Andre Smith Signs !!!

[ArmyBengal]

Then there's this update from the official site:

There are parts of the article that paint the bleak that most were expecting and others that make me feel he will still have an impact this season on the o-line. I found it intriguing with our problem at TE the comment made that both Levi Jones and Willie Anderson broke in as extra TE's. It would be interesting to see if they get him in there in that manner as well.

When the Bengals went to New Orleans to open the preseason earlier this month, Andre Smith texted Andrew Whitworth something along the lines of "Ur home, do Ur thing."

After arriving at Paul Brown Stadium on Sunday, Smith said he felt like he had arrived back home. This time, Whitworth gladly, but cautiously, welcomed him.

"You've got to figure he's on Day 1 and the rest of us are on Day 31; it's a big difference," Whitworth said. "The strides we've made as a team and individually in 30 days, he's 30 days behind."

And so after his standoff with the team ended in an intriguing contract that can be as short as four years at $26 million or as long as six years at $50 million at the club's option, Smith made sure Day 1 was longer than everybody else's.

He was all set to go to a drag race in Atlanta on Saturday night, but when agent Alvin Keels called him and said the deal was close enough for him to pack his bags, he was careening to Cincinnati on Sunday morning and suddenly on the crash course to get ready.

"Really, I don’t think I'm that far behind," he said. "(But) there is a difference between workout shape and football shape."

Smith didn't do much at practice Sunday because the nooks and crannies of a complex contract laden with options and escalators didn't get smoothed out until about 25 minutes before the players stretched.

"It was basically observation," said offensive line coach Paul Alexander. "He didn't know which plays we were running."

But after it was over Smith pounded the elliptical machine fairly easily for about half an hour and after some classroom work he didn't leave until after 9 p.m.

Day 1 would quickly become Day 2 with Monday afternoon's practice looming.

No surprise really, since Alexander had warned the media, "You better get him now," because he was about to submerge Smith in so much work, "There's going to be no social time."

So Smith strapped on his 150-watt smile and went about the business of forgetting the business.

"Just get back to football; get past the business and all the contract talk," said Smith about what he's looking forward to doing the most. "The thing I love to do: Go out and compete and have fun."

He's a hard kid not to like. He's polite, accessible, eager. A good egg. Asked if he ever thought the deal would get done, he said, "You've got to keep the faith."

Faith in who he was asked.

"God. Jesus," he said.

Characterizing the deal?

"Good," he said. "Even ground."

Smith was the butt of a very unkind portrayal of himself during the Bengals rookie show the night they broke camp and he heard every laugh because the nation saw it on Hard Knocks.

The rookies reenacted his now infamous pre-draft workout at the University of Alabama in which he ran the 40-yard draft with his shirt off. They also staged their take on his workout that appeared on the show in the first episode in which there was some heavy breathing after a pass blocking drill.

"It was great humor; you can take it for what it is," Smith said. "You can be a butthole about it or just laugh at it. So I decided to laugh."

Head coach Marvin Lewis, sitting next to Smith at Sunday's post-practice news conference, had to admit, "I laughed" but, "Everybody gets laughed at. That's what the rookie show is for. You get laughed at if you're there or not there."

"Good clean fun," Smith decided, but the next few weeks are decidedly not going to be fun.

Alexander does not see right tackle Willie Anderson the 10th pick in 1996. Or left tackle Levi Jones, the 10th pick in 2002. Or left guard Eric Steinbach, the 33rd pick in 2003.

Anderson, whose holdout was about a week shorter than Smith's, made his first start in the seventh game. Jones, who didn't miss a practice, made his first start in the fifth game. Steinbach, who missed a couple of days, started the opener.

But Alexander said Smith is behind where Anderson was and says he's "not going to start any time soon" at right tackle, where Anthony Collins has been working since Day 1 after backing up both tackle spots when Smith was here during the spring. The coaches want to get a better handle on Smith's conditioning before they let him loose in practice. While he doesn’t look grossly overweight, Alexander also said, "I do think it going to be an issue with him that he's going to have to take charge of."

There is also the matter of a two-week roster exemption. If the Bengals play Smith in Thursday's preseason finale or the Sept. 13 opener, they immediately lose the exemption. Lewis said he'll decide if Smith will play Thursday either the day before or day of the game. But the Bengals may want to have that extra spot when they cut down to 53 on Sept. 5.

