Panthers sign Steve Smith to 3 year extension (1 Viewer)

[riverrat]

This offseason just got alot better for Panther fans!

Tuesday, May 8, 2007

Posted on Tue, May. 08, 2007

Panthers sign Smith

to 3-year extension

PAT YASINSKAS

The Carolina Panthers have signed wide receiver Steve Smith to a contract extension Tuesday.

The extension is for three years and is believed to make Smith one of the NFL's highest-paid receivers.

The extension will keep him with the team through the 2012 season.

Smith, one of the league's top receivers, had been hoping to get a new deal for some time and the Panthers had made a long-term deal one of their top priorities after they released veteran receiver Keyshawn Johnson last week.

Smith, a three-time Pro Bowl selection, led the NFL with 103 catches for 1,563 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2005. His numbers declined last season as he finished with 20 fewer catches, 400 fewer receiving yards and four fewer touchdowns and Carolina finished a disappointing 8-8.

The 28-year-old Smith was Carolina's third-round pick in 2001. Used primarily as a kick returner as a rookie, Smith became Carolina's go-to receiver in their Super Bowl season in 2003.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

 

[dickey moe]

I take it it's a regressive contract?

 

[Sigmund Bloom]

Great move. The NFL is on the verge of a salary explosion, and teams would be very smart to lock their studs up now before we reach the next inflection point in the curve when the cap goes up again next year.

What seems like overspending today will look like a bargain tomorrow.

Plus you make your guys happy by showing a commitment well into the future.

 

[Da Guru]

??? Smith had three years left on a recent deal.

 

[Da Guru]

Great move. The NFL is on the verge of a salary explosion, and teams would be very smart to lock their studs up now before we reach the next inflection point in the curve when the cap goes up again next year.What seems like overspending today will look like a bargain tomorrow.Plus you make your guys happy by showing a commitment well into the future.

I won`t matter..the studs will holdout when the contracts go up..like they always do.

 

[massraider]

Great move. The NFL is on the verge of a salary explosion, and teams would be very smart to lock their studs up now before we reach the next inflection point in the curve when the cap goes up again next year.What seems like overspending today will look like a bargain tomorrow.Plus you make your guys happy by showing a commitment well into the future.

I won`t matter..the studs will holdout when the contracts go up..like they always do.

But this contract pretty much ensures that won't happen for another 3 or 4 years. As opposed to next year.

 

[Evilgrin 72]

He's locked up through 1012?

 

[phthalatemagic]

He's locked up through 1012?

on the Mayan calendar...

 

[GroveDiesel]

Great move. The NFL is on the verge of a salary explosion, and teams would be very smart to lock their studs up now before we reach the next inflection point in the curve when the cap goes up again next year.What seems like overspending today will look like a bargain tomorrow.Plus you make your guys happy by showing a commitment well into the future.

I keep hoping that the Bills will announce extensions for Losman and Evans before it's too late.

 

[BassNBrew]

