job. And if one day Troy's Ravens are playing Brady Quinn's Browns...oh the quandry!
 
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021408Smith_in.jpg


Smith Confident in First OffseasonFebruary 14, 2008
Khalil Garriott
NFLPlayers.com

Special feature from NFLPlayers.com

At this time last year, Troy Smith was wondering what went wrong in the BCS Championship Game as he polished his Heisman Trophy and geared up for the NFL Scouting Combine.

Then, a few short months later, after being drafted by the Baltimore Ravens, he was taken aback by the amount of talent on a team with legitimate Super Bowl aspirations.

Smith threw a 79-yard touchdown pass to Derrick Mason in Seattle."There are Pro Bowlers everywhere," Smith said upon joining the Ravens in 2007. "I kind of pinch myself when I come to that realization, because they treat you just like a regular person. Even though all of these players have incredible accolades, they don't act like that. I hope that rubs off on the rest of the rookies, because it's doing that on me."
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The Ravens' new coaching regime could signal a change at quarterback in 2008, but it's too soon to tell how much Smith will be involved in Harbaugh's plans. Two things are certain, though: Smith earned the respect of his teammates late in the season, and he has as much upside as any young quarterback in the league.

"With me being older now and having a better understanding, I take it for what it is," said Smith, who went from awestruck rookie to patient signal-caller thanks to some valuable game experience. "Everything happens for a reason. I'm not trying to play football to become an incredible quarterback. I'm playing football because I love the game."
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Baltimore Ravens
 
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SI.com - Writers - Snap Judgments (cont.) - Sunday February 24, 2008 7:44PM

? While the Ravens almost certainly will draft a quarterback at some point this year, Harbaugh said 2006 Heisman winner Troy Smith "absolutely'' still factors into Baltimore's plans at the position.


"After those last two games (that he started), you've got to feel like Troy Smith can be a quarterback in the NFL, said Harbaugh, of Baltimore's fifth-round pick last year.
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easterbunny06;1141974; said:
McNair to retire

This looks good for Troy.
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Yes and no. It's good in that there's one less incumbent blocking his path, but it's bad in that Troy probably wasn't at risk to be cut anyway, Kyle Boller was, so Troy would have moved up to #2 behind McNair while the Ravens found a new #3.

McNair announcing his retirement before the draft just gives the Ravens an incentive to go after Matt Ryan in this years draft, or somebody else in the higher rounds.

To Troy's benefit, it sounds as though he's won over the veteran players, so he's got that going for him. I think he's just in a bad spot with a new coaching staff coming in, and he still hasn't grown 4 more inches, which I hear is really important in NFL player evaluation, as opposed to, you know, actual talent and stuff like that.
 
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