Carolina’s little receiver will be a big star once again

By Chris Cluff  |   Thursday, July 26, 2007  |  Comments( 1 )

Carolina Panthers
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Two years ago, Steve Smith was Carolina's passing game. And it looks as if he will be again in 2007.

The 5-foot-9 sparkplug was the NFL's best wide receiver in 2005, leading the league with 103 catches for 1,563 yards and 12 touchdowns. But the Panthers knew they depended too much on Smith, whose monster season came to a halt when the Seattle Seahawks corralled him in the NFC title game.

That was a big reason the Panthers brought in Keyshawn Johnson last year -- to free up Smith even more. Johnson did his part, catching 70 passes, but Smith was hampered by a hamstring injury early and was not nearly as explosive or effective all season, finishing with 83 catches for 1,166 yards and eight scores in 14 games.

Still, in two years, Smith has tallied 186 receptions, 2,729 yards and 20 touchdowns, and the Panthers decided that was enough to reward the 28-year-old with a six-year deal worth $44 million during the offseason.

The Panthers also brought in a new offensive coordinator, Jeff Davidson, who plans to highlight Smith once again -- especially considering the team surprisingly released Johnson in May.

Despite his numbers over the past two years, Smith did not like the offense run by the fired Dan Henning. The 185-pound dynamo does, however, like the offense being installed by Davidson, who plans to put Smith in motion more so defenses cannot key on him as much and shut him down as Seattle did in the playoffs two seasons ago.

"All the new wrinkles, they're interesting," Smith told local reporters in the offseason. "If you want to compare it, it's like sitting in coach [on an airplane] and then moving up to first class."

With Johnson gone, Smith will be the main focus once again. But some of the team's young receivers will need to give him some help. Drew Carter figures to be the starter opposite Smith, although second-round pick Dwayne Jarrett could emerge in that spot. Jarrett - at 6-4, considered a Keyshawn clone - is the reason the Panthers let Johnson go.

"Obviously," Smith said, "we've got to get these young guys prepared and get them to step in line and step up to the task at hand, which is being a professional at a relatively young age in this league."

But until they show they can do it, Smith once again will be the Panthers' passing game.

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About Chris Cluff

Chris Cluff spent 10 years as an editor and sportswriter for The Seattle Times. He was a key figure in the newspaper's coverage of the Seahawks, particularly during their Super Bowl run in 2005. He also has written two books on the Seahawks: "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Heart-Pounding, ...
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