Panthers sign Smithto 3-year extensionPAT YASINSKASpyasinskas@charlotteobserver.comWhen he came here six years ago, the scouting report on Steve Smith wasn't much.An undersized receiver out of Utah, he was viewed as nothing more than a return man. Throw in the fact he was 22-years-old and not very wise about the world and there was no reason to think Smith would be anything special."A knucklehead from L.A.," Smith said with a laugh Tuesday morning.Smith can laugh about it all because, after a rocky start, he's become one of the NFL's best receivers and a fixture in the community. Those facts were cemented as Smith signed a three-year contract extension that will keep him with the Panthers through 2012 and makes him one of the league's highest-paid wide receivers.That's a long way from where Smith was when former coach George Seifert drafted the 5-foot-9 Smith with a third-round pick in 2001. The expectation was that Smith would be a return man and, in a best-case scenario, contribute as a backup wide receiver. Early on, there were bumps in the road as Smith was suspended for a game and charged with assault after a film-room altercation with a practice-squad wide receiver.Those days are long gone. Moments after signing the contract, Smith talked about his desire to finish his career with the Panthers and how he hopes to be one of the franchise's first representatives in the Hall of Fame."Sometimes I just sit around in the morning and look around," Smith said. "To live in a house and to drive a car, I didn't even get my license until I was 22-years-old, all of those things, it's just that feeling that you're waiting for somebody to wake you up. Nobody's waking me up because I'm up already. It's great. It's just a dream. I'm living it. I'm loving it. I'm taking it all in. I'm grateful for it."The Panthers, who also want to sign defensive end Julius Peppers and offensive tackle to contract extensions, are grateful to have Smith under contract for the long term. Smith signed his previous contract in 2003, but that deal quickly became outdated. After missing 15 games of the 2004 season with a broken leg, Smith outperformed his contract (and established himself as an elite receiver) with a 2005 season in which he had 103 catches for 1,563 yards and 12 touchdowns.Smith and the Panthers began talking about his extension after the 2005 season. There was plenty of talk in the 2006 preseason, but both sides elected to postpone the talks during last season."In 385 days, a lot goes through your mind," Smith said. "There were some rough days. There were some times when it was like, "What's going on?" But I knew it was going to happen. I knew the minimum. I just didn't know the maximum. In negotiations, that's the part you've got to figure out. Both parties don't want to say, but eventually you get to it."Smith made 83 catches for 1,166 yards and eight touchdowns last season while being selected to his third Pro Bowl."Obviously, it's very important (to lock Smith up)," general manager Marty Hurney said. "He's a tremendous player and he's our kind of person. He's a force in the community. He does a lot of things people don't even know about. It's just the kind of person and player we want here as a Panther. When you have the opportunity to have a guy like that come in as a Panther and now, hopefully, finish as a Panther, that's something that's unique these days.""I just want to be unique," Smith said. "Obviously, I'm not the prototype. I haven't been the prototype anything. I have the opportunity to do something that a lot of people don't do. God's blessed me with that and I'm just trying to take full advantage of."With last week's release of Keyshawn Johnson, Smith became the elder statesman of the receiving corps. He's become a leader on the field and in the community and one of the faces of the franchise."The thing that strikes you about Steve Smith is he wants to do the right thing," Hurney said. "He's matured just like we all do. He came in as a young kid. He's got a tremendous support group. He wants to do the right thing, both on the field and off it."When he steps on the field or he comes in the stadium for practice, he brings that energy every day. When he steps on the field, he wants to be the best whether it's a walkthrough, a practice or a game. That's what you love about him. You want players like that and those are the kind of players that become leaders."

 

[BassNBrew]

6 yr, 46-48 mil deal

 

[patrickmcgroin]

Great news! Now to get Peppers locked up.

 

[Workhorse]

According to PFT, the 5 highest paid receivers (based on average payout per year) in the NFL are currently:

Steve Smith

Terrell Owens

Javon Walker

Marvin Harrison

and....

Deion Branch

 

[PSULions]

??? Smith had three years left on a recent deal.

Smith signed a six-year deal for $27 Mil back in 2003 (4.5M per season), but after his terrific 2005 season clearly outperformed is contract. Since he is under contract until 2009, the Panthers wanted to keep their #1 offensive weapon happy so they started talking to his agent after that season to rectify the issue. Last year, both Smith and the Panthers decided to delay contract talks until after this season, but I had been expecting this for several weeks knowing the Panthers were not making a big splash in FA as they were saving their cap room for extending Smith, Peppers and hopefully, Gross in that order.It is pretty nice to see a nice change from TO and the debacle with the Eagles when Drew started talks for a new deal after one season.... Smith could have made a stink, but he chose to take the high road, knowing that the team was already thinking about re-doing his contract after his huge season. No training camp holdouts, now making noise in the press. He just let his on field performance speak for him and the Panthers are rewarding him for his efforts. Makes sense for both parties, especially knowing it is something that both parties wanted. I like hearing Smith saying he wants to be the Panthers first HOF player and he wants to spend his entire career with the Panthers....

 

[BassNBrew]

You guys who aren't local are missing out not hearing Smith on the radio. He's a soft spoken guy with just a right mix of cockiness and humbleness. Absolutely hilarious on the radio. Will make a point without directly insulting anyone.

