49ers sign Justin Smith (1 Viewer)

[duece2626]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3271999

The San Franciso 49ers and defensive end Justin Smith agreed to a six-year, $45 million contract that included $20 million in guarantees.

Smith, who had played all of his seven previous seasons in the NFL in Cincinnati, was given the franchise tag by the Bengals in 2007.

Smith was the fourth overall pick in the 2001 draft out of Missouri. He has 43 ½ career sacks but managed only two last season. Smith has played in 16 games every season except his rookie campaign when he made 15 appearances.

 

[FUBAR]

I'm not sure how he works in that D, but as a player, I'd say he's worth the price.

 

[notdarkyet]

For that money, you can have him. I dont dislike the guy, he's a hard worker, but the dude cannot get to the QB consistently.

 

[Weiner Dog]

It appears as if the Niners transition from the 3-4 to the 4-3 is starting.

 

[TEOM]

It appears as if the Niners transition from the 3-4 to the 4-3 is starting.

situation in flux here....not a Willis owner but would we assume he plays the middle?Is Nolan giving up on his 3-4 or is he simply matching personnel?

 

[Jene Bramel]

It appears as if the Niners transition from the 3-4 to the 4-3 is starting.

situation in flux here....not a Willis owner but would we assume he plays the middle?Is Nolan giving up on his 3-4 or is he simply matching personnel?

Willis stays in the middle regardless of scheme.Mike Nolan is not afraid to, correctly, switch his playbook to fit the personnel he has. He ran a 4-3 in 2006 and with the Redskins and the Giants before that. He switched to a lot of 4-3 after injuries and ineffictive play at NT, OLB during the second half of last year.I can't imagine Justin Smith being successful, 1-gap 3-4 or otherwise, as an end; unless Marques Douglas is really done, he would have been a better and cheaper option there. And he's certainly not solid enough to cover or close the edge in pass rush as an OLB.

 

[Weiner Dog]

It appears as if the Niners transition from the 3-4 to the 4-3 is starting.

situation in flux here....not a Willis owner but would we assume he plays the middle?Is Nolan giving up on his 3-4 or is he simply matching personnel?

Over the past few days, the Niners have signed two 4-3 guys (J Smith and D Thomas). Couple these signings with their interest in Briggs and Young's retirement and I think the 4-3 is the logical direction.

 

[knowledge dropper]

He is a solid player, but that is way too much scratch for him.

 

[Jason Wood]

Wow...the Eagles deal for Samuel looks more and more like a bargain with each passing hour. Justin Smith is worth HOW MUCH? Wow, the guy may be the most overrated player in the league; at any position.

 

[eric rymer]

It appears as if the Niners transition from the 3-4 to the 4-3 is starting.

situation in flux here....not a Willis owner but would we assume he plays the middle?Is Nolan giving up on his 3-4 or is he simply matching personnel?

Willis stays in the middle regardless of scheme.Mike Nolan is not afraid to, correctly, switch his playbook to fit the personnel he has. He ran a 4-3 in 2006 and with the Redskins and the Giants before that. He switched to a lot of 4-3 after injuries and ineffictive play at NT, OLB during the second half of last year.I can't imagine Justin Smith being successful, 1-gap 3-4 or otherwise, as an end; unless Marques Douglas is really done, he would have been a better and cheaper option there. And he's certainly not solid enough to cover or close the edge in pass rush as an OLB.

exactly. we touched on this over on the IDP forums. With all the talk about bringing in Briggs this makes perfect sense. IMO, the switch to the 4-3 is a done deal.

 

[Michael Fox Fan]

Wow...the Eagles deal for Samuel looks more and more like a bargain with each passing hour. Justin Smith is worth HOW MUCH? Wow, the guy may be the most overrated player in the league; at any position.

I'm not sure about him being the most overrated player in the league, but yeah, $20M of guaranteed money seems like way too much for Justin Smith.

 

[5Rings]

He is a solid player, but that is way too much scratch for him.

I don't like this move one bit.

I'd much rather resign Marques Douglas and use the big $$$ savings for more DL depth.

 

[Weiner Dog]

I think Smith got a bad rap his final year in Cincy. If you focus on his sack numbers, you may miss the bigger picture. Smith was stuck in a terrible position...

1) The Bengals DT's are not good and caused Smith to constantly get double-teamed.

2) The Bengals did not have a sufficient pass-rusher on the other side of the line to help pressure the QB. In fact, Geathers was moved to-and-from LB during the season.

3) The Bengals DC refused to rush LB's. Granted, the talent at LB was not there. But the opposing OL did not have to worry about more than 4 rushers every down (inclusive of passing downs).

 

[BoltBacker]

If Strahan thought he was underpaid to the point of threatening to retire before last season I wonder how he feels today?