"It's impossible," Alexander said of getting Smith in there quickly. "I'm not afraid to put rookies in there, but this guy is so far behind, he's got so much work to do ... it's going to be an intense year for him."

There is some solace for Alexander. With the Georgetown grit done, he can devote more time to Smith.

"In some respects it was OK," Alexander said. "There's such a new group as it is that down in Georgetown we were able to emphasize just on the new group. Now that they're kind of getting settled a little bit, I can put my effort towards him. Which in some respects it's OK because if I was getting the whole group ready and getting him ready, the others wouldn't be where they are now."

And it's not like Smith is coming in clueless. Not only did he start every spring practice, but the coaches emailed Smith the classroom sessions from every day at training camp and would give him tests. When they started installing game plans for the preseason games, he would watch the games following along with the playbook.

"I could watch the game and learn if they made mistakes," Smith said, "and see what was the right choice they should have made."

But, as Whitworth said, there's going to be more to it than that. Sunday was the first time Smith had ever worn pads as a Bengal.

"I definitely don’t think he'll help right away," Whitworth said. "He has to learn the plays. He has to learn the scheme. He never even got a chance to put the pads on in OTAs."

But Whitworth is going to help him and Smith says he's been texting Whitworth and the other guys on the line since camp started. He says the camaraderie is what he missed the most and his biggest challenge to recapture.

"Probably catching up with the rest of the team, the tempo," he said of that biggest challenge. "Already the guys have great camaraderie together. They've been together for three weeks. They have all their timing down. I think I'm in pretty decent shape. I feel like I missed the camaraderie with my teammates. We all have each other's back and I've been missing that."

Whitworth and friends know they have a massively talented guy here at 6-5, 350 or so pounds. It's too bad the team can’t alternate Collins and Smith. While he tries to improve in the running game, Collins has been impressive protecting the passer. Smith is known as a run blocker supreme.

"Everybody knows Andre's a great run blocker. He's great at the point of attack. He can move people," Whitworth said. "He's going to have to learn the pass-protection game and realize that's part of the game. He can definitely help us in the running part of the game and he's definitely a good athlete, so we're excited just to see his progression."

In the games they came off the bench before they started games, Anderson and Jones broke in as extra tight ends. Alexander won’t say how he'll use Smith, but he also said he's not concerned about breaking up chemistry if it helps win games.

"The ultimate decision is you do what helps you win the game that Sunday," Alexander said. "If we think he can help us in certain things, we'll use him. Ultimately it's up to him and up to us how quickly he can develop."

/>http://www.bengals.com/news/article-1/mr-smith-goes-to-cincy/dc6c1a79-86e3-449c-a924-3eda19e6a6c9

[HAPPYJAQ]

I think that this is just setting up a situation to where Andre Smith performs at an average-to-good level for the Bengals, thus allowing for Mike Brown to decline the team's option for the last two years. (On a related note, the coaching staff will talk about how great of a player he is and how important it is to re-sign him, only to trash him once the inevitable occurs, before deeming his replacement as an "upgrade".)

Some team will then pay him a King's Ransom in 2012, as 27-year old Franchise-type OT who "didn't reach his full potential in Cincinnati".

Or, even if he does perform at a Pro Bowl level, as we all hope, he'll only go on to hold out in 2013 or the ever popular "Tank-A-Season" to force his way out of town.

I really hope I'm wrong, but look at what this kid has gone through over the past 9 months and his influences. I don't want to sound negative about Dre, but with all of the agent changes, getting paid the most right now is more of a priority to him than playing football right now for a team that desperately needs him...and maybe it should be, who knows?

He'll be played because his 1st round selection and Top 5 salary on the team unfairly warrants it. I see him being a factor for the Bengals in year 3, but only if his head is still in it.

[membengal]

The Bengals' bye is late this year, and I bet he starts coming out of the bye.

That gives him half a season to make an impact, and I bet he makes that impact.

Willie didn't start until game 7 when he held out.

I get the pessimism, generally, but, geez, chill people.

[Bearcat1975]

Smith will play not to get hurt.

Then, of course, he will get hurt.

I could see him missing entire seasons with minor ticky/tack injuries. Weight and effort, of course, will always be an issue while he is here. Then the Bengals will cut him loose after 4 years. Then someone like the Redskins will sign him and he will have a moderately successful career.

This situation has Big Daddy Part II written all over it.

[bwillycuse]

Smith will play not to get hurt.

Then, of course, he will get hurt.

