WR Torrey Smith Free Agency Fits: Panthers, Browns, Jets

Free agent wide receiver Torrey Smith is one of the top playmakers on the free agency market in 2015, but what will his market be like? There is always going to be demand for speedy wide receivers with good size, and Smith has added value in that he is one of the best receivers in the NFL at beating defensive backs deep downfield and drawing a lot of pass interference penalties.

In a contract year, Smith racked up 11 t touchdowns and had only 49 catches with which to work. The Ravens transitioned to a run-heavy offense this past year which saw a breakout campaign from running back Justin Forsett.

Smith might prefer to go to a team that will want to throw the ball a bit more, or at least feature him a bit more in the offense. He has been a big-play threat his entire career and would be an asset in any offense.

Carolina Panthers

The Panthers are desperate for something at the wide receiver position, and I don’t think they can afford to pass on tackles again in the draft, so adding a player like Smith with in free agency would make some sense.

Pairing him with Kelvin Benjamin would be a blast to watch, and Cam Newton would certainly have fun rifling the ball down the field to Smith.

The Panthers might have to maneuver some things around on their cap to be able to afford Smith and sign other players they might need, but this would be cool to watch.

Cleveland Browns

The Browns would want Smith for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is their desperate situation at wide receiver, but they would also be taking him from a division rival and significantly upgrading their offense.

Smith has proven he can beat defensive backs downfield with ease, and the Ravens don’t exactly have the most formidable secondary. I’m sure if the Browns were willing to pay up for his services, he’d be happy to stick it to his former team twice a year, or at least try to.

This would be a great addition for the Browns and a solid situation for Smith.

New York Jets

The Jets have plenty in the way of possession receivers, and now they need a speedy downfield threat to pair with Eric Decker on the outside. With Percy Harvin seemingly unwilling to re-structure, there could be an intriguing fit here with the vertical threat in Smith, who would be a nice complement for the Jets’ offense.

New York also has plenty of cap space, and would be able to pry Smith away from the Ravens, who aren’t usually willing to overpay to keep their own in-house free agents.