Torrey Smith signs with Eagles, giving Carson Wentz a veteran WR

Soon after being released by the San Francisco 49ers, wide receiver Torrey Smith has a inked a new deal with the Philadelphia Eagles, the team announced Thursday. It’s a three-year deal worth $15 million, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

Carson Wentz’s rookie season got off to a promising start, and by bringing in Smith, the Eagles are giving him a reliable target to help his development, something Wentz seemed excited about:

The Eagles have been linked to Kenny Britt, Alshon Jeffrey, Terrelle Pryor, and virtually every other wide receiver on the free agent market. Philadelphia was also reportedly in the mix to acquire Saints wide receiver Brandin Cooks via trade.

Philadelphia has Trey Burton, Nelson Agholor, Jordan Matthews and Dorial Green-Beckham under contract this season, but Smith is an upgrade over each of them. Last season, the Eagles’ passing attack averaged 224.1 yards per game, good for 24th in the NFL.

Smith spent his first four seasons in the league with the Baltimore Ravens, after being drafted in the second round (No. 58 overall) in 2011. The receiver had two seasons with over 800 yards, and one season with over 1,000 yards with the Ravens, and had a career-high 11 touchdowns in 2014.

He went on to sign a five-year deal worth $40 million with the Niners, but he never reclaimed the type of production he was used to. With constant changes at quarterback and coaching staffs, Smith never got close to the 90-plus targets a season he was seeing in Baltimore. He was still a deep threat, but the offense was not equipped to utilize his talents to the fullest.

In 2016, the receiver finished with just 49 targets for 20 receptions, 267 yards, and three touchdowns — all career lows. It wasn’t all due to offensive struggles, his dip in stats was also attributed to missing the last four games of the year with a concussion — his first time missing a game due to injury in his career.

One thing’s for sure, Smith is ready to get back to the early days of his career, when he was a defensive back’s worst enemy.