Yesterday afternoon, Jason La Canfora apparently made an appearance on Total Access and discussed a possible contract for 49ers QB Alex Smith. I missed the show and thus all I am writing here is based on what I've seen in the comments and what people have told me via Twitter. I would love further clarification for those who caught La Canfora's appearance.
According to La Canfora, fans could expect to see Alex Smith brought back in a deal somewhere along the lines of Kevin Kolb, with a possibility of five or six years at $60 million. That is certainly a huge chunk of change, but it is also my understanding that the deal would include out clauses early on in case Smith busted out. If anybody caught his comments yesterday, please clarify if I am incorrect.
If these numbers end up accurate as a potential framework for a deal in the coming weeks, the out clause portion of any deal is going to be the most important aspect. And it will be important to keep that in mind when considering the dollars involved, rather than simply overreacting to a large number put in front of us. NFL contracts provide for guaranteed money, but the overall contracts are not guaranteed. We see teams cut players all the team with limited implications on the salary cap. Any deal with Alex could get particularly creative in these options.