One thing about Terrell Owens is that teams could deal with the “act”, because he was that good of a wide receiver for a very long time.
But, once his skills started to diminish ever so slightly, it became tougher for teams to ignore the distraction (some of that was T.O.’s fault, some was the media making big stories out of small things). I think the Panthers have gotten to that point with Steve Smith.
He has a lot of bark, but the bite (the production) hasn’t been matching up and that more than anything else is the reason he won’t be back with the Panthers. Check out the report from CBS Sports.
According to the Charlotte Observer’s Joe Person, Gettleman’s decision to move on from Smith wasn’t solely because the wideout will be 35 next month, or that he’ll count $7 million against the cap in 2014.
Sources told Person that Gettleman views Smith as a distraction, and the GM is ready to turn the locker room over to young leaders like Cam Newton and Luke Kuechly. Moreover, Person added, “Smith’s fiery personality has made him a fan favorite, but can grate on teammates and coaches.”
Now could Smith latch on with another team and be productive absolutely, but he simply wore out his welcome in Charlotte. Considering his age and contract, it was time to move on for both parties.