Sean Smith Is He Worth It?
By Brian Miller
Nov.11, 2012; Miami, FL, USA; Tennessee Titans wide receiver Kenny Britt (18) is unable to make the catch as Miami Dolphins cornerback Sean Smith (24) defends during the first quarter at Sun Life Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
Jake Long, Brian Hartline, and Reggie Bush get a lot of play when it comes to talking about the Miami Dolphins impending free agents. And then there is Sean Smith. Smith has been a good to very good cornerback since his arrival in Miami four years ago. Is he a shutdown corner? No. He isn’t even close to that. He is however a smart guy with a big chip on his shoulder and apparently a bigger ego.
An ego that expects to get paid.
Sean Smith is one month removed from dipping his toe into his first free agent lake. Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald recently reported that Smith is seeking big time money in free agency.
"“the market for Smith is similar to the Brandon Carr contract with Dallas or the Jason McCourty contract with Tennessee. Carr got $50 million over five years and McCourty got $43 million over five years from Tennessee.”"
Naturally if this is true you have to ask the question. Is Sean Smith worth it?
My answer would be a resounding no. Of course from the seat that I sit in, there really isn’t anyone on the Dolphins roster that I look at and believe to be worth the highest level of pay at their position. Brandon Fields and Cameron Wake are of course the exceptions. Smith has the speed to stay with the faster WR’s but when was the last time he made a game changing interception? I seem to remember more dropped opportunities.
Dropped INT’s are still good as they are not normally receptions but they don’t put points on the board or turn the ball over to the offense. In other words, they really are just defensed passes. When I look at Sean Smith I see a guy with a load of unrealized talent and in some ways that both scares me and excites me. Smith is in his 4th season as a pro but I don’t believe he has become the best he will be. In that regard, letting him go could be a mistake.
On the other hand, Smith seems to be more eager to get paid rather than play and he has put far too much value on himself without the credentials to warrant it. The Dolphins are not going to pay. The next question is will anyone?
The Dolphins are one of the NFL’s best positioned teams going into the off-season when it comes to finances. They already have a need for a CB and losing Smith would hurt the club as it would then put the team without a trusted corner. The fact that on the immediate surface the team is not willing to shell out anything close to Smith’ demands speaks volumes of their opinion on him.
If the team let’s Smith walk who will pay his asking price? If no one will, what will he take and will he come back to Miami? The Dolphins are in a position to let him walk, see what he gets, and then either match it, beat, or move on. Ultimately it won’t matter what the fans want but instead what is best for the team. While Smith may view himself as elite, his play on the field does not endorse that opinion. It’s doubtful the Dolphins will share that opinion either.