49ers agree to terms with Justin Smith for 6 year, $45 million

by Fooch on Mar 1, 2008 2:33 PM PST in News Comment 35 comments

Sven spotted this as well and I wanted to get it up on the front. The 49ers have agreed to terms with Justin Smith. Although they haven't officially signed the deal, MM is reporting Smith's agent indicated terms were agreed to at 6 years and $45 million, with $20 million in guarantees. Smith will get $32.5 million over the first four years of the deal.

From MM's blog:

The 49ers tried to work a deal to trade for Smith at the deadline this past season, Steiner said, so they've "been on him for a while." As for Smith's role with the 49ers, "They're playing a hybrid of a 3-4 that will put the team and Justin in a position to win."

Once Smith signs on the dotted line, this will officially become a very, very strong free-agent signing at a position of need. I don't believe Smith will play outside linebacker. I've learned his playing weight is 280 pounds. He should play defensive end because that is what he does. You don't pay a guy this kind of money and have him do something he's never done. The question is, will Smith be doing this in a 3-4 or a 4-3?

I'm curios to see if they go with the 3-3 with an elephant that was mentioned previously. I'm trying to find more details on how that position works. Anybody who knows how it works, feel free to discuss in the comments. Even with the dollars in play here, the 49ers have significantly upgraded the defense. I'll have more thoughts later.

EDITOR'S UPDATE 10:52AM - Matt Barrow spoke with a Cincinnati beat writer in his blog today:

[Mark] Curnutte also shed some insight into why Mike Nolan and Scot McCloughan may have become so enamored with Smith. We all know how Nolan feels about oft-injured players (See: Plummer, Ahmed; Jennings, Jonas). Well, Smith has started 170 straight games, which is pretty damn impressive for a defensive end. Curnutte said Smith will get nicked like any player will, but he’ll play through the injury and it won’t affect his game. Smith has that blue-collar, Bryant Young-like work ethic that the 49ers treasure.

Head over to Matt Barrows's blog for more info.

EDITOR'S UPDATE 12:50PM - More info from Matt Barrows: The 49ers confirmed that he will play right defensive end and would slide inside to tackle on passing downs. With good-looking youngster Ray McDonald also at right end, this is more evidence that Marques Douglas will not be back. I definitely foresee a front page post on Ray McDonald before the draft considering defensive line has been a position of need up to this point. I liked what I saw at the end of last year and will have more to say on that in the near future.

EDITOR'S UPDATE 2:45PM - MM has put up some info from the conference call that was just held with Justin Smith and Bay Area media. Some of the highlights:

On playing some OLB: he said it's the coach's call, but he said he could be an asset moving around. He said he can be a moving linebacker, rush from the inside or rush from the outside. "I'll throw it out there," Smith said.

On canceling other visits: ...watching the defense and seeing where the team is and where it can go. He was impressed with defensive coordinator Greg Manusky. Top to bottom it's a first-class organization. He said it was a no-brainer.

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Comments

Free-agent signings

The "elephant" position was designed for a hybrid blitzing DE-LB who can line-up anywhere in the field. Think about Fred Dean, Dwaine Board, and Charles Haley. I think Justin Smith will be able to provide that. If Julian Peterson was coached by a good defensive Coordinator, he could have been that to the Niners.

As for LB Thomas, guess who is going to coach all of that potential he has? None other than Mike Singletary. I think Thomas will be able to tap his awesome potential.

Good signings by the team, so far. I just hope that they re-sign OL Larry Allen.

by dominatornaz on Mar 1, 2008 10:04 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

Meh

Larry Allen showed some real signs of being D-U-N, done last season. I'm not sure if I want him back at all. We might be just as well off with somebody else.