 

[FUBAR]

Wow...the Eagles deal for Samuel looks more and more like a bargain with each passing hour. Justin Smith is worth HOW MUCH? Wow, the guy may be the most overrated player in the league; at any position.

I'm not sure about him being the most overrated player in the league, but yeah, $20M of guaranteed money seems like way too much for Justin Smith.

we'll see how the rest of this off season plays out as to the $, but Smith is a much better all-around player than people here are giving him credit for.

 

[FUBAR]

If Strahan thought he was underpaid to the point of threatening to retire before last season I wonder how he feels today?

at least his hand is a little heavier.

 

[kremenull]

Wow...the Eagles deal for Samuel looks more and more like a bargain with each passing hour. Justin Smith is worth HOW MUCH? Wow, the guy may be the most overrated player in the league; at any position.

I'm not so sure that Assante's deal is any 'bargain' as he is in line to make $32M in the first 3 years of the deal.....at over $10M per, how is this considered a bargain.......Justin Smith has a nice contract, but it isn't a pass-rusher contract (which would have been $25-30M in guarantees), so this is not such a bad deal for the 49ers, especially for a guy who comes to work everyday and plays hard.....Now that he is in the NFC, I can't wait to see Samuel cover the likes of T.O., Plax, and quite possibly the Cards' and Lions' duos...I believe this guy (Samuel) is way overrated

 

[millerarm]

Wow...the Eagles deal for Samuel looks more and more like a bargain with each passing hour. Justin Smith is worth HOW MUCH? Wow, the guy may be the most overrated player in the league; at any position.

I'm not so sure that Assante's deal is any 'bargain' as he is in line to make $32M in the first 3 years of the deal.....at over $10M per, how is this considered a bargain.......Justin Smith has a nice contract, but it isn't a pass-rusher contract (which would have been $25-30M in guarantees), so this is not such a bad deal for the 49ers, especially for a guy who comes to work everyday and plays hard.....Now that he is in the NFC, I can't wait to see Samuel cover the likes of T.O., Plax, and quite possibly the Cards' and Lions' duos...I believe this guy (Samuel) is way overrated

 

[Donnybrook]

Wow...the Eagles deal for Samuel looks more and more like a bargain with each passing hour. Justin Smith is worth HOW MUCH? Wow, the guy may be the most overrated player in the league; at any position.

I'm not sure about him being the most overrated player in the league, but yeah, $20M of guaranteed money seems like way too much for Justin Smith.

I blame Oakland for setting the bar so high and the fact that the draft is not stacked with good DEs.

 

[Jene Bramel]

Wow...the Eagles deal for Samuel looks more and more like a bargain with each passing hour. Justin Smith is worth HOW MUCH? Wow, the guy may be the most overrated player in the league; at any position.

I think that's a little harsh. I'm probably a little of a Bengal apologist, but Smith is actually underrated as an all-around end. If you're looking for a pass rusher off the open end, then Smith isn't your man. As a strong side end, he'll support the run, pursue down the line, and play until the whistle on every play. These contracts are market value. I'd guess that Smith got about the same guaranteed money (or maybe less) than Charles Grant, who's a very similar player in many respects. Play hard every down 4-3 ends with some pass rush upside are among the rarest commodities in the league. Teams are going to use their cap on players like this. Fuss over Freeney and Redding etal last year. Fuss over Smith and the like this year. But it's the way of the world in the NFL today.

 

[J R]

I think Smith got a bad rap his final year in Cincy. If you focus on his sack numbers, you may miss the bigger picture. Smith was stuck in a terrible position...1) The Bengals DT's are not good and caused Smith to constantly get double-teamed.2) The Bengals did not have a sufficient pass-rusher on the other side of the line to help pressure the QB. In fact, Geathers was moved to-and-from LB during the season.3) The Bengals DC refused to rush LB's. Granted, the talent at LB was not there. But the opposing OL did not have to worry about more than 4 rushers every down (inclusive of passing downs).

I didn't see the Bengals play much this last season, so I appreciate seeing this kind of analysis here.

 

[Beergogglz]

Wow...the Eagles deal for Samuel looks more and more like a bargain with each passing hour. Justin Smith is worth HOW MUCH? Wow, the guy may be the most overrated player in the league; at any position.

Beagles fans. Ya gotta love their reasoning abilities.... And actually, I don't care for the signing much at all. Is Smith a 3-4 end? Personally, I don't think so. But the market will bear what the market will bear, and the 9ers are desperate for players at this point in time (I don't agree with the "grab and overpay" FA philosophy, either). That said, the cheese Philly threw at Samuel is not much better. I think his new surroundings may show he was a product of the system in NE, but the Eagles' front office knows the window is closing on McNabb and company, so what the hay? I guess if ya got the cap room, you might as well use it, right?

