Steve Smith to Break Out in ‘08?
Over at CBSSportsline, Pete Prisco released the third and final part of his Breakout Players list for 2008. Atop the list is Bengals Tackle Stacy Andrews. The only Giant to make the list was Wide Receiver Steve Smith, and here’s what Prisco wrote about him…
After missing 11 games in his rookie season with an injury, Smith had 14 catches in the postseason to emerge as an important part of the Giants’ run to the Super Bowl. Watch for him to become a factor in the middle of the field for the Giants’ offense in 2008, possibly catching as many as 60 passes.
Obviously, I believe that Smith will have the opportunity to become more involved in the offense in ‘08. The only thing I don’t like about Smith is his size. He’s 5′ 11″ and weighs in at 195 which is a heavier version of me. I do believe that the Giants have a good mix in size and ability when it comes to their Receivers. Smith had a lot more success in the Playoffs when Eli hit him over the middle and a little bit on the sidelines. During the Regular Season, the Giants were using Smith as the home run guy which didn’t work out too well. Now that Kevin Gilbride knows how to use Smith effectively, we should expect better out of him. At the same time, the more touches he gets the more the opposition will focus on him. His size may make it easier for the opposition to handle him unlike somebody like Plaxico.
