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The second day of the 2013 NFL Draft was a huge one for the Bengals. Not only did the team have two picks in the second round alone, but they also managed to finally re-sign offensive tackle Andre Smith to a long-term deal. It was announced that the contract was for three years and $18 million. What we didn't know were some of the specifics associated with the contract, given some of the concerns that come with a player like Smith and his history with weight and injury issues.
We know a bit more now, thanks to Aaron Wilson, an NFL insider.
As you can see, the Bengals back-loaded the contract and the risk that comes with the initial year is a bit lower since his base salary is only $1.9 million. However, the cap hit is relatively high at $6 million. Still, Smith got around market value for right tackles this season with an average of $6 million per year, should he hit all of the incentives.
You can also see that the Bengals protected themselves with the deal because of incentives with workout and roster bonuses, as well as a specific amount allocated for the games that he is active. Keep in mind that 2012 was the only season that Smith has played all 16 games in his four-year career, so it's important that the team recognized that.
We don't know if these were some of the major sticking points with the contract, but we can only assume that they had something to do with it.