The Philadelphia Eagles want to extend DeVonta Smith's contract, here's what it will cost them
DeVonta Smith doesn’t meet the typical physical attributes one likes to see from a true WR1. He squeaks into the 6-foot threshold as is small in stature at a reported 170 lbs, but the man can play. In Philadelphia, he’s in a great situation with A.J. Brown’s physically imposing presence as the leading wide receiver, […]
DeVonta Smith doesn’t meet the typical physical attributes one likes to see from a true WR1. He squeaks into the 6-foot threshold as is small in stature at a reported 170 lbs, but the man can play. In Philadelphia, he’s in a great situation with A.J. Brown’s physically imposing presence as the leading wide receiver, which gives room for Smith to be an elite complimentary piece.
He would likely thrive in another system and another receiving room, and would potentially run a better stat line if he was the uncontested #1 guy, but the Brown/Smith pairing just works for the Eagles, and it’s hard to imagine them letting it go.
However, finding a number to make both sides happy would be tricky. DeVonta has been the WR1B in Philly’s offense, but was drafted as a top-10 pick in 2021. His rookie season featured him as a legit WR1 with Quez Watkins and Jalen Reagor filling the other starting roles, and it was his lowest producing year of his career thus far – the only year he fell short of the 1000 yard threshold.
Since A.J. Brown’s arrival in 2022, both receivers' numbers have gone up. After barely surpassing the 1000 yard mark in 2019 and 2020 and missing it in 2021, Brown gained over 1400 yards through the air with the Eagles in 2022 and 2023. There's a measurable incentive to try and keep this pair together.
Smith is in a category of receivers that haven’t quite been able to reset the market, but are extremely talented in their own right. Terry McLaurin has been one of the more underrated receivers in the league thanks to some organizational dysfunction and poor quarterback play. His circumstances have limited his ceiling, but he still managed to secure a $23,200,000/APY deal in 2022, which represented approximately 11.1% cap share at the time. D.J. Moore is another player with WR1 potential that suffered from poor quarterback play, but secured a $20.628 million APY contract in 2022 before his trade to the Bears. That APY represented 9.9% of the cap that year.
Below, you can see how the three compare against one another:
Given the similarities to these players’ stat lines and their slightly situationally-supressed market value, a range of 9.9%-11.1% of the cap would suggest DeVonta’s market value was somewhere between $25.3 million and $28.46 million if signed in 2024.
However, given A.J. Brown’s presence on the team as the Alpha WR1, it would make sense for Smith to keep his APY below Brown’s to sustain locker room harmony. Pro Football Talk got this nugget out of Smith recently, where Smith admits he’s less concerned with contract negotiations, and more concerned with playing in Philly:
“It’s been amazing. I love playing in Philly,” Smith said. “I don’t think there’s a better sports city in the U.S. I think Philly is top-tier. Any sport, they’re dialed in, that’s what I love about it. I love that we all support each other. Basketball comes to football, football comes to basketball and baseball, we all support each other.”
To keep the room intact, and set himself up for a lucrative third contract, Smith will likely aim for a three-year deal at $24.5 million APY.
