Steve Smith's Departure from Carolina Panthers Seems Like Foregone Conclusion

The Carolina Panthers appear ready for a Steve Smith trade. Smith won't be in the future plans of the franchise if they can help it, and it seems that the NFL lockout is the only thing keeping the team from pulling the trigger. That might make Smith's departure the first order of business as soon as the work stoppage comes to an end.

By now, most Panthers fans have read the ESPN article from Pat Yasinkskas that talked about Smith cleaning out his locker. That is usually the first indication that a player either doesn't want to come back or has seen the writing on the wall. In this case, the Panthers are looking to get a younger roster put together that will help steer Cam Newton in the right direction. Now they have to find the best offer for Smith that also makes sense in the long term.

There is still the chance that Smith wants to remain in Carolina or the Panthers want to keep him, but it hasn't stopped rumors from generating all over the NFL. The NFL Network reports that a realistic scenario would involve Smith getting traded for a fourth round draft pick who could turn into a third round pick based on how he performs next season. That might be a great deal for a veteran receiver, especially if Smith still has something left in the tank.

The 31-year-old receiver had a rough year in 2010, catching 46 passes for 554 yards and two touchdowns. The 2-14 Panthers didn't exactly do a great job getting him the ball, though, so those stats could be an aberration in an otherwise great career. Now it becomes interesting to see which other franchises would really want to trade for Smith this offseason.

There are quite a few teams that could use someone like Smith, even if it is just for the two years remaining on his contract. The New England Patriots, New York Jets, and San Diego Chargers could all use additional weapons for their quarterbacks. There are several other teams that might want him, but might balk at the $15 million he is going to be paid over the next two seasons.

The bidding for Smith may have already begun before the NFL lockout was put in place, but it's hard to gauge where the level of interest is at this time. It seems very likely that Smith will be involved in one of the first trades that takes place at the end of the lockout; until then, nearly everything discussed about him will merely be conjecture.

Reference:

Steve_Smith_Player_Card