I could see him missing entire seasons with minor ticky/tack injuries. Weight and effort, of course, will always be an issue while he is here. Then the Bengals will cut him loose after 4 years. Then someone like the Redskins will sign him and he will have a moderately successful career.

This situation has Big Daddy Part II written all over it.

lolol - I guess him getting hurt will then get Benson, Scott, and Palmer hurt. Then itll be Mike Browns fault for Smith getting hurt so then that means Mike Brown gets Palmer hurt.

Dude - you are the most depressing poster I have ever seen.

[Ickey44]

Smith will play not to get hurt.

Then, of course, he will get hurt.

I could see him missing entire seasons with minor ticky/tack injuries. Weight and effort, of course, will always be an issue while he is here. Then the Bengals will cut him loose after 4 years. Then someone like the Redskins will sign him and he will have a moderately successful career.

This situation has Big Daddy Part II written all over it.

lolol - I guess him getting hurt will then get Benson, Scott, and Palmer hurt. Then itll be Mike Browns fault for Smith getting hurt so then that means Mike Brown gets Palmer hurt.

Dude - you are the most depressing poster I have ever seen.

It's sad, is it not?

[Bearcat1975]

Smith will play not to get hurt.

Then, of course, he will get hurt.

I could see him missing entire seasons with minor ticky/tack injuries. Weight and effort, of course, will always be an issue while he is here. Then the Bengals will cut him loose after 4 years. Then someone like the Redskins will sign him and he will have a moderately successful career.

This situation has Big Daddy Part II written all over it.

lolol - I guess him getting hurt will then get Benson, Scott, and Palmer hurt. Then itll be Mike Browns fault for Smith getting hurt so then that means Mike Brown gets Palmer hurt.

Dude - you are the most depressing poster I have ever seen.

It's sad, is it not?

my predictions, or the results?

[Ickey44]

Smith will play not to get hurt.

Then, of course, he will get hurt.

I could see him missing entire seasons with minor ticky/tack injuries. Weight and effort, of course, will always be an issue while he is here. Then the Bengals will cut him loose after 4 years. Then someone like the Redskins will sign him and he will have a moderately successful career.

This situation has Big Daddy Part II written all over it.

lolol - I guess him getting hurt will then get Benson, Scott, and Palmer hurt. Then itll be Mike Browns fault for Smith getting hurt so then that means Mike Brown gets Palmer hurt.

Dude - you are the most depressing poster I have ever seen.

It's sad, is it not?

my predictions, or the results?

When compared to each other the results are pretty sad.

What's also sad is your inability to directly answer questions when you get called on your BS, instead making some vague statements about this being the Bengals or some stupid s**t about Mike Brown.

[TJJackson]

Still looking for that nipple cream recommendation

[Bearcat1975]

What's also sad is your inability to directly answer questions when you get called on your BS, instead making some vague statements about this being the Bengals or some stupid s**t about Mike Brown.

You and 3 or 4 others here like to make vague statements about me being "called on my BS," as one Bengal prediction after another of mine comes to fruition.

I say Palmer will get hurt. It takes him exactly 1 quarter of preseason for it to happen.

"But you said it would be the oline that gets him hurt!!"

Yeah...keep clinging to that.

Then Palmer will come back, get injured again, and you clowns will be like "well it was the TE not picking up the block, not the oline that got Palmer killed, so you were WRONG and a LIAR, Groundhog."

And you will believe this to be true. Sad.

[Bearcat1975]

Still looking for that nipple cream recommendation

"Please sir... we only want to sell you some rubber nipples!"

[jjakq27]

Ochocinco says Andre Smith has signed

Posted by Mike Florio on August 29, 2009 11:12 PM ET

Bengals receiver Chad Ochocinco, calling himself "the new source," claims on his Twitter page that tackle Andre Smith, the sixth overall pick in the 2009 draft, finally has signed a contract.

Here's the full text of Chad's tweet. "Attention: 1st rd. Pick Andre Smith has signed, the new source = Ocho Cinco, not ESPN, thank you, stay tuned for more info."

Trey Wingo of ESPN responded to Ochocinco's scoop by saying "way to be a jerk about it." (Said Chad in response, "I didn't complain when you were ripping me on TV, I didn't call you a jerk, I took and just child pleased the situation.")

Meanwhile, Smith's agent, Alvin Keels, has since posted a new tweet unrelated to Smith's status.

So, like Chad said, stay tuned.

