Report: Ravens Have No Plans To Trade WR Steve Smith, Could Try To Bring Him Back Next Year

Eric Edholm of Yahoo Sports repors that the Ravens are unlikely to consider trading veteran WR Steve Smith to another team before the upcoming trade deadline.

Edholm’s source indicated that Smith was informed by Ravens GM Ozzie Newsome that the team has no designs on dealing him before the trade deadline.

“They’re not punting on the season,” Edholm’s source said. “They’re not looking to trade [Smith] and they’re still trying to win games. I wouldn’t be shocked if they try to convince him to give it one more go [in 2016].”

“[Smith] trusts them,” Edholm’s source added. “I don’t think he’d be happy if they did suddenly trade him out of the blue, but he believes they have no plans of that anyway.”

Instead, Edholm mentions that Baltimore is more likely to try to convince Smith to return for the 2016 season, despite the fact that he has said he plans to retire after this year.

On Wednesday, Smith reiterated that he’s planning on retiring at the end of the season.

“I’m on schedule for what I discussed earlier in the year,” Smith told reporters today, according to ESPN’s Jamison Hensley.

Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk mentioned the other night that if Smith intends to retire after this season, Baltimore should attempt to trade him to a contending team.

Florio suggested the Packers as a team that would be a great fit for a veteran receiver, who is capable of getting open and performing on the big stage.

Smith, 36, has two years remaining on his three-year, $10.5 million contract and stands to make a base salary of $3 million this year and next.

This season, Smith has appeared in five games and caught 36 passes for 510 yards receiving and three touchdowns for the Ravens.