Troy Smith requests to be traded

[Bald_81]

Ravens notified of trade request by Troy Smith
Posted by Gregg Rosenthal on December 28, 2009 2:09 PM ET

Ravens quarterback Troy Smith seems like a thoughtful, talented young player that could have a long career in the NFL. But he could work on his timing.

Earlier this month, Smith gained attention for his dance steps after his touchdown gave the Ravens a 48-3 lead over Detroit.

Now his agent Ralph Cindrich is making it known through his Twitter account that Smith has notified the Ravens that he wants a trade, just six days before the Ravens try to clinch a playoff spot.

"Ravens QB Troy Smith, Ohio State alum, native + Heisman winner wants playing time. Ravens notified. Will seek trade after play offs, SB run," Cindrich writes.

Smith has shown promise when given the chance to play and was likely to open the 2008 as the Ravens starter over Joe Flacco if not for being sidelined by a rare form of tonsillitis.

It's unclear what kind of market Smith would generate and if the Ravens would be motivated to trade a backup quarterback they trust.

I have long been a fan of Troy Smith. If we could acquire him for a fifth or sixth round pick, I would be ecstatic! He is more accurate than given credit for, and also has the ability to create plays with his feet (which is something that could come in handy behind our inconsistent offensive line). Get this done, BD!

Also, I wouldn't be surprised if Jason Brown or James Laurinaitis lobbied for the Rams to try and make a move for him. Brown was one of Troy's best friends during their time in Baltimore, and I distinctly remembered this comment he made back in '07 when Troy was getting his first opportunity to play (ironically, at the expense of Kyle Boller) "Speaking about Troy Smith's effort against the Dolphins, G Jason Brown said, "When he came in, it was like a breath of fresh air." It would be a great low risk, high reward move IMO because we would only be sacrificing a late round pick. It may be because I like Smith a lot, but I personally believe it would be a nice move.

[Bralidore(RAMMODE)]

i certainly wouldnt mind bringing him in

[3STL9]

only two words describe the rams picking anyone up right now..

why not?

haha, I doubt he will be a starter but better than boller maybe even null who knows

[molar_pistol]

i think a number of qb's who haven't really proven themselves in this league as starters yet will be available...will be a very interesting offseason, i'm excited to see where we go.

[Dominating D]

Why not the kid can play.

[Nick]

If the Rams don't plan on using one of their earlier picks at the QB position, then I think there's some merit to the idea. However, I don't want to see this team spend two picks on quarterbacks, so if the Rams like and plan on taking a QB from this draft class, then a trade for Smith isn't that appealing.

[Bald_81]

If the Rams don't plan on using one of their earlier picks at the QB position, then I think there's some merit to the idea. However, I don't want to see this team spend two picks on quarterbacks, so if the Rams like and plan on taking a QB from this draft class, then a trade for Smith isn't that appealing.

Ideally, the Rams would swap picks in the fifth and sixth round with Baltimore like they did with Atlanta this past year. They acquired Laurent Robinson without losing a pick and they were still able to select a WR in the draft. Obviously, it's asking a lot to see this situation repeat itself, so we'd likely have to give up a fifth (we do have two, possibly trade them Philadelphia's pick?) or sixth to get him. Still a small price to pay, IMO.

[Nick]

Ideally, the Rams would swap picks in the fifth and sixth round with Baltimore like they did with Atlanta this past year. They acquired Laurent Robinson without losing a pick and they were still able to select a WR in the draft. Obviously, it's asking a lot to see this situation repeat itself, so we'd likely have to give up a fifth (we do have two, possibly trade them Philadelphia's pick?) or sixth to get him. Still a small price to pay, IMO.

Swapping picks so that we don't lose a pick in the deal makes more sense. If we have to give up a pick for the guy, then that's it for QB. I simply don't think a team with this many holes could justify using more than one pick to acquire a QB, whether it's trade or by drafting a rookie.

All this assuming the Rams would even be interested, which is a whole other discussion.

[Bald_81]

Oh, I wasn't arguing for the notion that even if we trade for a QB that we should use a pick on one in the draft. That is something I would hate to see happen. Like you said, we have far too many needs to pull that off.

As for being interested in him, if I were to awake one day and find news on Rotoworld that we had indeed traded for Troy, then a particular song by The Lonely Island should be a pretty clear indication of my mood at that time.

[Shan the Ram Man]

I wouldn't mind giving up a 6th or 7th round pick for him. I wouldn't draft a QB in the draft then.
He's got 2 years of learning the NFL system on the bench. I wish we could give K. Null that amount of time holding a clipboard.

[Oshiomogho]

Given our roster right now, Troy Smith would be a great acquisition.

[jdh008]

I'm also of the "why not" attitude, however I'm not sure if Smith in this scenario is the right guy to try. He obviously wants to be in a position where he'll have a chance to at least challenge for a starting job that he can hold on to and I don't know if the Rams are a good fit there. We know that Bulger will be back. I think Null has also earned a roster spot. If the Rams are looking to find a QB of the future, the next one that they trade for or draft needs to be one that they think can be that guy. If they are going to go after Smith, they need to be ready to give him time to prove he either can or can't be the guy.

[Goldenfleece]

Depending on how low a draft pick we're talking about, it might still be worthwhile to hedge our bets. By the time you get down to say the sixth round, odds aren't real high the guy you pick is even going to make it on to the active roster. I don't know if a team would trade a backup they like for so little, though.

[Bald_81]

Depending on how low a draft pick we're talking about, it might still be worthwhile to hedge our bets. By the time you get down to say the sixth round, odds aren't real high the guy you pick is even going to make it on to the active roster. I don't know if a team would trade a backup they like for so little, though.

They drafted him in the 5th round in '07, and he hasn't had enough playing time to justify giving anything more than what he was drafted for in a trade. A 5th rounder for Troy would be a worthwhile investment on our end, IMO...this is not a recording.

[tomahawk247]

I think if anything does happen, it will be after free agency has opened for a while and on draft day.
If the Rams were to come out of Free Agency with a player like Jason Campbell, or take a QB early in the draft, then there is no point giving up picks for Troy Smith