UPDATE: A league source says that, at a minimum, a deal for Smith is close, and that "it won't be a good one" for the player. The sense is that, if/when a deal gets done, the player will be caving to the team, since the player needs the cash.

Chad must be well connected. I don't know where I saw this but I guess there was some issue with Chad letting everyone know about Brady's injury before the Pats did the other day.

He seems to know what happens before it actually does! Maybe we can get him in the draft room and he can tweet about who the Bengals are going to take and them gauge everyone's reaction before actually taking the guy. Or do an on-line twitter poll and we can vote on who we want. Probably wouldn't be any worse than their current methodology.

[Ickey44]

What's also sad is your inability to directly answer questions when you get called on your BS, instead making some vague statements about this being the Bengals or some stupid s**t about Mike Brown.

You and 3 or 4 others here like to make vague statements about me being "called on my BS," as one Bengal prediction after another of mine comes to fruition.

I say Palmer will get hurt. It takes him exactly 1 quarter of preseason for it to happen.

"But you said it would be the oline that gets him hurt!!"

Yeah...keep clinging to that.

Then Palmer will come back, get injured again, and you clowns will be like "well it was the TE not picking up the block, not the oline that got Palmer killed, so you were WRONG and a LIAR, Groundhog.

And you will believe this to be true. Sad.

First of all, you did say that the oline would get Palmer hurt and it didn't.

Secondly, you have dodged membengal twice now about your proof for Mike Brown's supposed "record profits".

Lastly, when Sea Ray asked you what Smith gained by holding out, you gave this extemely lame and absurdly long post about Mike not wanting to spend to the cap this year (and every other year for that matter) so he can pocket the change. How you're privy to Mikey's intentions is beyond me. I'm sure he's not telling you all this s**t so it's conjecture on your part. If you're going to criticize him, criticize him for things you know are true and not things that you made up.

[Bearcat1975]

First of all, you did say that the oline would get Palmer hurt and it didn't.

I know I did. Maybe if Palmer could keep from injuring himself, he would give the oline time enough to get him killed. But the oline is bad. Bad enough to get Palmer hurt. If he can keep from hurting himself first.

But look at your turd sandwichness angle you are taking here. "Palmer hurt himself in the 1st quarter. So the oline didn't get him hurt, you were wrong."

What a joke.

Secondly, you have dodged membengal twice now about your proof for Mike Brown's supposed "record profits".

Are you f'n kidding me? If you have to ask about this sort of thing then I don't know what to tell you. I say, "the Sun rises every morning." You say, "where is the proof?" Open your eyes.

Lastly, when Sea Ray asked you what Smith gained by holding out, you gave this extemely lame and absurdly long post about Mike not wanting to spend to the cap this year (and every other year for that matter) so he can pocket the change. How you're privy to Mikey's intentions is beyond me. I'm sure he's not telling you all this s**t so it's conjecture on your part. If you're going to criticize him, criticize him for things you know are true and not things that you made up.

Smith gains nothing by holding out. And I said it is only starting last season that Mike Brown started his cap shaving shadiness again, ala' the 1990's. But I understand you "don't read so good" so its cool. I'm just flattered that you took the time to sound out most of the words.

I'm still waiting for my wall though... Boy thats a project you would abandon quickly after reading what the evidence is.

[TecmoFever]

They waited way to long for this, its a great deal but i cant understand why any of this couldnt be done awhile ago. Im just glad he is here and we can forget all this bull crap and just start playing games

It's apparent that this sort of deal could have been done weeks ago if Smith was willing. He didn't gain much by holding out. He got a four year contract worth $26 million, maybe. I can't think of another top ten pick to have gotten so little in recent memory. Heyward-Bey got a 5 yr/ $58mill deal. Gholston got $50mill a year ago.

I hate that he missed so much training camp but when it comes out that he could have signed this deal long ago then the blame for the holdout lies with Smith and Keels.

Every single other player would've held out as well. So I am not sure why you are trying to blame Smith and Keels.

Exactly.

Mike Brown has a certain amount of salary cap money that he is planning on pocketing. Brown had no intention of letting anything interfere with that, not even the slotting system that the other 31 teams use. If it meant that Smith would sit out all year, then Brown still wins because under that scenario there would be even more unspent cap money for Brown to profit.

Somehow that is Smith and his agents' fault though.

We will be fielding a team on opening day that is not as complete as it could have been. And its because Mike Brown needed to make sure his "cut" from the cap was set aside, at all costs.

