Geno Smith And $35 Million
February 20th, 2023
The PFF tribe speaks.
This had Joe shaking his head, wondering if someone spiked his mug of Community coffee.
The PFF tribe decided to take a break from their dumb@ss grades and tried to rank all the expected free agents. Believe it or not, three weeks from Wednesday the free agency dinner bell rings.
It seems the PFF tribe is as loose with their free agent rankings as they are with their mindless grades. Right off the bat, Joe chortled out loud.
The PFF tribe had the second-most valuable free agent as Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith. Yes, only Lamar Jackson was ranked higher.
Smith was a fantastic story this past year. A former Todd Bowles backup in New York, Smith had been mostly rotten through his nine-year career. And then last year, at age 31, Smith blew up!
He led the league in completion percentage at 69 percent. Smith also threw for over 4,200 yards and guided the Seahawks to the playoffs.
Well done! But there is no way Joe can claim Smith’s 2023 wasn’t a fluke. Joe hopes for Smith’s sake it wasn’t, but claiming this is what to expect from Smith each season is beyond a stretch. It’s wishful thinking.
But, always claiming to be the smartest guys in the room, the PFF tribe says, yes, the 2022 version of Smith is the real Smith, just ignore his previous eight seasons.
Nothing about what he’s doing is fluky or excessively bolstered by things like play action, an outlier performance in unstable metrics like passing grade against pressure, or any other method you use to try to poke holes in his production this season.
Sorry, one good year does not erase eight bad years. If Smith strings together two or more seasons, then yeah, Joe would buy that Smith has turned the corner.
The PFF tribe believes Smith will sign a three-year contract next month for some $35 million a year. That’s higher than the franchise tag of $32 million.
Mike Garafolo of NFL Network claims the Bucs are looking for a quarterback willing to sign for less than $30 million.
Seahawks general manager Johns Schneider fully expects the Bucs to try to lure Smith out of Seattle now that his quarterback coach is the new Bucs’ offensive coordinator, Dave Canales.
But $35 million a year based on one good year in nine seems an extraordinary roll of the dice.
February 20th, 2023 at 2:14 pm
guy is not worth 10 mill. we roll with Trask and rebuild or we are screwed for 2024 as well.
February 20th, 2023 at 2:18 pm
46 sacks – that’s alot
February 20th, 2023 at 2:18 pm
Those of us that play rotisserie styled games, gamble or watch businesses and stocks understand regression to the mean.
The smart bet is for Geno Smith to be more like his previous 8 seasons then his last season.
February 20th, 2023 at 2:20 pm
Inflation at the used QB market.
February 20th, 2023 at 2:26 pm
I don’t care about the Jets.
February 20th, 2023 at 2:26 pm
Geno played with house money, and won last year.
There’s no way he’ll do that again, next year.
February 20th, 2023 at 2:28 pm
Geno Smith finally had a good opportunity with good weapons and a good coaching staff. Doesn’t look like a fluke to me. Still risky? Sure. I think he’s definitely worth the franchise tag. I don’t think he’s worth a lot of guaranteed money from just the one season though. I would say he’s worth 2 years at $50 million of guaranteed money.
February 20th, 2023 at 2:51 pm
We need to get our cap in order and just roll with Trask and see what we have
February 20th, 2023 at 2:59 pm
I believe Geno Smith wins the division for us. Not too sure how much further than that. I think that Trask could possibly win the division as well. The biggest difference being that we could surround Trask with more weapons with the money that we would save.
February 20th, 2023 at 3:00 pm
mayfield, gabbert, trask and move forward…
and let them all compete…
what if you catch lightning in a bottle with gabbert – like he turns a corner potentially as geno did last year in seattle…
what if mayfield finds solid footing and a little luck in tampa, and settles in like a jeff garcia type…
and what if trask is simply untapped yet and needs a real look see
February 20th, 2023 at 3:00 pm
After being garbage his whole career someone thinks he’s worth 35 mil after one decent season? I can’t get excited about Geno Smith.
February 20th, 2023 at 3:04 pm
Hard pass which means Licht will probably do it (eye roll)
February 20th, 2023 at 3:06 pm
Not a Geno fan at all!
February 20th, 2023 at 3:09 pm
Stay in Seattle. Do not pay a QB 35 Mil to come here and produce a 7-10 record.
Play Trask. You selected him Mr. GM with a valuable 2nd rd pick.
