Steve Smith explains how the Patriots really wanted to sign him and why he chose the Ravens

You know that weather thing everyone in New England is really hating right now? Here's another reason to hate it.

That might've cost the Patriots signing Steve Smith too.

Bummer.

The former Panthers now Ravens receiver was released last week and Baltimore was always high up on his list. However, the Patriots were one of the teams he asked that Carolina trade him to if they were to go that route. They didn't and his first and last stop was Baltimore.

Close enough to home, the Ravens were really the ideal spot for Smith and his family. That doesn't mean he wouldn't have loved to play for the Patriots, or that the Pats didn't make an effort to sign him.

But, what happened? Well, we partially have our weather to blame I guess.

Tom Curran, CSNNE:
“I was actually going to have a trip scheduled to New England on Monday, but it didn't work out because of how things went here,” Smith explained to the Baltimore press on Friday.

Smith conjured up a bizarre explanation, adding, “They've been having some weather issues, so this weekend, getting through there was going to be kind of tough.”

Still, Smith explains that he had a great conversation with Bill Belichick on the phone that indicated the Pats were very interested in him, his words. It seemed like Baltimore was really where Smith wanted to go from the get-go, both for the organization and the location. If anything had not gone well in those meetings though, it seems likely that Smith may have wound up signing here.

While Smith is a big name that many Pats fans were getting excited about, he is still an aging receiver in decline. No guarantees. The Pats have kicked the tires with old receivers many times before and it has not gone so well (Here's looking at you Joey Galloway, Brandon Lloyd, Torry Holt, etc). The Pats atleast have other options, as they've signed both Julian Edelman and Brandon LaFell and are hosting Kenny Britt on a visit today.

Britt is interesting because he really offers the opposite of Smith. He'd be a risk, just as Smith would be, but with much higher upside. He's an impressive receiver in the prime of his career that's looking to turn things around and stay in the league, not someone at the tail end looking to cash in with a ring.

Personally, I'd rather have Britt, that would make the loss of Smith sting a bit less.