Rams sign WR Steve Smith

...this would be the Steve Smith who was drafted by the Giants out of USC in 2007 (2nd round) and played with the Eagles last season. Smith is 26, 5'11", 195 and has struggled with injuries throughout his career. He missed most of his rookie season due to shoulder and hamstring injuries. He was outstanding that postseason, though, and had four clutch catches for first downs in the Giants' Super Bowl XLII victory over the Patriots. He became one of Eli Manning's favorite receivers in 2008, 57 catches, 574 yards and a TD, and exploded in 2009, with 107 catches, 1,220 yards and 7 TDs, good enough to get him into the Pro Bowl as an alternate. He was considered a top slot receiver, a great route-runner and playmaker, a big-play threat who can line up anywhere. Although he lacked top speed, his route-running was sharp, with no wasted motion in and out of breaks. He also didn't drop many passes.

However, Smith has only produced 59 catches, 653 yards and 4 TDs in the two seasons since that Pro Bowl season. A knee injury cost him about half the 2010 season, and the Giants opted not to bring him back while he recovered from microfracture surgery. The Eagles signed him but he wasn't completely recovered and started training camp on injured reserve. He had only 11 catches for Philadelphia and never rose above 5th WR on the depth chart.

The 2010 knee injury and microfracture surgery appear to have Steve Smith's career at a crossroads. He's gone from big-play threat out of the slot to a possession WR at best who's likely just a training camp flier. The Rams seem to be hoping that he'll approach his 2009-10 form and that they can pair him as a #2 wideout with Justin Blackmon. Seems like that will require a lot of luck to me.

Thumbs down to this signing as well. Seems like Kevin Demoff should have sent all the new guys a memo that the Rams had about a billion injuries last year, many of them in the receiving corps, and that it might be a waste of time bringing in players we full well know have bad injury histories. The Rams need Steve Smith's talent. They don't need his football bill of health.

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