A month after the Bengals kicked off Training Camp, the team and their first round draft pick came to an agreement, writes Geoff Hobson.
The Bengals have signed first-round pick Andre Smith in a deal that could be as much as $42 million and the Alabama right tackle is expected to be on the field in Sunday's 3 p.m. practice at Paul Brown Stadium.
Terms are still undisclosed, so we're not sure about the weight of the projected dollars. Most likely, the base contract is roughly in the $28-32 million range, as reported before, while a guaranteed number could be in the $20-25, with nearly $10 million in signing, roster, workout bonuses. We just don't know. Those numbers will come to light in the coming days.
It took 30 days after the Bengals kicked off training camp, however the deal is signed and the team's first round draft pick is finally with us. Now that's out of the way, the issue becomes two-fold. How far away is Andre Smith from being in game shape and how up to speed is he with the playbook? Also, you have to wonder what Anthony Collins has to do to save his job -- if there's even remotely a chance that that happens.
Either way, this saga is over and we can finally close this chapter.