I keep reliving the moment when Steve Young almost fell down... over and over....

by howtheyscored on Mar 1, 2008 10:14 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

yep

but with a bunch of money tied up in clements and now smith, we shouldnt go after faneca to fill that hole. (dont go after briggs either obviously) its been a nice offseason in terms of free agents, if we can maybe follow that up with a nice trade (shaun mcdonald?) and a good draft (o-line!) hopefully the team will be competitive. why wouldnt lawson play that elephant role instead of smith? lawson is more of a pass rusher while i envision smith as being more similar to BY than any of those elephant guys you mentioned, but i havent really seen him play much. is the elephant what suggs plays in baltimore? i think lawson would excel in that role if he can stay healthy.

by sam23 on Mar 1, 2008 11:30 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Good free agency work

Foster, Bruce, Rossum, and Smith... all very smart and measured decisions so far. I wouldn't expect much more, as the rest of our needs (for the most part) should be satisfied by the draft. First pick will probably be a OL player, followed by a WR unless some other receiver falls unexpectedly low in the first round. Of course, these picks are only 9 spots apart, so it doesn't make a big difference either way.

by jaytierney on Mar 1, 2008 12:27 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

looking good

now we need some serious help on offense - I thought WR was the #1 need in the draft but now it might be OL

Bring back the classic Uni's!

by wjackalope on Mar 1, 2008 1:04 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Not a Big Fan...

While I think Justin Smith is a solid player, I am not a big fan of this move. I think the 49ers overspent to acquire his services. Smith is a classic example of a "right place at the right time" player. He received big money simply because viable alternatives on the market were scarce. He is a very good, productive player in this league, but he is being paid like premier pass-rushing DE, which he is not.

Chris Iafolla Heard in the Cheap Seats http://heardinthecheapseats.com/

by Chris Iafolla on Mar 2, 2008 10:03 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Doesn't really matter...

... how much he's being paid if the team has the money and wouldn't have used it on anyone else anyway. Like Clements, it's highly likely that the wording in Smith's contract will allow for his contract to be severely front-loaded (i.e. roster bonus for this year). That should lower his per year salary cap figure over the remainder of his contract.

by sfgfan on Mar 2, 2008 6:51 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

But it does...

really matter if the team spent it and wouldn't have spent it elsewhere. You are absolutely right, the contract is probably worded in a way that the actual cap hit and guaranteed money is better than the figures of the deal. However, it is short sighted to simply say if they wouldn't have spent the money anyway, they may as well go out and spend it on who is available. The first problem with that rationale is the assumption that there weren't other options to improve this team. The second problem is that spending money for the sake of spending it is the type of decision that ends up shackling a team for years to come. Just because you have money to spend doesn't mean you have to spend it. I do think Smith is a good player, but he does not deserve to be paid like a premier pass-rushing DE.

Chris Iafolla Heard in the Cheap Seats http://heardinthecheapseats.com/

by Chris Iafolla on Mar 2, 2008 7:24 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Misunderstanding?

I'm not saying that it's always okay to just spend money to spend money. Justin Smith is an elite NFL player. So much so that his team decided to franchise him last year and pay him more than the average of this new contract pays him per annum.

In the 49ers current situation, and the situation of free agency (this year) as a whole, I don't think the money spent on Smith could have (or would have) been better spent elsewhere. There aren't very many players in this year's free agent crop where you can almost guarantee that he will try to earn EVERY single penny of his contract.

Despite what you believe (or probably many others), there are still many others that may share my opinion or are somewhere in between. It'd be hard to convince many people that signing Justin Smith is "spending money just to be spending money". Besides, have the 49ers even shown that they do that? They've done a VERY good job of managing the cap these last 4 off-seasons.

Did he deserve the contract? No not necessarily. But does it cripple the team in any way this year? Most likely not. How about the next few years? It's very unlikely, considering the team's current state of "cap savvy-ness".

by sfgfan on Mar 2, 2008 7:32 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Justin Smith

I hear you completely, and I probably could have done a better job explaining myself above. When teams enter free agency, they all too often feel like they need to spend money to give the illusion to the fans they are making an effort to improve the team. While pass rush is certainly a huge need for the 49ers, I disagree that Justin Smith is an elite player or the answer to their problems. He had two sacks last year despite starting every game. Those are hardly the stats of an elite DE.

And I agree, they have done a good job of managing the cap, but have they been getting good players? Last year, they signed Michael Lewis, Darrell Jackson, Tuta Banta-Cain and Nate Clemens--most of which would be considered a disappointment at this juncture.

Look, I think Smith is a good player. I don't think he is an elite player and that is how he is being paid. Just for comparison's sake, take a look at Trent Cole's contract. Cole had 12.5 sacks last year for the Eagles, 8 the year before that and 5 the year before that. Few would argue that he is a better player than Justin Smith. His contract? 5 years, $26 million.

