Free agency is off to a wild start in Baltimore.
Just hours into free agency, the Ravens lost Torrey Smith, Owen Daniels and Pernell McPhee. They traded Haloti Ngata to the Detroit Lions, and previously released Jacoby Jones and Chris Canty.
Veteran receiver Steve Smith Sr. reacted to the big news Tuesday morning during an appearance on SiriusXM's NFL channel.
The moves that most impact Smith are the loss of fellow receivers Jones and Smith. The Ravens cut Jones last month and he quickly found work with the San Diego Chargers, while Smith reached a five-year deal with the San Francisco 49ers.
Losing the speedy receivers creates a void in Baltimore's offense, but. Smith Sr. expressed confidence in the younger targets on the roster, and expects the Ravens to add pieces.
"We have some good guys," Smith said. "But yes, with Torrey and Jacoby not being on the team you have to fill those holes with guys anyway."
The current options to step in at wide receiver are Marlon Brown, Kamar Aiken and Michael Campanaro. They all had bright spots last year, and Smith likes the depth of the receiver corps.
"At the end of the day, it's, 'Can we contribute as a group?' There are things that are going to happen," Smith said. "You're going to hit injuries, and when that happens, you're going to have to have a guy that steps up. You got to have a committee because if you don't, you're going to be hamstrung."
Smith was specifically asked about Brown, who is heading into his third season with the Ravens. Brown had a standout year as a rookie where he caught 49 passes for 524 yards and seven touchdowns after making the team as an undrafted prospect.
Brown's production declined last year with Smith's arrival, as he caught 24 passes for 255 yards and no scores.
"A guy came in named Steve Smith Sr.," Smith responded with a laugh when asked about Brown's drop in production.
"I think what happened with Marlon isn't what people think. He didn't digress. He had some things that happened to him – whether it was injuries, playing special teams. We switched up his role as far as what he was compared to the year before."
Now Brown will likely have more opportunities to get on the field this year, much like he did during his rookie season, and Smith has high hopes for what the young receiver will be able to do.
"I think that he will show you this year that he is a guy that has improved and continues to make strides," Smith said. "He really just got caught in a situation of bringing in some new acquisitions, but he's a guy that I think is going to get a lot more playing time."
