Bengals finally sign Smith

After a 30 day holdout the Cincinnati Bengals have finally signed 2009 first round draft pick(6th overall) Andre Smithto a contract. With a little more than two weeks left before the regular season starts the team is hopeful to get Smith ready to assume the starting Right Tackle spot for this offense. Really though this is a story about a player witha bad attitude, an owner who does things is own way, and a fan base that is getting fed up with the circus the Bengals have become.

First a look at Smith’s contract. It is for four years, and 26 million dollars. Smith is guaranteed to make 21 million dollars and if he meets certain performance standards this contract could become worth 42 million dollars. Bengals owner Mike Brown vowed not to sign Smith to a contract based on the slotting system most NFL teams use to determine the value of first round draft picks. This contract accomplishes that, but it may have made a player with an already questionable attitude that much more upset.

We must remember that this is player who just up and left the NFL scouting combine this spring without telling anyone. The Scouting combine is the tool NFL teams use to evaluate all payers and Smith apparently wasn’t all that interested in it.

There also seems to be an issue with Smith’s weight. He is listed at 335 pounds, but since a 30 day layoff appears to be heavier than that. The Bengals are hopeful that Smith has two weeks to get into playing shape and to learn the offense.

This signing leaves Michael Crabtree (10th overall) as the only unsigned 2009 first round draft pick.