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First, he cleaned out his locker at the team clubhouse, now he seems to be naming possible trade destinations.
Earlier this week, reports surfaced that Panthers wide receiver Steve Smith requested a trade to either the San Diego Chargers or the Oakland Raiders. This comes on the heels of a well-respected source reporting late last month that Smith had cleaned out his locker and game-day suite at the Panthers' Bank of America Stadium prior to the lockout.
Though Smith has yet to come forward and directly address these rumors, his intentions seem to be clear: 1) He wants no part of the rebuilding process in Carolina, and 2) He wants to win now.
And who can blame him? He's easily the best player in Panthers history (with the departure of Julius Peppers) and isn't getting any younger at 31. And though he's coming off of one of his worst statistical seasons, with the right quarterback, he can certainly contribute to a winning team.
But here's the dilemma that the Panthers face: there is little in the way of depth behind him at wideout and trading him away for little in return will likely assure them a high draft pick in 2012.
They just took a chance on a quarterback via the draft in Cam Newton, and back in March they quietly acquired Jeremy Shockey, an established NFL tight end. They even acquired two of the coaches responsible for the Chargers' statistical success last season in Ron Rivera and Rob Chudzinski.
These were the first, and only steps that Carolina can take right now to convince Smith that they are serious about keeping him in the future. But Smith probably wants no part of another rookie quarterback after last season's debacle and with the lockout still in place, he doesn't have a chance to get in any reps with Newton.
But the lockout also has its benefits for those looking to keep him in black and blue: Until it's lifted, Smith is still a Panther. If, God forbid, it lasts until late August, I don't see teams making drastic transactions so close to the start of the season (though the Raiders could be the exception to this rule).
So what else can the Panthers do to convince Smith to stay?
Maybe have Cam Newton convince him to at least begin the season in a Panthers uniform. Since the coaches cannot contact the players, his teammates must take it into their own hands to communicate with him—and no player will have more pull in this situation than the probable starting quarterback.
There's no question that the team is rebuilding, but maybe a few wins to begin the season would show Smith that the rebuilding process will be a swift one, similar to the turnaround the Bucs had last season.
The Panthers begin the season against Arizona, Green Bay and Jacksonville—best-case scenario, Carolina goes 2-1.
But what if Carolina doesn't start strong and Smith still wants out? Well then they trade him, but for maximum value.
Although Smith clearly wants to finish his career in his home state of California, he above all wants to win.
If Carolina could deal him at the deadline to a team that's "one player away," both sides would ultimately walk away a winner. Smith suits up for a Super Bowl contender again and Carolina gets valuable compensation for losing their best player.
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