Eagles outsmarted several NFL teams with DeVonta Smith's contract extension
Philadelphia Eagles general manager Howie Roseman is a genius, but we already knew that. The Eagles signed rising star wide receiver DeVonta Smith to a three-year, $75 million contract extension with $51 million guaranteed on Monday. What's so impressive about the deal is Roseman's timing. Considering other star wide receivers, Justin Jefferson, CeeDee Lamb and Ja'Marr […]
![Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith (6) ]during warm-ups against the New York Giants at Lincoln Financial Field.](https://atozsports.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/56246-image0-45.jpg)
Philadelphia Eagles general manager Howie Roseman is a genius, but we already knew that.
The Eagles signed rising star wide receiver DeVonta Smith to a three-year, $75 million contract extension with $51 million guaranteed on Monday.
What's so impressive about the deal is Roseman's timing.
Considering other star wide receivers, Justin Jefferson, CeeDee Lamb and Ja'Marr Chase, are expected to sign long-term extensions this offseason, Roseman and the Eagles were able to get ahead of the WR market value reset by inking Smith before those guys signed their new deals.
This means that Smith's $25 million annual salary could end up looking like a great deal in the long run.
However, that sounds like it was their plan all along, according to ESPN's Tim McManus, who wrote on Smith's contract situation last week.
"Philadelphia has a well-established history of signing foundational players as early as possible, in part because they know the price tag will only go up," McManus wrote. "With a number of top-end receivers eligible for new deals, including Justin Jefferson and Ja'Marr Chase, there's likely extra incentive to get something done with Smith before the market resets."
The Eagles now have two top 1,000-yard receivers locked in for the same price, which is far less than what the reset is going to look like now that Jefferson, Lamb, Chase, and others have Smith's contract to leverage with.
That's excellent work done by Roseman.
