The details of the Jimmy Smith contract:
Members of our staff give their reactions to the extension:
Ravens don’t want to play the Joe Flacco game with Jimmy Smith after seeing their secondary decimated by injury last season. Now it’s up to Jimmy to stay healthy, something he’s struggled with, playing just one 16 game season since 2011. ~Brian Bower
The Ravens get their biggest 2016 priority over with early and don’t play the waiting game like they did with Joe Flacco, Torrey Smith, and Pernell McPhee. A deal that averages just under $10MM/year is a relative bargain when compared to an inferior player like Byron Maxwell, who received a little over $10MM/year. Potential for injury probably had a lot to do with it. It will be interesting to see what the guaranteed money/contract length is. Still, the Ravens lock up a player who should be a cornerstone of their defense for years to come. Next up on the extension agenda: Marshal Yanda and Justin Tucker.
EDIT: It appears as though it averages a little over $10MM/year. The Ravens appear to have given up a little more money so that the deal can be shorter than the league average. It’s a smart move when signing a player who has a history of injury issues. ~Tyler Lombardi
Early in the 2014 campaign, Jimmy Smith was the best player on the field for the Ravens. The team will look for him to regain his health and continue to develop into one of the best corners in the league. Ozzie with yet another masterstroke, staving off Smith’s exploration into the 2016 free agency waters, where the Ravens would not have been able to compete financially. ~Kyle Rate
I expect the deal will have a significant 2nd-year roster bonus, so it should have some protection in the event Jimmy can’t recover from his 2014 injury. Otherwise, this is a very good player to lock up a year before free agency. Smith becomes the 17th consecutive 1st round draft pick of Newsome to start for at least 4 seasons for the Ravens. Amazing record, but it may well end there unless Matt Elam (18th 1st round selection) steps up.~Ken McKusick
When healthy, he was arguably the best cornerback in the entire NFL last season. When unhealthy, the Ravens secondary was an amalgamation of thrown away talent. Simply put, even if the Ravens could barely afford to keep him, they really couldn’t afford to lose him.~Kyle Ottenheimer
Health is the principal concern when it comes Jimmy Smith. But there is no doubt that he is one of the primer corners when healthy. He has evolved into a lock-down, man-to-man cover corner that can control the edge against the run. Between the end of the 2013 season and the beginning of the 2014 season, he was also arguably the team’s best defensive performer. The Ravens locking up Smith this early before he hit the free agent market is an anomaly. The team normally lets negotiations drag. However, the risk in paying Smith top dollar before he showed he can stay healthy this season is certainly worth noting. ~Dev Panchwagh
We just watched a Super Bowl that featured two of the games best CBs (among other things, of course) in Richard Sherman and Darrelle Revis, and it’s not far-fetched to think that if Smith had stayed healthy in 2014, it would have instead been Sherman and Jimmy. Of course, that’s the issue with Jimmy – his health. But when you have the opportunity to lock up one of the best in the game at such a critical position, especially for what appears to perhaps be below market value, you have to take it. Here’s to many more productive years in purple for Jimmy Smith. ~ Derek Arnold
Will be interested to see the exact details and structure of Smith’s new deal. Sounds about right for a total money standpoint, but would like to see that the Ravens use some in-season gameday active-type bonuses to protect against Smith’s injury history. That said, happy to see them be more proactive and hope this bodes well for extensions for Yanda, KO and/or Tucker (at least 2 of them please!). ~Brian McFarland
Great talent when he is on the field. I’m not sure if I care so much as to what he makes. I just want him healthy for all 16 regular season games and beyond. There isn’t a lot of quality depth behind Jimmy Smith, so any games missed will be a huge impact to the secondary. ~Nadeem Kureishy
The extension bodes well as an indication of the insiders’ opinions on his health. It speaks well of their expert evaluation of his talent. (I don’t know that the Ravens have ever whiffed on an extension). And, it means that the Ravens have a player that’s gonna be in the best CB convo for the rest of the decade. I believe in Jimmy Smith’s ability, attitude, aptitude, and ambition, as do those more informed than I at The Castle. ~Jai Ashford
Signing Jimmy Smith is a no-brainer type of decision. The move locks up a core piece of the defense that the team sorely missed during last year’s playoff run. It’s a win-win for both sides. Ozzie Newsome doing Ozzie Newsome things. ~Kenny Miller
Locking up Smith for the next four years makes the Ravens to do list a little shorter next offseason. While it ideally fills a need long term for a team that needs a shut down corner, it’s a lot of money for a player who’s played just one complete season in his career and is coming off a season ending injury. Aggressive and risky move by Ozzie. ~Ryan Jones
