Tag: Torrey Smith

Marlon Brown goes out of his way to thank Ravens organization

Former Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Marlon Brown went out of his way to thank the organization on Sunday.

The Baltimore Ravens have uncovered plenty of diamonds in the rough during the course of their franchise history. They’ve traded late-round draft picks for good young players, signed undrafted free agents who’ve developed into stars, and are always looking to give opportunities to prospects that they feel can contribute.

One player who Baltimore gave a chance to as an undrafted rookie was wide receiver Marlon Brown. He went the entire 2013 NFL Draft without hearing his name called, but signed with the Ravens hoping to prove himself and get a shot to make an impact. Brown did just that, making the team and stepping up when he was needed.

Brown posted a series of tweets on Twitter in what seemed like his official retirement announcement, and went out of his way to say how appreciative he was of the Ravens organization.

He also gave a shout out to Torrey Smith, his former Baltimore teammate.

Over the course of his three years with Baltimore, Brown caught 87 passes for 891 yards and seven touchdowns. His seven scores all came in his rookie year, but he still stepped up when his name was called in every season he played for the franchise.

Brown also spent time with two other organizations, but never played in a game with them. It’s clear that the former wide receiver’s heart is forever with the Ravens, and there’s no doubt he’ll always be loved in Baltimore.

Torrey Smith rips Raiders for tone-deaf George Floyd tweet

Former Panthers wide receiver Torrey Smith is one of many people who have criticized the Raiders for the stunningly tone-deaf message.

Derek Chauvin was found guilty on all counts for the murder of George Floyd in a Minnesota courtroom yesterday. The verdict brought out reactions from all over the sports world, including the NFL and a few teams. Some read the room and got it right. Others not so much.

While the Vikings released a poignant statement about the injustice and enduring pain that Floyd’s death brought to their community, the Raiders decided to go in a different direction by sharing this tweet:

Many observers are roasting their social media team’s bad call, but the poor decision apparently goes all the way to the top of the organization. Team owner Mark Davis has taken responsibility and claims that he’s “deepy disappointed” if he offended Floyd’s famiily.

Former Panthers wide receiver Torrey Smith is one of many people who have criticized the Raiders for the stunningly tone-deaf message.

Smith followed up with more.

The Raiders may not have been intentionally malicious, but to leave the tweet up after the public outcry says a lot about their motivations.

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Former Eagles WR Torrey Smith on why Jalen Hurts ‘shouldn’t touch the field’

Former Eagles WR Torrey Smith on why Jalen Hurts shouldn’t ‘touch the field’

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Torrey Smith has a unique view on the struggles of Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz because the now-retired NFL wide receiver was a pass catcher during his best season as a pro.

Fast forward three years and the Eagles enter Week 13 with a 3-7-1 record and some calling for Wentz to be benched.

During an appearance on 94WIP, Smith made his argument for why Jalen Hurts “should never see the field” in this now self-afflicted quarterback controversy.

“I personally, I wouldn’t play him,” Smith told 94WIP’s Jon Marks & Ike Reese when asked about Hurts’ usage on Tuesday. “But the team obviously drafted him for Carson insurance and if you feel like the offense is really struggling that way, then you can go in that direction. But me personally, I would rather Carson Wentz all the way throughout the year. I mean, Jalen, he simply wouldn’t touch the field. And I love Jalen Hurts as a player, I was huge fan of him coming out of college, but I mean you drafted him and you started a controversy for no reason for Carson. And whether he admits it or not, I would never ask him about it—and that’s my boy, I talk to him. I would never ask him about that because whether he think it or not, it’s tough when that’s weighing over your head when you know we’re talking about it on the radio right now. When you know fans are thinking it because you’re not playing your best or the offense isn’t playing its best. It’s tough to deal with, it’s another layer that complicates the issues that are happening right now.”

When asked bout Wentz’s league-leading 15 interceptions and 46 sacks, Smith credited the slump to the Eagles star quarterback “overthinking it a little bit”, but made it clear that he believes Wentz is “still that guy” for Philadelphia.

Every NFL franchise has that one bumpy season and as we wrote about Wentz last week, the best thing the Eagles can do this season would be to allow their star signal-caller to play through the bumps in the road.

