Silver And Black Pride
Team is confident deal will get done
The Geno Smith contract talks are still hovering out there, which has been a minor surprise.
The Las Vegas Raiders have been expected to work out a deal with their new starting quarterback since the deal became official on March 12, five days after the team agreed to send a third-round pick (No. 92 overall) to the Seattle Seahawks for Smith, who played well under new Raiders head coach Pete Carroll in Seattle.
Yet, extension talks have been quiet. Still, both Carroll and new Las Vegas general manager said told reporters Monday at the NFL owners meeting in West Palm Beach, Florida that the team and player working on the deal. The Athletic reported that Spytek said he is confident a deal will be struck in the near future.
Smith, who will turn 35 in October, had one year remaining on his three-year, $75 million deal with the Seahawks. They decided to trade Smith after they were uncomfortable with his asking price in contract talks. According to a source lose to the situation, Smith was looking in the $50 million a season range and the Seahawks weren’t comfortable with that. Sources believe Smith and the Raiders can agree somewhere in the $40-45 million a season range. The Raiders have plenty of salary-cap space to make that work.
Both Carroll and Spytek said they want Smith to be their starter for years to come. Carroll said Smith is excited to get going and he expects him to be with the team when they begin their offseason workout program next week, so that could be a hint his extension will be finalized within the next week or so.
