DeVonta Smith contract is a warning shot for Cowboys, Vikings

The Philadelphia Eagles re-upped DeVonta Smith on a three-year, $75 million contract with $51 million guaranteed, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. The extension, in concert with the fifth-year option Philadelphia recently exercised on Smith's current deal, keeps the talented WR tied to the City of Brotherly Love through the 2028 season.

Smith absolutely earned his payday, despite the Eagles' catastrophic late-season collapse. He appeared in 16 games, notching 81 receptions for 1,066 yards and seven touchdowns. Working opposite A.J. Brown and Dallas Goedert, Smith is a pillar of the NFC's best pass-catching collective. At 25 years old, he was a team captain, and he's still getting better.

Philadelphia is smart to get this done early, preventing a drawn-out negotiating saga during which the price balloons and tensions rise. One can't help but survey the NFL landscape and notice several teams that probably regret not taking the Eagles' path of proactivity.

Eagles send warning to Vikings, Cowboys, rest of NFL: Pay your guys early!

Essentially, the Eagles are avoiding the situation currently unfolding with the Minnesota Vikings, Dallas Cowboys, and San Francisco 49ers. Justin Jefferson, CeeDee Lamb, and Brandon Aiyuk are all entering the final year of their contract. Each wants an extension, but none have received one.

For Aiyuk, there's a case to be made that San Francisco has higher priorities. That is such a deep offensive unit that Aiyuk's absence might not prove cataclysmic. One cannot say the same for Minnesota and Dallas. There's a case to be made that Jefferson and Lamb are the best players at their position. Jefferson led the NFL in receiving yards in 2022. Lamb led the NFL in total receptions in 2023. Both can execute every manner of route and create explosive plays out of thin air.

The Cowboys were in the playoffs last season, a No. 2 seed that fell short. Lamb was more than a little responsible for Dak Prescott's historic season under center, which landed the Cowboys' QB runner-up in the MVP race. Jefferson missed time due to injury as the Vikings' season collapsed with Kirk Cousins out of commission, but he was a postseason regular before that. Even with Jordan Addison and T.J. Hockenson on the come up, and even with so much unclarity about the future of the Vikings' QB room, it's hard to imagine Minnesota moving forward without Jefferson.

On the surface, there is a simple solution for each team: pay those dudes. But, in the end, ownership has final say, and we know NFL owners to be a stingy bunch. That's what makes the Eagles' general front office strategy so smart. Get out ahead of the curve. Don't wait for other teams to set the market, then get cold feet. Once Jefferson or Lamb signs, that will set the market for the elite WR left unsigned. It's the same general principle across the league: teams tailor their strategy to what is happening elsewhere. If Lamb signs a historic contract, you can bet Jefferson will leverage it against Minnesota. Or vice versa. These teams need to stop waiting around.

Not many NFL teams can claim to be unstressed right now. The Eagles are one of them. Nick Sirianni and company have a lot to prove after how last season ended, but few teams have more competently navigated the offseason, from coaching hires to the personnel side. That tends to be the case with Howie Roseman.