San Francisco

So Far, Torrey Smith Hasn't Made Big Impact on 49ers

Quarterbacks haven't been able to consistently get the ball into the hands of speedy, deep-threat receiver

When the 49ers signed wide receiver Torrey Smith to a reported five-year, $40 million deal this offseason, it seemed a perfect match.

The 49ers needed a fast, field-stretching wideout and Smith wanted to come to an organization capable of winning. Finally, strong-armed quarterback Colin Kaepernick would have a pass catcher fast enough to haul in some of his long, downfield bullets.

It was an encouraging move after months of bad news for the franchise.

Wrote NFL.com analyst Marc Sessler in March, at the time of the signing: “Smith will add an element of excitement to an offense and organization suddenly riddled with more questions than answers.”

Yet just past the halfway point of this season – with the 3-6 49ers getting ready to take on the 4-5 Seahawks in Seattle Sunday afternoon – the Torrey Smith signing has mostly been a dud. Smith has just 18 catches for 386 yards and two touchdowns.

Of course, his lack of production isn’t necessarily his fault. Kaepernick was so ineffective he lost his starting job. In a recent game against the Rams, there was Smith, wide open and frantically waving his arms trying to get Kaepernick’s attention, yet he was ignored. A pass his way would have resulted in a long TD.

And the offensive line has protected so poorly that the passing game has been under constant duress, with little time to throw deep balls.

In some games, Smith rarely has been a target. Against the Seahawks in Week 7, only one pass was thrown his way. In three other games he was targeted three times or less. When he has been a part of the offense, he’s made plays. Against the Steelers in Week 2, he caught six of seven balls thrown in his direction for 120 yards. Against the Ravens in Week 6 he had 96 yards on just three catches. His average of 21.4 yards per catch leads the NFL.

Yet this week, Smith was included on NFL.com’s list of the league’s “top 10 free-agent flops” for 2015, at No. 7. Analyst Chris Wesseling wrote that Smith’s signing hasn’t been a benefit to both his old team, the Ravens (who miss his big-play threat) and new team.

“Smith’s field-stretching skills have gone to waste at the wrong end of Colin Kaepernick’s scattershot arm,” he wrote. “At least 50 receivers and tight ends have produced more plays of 20-plus yards than Smith this season.”

Against the Seahawks on Sunday, that’s not likely to improve, with former backup QB Blaine Gabbert now starting against an aggressive Seahawks defense that ranks No. 2 in the league in pass defense. The Seahawks give up just 202.8 yards in the air per game.

Still, the 49ers have to hope that Smith will be valuable in the long term. If quarterback and offensive line problems can be improved in 2016, Smith again will be a valuable contributor. But at this point, that seems like a long way away. 

Contact Us