Chris Iafolla Heard in the Cheap Seats http://heardinthecheapseats.com/

by Chris Iafolla on Mar 3, 2008 5:16 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Are you still implying...

Are you still implying the 49ers are spending money for the sake of spending money? Or worse yet, they're spending money to give FANS the illusion that they are trying to "fix" things? If you are, I still think you're terribly wrong.

If the team was REALLY looking to appease the fan base with free agency, they would have went after Moss, Johnson, or even Walker for WR. Instead, they took Bruce, because they know he's most likely to give them their money's worth. Similarly, if they were looking to appease the fanbase's pass rush via free agency, they would have looked into acquiring an OLB for the 3-4, not a DE (as most fans know that a 3-4 DE is NOT supposed to be your source of a pass rush). The team is signing players it feels will help it in the long run.

Every skeptic tends brings up most of last year's signings and is quick to point out that they would be considered "failures" or "miscalculations". I (and a few others around here) still believe that they were all calculated signings. It's been said before, and I'll regurgitate it again: the only BIG signings last year were Clements and Lewis, both of which were far from "disappointments" this past season. Clements helped the 49ers become one of the better teams against opposing number ones, and Lewis seemed to almost always be in on a play somewhere.

The 49ers gave up a 4th rounder for Jackson, which isn't a whole lot for someone who COULD potentially have been the team's #1. Did he pan out that way? No, but did the team lose a whole lot in the process either? Not really.

The contracts awarded to Lelie, Banta-Cain and Franklin are all large in the eyes of an average person, but in the NFL, they really weren't that big at all. Lelie's contract was right in line with that of a 3rd WR, but he had potential to be more. Similarly, Banta-Cain's contract is very comparable to many other "situational" kind of players around the league, and that's what he's becoming. Franklin's deal is far from what a starting DT (let alone a starting NT) would make, and now he may end up becoming the backup (which falls in line with his salary).

The team isn't being frivolous with their money, which is always a good thing. What you seem to be pushing is that the 49ers signed Smith to be their pass-rush threat, and that simply isn't the case. He's being paid to, basically, be what Bryant Young has been the past few years. Someone who works hard, sets a positive influence amongst his peers, and will give you 200% on any given down. He's got the size and motor to do exactly that.

by sfgfan on Mar 3, 2008 9:37 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

B.Y.

While I understand your point about Smith's role on the team I would point out that BY led the team in sacks last year.

Tom will never be as cool as Joe

by wader251 on Mar 3, 2008 9:46 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah

And if Smith gets his career average (before last season) in sacks this year, he'll be amongst the team leaders, too.

by sfgfan on Mar 3, 2008 9:50 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

What I am Implying...

Is not that they are trying to appease the fans. Essentially, I am in agreement with you that he is a good, solid player that will likely help this team. My only problem with the signing is they paid him like an elite DE when he is FAR from elite. Teams fall into these traps when there is a lack of talent available in the fee agent market. By spending this kind of money on a player that is not elite, they have just set the market for all those players they want to sign that are clearly superior to Smith. I don't want to make more of this than it needs to be. Smith can help this team no doubt, but becasue he was perceived to be the best DE available on the market, the 49ers knew there might be a bidding war and paid him top dollar. I think that is a mistake.

Chris Iafolla Heard in the Cheap Seats http://heardinthecheapseats.com/

by Chris Iafolla on Mar 3, 2008 9:52 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

And...

... in two years there will be someone similar to Smith who will probably make Smith's annual salary look like a bargain. Free agency will always drive up the price on players. Smith is making a little bit more than the Seahawks' Kerney, but wouldn't you say Smith is probably the better player? Kerney's been hurt. His sack totals dipped like crazy in his final two years in Atlanta. Yet, he rounded up that big deal of his. He rewarded Seattle with his performance last year.

If all goes well in San Francisco, Smith's performance should drive up the sack totals of his teammates (i.e. Lawson, Banta-Cain, McDonald and Haralson).

by sfgfan on Mar 3, 2008 10:07 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Hmmm

Still, Smith averages about 7 or so sacks a year for his career, which is better than what we've had (not great, really, but better). Even then, he'll only be a pass rusher on this team if he plays a tweener DE/OLB position. DEs in the 3-4 don't get sacks. It's not their job. Their job is to open up the line for the LBs to get sacks. So maybe Smiths sack numbers are the least of our concern as far as his quality of play goes.

