DeVonta Smith still satisfied with ‘life-changing’ contract
Since wide receiver DeVonta Smith signed a three-year, $75 million contract extension with the Philadelphia Eagles this offseason, four wide receivers have signed more lucrative contract extensions:
· Justin Jefferson signed a four-year, $140 million contract extension with the Minnesota Vikings.
· Amon-Ra St. Brown signed a four-year, $120.01 million contract extension with the Detroit Lions.
· A.J. Brown signed a three-year, $96 million contract extension with the Eagles.
· Jaylen Waddle signed a three-year, $84.75 million contract with the Miami Dolphins.
Smith said his perspective on his contract hadn’t been changed by the escalation of the wide-receiver market.
“You can’t be counting the pockets of others,” Smith said. “I’m where I want to be. This is where I wanted to be. At the end of the day, it was still life-changing for me. Those guys who have got their deals, they deserve it — great players and great people. At the end of the day, we’re all blessed.”
Smith’s priority this offseason has been learning the Eagles’ new offense.
Shane Steichen served as Philadelphia’s offensive coordinator in Smith’s first two seasons after joining the Eagles from Alabama as the 10th pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.
When Steichen left to become the Indianapolis Colts’ head coach after the 2022 season, Philadelphia promoted quarterbacks coach Brian Johnson to offensive coordinator.
After the Eagles’ offense slipped from second in points and yards among NFL teams in 2022 to seventh in points and eighth in yards in 2023 while losing nine more turnovers, Philadelphia replaced Johnson with Kellen Moore, the Dallas Cowboys’ offensive coordinator from 2019 through 2022 and the Los Angeles Chargers’ in 2023.
Smith said Philadelphia’s playbook for 2024 features more motion and allows receivers “to win how they want to win.”
“I think it’s going to be great,” Smith said on Tuesday. “Get a new style of offense around the guys, not having more freedom but being able to do things that we weren’t allowed to do – move guys around and things like that.”
Smith said the new plan of attack also includes more formations with bunched receivers.
“I would say it just gives you more space at times,” Smith said. “You can get in bunches and things like that, guys don’t press as much and it kind of confuses the defense, so it just gives you more space and opportunity to do things.”
Smith said the Eagles have spent the offseason program “trying to get comfortable” with Moore’s offense.
“At the end of the day, football’s football,” Smith said. “Everybody runs the same thing, just call things differently, so just getting used to the new terminology.”
Philadelphia concluded its offseason program on Thursday. The Eagles resume their preparation for the 2024 season late next month when training camp starts.
Smith had 81 receptions for 1,066 yards and seven touchdowns in 16 regular-season games in 2023, then caught eight passes for 148 yards in Philadelphia’s 32-9 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first round of the NFC playoffs.
Smith has 240 receptions for 3,178 yards and 19 touchdowns in 50 regular-season games. He also has 27 receptions for 405 yards and one touchdown in five postseason games. Smith has more receptions and more receiving yards than any other Philadelphia player has compiled in his first three seasons in the NFL.
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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.