The Facts: Todd Bowles knows that an offseason, free-agent spending spree has increased the expectations for a team that won just four games last season. There are plenty of variables to success, but it's not an oversimplification to suggest that Smith will be the biggest factor. Bowles' defense is a known commodity. His QB is far from it. Smith will be the Week 1 starter barring injury or a catastrophic flop in the preseason, but Bowles made it clear that the third-year quarterback doesn't have a season-long appointment. "If you feel that his position or any other position is hurting the team, as a head coach, it's up to you to do something about it," Bowles said.

Diehards Line: Bowles continued: "It's not a year-long thing for anybody. You earn your keep by the week. You earn your keep by the day. … If somebody is not doing their job, it's up to me to rectify the situation." Smith might be learning a new system under OC Chan Gailey, but that won't preclude the rookie head coach from pulling the plug early if the signal caller gets off to a rough start. There's no guarantee Smith will make it past September as the starter. Bowles was relatively pleased with Smith during the offseason in the face of what is expected to be one of the league's most formidable defenses, but there's a bottom-line quality to the coach that engenders respect. He'll make a change at quarterback -- quickly -- if it's warranted. Ryan Fitzpatrick will be standing by as needed.