Smitty...checked out?

[h0llywood]

Every game I have seen, he doesn't look like a guy that has checked out one bit. He still has the fire and trademark attitude every Sunday.

[Argus Plexus]

Trade him? Are you all nuts? Someone has to catch Cam's passes and I don't think any of the others are ready for #1 duty. Not yet, anyways.

[GRWatcher]

We wouldn't even be having this conversation if we were winning. Get real.

Besides playing football, these are people we're talking about, human beings. And they will have emotions that go on display at times. Smitty more than anybody. I can see that with his cliché remarks, he is trying very hard to not influence or feed the media. To not have the locker room focus on him but instead on what has to happen as a group to fix this team.

He has already apologized for going off on Cam in public so get over it. He and Cam have.

He has beat Mr. Tillman many times before. I expect it again on Sunday.

[carolinarolls]

dropped passes

wrestling matches

penalties

yeah he looks like he's checked out

[lightsout]

He's close. If he doesn't retire after this season, I say he has one more year after this. After that, any more time playing is going to be as a slot/situational guy who rotates in. He is losing it. Last season he looked like a young guy running around. This season, he just feels like an old man when I say him. Reminds me of all of the great receivers in the last decade or so that start to get towards the end of their careers and they just start doing things that aren't characteristic of them. For Smitty, wrestling matches, the occasional penalty, that kind of stuff, we're used to seeing. However, Smitty used to catch everything. Literally. Everything. Even passes he had no business TRYING to catch, he found a way. Now, he can't stay up on hard cuts and he drops relatively simple balls to catch. I love Smitty, my favorite Panther all-time as of right now, but we need to start looking ahead to the future. And that starts by drafting a solid WR who needs no time adjusting to the NFL......

[La Pantera]

We wouldn't even be having this conversation if we were winning. Get real.

If we'd won all our games so far and he still looked like he has been AND had the stats he does...then yeah we would. Smitty hasn't looked him normal self. 6 games in and he hasn't sniffed the endzone. LaFell has looked better to date. Not saying he IS better, just that he's looked better.

[PantherGuy]

I agree, I think he has had enough of this team.

Agreed. I think many of us have had enough of this sorry excuse of a team.

[csx]

I like Smith and I understand his frustration but I don't share the sentiment that it is understood why he's "checked out" if in fact he has.

Captains shouldn't "check out" no matter what.

[h0llywood]

dropped passes

wrestling matches

penalties

yeah he looks like he's checked out

Sounds like you are describing Dez Bryant

[fieryprophet]

I don't give a crap if we were 0-6 or 6-0, Smitty damn well better not be "checking" out. I would lose a lot of respect for him and he's been my favorite Panther for ages. I hate to say it, but one reason this team struggles with leadership is that the players self-appointed as leaders have someone who doesn't walk the walk as a captain. I love seeing Smitty's work with Samaritans Feet, but he needs to realize that this team needs him to step up and be that leader he wants to be seen as, RIGHT FUGGIN' NOW.

[La Pantera]

I like Smith and I understand his frustration but I don't share the sentiment that it is understood why he's "checked out" if in fact he has.

Captains shouldn't "check out" no matter what.

I don't think he's checked out. He just isn't the same physically anymore. He doesn't show the ability to completly take over a game.

[CRA]

Smitty mentally checked out in 2010. Doesn't sound like his head is in it.

Also, Smith got open vertically about once a game last year for a big play. He didn't getting open for those big splash plays at the same pace....I am sure a percentage is Smith.

[CRA]

I don't give a crap if we were 0-6 or 6-0, Smitty damn well better not be "checking" out. I would lose a lot of respect for him and he's been my favorite Panther for ages. I hate to say it, but one reason this team struggles with leadership is that the players self-appointed as leaders have someone who doesn't walk the walk as a captain. I love seeing Smitty's work with Samaritans Feet, but he needs to realize that this team needs him to step up and be that leader he wants to be seen as, RIGHT FUGGIN' NOW.

Smith checked out in 2010.....if you want to argue he didn't, okay. But he wasn't a leader on that 2010 squad.

[fieryprophet]

Smith checked out in 2010.....if you want to argue he didn't, okay. But he wasn't a leader on that 2010 squad.

I remember, and sadly that seems to be the case again. Smitty may have resented the implication that Cam "rejuvenated" his career last season but the truth is he plays much more effectively when he's tuned in. he needs to stay tuned in, this league isn't built for fair-weather players.