 

[Da Guru]

??? Smith had three years left on a recent deal.

Smith signed a six-year deal for $27 Mil back in 2003 (4.5M per season), but after his terrific 2005 season clearly outperformed is contract. Since he is under contract until 2009, the Panthers wanted to keep their #1 offensive weapon happy so they started talking to his agent after that season to rectify the issue. Last year, both Smith and the Panthers decided to delay contract talks until after this season, but I had been expecting this for several weeks knowing the Panthers were not making a big splash in FA as they were saving their cap room for extending Smith, Peppers and hopefully, Gross in that order.It is pretty nice to see a nice change from TO and the debacle with the Eagles when Drew started talks for a new deal after one season.... Smith could have made a stink, but he chose to take the high road, knowing that the team was already thinking about re-doing his contract after his huge season. No training camp holdouts, now making noise in the press. He just let his on field performance speak for him and the Panthers are rewarding him for his efforts. Makes sense for both parties, especially knowing it is something that both parties wanted. I like hearing Smith saying he wants to be the Panthers first HOF player and he wants to spend his entire career with the Panthers....

How is one year outperforming?

 

[PSULions]

??? Smith had three years left on a recent deal.

Smith signed a six-year deal for $27 Mil back in 2003 (4.5M per season), but after his terrific 2005 season clearly outperformed is contract. Since he is under contract until 2009, the Panthers wanted to keep their #1 offensive weapon happy so they started talking to his agent after that season to rectify the issue. Last year, both Smith and the Panthers decided to delay contract talks until after this season, but I had been expecting this for several weeks knowing the Panthers were not making a big splash in FA as they were saving their cap room for extending Smith, Peppers and hopefully, Gross in that order.It is pretty nice to see a nice change from TO and the debacle with the Eagles when Drew started talks for a new deal after one season.... Smith could have made a stink, but he chose to take the high road, knowing that the team was already thinking about re-doing his contract after his huge season. No training camp holdouts, now making noise in the press. He just let his on field performance speak for him and the Panthers are rewarding him for his efforts. Makes sense for both parties, especially knowing it is something that both parties wanted. I like hearing Smith saying he wants to be the Panthers first HOF player and he wants to spend his entire career with the Panthers....

How is one year outperforming?

I think compared to the other guys that got big money this past offseason and his nice season last year, where is numbers were down, but he missed two games at the beginning and had Weinke throwing to him for 3 other games.... I would say... yes he has outperformed his contract. The guy is definitely one of the top 5 WRs in the game with gamebreaking abilities. He needed to be paid like a top 5 WR IMO.

 

[BassNBrew]

??? Smith had three years left on a recent deal.

Smith signed a six-year deal for $27 Mil back in 2003 (4.5M per season), but after his terrific 2005 season clearly outperformed is contract. Since he is under contract until 2009, the Panthers wanted to keep their #1 offensive weapon happy so they started talking to his agent after that season to rectify the issue. Last year, both Smith and the Panthers decided to delay contract talks until after this season, but I had been expecting this for several weeks knowing the Panthers were not making a big splash in FA as they were saving their cap room for extending Smith, Peppers and hopefully, Gross in that order.It is pretty nice to see a nice change from TO and the debacle with the Eagles when Drew started talks for a new deal after one season.... Smith could have made a stink, but he chose to take the high road, knowing that the team was already thinking about re-doing his contract after his huge season. No training camp holdouts, now making noise in the press. He just let his on field performance speak for him and the Panthers are rewarding him for his efforts. Makes sense for both parties, especially knowing it is something that both parties wanted. I like hearing Smith saying he wants to be the Panthers first HOF player and he wants to spend his entire career with the Panthers....

How is one year outperforming?

I think compared to the other guys that got big money this past offseason and his nice season last year, where is numbers were down, but he missed two games at the beginning and had Weinke throwing to him for 3 other games.... I would say... yes he has outperformed his contract. The guy is definitely one of the top 5 WRs in the game with gamebreaking abilities. He needed to be paid like a top 5 WR IMO.

Actually there's only one WR in the league that's in his league...TO. However when you add in their commitment to the team and ego differences, Smith is the clear top WR in the NFL.