Why do people want to start Troy Smith?

[RavensNTerps]

I'm sorry, but it just seems stupid.

I'm sick of hearing "we have to see what he can do to know if we have to build for the future or not." Well let me tell you something. If he does start, you're not going to see what he's fully capable of. How many rookie 5th round players show even glimpses, or get starts?

It's not about winning and losing THIS season anymore. You don't stick him out there and risk him having his confidence shattered forever. Hell, we rushed to start Boller when he should have sat a year, at least, and look what happened...and he was a first round pick.

I'm all for giving Smith his shot, possibly as the starting QB going in to next season if he has a good offseason. But to start him now would be stupid for the Ravens AND bad for Troy Smith.

[highwater]

I completely agree with you, and I'm betting the most common response you get to that question is "Why not?"

[festivus]

Because it's the tail end of a lost season, and I'm ready for something different.

Remember you're talking to a fan and not a coach or player here, so my answer is precisely what highwater predicted, and I make no apology for it.

I am not going to make any arguments about 'having to see what he can do', or 'Smith>Boller', I just want to see something different after this loooong season. Don't like it? Don't agree. It's fine with me.

[highwater]

Remember you're talking to a fan and not a coach or player here, so my answer is precisely what highwater predicted, and I make no apology for it.

No apology is necessary and I wasn't asking for one -- it's obviously been a very disappointing season, and I wouldn't mind seeing something different myself, but I don't want to see it at Troy Smith's expense. This team's pass protection has been spotty at best, and I'm not sure I want to see a rookie thrown out there behind that line. As RavensNTerps suggested, we probably rushed Boller as a rookie, and I think he has said himself that it took him a while to adjust to the speed of the game.

Let him get some playing time as they did last week, but not start just yet.

[AZRAVEN]

I don't see a problem with starting him now, it's not like this team or the fans have any expectations for winning anyway. So what if he goes out there and has problems, I really don't think fans or coaches, or anyone else will come down on him that hard. In my mind it's a ton of difference starting him now as opposed to the way they annointed Boller the starter in training camp. At the beginning of a season everyone has high hopes and playoff expectations. At this point of a dismal season all anyone wants is a glimmer of hope for the future. As a fifth rounder expectations aren't that high anyway. Truth be told, a fifth rounder is probably what Boller should have been because he sure as hell shouldn't have been a first rounder!
Personally, I'd like to see him start a few games, it's a lot different than just coming in at the tail end and mopping up a loss. Let him start with a clean slate and see what, if anything, he can do.
I would think it would be a lot less pressure for him to start now than next season when the expectations of the fans will be high again. Let's face it, no matter what we know in our hearts about rebuilding years, etc. we all still deep down harbor the hope of victory when the season starts.

[HoustonRaven]

How many rookie 5th round players show even glimpses, or get starts?

Tom Brady comes to mind

Hell, we rushed to start Boller when he should have sat a year, at least, and look what happened...and he was a first round pick.

Agreed.

I'm all for giving Smith his shot, possibly as the starting QB going in to next season if he has a good offseason. But to start him now would be stupid for the Ravens AND bad for Troy Smith.

Huh?

In one breath you say we rushed Boller then in another paragraph you propose putting Troy in the exact same situation that got Boller off on the wrong foot -- starting a new season with zero experience! You would prefer to repeat history instead of slowing bringing someone along. Your logic is flawed. Either you do or dont want to repeat the mistakes of Boller?!

[xmradiodave]

I seriously doubt that if Smith has a bad game given a chance to start that it would be bad for him. I would like to think that the fans and coaches and his team above all would rally around him. One bad game does not mean to toss him out with the trash. Boller has had what... 5 years? to be a starter. I have not until recently, changed my stance on Boller.

[Jggjaron]

I would start off giving him a series or two but i would not start him untill at least next season, Giving him a series to get use to the speed in the game would be helpful but not alot of time should be given yet.

Look at how the titans brought in vince young they designed a series around him then another one untill he had his game up to NFL speed then he took over the starting spot.

[RavenTD]

You have two cars in the garage. Obviously your main car isn't giving you the ride you have hoped. So you got to take a look at whats under the hood of that other car sitting there gathering dust.

I say throw him in against Miami,he won't face an easier entry point.
Troy has had the playbook in his hands all year,if he is the guy I think he is,
he is itching to get out there.You could see that in his effort during mop up duty.

He is not a 5 year old kid,who is going to go crying to mumma if he gets beaten up.

