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Torrey Smith an excellent fit for San Francisco 49ers

By Kevin Parvizi

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The San Francisco 49ers are set to lose running back Frank Gore to the Philadelphia Eagles after both sides reportedly agreed to a surprisingly lucrative deal, and it’s also hard to see Michael Crabtree sticking around after what happened between both sides last season. After missing out on Gore, the 49ers have their eyes set on Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Torrey Smith as a top skill position player, and they may have already signed him.

It’s clear that the 49ers need someone who can stretch the field after playing three possession receivers last season in Anquan Boldin, Stevie Johnson, and Crabtree (to go with disappointing TE Vernon Davis), and Smith has always seemed like a great fit. Instead of reaching for Devin Smith in the first round of the draft, the 49ers can add one of the league’s most proven playmakers in the vertical passing game.

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There’s been plenty of smoke linking Smith to the 49ers, as there were two strong reports linking both teams over the weekend. The heat was increased when Smith stated last night that he would be leaving the Ravens, and a report from the Baltimore Sun’s Aaron Wilson quickly followed, stating that the Niners are the favorites to land the 26-year-old Maryland product.

In fact, Wilson passes along one source’s assertion that it’s a “done deal” between the 49ers and Smith, as only a hitch could prevent the signing from becoming official upon the start of free agency.

Jeremy Maclin was the best impending free agent receiver after Randall Cobb re-signed with the Green Bay Packers for $10 million per year, but it appears that he’s off of the market now with the Kansas City Chiefs reportedly set to sign the Philadelphia Eagles standout deep threat.

While Maclin is the better overall receiver, Smith is the more explosive deep threat, and, if signed, he would be an important addition to the 49ers offense and would greatly help open things up. Johnson’s future remains in a state of flux at WR since the Niners asked him to take a paycut, but the 49ers would likely have two possession-type receivers with Smith, meaning that the former Ravens receiver would be the man tasked with helping the big wideouts in the intermediate game while also clearing some space for second-year back Carlos Hyde.

Last season, Smith caught 49 passes for 767 yards and 11 touchdowns with 15.7 yards per reception, as he made some splash plays despite a slow start to the season. The additions of Steve Smith and Owen Daniels caused his numbers to fall, and the Ravens also gave the ball to Justin Forsett plenty of times. When Smith was the team’s clear-cut No. 1 guy, he averaged over 17 receptions in 2013 (after clearing that mark in 2012) with over 1,100 yards.

As evidenced by his 30 career touchdowns in four seasons, Smith is a home-run threat who can take it to the house on any given play, and his speed and explosiveness are truly terrifying. This is a guy who commands bracket coverage, and he can also make defenders look silly after the catch.

Although Smith played better in 2013, he still managed to lead the Ravens with 8.3 yards per target last season, and, per Advanced Football Analytics, nearly half of his targets were from at least 15 yards away from the line of scrimmage. Targeted just 92 times last season after Joe Flacco peppered him with a career-high 137 tosses in 2013, Smith’s less impressive stats were solely opportunity-driven, because the crazy thing is that he averaged more yards per target in 2014 (by 0.1) despite the lower YPR. Why? His 53.3% catch rate was a career-high, and that’s actually a solid total for a deep threat.

Jan 3, 2015; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Torrey Smith (82) smiles during warm-ups before playing the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2014 AFC Wild Card playoff football game at Heinz Field. The Ravens won 30-17. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Torrey Smith isn’t someone who can consistently win in the short or intermediate games, which is why he’s more of a vertical guy than a YAC guy. He isn’t anything resembling a chain-mover, and he can’t function as a true No. 1 receiver.

However, he can be a team’s best receiver if he has a solid “Z” guy across from him, and he’d clearly be in that situation if united with Boldin. He’s a much better player now than he was in 2012 when he last played with Boldin, as he’s become even better at making the most of the shots thrown at him; there are few receivers who are better at gaining separation on deep routes.

Colin Kaepernick has one of the strongest arms in the NFL, but he wasn’t able to show it last season with Brandon Lloyd functioning as his main vertical threat. In Smith, Kaepernick would have someone with 4.4s-jets to throw it to on deep passes, and that’s not even mentioning the former Ravens star’s agility and intuitive feel for the vertical game.

While Smith is a splash player who fit the San Francisco 49ers perfectly due to his elite playmaking ability, Trent Baalke will have to be careful not to overpay him.

Remember, this is a guy who dropped more than ten passes last season and who isn’t the most refined receiver. That said, he’s excellent at what he does best, and his ability to help the players around him with his fearsome explosiveness will make him a valuable asset in San Francisco.

It will be interesting to see if other teams jump into the sweepstakes, because, as of right now, it seems like Smith is the 49ers free agent catch to lose. And if they lose out on him, they’ll be forced to take a long look at the best deep threats in the draft class, because Smith has to be their ideal target; he’s exactly what they are looking for at the position.

Next: No DGB for 49ers?

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