Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Marcus Smith will undergo season-ending knee surgery after tearing his right anterior cruciate ligament during Thursday's preseason opener against the Washington Redskins.
A fourth-round draft pick last season, Smith was vying for playing time behind Derrick Mason, Mark Clayton and Demetrius Williams.
Age: 24
Height: 6-1Â Weight: 215
College: New Mexico
Experience: 1 season
The injury occurred while Smith was making a tackle during a special-teams play in the Ravens' 23-0 victory. The surgery will take place within the next week or two, after the swelling subsides.
"Upset more than anything. Frustrated," Smith said after the Ravens' Saturday practice. "You've got to wait another year before you can come out here and prove yourself. So it's definitely a bummer, but I'll come back bigger and stronger and faster."
Said Ravens coach John Harbaugh: "It's a huge loss for the special teams. Marcus was playing as well as any rookie on special teams last season. You saw it in the game. That's a big strong gunner running down the field."
Citing team and league sources, NFL Network's Jason La Canfora reports that an MRI on Beck showed a slight muscle or ligament strain/sprain with no tears, and there weren't any signs of a broken collarbone, although no X-ray was taken. Beck is scheduled to be re-evaluated in a few days, and he's already feeling better than he did after the game against the Redskins.
Baltimore also signed rookie quarterback Drew Willy and wide receiver Bradon Godfrey and placed defensive tackle Lamar Divens (hip flexor) on season-ending injured reserve.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
