NFL insider sheds light on contract situation between Geno Smith, Raiders

Geno Smith has been a member of the Las Vegas Raiders since the franchise acquired him in a trade with the Seattle Seahawks on March 13. Yet, there hasn't been a news conference introducing Smith, 34, to the Las Vegas media.

NFL insider Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated shed some light on the situation and why a contract hasn't been finalized.

"I don’t think there’s a holdup," Breer wrote in a response to a Raiders fan. "It’s more of just negotiation. I also don’t think the Las Vegas Raiders move to land Smith without a strong feeling they could find common ground on an extension. The Seattle Seahawks, for their part, felt like they were doing Smith a favor with the trade in that Vegas had a better shot at doing a contract with him than Seattle did (they were far apart on the numbers at the end) ... I’d say the guarantees are probably what needs to be worked out."

The Seahawks found Smith's replacement in Sam Darnold, who has already had a news conference after signing a reported three-year, $110.5M contract that includes $55M guaranteed. The Darnold contract could serve as a barometer for what Smith could get, or it could be more considering the guarantees, as Breer suggested. 

The Raiders have over $48M in cap space, according to Over The Cap.

The holdup shouldn't be a cause for concern, as both sides will likely come to an agreement that makes both parties happy. There is plenty of time for the Raiders and Smith to agree to the right contract situation before offseason workouts begin in April. 

Smith knows he is an important piece to the Raiders, as they only have Aidan O'Connell and Carter Bradley as their other quarterbacks after Gardner Minshew was let go.

Just ask Raiders general manager John Spytek, who said on "Upon Futher Review" that he was excited about the trade, that "hopefully" Smith is "our starting quarterback here for years to come" and "it was too good of an opportunity to pass up."

After all, in five seasons with the Seahawks, Smith passed for 12,961 yards and 76 touchdowns. He turned his career around after stops with the New York Jets, the New York Giants and the Los Angeles Chargers. The Raiders are hoping he can bring the success he had with the Seahawks to Las Vegas.