The Panthers shut down WR Steve Smith near the end of Thursday's practice when his knee got sore.  HC Ron Rivera still expects Smith to play against the Saints this weekend though.  It sounds like a case of Carolina being cautious with its 33-year-old receiver, but check back on Friday for another update.

Panthers WR Steve Smith was listed as limited on Wednesday with a knee injury.  He was spotted with a brace in the locker room.  But HC Ron Rivera said afterwards that Smith will "without a doubt" be ready for Sunday's game against the Saints.  The fact that he was able to put in a limited practice on a Wednesday is further confirmation that the knee injury is minor.  We'll keep an eye on him over the next few days, but Smith is safe to pencil into Week 2 fantasy lineups.

As expected, Panthers WR Steve Smith (foot) is active for today's game against the Bucs.  He put in a full week of practice and should be at or very close to 100%.

Panthers WR Steve Smith (foot) put in a full week of practice and is listed as probable for Sunday's game against the Bucs. Consider the foot infection that sidelined him for a week-and-a-half in August a non-issue heading into Week 1. Smith is safe to get into fantasy lineups.

Panthers WR Steve Smith (foot) returned to a full practice on Sunday.  He ended up missing about a week-and-a-half with that foot infection.  Smith admits that he's still not at 100% though, so the situation is worth tracking.  He should still be fine for Week 1.

Panthers WR Steve Smith's infected foot is improving.  HC Ron Rivera says his top WR is "much better" and is walking more on the foot.  Smith won't play in the preseason finale but is fully expected to be ready for Week 1.  We haven't moved him down our WR rankings.

We're starting to get a little more concerned about Panthers WR Steve Smith's foot infection.  He's been on crutches since Wednesday and remains on antibiotics.  The team is "monitoring the swelling," according to insider Jonathan Jones.  Smith has been ruled out for the team's 3rd exhibition, and HC Ron Rivera confirmed that he wouldn't play even it it were a regular seaso game.  We're not lowering Smith's projections yet, but that'll change if he's still sidelined at this time next week.

Panthers WR Steve Smith has been sidelined by a foot infection.  "Not expected to miss significant time," beat writer Joseph Person tweets.  It doesn't sound like Smith is in any danger of missing Week 1.  We'll let you know if that changes, but for now, consider his fantasy stock unaffected.

The Panthers have signed WR Steve Smith to a 3-year contract extension.  Tacked on to the final year of his current deal, Smith is now locked-up through 2015.  He'll be 36 years old at that point.  Smith was on the decline before being sparked by QB Cam Newton last season.  Smith's 79 catches were his most since 2007, and his 1,394 yards marked his best total since 2008.  We'd bet against him repeating those numbers this coming year, but he should at least produce as a WR2.

Panthers WR Steve Smith returned to practice on Monday.  He ended up missing less than a week with that dislocated finger.  The injury isn't a concern moving forward.

Panthers WR Steve Smith is expected to miss about a week with a dislocated finger.  It turns out the cut on his finger was caused by the bone breaking through the skin.  Smith obviously isn't in danger of losing his starting spot, although the missed time hurts as Carolina installs a new offense with (likely) a new QB.  We just nudged him down our WR rankings.

X-rays on Panthers WR Steve Smith's injured finger came back negative.  The finger is cut, but there's no structural damage.  Smith should be back on the field in short order.  His fantasy stock is unaffected.

Panthers WR Steve Smith left Tuesday's practice with a finger injury.  He's headed for x-rays now, and we'll update his status as soon as we learn more.

Panthers WR Steve Smith is a fan of new OC Rob Chudzinski's offense.  "It is nice to have layers, have multiple sets, not to just be stacking to one spot for 70 plays," Smith said.  "I get to line up in different spots. It's just refreshing. It's not saying, 'Well, we're going to move you around,' and then never do it. Here they're actually saying it and it's happening."  Smith blamed former Panthers HC John Fox's vanilla offense for his lackluster 2010 season.  We like that the new staff is trying to create mismatches for Smith, but the shaky QB situation figures to limit his production again this year.

According to NFL Network's Michael Lombardi, the Panthers will not trade WR Steve Smith.  GM Marty Hurney reportedly sat down with Smith last night and convinced him to stay in Carolina.  He'll report to camp tomorrow.  It's obviously a big blow to Smith's fantasy value.  Although he may have lost a step or two at 32 years old, we were expecting a bounce-back 2011 season if he landed somewhere like New England or Baltimore.  In Carolina, he'll struggle to even reach WR3 status.  His return does give QB Cam Newton a nice boost though.

Panthers GM Marty Hurney isn't tipping his hand when it comes to Steve Smith trade talks.  "I can't tell you where we stand," Hurney said.  "We've had communication and we'd prefer the communication to stay between us and him. It's something to work through."  News on this trade front has been extremely quiet.  We suspect that teams in need of a WR are pursuing guys like Sidney Rice and Braylon Edwards before honing in on Smith.  We still expect him to be dealt, but it's far from a guarantee.  The 32-year-old is set to make $7 million in 2011, and will likely cost a mid-round pick.

Panthers WR Steve Smith is determined to prove that his disappointing 2010 season was an aberration.  "A lot of people are saying I'm a middle-aged receiver. 'Obviously his skills are diminishing, he's losing a step.' We'll see," Smith quipped.  "We'll see how many 24-year-olds can cover a 32-year-old 4.3 runner who wasn't supposed to be here anyway."  Smith's never lacked passion, but he'll need to get out of Carolina if he wants to enjoy a bounce-back campaign in 2011.  The Panthers are expected to put him on the trade block once the lockout is lifted.

Panthers WR Steve Smith averaged just 12 yards per catch last year -- his lowest mark since 2007.  At 31 years old, he looked to be in serious decline.  But that may not necessarily be the case.  Smith recently revealed that he played through a strained quad, a left leg injury, and a sprained ankle for the majority of the season.  "Did I lose a step? Anyone would lose a step when you're playing on one leg," Smith said.  "I just tried to play through it, and ultimately I looked slow."  Of course, Carolina's putrid offense was also a major problem.  But if Smith gets dealt out of Carolina -- and stays healthy -- he's a prime bounce-back candidate in 2011.

The Jets and Chargers have emerged as two teams who may be interested in WR Steve Smith if the Panthers decide to trade him.  The Jets could lose WRs Santonio Holmes and Braylon Edwards to free-agency, while the Chargers are in danger of losing WR Malcom Floyd.  Smith's fantasy value would get a huge boost in he landed in either New York or San Diego.

The possibility of Panthers WR Steve Smith being traded this offseason now looks like a probability. According to Pro Football Weekly, Smith cleaned out his entire locker shortly before the lockout. And HC Ron Rivera recently listed WR as one of his team’s top needs heading into the draft. Both sides seem ready to move on. Now almost 32 years old, Smith is on the downside of his career and doesn’t fit into Carolina’s rebuilding process. But he’s still capable of contributing on a contending team. The Patriots make a lot of sense as a possible suitor.