Wait, wait, wait! I didn't have time to put my suit of armor on to shield myself from all the rocks being thrown my way right now. But hey, hear me out, as we continue our daily analysis of Giants' potential free agents leading up to the signing period, which starts March 13.
Wide receiver Steve Smith, the guy we used to call SS12, is a free agent once again, after a pretty uneventful one season in Philadelphia. After signing with the Eagles last August, most Giants fans were livid. I distinctly remember seeing all of the nasty comments on Smith's Facebook page, as it seemed like he had shunned the Giants or that maybe the Giants didn't try hard enough to keep him, thinking that Smith was not worth the risk returning from knee surgery. Most of us screamed that if he was healthy enough to sign with our hated division rivals, maybe he should have been more of a priority to bring back.
But Smith never really regained the form and skills he had as a Giant. He also didn't play that much, winding up with just 11 catches for 124 yards and 1 touchdown (against the Giants, of course). Then one other thing happened--Victor Cruz. Smith's departure from the Giants led the way for the emergence of Cruz, who took over the slot role vacated by Smith and just owned it.
So why would I advocate signing Smith again, at the risk of messing up the chemistry between Hakeem Nicks, Cruz and newly re-signed Domenik Hixon? For one, if Mario Manningham signs elsewhere as expected, Smith could potentially fill that void. He also would be an insurance policy (well, with his injury history, a shaky insurance policy) against Hixon, and since he knows the system and the slot position, he could fill in for Cruz if necessary. And while I have no idea how much money Smith would command, an incentive laden one-year offer for him may not be such a crazy idea.
You guys now have the floor......so put your rocks down, and let's discuss!