Anyone who doesn't believe this, follow the cap spending. Brown was good about it until last season. Now he is back to his 1990's cap shaving ways. He would have let Smith sit all season over it.

Personally I think we got a damn good deal for Smith. We signed him on the cheap. We locked up a franchise tackle for six years. That is the majority of Carsons career.

The problem with this is that we may have jeopardized this season, and so yet again we say "Next Season is Our Year" and the cycle continues. That is, if Carson actually makes it through the season.

[jonahdsage]

This is perhaps best saved for another thread but with the last few posts I thought I would chime in here. Alexander said yesterday that 2 of the sacks allowed in preseason are on the O-line. Now the sacks in and of themselves, regardless of where they came from, are a HUGE problem (think about how many we are on pace to have this season at this rate). But it is comforting to know that Andre would be a step up at RT but we don't need to rush him on the field.

Losing Kelley and Utecht look to be the most significant hits to our pass protection this year. I mean we've given a rookie one month to learn how to block NFL pass rushers . . . that's a tall order. I'm not happy about it, but it is what it is. Hobson seemed to imply in an article lastnight that we could line andre up as a "tight end" in some packages (meaning two tackles on the right side) to aid protection issues -- i don't know if that's a really great idea or not. I'm just saying I don't think the O-line is the problem right now, it's TE's and RB's. That doesn't make the sacks OK, but at least the front 5 are something we can build on and we know where the problem areas are. I hate to say it but it's hard to imagine Palmer not playing hurt for a portion of the season or missing games with the way our protection has looked and how fragile he seems to be right now, regardless of who's fault the protection problems are. . . here's to hoping.

[Ickey44]

First of all, you did say that the oline would get Palmer hurt and it didn't.

I know I did. Maybe if Palmer could keep from injuring himself, he would give the oline time enough to get him killed. But the oline is bad. Bad enough to get Palmer hurt. If he can keep from hurting himself first.

But look at your turd sandwichness angle you are taking here. "Palmer hurt himself in the 1st quarter. So the oline didn't get him hurt, you were wrong."

What a joke.

Well, you can admit you were wrong. How about that.

So let's look at your logic here. If the oline is bad enough to get Palmer hurt, then it's bad enough to get the other QB's hurt too, is it not? So far that hasn't happened, right? So therefore, your contention that the oline will get Palmer killed fails. So it really has nothing to do with Palmer. Our quarterbacks are not getting "killed." You can rationalize it any way you want, but the oline isn't getting anyone hurt, much less Palmer.

Can your dumbass follow that logic?

Are you f'n kidding me? If you have to ask about this sort of thing then I don't know what to tell you. I say, "the Sun rises every morning." You say, "where is the proof?" Open your eyes.

So Mikey's P&L's are out there for the public to see? And it's so apparent that it's as easy to find as the morning sun? Well, gosh, I didn't know that.

Smith gains nothing by holding out. And I said it is only starting last season that Mike Brown started his cap shaving shadiness again, ala' the 1990's.

So where is it this year? Show me the cap numbers. Do you have them? If not then don't accuse him of salary cap shaving. There's plenty of other things to criticize him about. There's no need to make s**t up.

[Bearcat1975]

So where is it this year? Show me the cap numbers. Do you have them? If not then don't accuse him of salary cap shaving. There's plenty of other things to criticize him about. There's no need to make s**t up.

Go-Bengals usually has pretty accurate cap numbers.

Do your own research. Or don't. I could careless.

Most "fans" like you never do though. You don't want to know, and I don't blame you. Reality is a bear when it comes to the Bengals. Your head is better left in the sand.

[membengal]

As near as I can tell "Smith will get hurt" or "Smith is like Big Daddy" is Groundhog's latest fallback position after the Bengals did what every sane person on here knew they would do, which was reach a contract with Smith. Because Groundhog doesn't want people remembering the bulls**t about how "Mike Brown doesn't want to sign Smith" that he spewed, because it as dumb now as it was when he first typed it. So, he drops back to armageddon scenarios two and three.

f**king shut him down, already mods. For f**kssake. It gets so old to wade through this s**t, and putting him on "ignore" doesn't really help as he has so polluted the threads that they are not readable.

Groundhog: I am SO sorry you are a dink, but for f**kssake, not everything the Bengals (and in specific the front office) do is s**t. Your inability to admit that makes you a troll. It just does.

