Baltimore Ravens Daryl Smith wants to stay, believes there is mutual interest
The Baltimore Ravens decided to sign former Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Daryl Smith to a one-year deal last offseason, and they were rewarded in a big way by the solid play of the 31-year-old Georgia Tech product. Smith has always been one of the most underrated players in the league, and he’s a solid all-around linebacker who brings plenty of intangibles to the table. He did all of that for the Ravens as one of their best players on defense, and he asserted himself as a key player on the squad.
Smith definitely deserves to be re-signed by the team, and he stated that he really wants to stay in Baltimore, via Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun, “Most definitely, I love it here and would love to be back.”
One thing that really stands out about Smith is his ability to make an impact in every facet of the game, and he was great in run defense, coverage, and even as a blitzer for the Ravens this season. He finished the 2013 season with 123 tackles, five sacks, three interceptions, and an incredible 19 passes defended (by comparison, Ravens cornerback Lardarius Webb led the NFL with 21). Those are incredible numbers, and the Ravens would be crazy not to re-sign Smith, who is also a leader on the defense.
The star inside linebacker is back to being one of the best LBs in the NFL, and he’s going to make much more than the $2.215 million he made on the one-year deal he played through in 2o13. Smith has earned a lucrative contract, and hopefully it’s from the Ravens. Per Wilson, Smith believes that there’s mutual interest and that the Ravens want to re-sign him, and an LB who puts up those kinds of numbers definitely deserves (“needs” is probably the better word) to stay.