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Torrey Smith says Titans should take a loss for violating COVID-19 rules

Former Carolina Panthers wide receiver Torrey Smith thinks they should have to forfeit this week.

The 2020 NFL season is in serious trouble thanks to a series of selfish decisions by the Tennessee Titans. Not only have their been about two-dozen positive tests within the organization the last couple of weeks, but players doubled down by meeting up for a private workout when their facility was closed as a result.

Tennessee already had last week’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers postponed to later in the year. Now, their matchup against the Buffalo Bills this weekend is in jeopardy. All the talk around the league right now is how to punish the Titans and keep the season going.

Former Carolina Panthers wide receiver Torrey Smith thinks they should have to forfeit this week.

Some people think that’s not nearly enough. Touchdown Wire’s Doug Farrar made the case yesterday that the NFL should effectively kill the franchise for the season, canceling all of their games and leaving the league with 31 teams to finish out the year.

Whatever the penalty is, it needs to be harsh enough to send a message to the rest of the league that further COVID-19 infractions will not be tolerated. Too many lives and jobs are at stake for a slap on the wrist.

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7 Ravens that never made a Pro Bowl but should have

Seven heroes from the Baltimore Ravens’ past who never earned a trip to the Pro Bowl during their time with the team.

The 2019 Baltimore Ravens squad, befitting a team that boasted the NFL’s best record of 14-2, saw 12 players originally named to the Pro Bowl at the end of the season. This tied an NFL record for the most players from a single team, matching the 1973 Miami Dolphins – not the unbeaten team, but a squad regarded as superior in almost every way to their 1972 team.

In 2019, quarterback Lamar Jackson, tight end Mark Andrews, cornerback Marlon Humphrey, pass rusher Matthew Judon, full back Patrick Ricard and offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley all made their first appearances on a Pro Bowl roster. Marshal Yanda had been named to eight Pro Bowls, while safety Earl Thomas made his seventh appearance. Mark Ingram, Marcus Peters, Morgan Cox, and Justin Tucker have three Pro Bowl nods each.

Despite this plethora of players representing the Ravens in the league’s all-star game, it did bring to mind that there are a host of Baltimore legends that never graced the Pro Bowl. Here are the seven most notable snubs.

Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images

QB Joe Flacco

Best known for his propelling the Ravens to their Super Bowl triumph following the 2012 season, Flacco was never deemed worthy of a trip to Hawaii (or Orlando). Though he was an alternate in 2015, Flacco declined the invite, keeping his total Pro Bowl visits blank. This may surprise some, given how long Flacco was with the Ravens, how many franchise records he holds, and how many distinctly ordinary players made it to the Pro Bowl.

But while Flacco comfortably laps all other Baltimore passers, his numbers have never seriously warranted contention to be named among a seasons best. His career-high of 4,317 passing yards came in an 8-8 season for the team. There have been 92 instances of quarterbacks passing for more than 27 touchdowns in a single season since 2008, the year Flacco entered the league. He managed his 27 back in 2014.

Still, while he never made the Pro Bowl, Baltimore and Flacco will always have the Super Bowl. That should be enough to cushion the blow.

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Panthers players react to the new 10-year CBA on Twitter

Reid followed up with another tweet criticizing the cuts to disability benefits, which he called unconscionable and a broken promise.

The NFL and the players union have come to an agreement on a new CBA. The NFLPA has ratified it with a narrow 60-vote majority.

As you might expect, there are a lot of players who are unhappy, as some 48% of them voted against it. Panthers strong safety Eric Reid has been a vocal critic of the proposed CBA and he’s making his voice heard on the subject again now that the vote is over.

Here’s how Reid is reacting to the deal, again bringing up the cuts for disabled players and objecting strongly to the general economics of it.

Reid followed up with another tweet criticizing the cuts to disability benefits, which he called unconscionable and a broken promise.

Meanwhile, Reid’s partner in the defensive backfield had a very different take. Free safety Tre Boston said he respects players whether they voted yes or no but he doesn’t respect those who did not vote at all.

Boston also says people on both sides understand it wasn’t the best deal but some players felt they couldn’t afford to say no.

Former Panthers wide receiver Torrey Smith (now retired) also chimed in on Twitter echoing Will Blackmon, who called out the 500 or so players who did not vote.

The new collective bargaining agreement will be in effect for the next 10 years.

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