[COB]

Because Groundhog doesn't want people remembering the bulls**t about how "Mike Brown doesn't want to sign Smith" that he spewed, because it as dumb now as it was when he first typed it.

Well, let's not forget just yet that Bearcat/Groundhog's actual words, posted August 26th, were,

"Mike Brown doesn't want Smith signed. But he can't make that sentiment too obvious. So he makes an offer that no agent could ever accept if that agent wants to continue being an agent.

That ensures Smith never being signed, and that ensures that Mike Brown pockets the unused cap money from it."

The above was posted Aug. 26th, 4 days later, Smith is signed.

Mike Brown outfoxed us all. He didn't want him signed so he could pocket all those millions.

But he couldn't make that sentiment too obvious. So how to fool us into thinking that he wants Smith signed, when indeed he doesn't really want him signed? He signs him! He outfoxed us again. Damn you Mike Brown, you are an evil genius without compare!

/calls up last banner towing pilot left in business in Hamilton County, orders banner hauled over PBS that says, "Mike, Stop Acting Like You Want To Win, You're Not Fooling Anybody!"/

[Pidge]

Yeah, GD - I'm afraid you've become a bit of a parody. The stupid thing is, on most issues, I think is that the majority views aren't on the other end of the spectrum to yours. For instance, take this whole O-line schtick you've now revisited. Nobody here thought it was anything other than a joke, an unfunny joke at that - the worst crime, last season. I'm yet to read a post that says the O-line problems are behind us and everything is A-OK. I personally see the weaknesses in the O-line, as do most here, but steps have been taken to address those weaknesses.

You seem to be of the opinion that unless the O-line, which needed rebuilding and reshuffling, is completely turned around in a single offseason the Bengals deserve scorn and ridicule and that anyone who doesn't share this unrealistic opinion is a happy clapper who is equally deserving of scorn and ridicule.

The fact that the O-line, and the D-line for that matter, was allowed to fall into such a state of disrepair with nothing but the occasional token FA stiff signed and bundled into the mix or the 5th round picks from Podunk U who had only played football for fun once on a beach but is wicked good at Battleships, is very disappointing. So yeah, well done Bengals FO. Take a bow dips**ts. However, they HAVE made an attempt to start the rebuilding process.

So shut up about it.

[Ickey44]

So where is it this year? Show me the cap numbers. Do you have them? If not then don't accuse him of salary cap shaving. There's plenty of other things to criticize him about. There's no need to make s**t up.

Go-Bengals usually has pretty accurate cap numbers.

Do your own research. Or don't. I could careless.

Most "fans" like you never do though. You don't want to know, and I don't blame you. Reality is a bear when it comes to the Bengals. Your head is better left in the sand.

If you haven't done the research then you should even be talking. If you gonna say s**t, back it up. It's not my job to research accusations that YOU made asshat.

[HoosierCat]

Wow. I should go on the road more often. Clearly when I'm out of touch, good things happen for the Bengals. (So when I die, bet the farm on the bengals to win the Super Bowl next season. )

As for the deal, it sounds about right. The guaranteed coin (all that really matters) is slotted, and per reports if Smith performs the total value of the deal could hit $50 million over 6.

If he turns out to be a franchise-type tackle, I doubt the option years become an issue as the Bengals will look to tear up the deal about 3 years in and lock Smith down long-term. If not, then Smith hits free agency ASAP, and barring total bust, he is at least a very good guard...and very good guards get paid tackle money in a lot of cities.

Good deal all around. Too bad it took so long.

[Kazkal]

Wow. I should go on the road more often. Clearly when I'm out of touch, good things happen for the Bengals. (So when I die, bet the farm on the bengals to win the Super Bowl next season. )

As for the deal, it sounds about right. The guaranteed coin (all that really matters) is slotted, and per reports if Smith performs the total value of the deal could hit $50 million over 6.

If he turns out to be a franchise-type tackle, I doubt the option years become an issue as the Bengals will look to tear up the deal about 3 years in and lock Smith down long-term. If not, then Smith hits free agency ASAP, and barring total bust, he is at least a very good guard...and very good guards get paid tackle money in a lot of cities.

Good deal all around. Too bad it took so long.

Don't you know Hooiser this thread isn't about Andre but so people can Bicker with Groundhog

[HoosierCat]

Don't you know Hooiser this thread isn't about Andre but so people can Bicker with Groundhog

Oh, sorry. Carry on...