NFL Draft 2011: Do the Panthers Draft A.J Green Now That Steve Smith Wants Out?

There has been rampant speculation in the past months that Steve Smith would privately ask to be traded if the Panthers drafted a developmental QB.

With all indications pointing to that becoming a reality, ESPN reports that Steve Smith has cleaned out his locker and removed the decorations from the private suite his family used on game days.

Now while this is not a declaration that he is leaving per se, it does make the rumor a reality.

Steve Smith is at the tail-end of his career and deserves to be playing for a championship, or at the very least battling for the playoffs, something that no one expects to happen this season with Clausen or Newton at the helm.

If the Panthers do go ahead and select Newton the smart money is on the Panthers trading Smith.

But that begs the question: Just who is Cam Newton going to throw the ball to?

Free agents notwithstanding: Brandon LaFell, David Gettis and Armanti Edwards does not a receiving corps make.

The free agent class has some interesting names such as Braylon Edwards, Malcolm Floyd, Sidney Rice and Santonio Holmes, but does anyone seriously expect the notoriously thrifty Panthers to shell out the cash to land a top free agent receiver?

Neither do I.

What this news should do is make GM Marty Hurney rethink his draft plans with the realization that wide receivers as special as A.J Green are extremely hard to find.

Losing one of the best receivers in the NFL is a major blow to any franchise and will cripple Cam Newton’s chances of success in his first season as a Panther.

I mean maybe the impetus here is to suffer through another long, laborious, painful season for draft position next year but Panthers fans and myself would rather go back to competing right away.

A.J Green and a third round QB plus Jimmy Clausen sounds a lot better than Cam Newton, Jimmy Clausen and some third round wideout yet to be named.

Doesn’t it?