February 20th, 2023 at 3:11 pm
I mean, this was Smiths’ first shot to prove he was the player that people thought he’d be coming out of WVU all those years ago, dude bet on himself, hit with moderate success, and I cannot knock him for trying to get paid as if he’s making up for lost time. Will it be from Tampa? Doubt it, but I don’t, mind Smith potentially using us or any other QB needy team as levearge to get the best deal he can get…..out of Seattle lol.
February 20th, 2023 at 3:15 pm
Play Trask, maneuver out of cap hell, rebuild and plan on new coach and new qb from draft 2024, get 1st overall pick and get rid of Jason Licht as well as he will obviously will want to sell the 1st round pick. Licht is a bargain hunter and must live in Goodwill in off season as bargain is his middle name. Tank for the future.
February 20th, 2023 at 3:24 pm
at this point it just goes down as a “career year”…
nothing more…….for now…
seattle should resign him tho, and see how it goes with continuity
February 20th, 2023 at 3:27 pm
As much as I don’t like Trask, I think the Bucs probably need to roll with him and a backup veteran. There is no way Geno is worth $35mil and the other starter FA QBs are going to probably be in the same ballpark. Take the Cap hits this season and retool for 2024 with a high draft pick and a better QB.
February 20th, 2023 at 3:28 pm
adam from ny
If they bring in Mayfield you know darn well for the money they pay him there won’t be any competition. Bowles will automatically gift starting QB to Mayfield.
We’ll never get to really see what Trask has to offer unless there’s a significant injury to Mayfield which then Trask would just be thrown into the fire with no tolerance from the fans if he struggles early.
February 20th, 2023 at 3:31 pm
#rollwithtrask
February 20th, 2023 at 3:33 pm
It makes sense to me tampa looks his way because they brought in his coach.
I mean this ain’t rocket science.
Who’s to say how he does with evans and Godwin.
I’ve been told they’re pretty good at what they do.
So y’all don’t get your panties in a twist and I’ll go back to counting lawn chairs.
February 20th, 2023 at 3:33 pm
QB salaries are utterly insane. If Geno Smith can make $35 million after one good year, something needs fixing. There ought to be a rule that no one player can make more than 10 percent of the salary cap. The players association wouldn’t like it, but it would benefit the middle tier players more than anyone, and teams wouldn’t have to be afraid of the star QB horking up their salary cap. Of course, a few QBs have already taken up 20% of the cap or more. It’s totally insane.
None of the available FA QBs are worth anywhere near what they’ll probably be paid, for the Bucs in their current state of flux. I’ll take a rehab project like Mayfield for under 10 million and hope to get lucky.
February 20th, 2023 at 3:34 pm
LOL there is not way Geno is getting 35mil a year…
February 20th, 2023 at 3:46 pm
Not very scientific, but with some people I can just see the look in their eyes and read them like a book and I’m usually proven right in time. I just see something in their eyes.
Usually it’s politicians, but I won’t bring up the obvious ones we all know and hate. I’ll go obscure and bring up Royce Ready. He was running for County Commissioner in Polk County in the 90s. On his billboard I could just see the naked greed dripping from his eyes. My observation was good for a chuckle among friends; even ones who voted for him. Heck, some of them agreed that he just looks greedy.
Sure enough, before his first term ended, he gets busted for massive bribery and outright fraud and theft charges.
In Geno Smith’s eyes I saw a man with utter contempt for anybody not named Geno Smith. Sure enough he earned the contempt of most of his locker room at least according to strong rumors. Before long he gets his jaw broken by a teammate he totally disrespected and blew off over like $650. He never did get his starting job back .
If we sign this refugee from a proctologists office we will surely suffer.
February 20th, 2023 at 3:52 pm
Only a truly stupid team would sign this guy to a big deal. He has all the hallmarks of a one-year wonder.
February 20th, 2023 at 3:55 pm
If I’m the Bucs, I’m going cheap and young at QB, keeping Trask and not adding any older vets. Instead I’d give a call to the Jets and see how cheap I could get Zack Wilson. If they sign Carr, for example, maybe you can get Wilson for something like a 5th rounder.
Wilson vs Trask would at least generate some buzz with the fans and give us something interesting to watch. While Zack hasn’t done well so far, it’s possible he’s been humbled in NY and might benefit from getting out of that town. Plus, he might be a lot happier here since this area is flooded with old chicks that he’d dig.
February 20th, 2023 at 3:58 pm
If Geno Smith can do that, why not Gabbert…….unlikely, but not out of the question…..and I think we can get him for less than $30 mil……give him a performance deal with huge bonuses for a division title and playoff wins….push the payments off if necessary.
