Two years ago, receiver Steve Smith was a hot commodity after catching 107 passes for 1,220 yards with the Giants. Along the way, he reportedly turned down a five-year, $35 million contract.
Now, he’s scratching and clawing for whatever he can get.
A league source confirms that Smith’s one-year deal with the Rams has a base salary of $1 million. Per the source, another $1.5 million is available via roster bonuses, presumably paid out on a per-game basis.
Smith denied last year that he’d been offered $35 million over five seasons, claiming he would have “signed it and done back flips.” We’ve actually heard it was a six-year, $36 million offer that Smith rejected.
Either way, Smith’s case illustrates the importance of cooking and eating the bird in the hand.