 

[5Rings]

Wow...the Eagles deal for Samuel looks more and more like a bargain with each passing hour. Justin Smith is worth HOW MUCH? Wow, the guy may be the most overrated player in the league; at any position.

I'm not so sure that Assante's deal is any 'bargain' as he is in line to make $32M in the first 3 years of the deal.....at over $10M per, how is this considered a bargain.......Justin Smith has a nice contract, but it isn't a pass-rusher contract (which would have been $25-30M in guarantees), so this is not such a bad deal for the 49ers, especially for a guy who comes to work everyday and plays hard.....Now that he is in the NFC, I can't wait to see Samuel cover the likes of T.O., Plax, and quite possibly the Cards' and Lions' duos...I believe this guy (Samuel) is way overrated

Tommy KellyAsante SamuelJustin Smith

 

[Beergogglz]

Wow...the Eagles deal for Samuel looks more and more like a bargain with each passing hour. Justin Smith is worth HOW MUCH? Wow, the guy may be the most overrated player in the league; at any position.

I'm not so sure that Assante's deal is any 'bargain' as he is in line to make $32M in the first 3 years of the deal.....at over $10M per, how is this considered a bargain.......Justin Smith has a nice contract, but it isn't a pass-rusher contract (which would have been $25-30M in guarantees), so this is not such a bad deal for the 49ers, especially for a guy who comes to work everyday and plays hard.....Now that he is in the NFC, I can't wait to see Samuel cover the likes of T.O., Plax, and quite possibly the Cards' and Lions' duos...I believe this guy (Samuel) is way overrated

Are those numbers, correct? If so, good Lord. Yep, that's much better than Smith's deal. What say you now, Woodrow, hmmm?

 

[FUBAR]

Wow...the Eagles deal for Samuel looks more and more like a bargain with each passing hour. Justin Smith is worth HOW MUCH? Wow, the guy may be the most overrated player in the league; at any position.

I'm not sure about him being the most overrated player in the league, but yeah, $20M of guaranteed money seems like way too much for Justin Smith.

I blame Oakland for setting the bar so high and the fact that the draft is not stacked with good DEs.

This is the strongest DE class in years.

 

[Yenrub]

It appears as if the Niners transition from the 3-4 to the 4-3 is starting.

situation in flux here....not a Willis owner but would we assume he plays the middle?Is Nolan giving up on his 3-4 or is he simply matching personnel?

Willis stays in the middle regardless of scheme.Mike Nolan is not afraid to, correctly, switch his playbook to fit the personnel he has. He ran a 4-3 in 2006 and with the Redskins and the Giants before that. He switched to a lot of 4-3 after injuries and ineffictive play at NT, OLB during the second half of last year.I can't imagine Justin Smith being successful, 1-gap 3-4 or otherwise, as an end; unless Marques Douglas is really done, he would have been a better and cheaper option there. And he's certainly not solid enough to cover or close the edge in pass rush as an OLB.

How does Manny Lawson fit into the 4-3, or does he?

 

[Jene Bramel]

It appears as if the Niners transition from the 3-4 to the 4-3 is starting.

situation in flux here....not a Willis owner but would we assume he plays the middle?Is Nolan giving up on his 3-4 or is he simply matching personnel?

Willis stays in the middle regardless of scheme.Mike Nolan is not afraid to, correctly, switch his playbook to fit the personnel he has. He ran a 4-3 in 2006 and with the Redskins and the Giants before that. He switched to a lot of 4-3 after injuries and ineffictive play at NT, OLB during the second half of last year.I can't imagine Justin Smith being successful, 1-gap 3-4 or otherwise, as an end; unless Marques Douglas is really done, he would have been a better and cheaper option there. And he's certainly not solid enough to cover or close the edge in pass rush as an OLB.

How does Manny Lawson fit into the 4-3, or does he?

OLB, probably on the strong side, and roving pass rusher on nickel downs.ETA: I suppose they could also use Lawson at right defensive end and Smith at left end, but Lawson began showing better coverage skill at times early last season and they had him at LB when using a lot of 4-3 in 2006.

 

[Jason Wood]

Wow...the Eagles deal for Samuel looks more and more like a bargain with each passing hour. Justin Smith is worth HOW MUCH? Wow, the guy may be the most overrated player in the league; at any position.

I'm not so sure that Assante's deal is any 'bargain' as he is in line to make $32M in the first 3 years of the deal.....at over $10M per, how is this considered a bargain.......Justin Smith has a nice contract, but it isn't a pass-rusher contract (which would have been $25-30M in guarantees), so this is not such a bad deal for the 49ers, especially for a guy who comes to work everyday and plays hard.....Now that he is in the NFC, I can't wait to see Samuel cover the likes of T.O., Plax, and quite possibly the Cards' and Lions' duos...I believe this guy (Samuel) is way overrated

Are those numbers, correct? If so, good Lord. Yep, that's much better than Smith's deal. What say you now, Woodrow, hmmm?