It's one thing that worries me about Sopoaga's contract. They obviously want him to start, and I keep seeing the words "nose" and "tackle" flying around his name. He's never been a very good NT, and that's the most important position in the 3-4 D-line. So if the Sopoago contract works as an excuse to stay away from a true NT style player in the draft, I'll be fairly disappointed.

Sorry, that stuff about Sopoaga was not in response to your comment. I was just blowing off mild steam.

Back to the point though, we didn't sign Darrell Jackson. We traded him for almost nothing. Essentially, we traded him for Kevan Barlow. Suckiness considered, I think we got our value's worth for Kevan Barlow. As Banta-Cain goes, I've never been convinced that he was actually a disappointment last season. Here's my reasoning: We brought him in to be a pass rush specialist, yes, and he did fail to do very much in the pass rush. We also expected Manny Lawson to be a pass rushing force (and there's no reason for him not to be) and he's been pretty ineffective in the same respect. Since the LB's ability to rush in a 3-4 comes from the DL, and our DL has been so, so bad... I wonder how much better both of those guys would be if we'd just get the defensive line straightened out.

And Nate Clements has been excellent.

I keep reliving the moment when Steve Young almost fell down... over and over....

by howtheyscored on Mar 3, 2008 10:09 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Dammit!

I wrote Sopoago! I got Jedi mind-tricked into it! I meant Sopoaga.

I keep reliving the moment when Steve Young almost fell down... over and over....

by howtheyscored on Mar 3, 2008 10:11 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Sopoaga

I don't think his re-signing will be used as an "excuse" not to find a "true" NT in the draft (or by any means in the future). Sopoaga has the size and strength to play the nose, he just hasn't been very consistent at it. What he also has, though, is quickness for a man of hi size.

Because of that quickness, the 49ers have the option of playing him at at DE or at NT, providing them with flexibility come draft time. If the opportunity presented itself to pick a two-gapping college-DT who's size isn't necessarily conducive to playing NT (i.e. Joe Cohen from last year) but is the best player available at the time of the pick, the 49ers can opt to take him, work him at DE and allow Sopoaga to team with Franklin inside. However, if there comes a point when a "true" NT provides the 49ers the best value at their pick, Sopoaga can be moved outside to accommodate the rookie (who will team up with Franklin) inside.

by sfgfan on Mar 3, 2008 10:19 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Assumptions

Maybe it is just me but it seems very presumptuous to just say the Smith deal is so cap friendly. I don't know, you may be right about the contract not being a burden in the future. In fact i am not even sure where to find that information, but I wouldn't assume that the Smith deal is cap friendly until I actually hear a cap number for his deal. Of course, Jerry Jones says there won't even be a salary cap in 2010. So maybe it won't matter.

Tom will never be as cool as Joe

by wader251 on Mar 3, 2008 7:31 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Semi-official word, I think

I remember reading that the contract, as a whole, was 6 years for $45M, which averages out to $7.5 M/year. However, it was also said that $32.5M of that $45M is payable in the first four years (probably a large chunk of his $20M in bonuses will be due during those first four years), leaving only $12.5M over the last two years, which is just over $6M a year during the years he'll (likely) be declining.

I'm not going to directly compare him to Bryant Young, but B.Y. played very well with his aging body. Both players have always been VERY high motor and both work extremely hard to stay fit. I just don't think Justin Smith's contract will hurt this team. It just makes him one of the highest paid players in a very complete defense, now.