February 20th, 2023 at 4:04 pm
Tampabaybucfan Says:
February 20th, 2023 at 3:58 pm
If Geno Smith can do that, why not Gabbert……
———
OMG, we’ve fallen so low under Bowles that people are now down to wanting Gabbert to start. This is more and more reminding me of the 2014 offseason and people making the claim that Luke McCown, based off his last 5 games, not his prior 10 years, was a good NFL QB, and even if he isn’t, we have Mike Glennon.
Remember the results? 2-14.
With that said, so long as everyone realizes a Gabbert vs Trask season = 2-14, and we’re all onboard trying to lose to get the #1 pick in 2024, then great. But please don’t try to pretend like the idea of having Gabbert and Trask competing for the starting job is another other than a complete disaster.
February 20th, 2023 at 4:04 pm
Yep… Much rather the Bucs roll with Trask….
February 20th, 2023 at 4:11 pm
Sasquatch, I’m not quite sure what the cap is this year but it’s a little less than a quarter billion.
Kaaron Rodgers salary is approx 56 mil. That’s WELL over 20%, but a little less than 25%.
And still she/they feel(s) entitled to go on a “dark retreat” and keep the team guessing as to the future enen though it’s team didn’t even make the playoffs so there’s been lots of time to think already
BTW Joe, when you’re writing about weirdos like Sam Brinton who uses “them” as a pronoun would I use the singular verb form even though “they” is plural or use the plural verb even though I’m talking about one individual?
I ask because you’re a journalist untill the day comes you use an incorrect pronoun.
February 20th, 2023 at 4:15 pm
No riscuit, no biscuit.
February 20th, 2023 at 4:16 pm
Bucs got to see him up close last year and we smashed him pretty good. I doubt he comes close to 20 million
February 20th, 2023 at 4:17 pm
Why are we talking about Smith
Please we already have a Coach that’s a Joke
Don’t need a QB that’s a joke
February 20th, 2023 at 4:19 pm
Good for him, 2015 & 2016 he played for a loser HC.
February 20th, 2023 at 4:42 pm
why am i the only one who talks about baker mayfield…
am i missing something…
can he be had for like 10 to15mil per, on a 2 year deal…
can he turn out to be something like a jeff garcia type during these next couple transitional years…
is his career completely over…or in the right situation can he succeed…???
?????????
February 20th, 2023 at 4:46 pm
$35 million on Geno, give me a break. He should take half as a one year prove it deal.
February 20th, 2023 at 5:13 pm
I would offer him 25 mil a year plus incentives for 3 years and guarantee 40 mil. But I am sure seattle is going to tag him that would be the best way to see if hes the real deal.
February 20th, 2023 at 5:18 pm
I remember back in the mid ’90s greg maddux took less money to play for the atlanta braves and of course tom brady took less money to play for the bucs but their are not many athletes that will do that. Its a shame and some get the money and just coast thru the season.
February 20th, 2023 at 6:10 pm
I’d rather try and make something of Drew Lock for a tenth of that
February 20th, 2023 at 6:12 pm
Adam from NY, I wouldn’t mind trying Baker Mayfield either
February 20th, 2023 at 6:25 pm
If we sign Geno I’m taking the year off of Bucs football until next years draft.
February 20th, 2023 at 7:43 pm
Nope! Not even at half that amount.
February 21st, 2023 at 12:03 am
Ley the Dolphins fall for it. Or better yet, a division rival.
February 21st, 2023 at 12:08 am
Allbuccedup Says:
February 20th, 2023 at 5:13 pm
“I would offer him 25 mil a year plus incentives for 3 years and guarantee 40 mil. But I am sure seattle is going to tag him that would be the best way to see if hes the real deal. ”
I wouldn’t even give him $10m a year. $5-7m at most…and even at that price I would not want him.
February 21st, 2023 at 3:02 am
Bowles threw Geno to the wolves his first two years with the jets. I suspect hes going to do the same with Trask.
February 21st, 2023 at 3:20 am
I can see it now after a horrible season Bowles will say Jason I can’t win without a quarterback. Then Jason will tell the Glazers my hands are tied he can’t win without a quarterback. So they draft Caleb Williams ticket sales go up. Then I remember Bowles drafting a USC quarterback in New York enter Sam Donald and the rest is history. Think about it Bowles could be the grim reaper of quarterbacks.
February 21st, 2023 at 6:53 am
adam from ny Says:
February 20th, 2023 at 4:42 pm
why am i the only one who talks about baker mayfield…
Because he has proven to stunk in the NFC South.
February 21st, 2023 at 10:43 am
I would sign Lock to a 1 year 3-5 mill and let him compete with Trask and spend the rest on a RB, WR and a lineman.