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Baltimore Ravens veteran field player Jimmy Smith has played in one organization since he made his first-round draft selection in 2011. He never plans to wear another NFL jersey.
“I’m definitely not playing on another team,” Smith said told Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic. “If the Ravens didn’t re-sign me last year and I felt like I could still play, I’d probably still be retired.”
Smith gave the vacant office a chance to re-sign with Ravens in December. At this point in his career, taking a change of location into account will soon not be on the 33-year-old’s card. While other veterans may jump around to close their careers – hell, even Tom Brady switched teams at age 43 – Smith has no desire to plant new roots outside of Baltimore.
“For me, this is family,” he said. “I know these guys. I know them for so long. They know me. It’s hard to go to a new place and you have to introduce yourself, you have to make an impact on people. I don’t want to do everything. I’m good. I’m nice to be here. Financially I couldn’t play play down right now and live my life just fine.It may not be a matter of money.Obviously, money weighs in on this, but it’s not “If I’m retired, if the Ravens are ready with me, then I’ve played ball.”
After Ravens made Smith’s overall selection No. 27 in 2011, he worked his career up and down as he began to become a reliable starter for the stalled Baltimore defense. Injuries always seemed to stop him from becoming a perennial Pro Bowl-level player, but he has been a secondary key member of Ravens for years.
While Marlon Humphrey, Marcus Peters, and Tavon Young sit in front of Smith on the depth chart, the veteran plays a key depth role as the overpower for Ravens ’defensive backfield. Since injuries always seem to bend their heads in inappropriate situations, taking a veteran like Smith to the scene – as he did last season – is a significant advantage for Baltimore.
Young players – like third-round rookie Brandon Stephens and fifth-rounded Shaun Wade – can also benefit from having Smith hung for at least one season.
“I love it when a guy asks me,‘ Hey, OG, what do you think of this? “It’s just the respect they have for me and the respect I have for them,” Smith said. “We don’t have guys here like ‘I know everything.’ The fact that our young guys are so respectful, so eager and willing to learn makes this role a lot easier for me to go through.”
Once the Ravens have got Smith to play that spare role, veteran CB will ride the Baltimore sunset.
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