Steve Smith says he was walking away after 2014 ... before Carolina released him. (USATSI)
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The drama surrounding Steve Smith's departure from Carolina -- and subsequent signing with Baltimore -- left many Panthers frustrated. But it left Smith, who now says he was planning to retire after 2014, renewed.
The new Ravens wide receiver told Don Banks of Sports Illustrated he "was going to retire" after 2014 ... until the Panthers dumped him.
"The only people who knew were my close friends and my wife,'' Smith said. "This year was actually going to be my last year in Carolina. I was going to retire. I was done. I had been waking up every day about 3 a.m. and wrestling with some things in my quiet time.
"I finally decided and made the commitment to my family. I told them, 'I'm done. I don't think I can do it much longer. My knee was sore and I knew all the work I had put into my career and what it would take. I came to terms with it, that this year was going to be my last year ever playing football.''
And then Carolina cut him and Smith, long known for being able to grip a grudge harder than a football, felt "a certain way." (Hint: not happy.)
"When I got released, and how it happened, it made me feel a certain way,'' Smith said. "It gave me a little bit maybe that I had been missing. My wife said, 'How do you feel about that?' And my response was to start working out again every day after that. I started jogging, my knee started feeling better, and the next thing you know, I got a three-year deal here."
Smith added after his three years in Baltimore he is "done" and plans to become a "stay-at-home dad."
Considering he'll be pushing 40 by then (Smith just turned 35 so he'll turn 38 after the deal runs up), it's a safe bet Smith will be out of the game. If he can produce at a "bottom line level" for the full three years in Baltimore, the Ravens will end up with a steal on their hands.
And maybe even blood and guts all over the place.
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ESPN Dallas writer predicts a career-high in carries for Cowboys RB DeMarco Murray
ESPN Dallas' Todd Archer speaks unequivocally when asked about the Cowboys' backfield for 2014."This will be (DeMarco) Murray's team," Archer wrote in a Wednesday chat session with fans. "He will get the bulk of the work. ... (Lance) Dunbar will get third-down tries, but Murray should see a career high in carries this year. He had 217 last year and missed a couple of games. I'd put him at 250 this year."
Archer was answering a question about whether Dunbar or the newly added Ryan Williams will be big factors in the running game this season. His short answer is apparently "no." That's nice, but two things to point out here:Murray probably would have reached 250 carries in a couple of seasons if not for injuries. Yes, he missed two games last year. And six in the previous season, and three the season before that. At some point, like the Raiders' Darren McFadden, relying on a running back to turn in a season without any maladies becomes foolish. Perhaps we are nearing that point with Murray, and predicting he will be on the field long enough to reach 250 carries ignores who Murray really is.Also, 250 carries is quite a high number when you mix in the fact that Scott Linehan is calling the plays in Dallas. He has said that he wants to lean on the running game, but don't expect the former Lions OC to change his stripes. He has a passionate love for throwing the ball, and I don't think Linehan will leave 250 plays aside for Murray to run even if he stays healthy. Now, maybe Murray makes up for that by catching some more passes. He caught 53 last year, and that number could rise, which would be excellent for his PPR value.Murray has first-round fantasy talent and is in the middle of a high-powered offense. But if you spend an early pick on him, you must also be prepared for him to miss some games and be forgotten as a runner in some others.
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