Torrey Smith Not Worried About Extension, Camp Notes

Jul 24, 2014; Owings Mills, MD, USA; Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Torrey Smith (82) speaks with the media after practice at Under Armour Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

Welcome to lunchtime links, where we round up all the latest Ravens news from around the web for your convenient consumption.  Today we bring you some leftovers from training camp day 1, reveal that Torrey Smith isn’t worried about a contract extension, and present all the fallout from the Ray Rice suspension.

We presented our camp notes this morning, and now we have ESPN’s as well.  Steve Smith put on a show capped off with a 70 yard touchdown reception.  Jamison Hensley noted that Joe Flacco was holding on to the ball too long and looked a bit out of rhythm.  This is to be expected as he works out the kinks in the new offense.

Hensley also noted that (as usual) Courtney Upshaw looked out of shape.  Arthur Brown was running with the starters, but this is most likely just veteran preference. Expect C.J. Mosley to take that spot sooner rather than later.  Instead of Ryan Jensen backing up Rick Wagner, it was surprisingly Jah Reid.  Of course, this could just be a “last chance” type deal for Reid, who is rumored to be nearing a release.

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Torrey Smith had his time behind the mic yesterday and wasn’t nearly as in-your-face as Steve Smith, of course.  The other half of the Smith & Smith law firm did tell reporters that he isn’t worried about nailing down a contract extension. “I’m a Raven, always going to be a Raven. That’s all I’m worried about,” he said.  “The business side, I try to stay away from because you don’t worry about things you can’t control. That’s how I’ve been. I’ve watched guys how they let things like that affect them. Me, I’m just trying to go out there and have fun and get better and help us win.”

You really can’t help but love the young man’s attitude.  He knows that Ozzie Newsome is going to pay up.  It’s only a matter of time, so you just put your trust in the process and worry about playing football.  If only some other guys would follow his example…

Lastly, there is tons of Ray Rice fallout concerning yesterday’s suspension announcement.  Despite the controversy swirling around the length of the suspension, which most think is too short, a close friend of Rice told Peter King that he thinks it will serve as a wake up call.  Some, like Andrea Hangst at Bleacher Report, think that the move shows that the NFL has a big issue with domestic violence.

The bottom line is, the league has made its decision and the length of the suspension isn’t going to change.  If this truly was a “mistake” and a one time offense, everyone will have forgotten about it once Rice comes back week 3 against the Browns.  While no one with a conscience can condone what Rice did, he committed a crime and is going through both the legal process and disciplinary process and has been punished for his actions.

Regardless, the league is going to have to take a long, hard look at how it handles these cases going forward.  There’s no doubt that domestic violence is a crime most consider more severe than PED or marijuana use, so Goodell may have to eventually adjust how the NFL doles out punishment for different offenses.  This is a big black eye for the league, albeit a temporary one.