[sportscurmudgeon]

Smoot is incredibly important to this team. And barring some major interpersonal catastrophe in the locker room, he's got to be one of the guys on Coach Gibbs' "core player list". So, I'll buy that Gibbs will push to sign Smoot as a top priority.

However, I'm not going to sit here and delude myself into believing that Smoot will re-sign here for a significant discount over what he can make elsewhere. The Redskins will have to come up with a package that is as beg as the deal he and his agent get somewhere else.

In the past, Danny Boy has structured deals such that other teams could not quite match them and do whatever else they needed to do - remember the Jetskins? So, what happens if an owner like Robert Johnson of the Jets decides to return the favor and give Smoot such a huge signing bonus that it would strap the Redskins down for any other free agent signings?

I'm not saying this "payback" will happen, but Smoot could draw some really big offers at the end of the year - particularly if he makes the Pro Bowl which his agent will use as a lever to raise the price even higher.