Troubled LB May be Worth The Risk
At this point we aren’t certain that Will Hill’s release was tied to his latest suspension but to think the two aren’t related would be naïve.
Once activated in 2014, Hill’s play at safety was among the best in the NFL. His cover skills were solid, he tackled well and he brought physicality to a defense that needed it. His efficiency continued early in 2015 but then his play began to fade and by the end of the 2015 season his play slipped markedly as did his playing time.
And now we’re left to speculate if his affinity for what the league defines as “substances of abuse” played a role in his decline. To take it a step further, it’s hard not to question Hill’s intelligence for allowing recreational drugs to stand in the way of an opportunity to earn millions.
Perhaps his troubles are deep and if so, let’s wish him the best.
Yet despite it all, count me among those who think the reward was worth the risk. And in the spirit of such risk-reward, I’m now wondering if taking a flyer on another troubled player makes sense.
That player?
Make no mistake about it – Smith has a drinking problem and currently he is serving a suspension that extends into mid-November following a third DUI since entering the NFL in 2011, plus vandalism and hit and run charges to boot.
BUT…
With a risk-free deal structure that includes incentives and no guarantees, the risk-reward could be decidedly pro-Ravens and clearly his skills address a need.
During the NFL Combines GM Ozzie Newsome made it clear that the Ravens are not interested in players with a history of domestic violence. But he did leave the door open to other troubled athletes because it is Ozzie’s belief that once such players “enter our building”, the culture and leadership can help to reform such players.
Could potential teammates like Elvis Dumervil, Marshal Yanda, Steve Smith and newcomer Eric Weddle embrace Smith and accelerate his maturity before his window of opportunity in the NFL closes?
Might John Harbaugh, his coaches, the front office and even Steve Bisciotti give this extremely talented linebacker the proper guidance to help him enable his innate abilities and open the door to a secure financial future? Harbaugh could certainly confer with brother Jim who drafted Smith. That’s valuable intel.
Harbaugh also had an opportunity to observe Smith when the 49ers were in town for three joint practice sessions in 2013 – sessions during which Smith almost effortlessly had his way with the Ravens tackles.
In a similarly risky move, the Arizona Cardinals thought so highly of former Patriots defensive end Chandler Jones that they were willing to part with a 2016 second-round pick plus former first-round guard Jonathan Cooper (2013, 7th overall pick). Plus they are willing to pay Jones his $7.79M salary in 2016 all the while taking the risk of losing him to free agency in 2017.
Jones you may recall showed up dazed and confused at a Foxboro, MA police station just days before a Divisional Playoff Game against the Chiefs, courtesy of synthetic marijuana.
Comparatively speaking isn’t Smith worth a modest deal without guarantees?
Now granted Smith won’t be able to help the team until November due to his suspension but the Ravens could bring him on, like they did with Hill, and wait to plug him in.
Imagine a determined and reinvigorated Smith with fresh legs down the home stretch of the 2016 season, competing against the beaten bodies of the NFL’s midseason.
It could be a game changer and it could give a 27-year-old lost athlete his final chance at redemption.
The story could go either way but if managed properly the rewards would clearly outweigh the risks.
And that would equate to a happy ending.