Why is that shocking? He's the top rated free agent at the most expensive position outside of QB...really a no brainer.

 

[domvin]

waste of money....could have signed Odom from TN for a lot less, and more production

 

[Buddy Ball 2K3]

Wow...the Eagles deal for Samuel looks more and more like a bargain with each passing hour. Justin Smith is worth HOW MUCH? Wow, the guy may be the most overrated player in the league; at any position.

I'm not so sure that Assante's deal is any 'bargain' as he is in line to make $32M in the first 3 years of the deal.....at over $10M per, how is this considered a bargain.......Justin Smith has a nice contract, but it isn't a pass-rusher contract (which would have been $25-30M in guarantees), so this is not such a bad deal for the 49ers, especially for a guy who comes to work everyday and plays hard.....Now that he is in the NFC, I can't wait to see Samuel cover the likes of T.O., Plax, and quite possibly the Cards' and Lions' duos...I believe this guy (Samuel) is way overrated

Are those numbers, correct? If so, good Lord. Yep, that's much better than Smith's deal. What say you now, Woodrow, hmmm?

Why is that shocking? He's the top rated free agent at the most expensive position outside of QB...really a no brainer.

The guy had what, 2 sacks last year and a career high of 8 or so?? Of course the guy was vastly over paid.

 

[Beergogglz]

Wow...the Eagles deal for Samuel looks more and more like a bargain with each passing hour. Justin Smith is worth HOW MUCH? Wow, the guy may be the most overrated player in the league; at any position.

I'm not so sure that Assante's deal is any 'bargain' as he is in line to make $32M in the first 3 years of the deal.....at over $10M per, how is this considered a bargain.......Justin Smith has a nice contract, but it isn't a pass-rusher contract (which would have been $25-30M in guarantees), so this is not such a bad deal for the 49ers, especially for a guy who comes to work everyday and plays hard.....Now that he is in the NFC, I can't wait to see Samuel cover the likes of T.O., Plax, and quite possibly the Cards' and Lions' duos...I believe this guy (Samuel) is way overrated

Are those numbers, correct? If so, good Lord. Yep, that's much better than Smith's deal. What say you now, Woodrow, hmmm?

Why is that shocking? He's the top rated free agent at the most expensive position outside of QB...really a no brainer.

If the numbers above are correct, I disagree with him (at $10.7MM a year for the first three) as a bargain, your bolded quote above notwithstanding. Time will tell, of course, but that's a ton of cake for a guy who is not a franchise-type player. And, really, he'd have been the #3 CB in the FA class had Asomugha and Trufant not been tagged. But it is what it is - another example of crazy $$ for good but not great players on the open market....

 

[twitch]

This kindof contract in a nutshell explains why some teams in the NFL are good, and some just arent. No #1 pick, and all that money to a subpar end who may be playing out of position. Amazing.

 

[AnonymousBob]

Anytime a contract is signed, people always claim the player is being overpaid. Give it a year or two and these same deals start looking like bargains.

 

[sfl49er]

This kindof contract in a nutshell explains why some teams in the NFL are good, and some just arent. No #1 pick, and all that money to a subpar end who may be playing out of position. Amazing.

I'll count the stats this year when hes going after Brady from the end this year. I cant wait to see him sack Brady and maybe we'll see how work ethic pays off

 

[David Yudkin]

Wow...the Eagles deal for Samuel looks more and more like a bargain with each passing hour. Justin Smith is worth HOW MUCH? Wow, the guy may be the most overrated player in the league; at any position.

I'm not so sure that Assante's deal is any 'bargain' as he is in line to make $32M in the first 3 years of the deal.....at over $10M per, how is this considered a bargain.......Justin Smith has a nice contract, but it isn't a pass-rusher contract (which would have been $25-30M in guarantees), so this is not such a bad deal for the 49ers, especially for a guy who comes to work everyday and plays hard.....Now that he is in the NFC, I can't wait to see Samuel cover the likes of T.O., Plax, and quite possibly the Cards' and Lions' duos...I believe this guy (Samuel) is way overrated

Samuel is not a cover corner. He's a zone corner. He fared pretty well against tandems like Harrison/Wayne, Johnson/Housh, Cotchery/Coles, and Ward/Holmes.I think he will not be as effective as he was in NE due to the scheme they ran and NE's ability to confuse QBs. But he should still be a top CB and will not fall to pieces by moving to the NFC.