Ravens notebook: Smith content after tumultuous offseason
Posted: Tuesday, May 11, 2010
By Aaron Wilson, Times Staff Writer
OWINGS MILLS -- It has been a fairly eventful offseason for Baltimore Ravens quarterback Troy Smith, especially considering that he's a backup.
The former Heisman Trophy winner switched agents, hiring Neil Cornrich to replace Ralph Cindrich.
Smith was in the news frequently for wanting to be traded with Cindrich famously stating that the Cleveland native would crawl if he had to in order to play for the hometown Browns.
Ultimately, no trade materialized and the former Ohio State star remains with the Ravens and is expected to back up starter Joe Flacco again this year.
Although Smith badly wants to get on the field, he seems content with his status now as an insurance policy in case anything happens to Flacco.
"My time will come," Smith said Sunday as the Ravens concluded a three-day minicamp. "I love it here. There's two things you can't get back in this situation and that's your relationship you form with the guys and the bond can be unbreakable. These guys are special to me and we're going to do great things."
Smith said he was looking for a new direction from a business standpoint in switching to Cornrich, a Cleveland-based agent who also represents several coaches as well as NFL players Mike Vrabel and Adam Vinatieri.
"There's no doubt about it," Smith said. " I'm going into my fourth year and having an understanding a little more about what the league is about, not to say that the Debartolo Group and Ralph Cindrich didn't do a great job. I'm moving forward."
Signed to a one-year, $1.101 million restricted tender, the former fifth-round draft pick said he enjoyed himself during the Ravens' minicamp.
"It's always a competitive, spirited practice and definitely going out with a bang, been competing the whole time, just having a good time," Smith said.."When you've got guys like John Beck and Joe Flacco, my thought process and my learning process is going to continue and I get a chance to learn from those guys."
Smith said that hiring former Washington Redskins coach Jim Zorn as quarterbacks coach this offseason has provided a major boost to him.
"No doubt, no doubt, Jim Zorn does a great job," Smith said. "The addition of him was incredible because he's a down to earth guy who played the game, knows the game. We have a good time."
Zorn has some unconventional drills, including a game of Dodgeball where he throws pilate balls at the quarterbacks to simulate the pressure they'll face during a game.
"He definitely has brought another side of the game to us, fine-tuning a lot of lot of little things that we do. It's very, very, very different. It's pretty fun."