[otherside_of_tracks]

Lat year we did bad in pass blocking too, with let use see that last year Steve McNair had something in him, as he moved inside the pocket and still brack takles. and this season we've had almost the same type of season with our o-line but with a little better run blocking i think (or it could just be Willis) but i think if we can stick Troy in there then we can see how he moves and how he throws. No Dis-respect to kyle boller or the person who made this topic. But kyle was not the#1 player in the NCAA the year he got drafted. Troy is the current Heisman trophy winner. so too say that playing troy will hurt him cuz it happened to boller isn't fair to troy. I wanna hear what Troy wants. Cuz i bet he would say, i love this team and i wanna play to show them that i wanna play for awhile. But i wanna see troy play sunday, or the next or the next.

[ClericBlackDave]

Tom Brady comes to mind



Agreed.



Huh?

In one breath you say we rushed Boller then in another paragraph you propose putting Troy in the exact same situation that got Boller off on the wrong foot -- starting a new season with zero experience! You would prefer to repeat history instead of slowing bringing someone along. Your logic is flawed. Either you do or dont want to repeat the mistakes of Boller?!

You do realize that Tom Brady sat before he started right? He didn't start as a rookie.


For that matter, neither did our prodigal son who everyone now loves Derek Anderson


Neither did the new Golden Boy, Tony Romo.


All of these QB SIT THEIR FIRST SEASON OR TWO.


If you want Troy Smith to be the guy, the first thing you should want is to NOT rush him into action.


But selfishly, because some fans want to be "entertained" these last few games, they want him thrown out there to the wolves 1) on the road against a winless team thats just itching for its 1st win and can smell blood with the Ravens on a losing streak 2) on the road against one of the hotter teams in the NFC, the seahawks and 3) at home against the Steelers who are ready for a playoff run


What?


Again, I don't see how anyone sees this can be beneficial for Troy Smith's career in Baltimore.

[TheExtraPoint]

First of all, you're not going to learn anything from giving Troy Smith garbage time against the Colts third-string defense trailing 30 points with 2:00 left in the game. That's not productive or prudent. It was irresponsible of Brian Billick to put Smith in that late in the game in my view. Another botched decision by a coach I once supported, but for whom I will no longer advocate.

And if you think Brian Billick will start Troy Smith at halftime, which in and of itself is a logical option, I'll beg to differ. He'll get mop up time if we are comfortably ahead, which our schedule (two road games with Kyle Boller at the helm, and a home game against a division-leading rival) suggests is unlikely. I'd be surprised if Smith plays much at all the rest of this season.

And that's wrong.

Starting Troy Smith provides several points of insight I think will be important as we approach a vitally important off-season in this franchise's history.

1) How does Troy Smith adjust to and perform against the incredible speed of first-string NFL defenses? Can he hold up athletically at this level? If he can't, and that's something I think that will be easy to discern, you know he won't be a viable short or long-term option for this team at quarterback.

2) How how will Troy Smith respond to pressure (not pressure to win, but physical pass-rush pressure), both in terms of his decision-making and mechanics? This is an area where the current starter struggles immensely and in my view, it is the measure by which all great quarterbacks can be judged.

Is Troy poised in the pocket? When it breaks down, do his mechanics turn him into a Michael Jordan fade-away impostor (see #7)? Does he see the field (despite his size)? Can he sense the rush, slide in the pocket, and make plays? These are important questions that can be answered to some degree by giving Smith live-action playing time.

3) How does Troy Smith respond to adversity? All great quarterbacks have a great feel for mixing their passion with composure. When things go wrong (and for a rookie quarterback on a horrible offense, things WILL go wrong), how does Troy respond? Is he dejected? Does he fall apart when things go south? Will he bounce back, fight through the difficulties, and continue to work through the struggles? Does he encourage his teammates, or inspire them to believe in him when the chips are down? Is he a leader, or does he have leadership qualities? Is he confident?

Look. No one should expect Smith to light the world on fire, especially as inexperienced he is at this level. He shouldn't be judged on wins or losses, or really by statistics at all.

But there are things to be gleaned from giving him substantial playing time in games that are otherwise relatively meaningless (short draft position and a little bit of pride).

Kyle Boller is a known quantity. The Ravens can make an informed decision regarding his role on the 2008 Baltimore Ravens based on his career sample of games. If they choose to start him next year for lack of better options, or because they believe he is ready to turn the corner, that is a conclusion they can reach without him starting in Miami, Seattle, and at home against the Steelers.

They don't have that same luxury with Troy Smith. See what the kid's got. See if he has starting quarterback potential. See if he could be counted on as a reliable career back-up, almost equally valuable in this league.

Decide whether or not this franchise needs to sink it's fate yet again into an early round, high-priced quarterback in a draft with more questions than answers at that position. Does Troy Smith have a future in Baltimore? Is the future near, far, or inconsequential?

It's time to see what we've got for 2008 and beyond! And it's time to play Troy Smith. Too bad it won't happen.

Edit: I also do not buy into the myth that a quarterback's development is ruined by playing them as a rookie. And I especially don't believe that there is a better circumstance in which to play a rookie quarterback than the one the Ravens currently find themselves in.