With Cary Williams gone and Lardarius Webb recovering from a torn ACL, the Ravens need reliability at cornerback. And they could be getting it from Jimmy Smith.
A first-rounder in 2011 who has been good but not great in two NFL seasons, Smith is ready to make a move in his third NFL season.
“I feel great,” Smith recently said, via Matt Zenitz of the Carroll County Times. “I feel like I did in college.”
Last year, he fought with a groin injury for most of the year. Since then, he has lost weight and gotten in better shape and plans to challenge Corey Graham for a starting job across from Webb.
“Those groins really hurt my game last year, playing with that throughout the whole season and then getting surgery,” Smith said. “But now that that’s better, I feel 100 percent better. . . . I do feel like I’ve improved. But, like I’ve said, everything’s a work in progress. I’m still trying to climb the mountain. I’m not where I want to be yet, but I’ll be there soon.”
With Williams gone and Webb working his way back to 100 percent, the Ravens need it, sooner rather than later.