St. Louis Rams: How Much Does Steve Smith Have Left?

Steve Smith caught 107 passes for 1220 yards for the New York Giants back in 2009. That was good enough for a franchise record in receptions and second-most receiving yards in Giants' history in a single season.

Smith caught five passes for 50 yards in the Giants' Super Bowl win over the Patriots. He got to play in the Pro Bowl. Things were going great for Smith, and then the bottom fell out.

A serious knee injury robbed Smith of the second half of his 2010 season. Then the NFL lockout came, and in one of the strangest stories of the offseason, Smith signed with rival Philadelphia before the Giants ever really had a chance to make a contract offer to Smith.

The Eagles were loaded at receiver, and Smith was coming off of a major injury. Like every other injured player in the NFL, the lockout didn't help Smith, as he was trying to get his legs back under him, literally. Smith managed only 11 catches for 124 yards in nine games before having knee problems.

So that leads us to the here and now, with Smith signing with the St. Louis Rams.

How much does Steve Smith have left? Is the former second-round pick finally healthy? Is he a pass-catching, chain-moving machine, or is he the broken-down player of the past two seasons?

Rams' fans are hoping for the former. Rams' management is paying for the latter.

Smith's contract is a one-year deal, basically a chance to prove himself again. He is hoping for a bigger, better contract next season. The Rams are hoping he plays well enough to earn one, because they desperately need Steve Smith to play like his old self.

If Smith can be that guy, he takes the Rams' passing game, and Sam Bradford's career, to another level. I think we will see the best of Steve Smith this season. I expect him to catch 80-90 passes, and I think he will provide Sam Bradford with the kind of security blanket he was missing last season.