The Facts: Following up on the ongoing story. ... Bringing Smith to Baltimore was a way for the Ravens to add a hard-nosed veteran leader to their offense. Many pundits have compared Smith to former Ravens receiver Anquan Boldin, who is now with the San Francisco 49ers. Boldin was a gritty player that brought an edge to the offense, and he sees Smith adding a similar quality to the Ravens. "I think that's a big pick-up for them," Boldin said last week. "Great player, hard worker, I think he'll bring a tough mentality to the team offensively."

Diehards Line: The Ravens missed Boldin last season, and HC John Harbaugh acknowledged after the season that the Ravens weren’t able to replace his production. The Ravens lacked a sure-handed chain moving receiver like Boldin last year, especially after the injury to tight end Dennis Pitta. The Ravens believe Smith can step into that role this season for Baltimore. Boldin sees a similar mindset with him and Smith, but thinks there are different nuances to their games. “We're two different players,” Boldin said. “I think he'll tell you that as well. We bring two completely differently things to the table. I think the thing that both of us do have is we want to win, bottom line, and we'll do whatever it takes to do that. ..." If so, Smith will give the Ravens something they definitely missed last season.