In the greater scheme of things, the 49ers defense is pretty much set. Not set in the sense that they have all the players that will help them become a top 5 defense RIGHT now, but set in the sense that they won't be spending any more (big) money on that side of the ball in the very near future:
-They have a defensive line that is built well for the 3-4 (in my honest opinion), because they have size and depth all the way across the top now (Smith, Franklin, Sopoaga, Fields, Oliver, and McDonald). These guys (with the exception of Smith) are all paid relatively small salaries to do what they do, and that is to hold the point of attack so that the "true" stars of the defense (the linebackers) can do their jobs.
-They have a linebacking group that, like the line, is very deep now and is very solid. The return of Manny Lawson will provide a little more versatility at the strong-side OLB spot, and the continual growth of Parys Haralson will help out the other OLB spot. Tully Banta-Cain's contract is very similar to that of a lot of situational players throughout the league, and he will fill that exact role with the 49ers this year as well. On the inside, the 49ers have Patrick Willis for years and either Dontarrious Thomas or Brandon Moore playing alongside him, with the other becoming a backup.
-The secondary is a talented group that is continuing to grow. They could use another young/able body to promote more competition in the lower ranks of the depth chart, but for the most part everyone is developing well. Shawntae Spencer needs to stay healthy, as Walt Harris won't be able to start every week much longer. The 49ers also need the youngsters like Hudson and Brown to possibly step up and take hold of the 3rd or 4th corner spots very soon.

by sfgfan on Mar 3, 2008 9:25 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

what if

desean jackson falls and is available with our first pick? seems like he'd fit martz's offense well. i agree o-line is the biggest need though. we need another tackle and at least one more guard. with bruce, jackson, battle, and hill all under contract i'm not sure mcnolan will even take a receiver the first day.

by sam23 on Mar 1, 2008 1:28 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Even if DeShaun drops

I think OT Sam Baker is the better pick (assuming he's still there). He would be perfect for Martz' offense as well, since his strength is pass blocking (same as Staley).

www.sfbaywatching.com - daily news & commentary on Niners, Giants, Warriors, & Cardinal!

by sven406 on Mar 1, 2008 2:00 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

spelling

I meant DeSean, as in Jackson, rather than DeShaun, as in Foster.

www.sfbaywatching.com - daily news & commentary on Niners, Giants, Warriors, & Cardinal!

by sven406 on Mar 1, 2008 2:01 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

yea

i think 0-line is a bigger need. but i dont like a bruce, jackson, battle, hill group of receivers. seems like they are still lacking a number 1.

by sam23 on Mar 1, 2008 4:44 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I agree

I'm a huge DeSean Jackson fan, but OL is more important at this point.

by jaytierney on Mar 2, 2008 12:19 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Jackson

As crazy talented as that guy is, I can't help but imagine that he would get snapped like a twig against more physical teams (i.e. the Seahawks and Cardinals). Is a slightly more refined Ted Ginn really worth a late first round pick?

by sfgfan on Mar 2, 2008 6:53 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah

I share all these same concerns, and I can't be accused of not knowing what I'm talking about since I saw every one of DeSean Jackson's home games, most of them live, and am probably actually biased in his favor, if anything. Jackson's fast, and he can't be touched in the open field, but he's not particularly physical even for his size and he's not nearly as effective when he's not stretching the field. From a scouting perspective, his route running is a point of debate. I've seen reports that are very high on his routes and reports that are relatively low on his routes. Personally, I never thought he ran spectacular routes, but I never saw him run a visibly bad route.

I'd say that yes, while he is a very good prospect for a lot of obvious reasons, I don't think he's physical enough or effective enough underneath to be the shoo-in that a lot of people seem to think that he is.

I keep reliving the moment when Steve Young almost fell down... over and over....

by howtheyscored on Mar 2, 2008 9:49 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Route running

It seems that a lot of scouts expect college receivers (where the majority of the population runs some kind of gimmicky offense against less than stellar opposing DBs) to be Issac Bruce or something in terms of route running. I don't think route running is as important as being quick and physical enough to create separation. You can teach routes, you can't always teach strength or evasion skills.

NFL players are generally stronger, and that includes even the "small" guys playing CB. With the contact at the line of scrimmage, it find it hard for a 175 (is that correct?) pound WR to have much success against corners that consistently have 10 to 15 pounds on him. Of course, my average could just be thrown off the my affinity for "big" corners.

by sfgfan on Mar 3, 2008 9:42 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah

I only brought up the route running specifically because it seems to be a point of interest here whenever people start talking about the merits of DeSean. I think the biggest warning sign is definitely his size and strength (the size would be ok if he was stronger, but even for college he wasn't particularly strong). And I bring up his lack of a presense underneath because we should be concerned that he'd just be a one trick pony as a receiver in the NFL (in other words, "Go long!")

I keep reliving the moment when Steve Young almost fell down... over and over....

by howtheyscored on Mar 3, 2008 10:28 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs