Anthony Smith's Comments Raise Questions
The free agent safety reportedly said that he already has a tentative deal in place with the Packers for when the lockout ends.
Free agent safety Anthony Smith raised some eyebrows in a recent interview with Zach Kruse of AllGreenBayPackers.com.
While the outspoken defensive back boasted, "I plan on starting," that wasn't even the comment that raised the most questions.
According to Kruse, "When asked about his free agent status on Wednesday, Smith was quick to respond that he has a tentative deal in place with the Packers for when the lockout ends."
Piggybacking on recent comments made on Twitter, it's curious that Smith would say a tentative deal is already done.
If Smith wants to return to the Packers, and the feeling is indeed mutual from the Packers' viewpoint, it doesn't make sense that the Packers wouldn't have just signed him to an extension before the league's Collective Bargaining Agreement expired, just like A.J. Hawk and Charlie Peprah.
Perhaps the Packers just wanted to let the offseason play out from a labor standpoint and what would occur during the NFL Draft.
On top of that, Smith's comments could be construed in such a way as to suggest that negotiations have taken place during the current NFL lockout that prohibits contact between players, their agents and the organization.
It's entirely plausible that the Packers have had no contact with either Smith or his representatives (other than the Super Bowl ring ceremony), but the safety's statements leave a lot to the imagination.
Comments (20)
PackerAaron
June 24, 2011 at 01:05 pm
"Perhaps the Packers just wanted to let the offseason play out from a labor standpoint and what would occur during the NFL Draft."
That would be my guess. Nothing wrong in having something in place but waiting to pull the trigger until you see how the draft plays out.
June 24, 2011 at 02:04 pm
This is a joke. There isn't even any investigational work being done here. Just a bunch of non-sensical gibberish someone construed from someone elses' words. And the only eyebrows being raised here are yours, looking for yet another person to use to build this comedic joke of a journalism career you have started.
June 24, 2011 at 02:42 pm
Dude, who pissed in your Cheerios?
There are happier things in life than going around to blog sites and posting hateful comments.
June 24, 2011 at 02:52 pm
Theres nothing hateful in those comments. Just truth, dilly.
June 25, 2011 at 09:16 am
"...looking for yet another person to use to build this comedic joke of a journalism career you have started."
THAT is hateful. Making personal attacks is unnecessary.
June 24, 2011 at 02:52 pm
Blog = informed OPINION pertaining to Packers, Green Bay or Packers Nation in general (i.e. - it's subjective for the most part and supported by factual references when possible.)
Never claimed to be completely objective journalists, not that you appear to understand the difference.
June 24, 2011 at 03:17 pm
LOL you are the same guy complaining over at Jersey Al's site, in a great article, where you got a negative 8 (and counting)... http://jerseyal.com/GBP/2011/06/21/packing-the-stats-did-jermichael-finl...
Yeah, tell them like it is brutha!
June 24, 2011 at 04:17 pm
lol, great catch, RS.
This guy must be a down-trodden would-be sports writer who's ticked off that no one will give him his big break, and too spineless to go it alone on his own blog.
June 24, 2011 at 03:19 pm
Wow dude, lay off of Brian. If you don't like what's posted here, then don't visit the blog, simple as that.
June 24, 2011 at 03:20 pm
Hey, but at least you're getting some notoriety! That's what you want, right?
Nah, pretty sure you're just a pro-bono critic of blogs, making the world a better place one comment at a time.
June 24, 2011 at 09:52 pm
Just because you say something people don't like doesn't make it true. Next time, have something other than spite to support your opinion.
June 26, 2011 at 11:12 am
Come on, Dale. There's a FREAKING LOCKOUT going on right now. If you're going somewhere expecting biting commentary on offseason workouts or what Capers has in plan for wrinkles in the 3-4, you're not going to find it.
I would agree that Anthony Smith is the kind of guy who talks first and processes later, and we can make too much of what he says when his filter is off. But the personal attack on Carriveau? Go start a blog or something so I can block it.
June 24, 2011 at 05:21 pm
If he had any kind of contract discussions with management, I believe that would be considered a major no-no by the league.
If this was the case, I could see the league coming down hard on the Pack, considering they were given special dispensation for both the ring ceremony and bus tour.
I would be angry if I were the league, after giving the Pack special treatment, and then having them violate your provisions. Hope that's not the case.
My guess is Smith's comments reflect what he believes the Packers sentiments were before the lock-out was in place.
June 24, 2011 at 06:33 pm
Yeah, given how TT doesn't like leaks (SEE: Brandt, Andrew) Smith may have just talked himself off the team.
Not to mention how ridiculously deep we are at the position.
June 24, 2011 at 05:23 pm
"comedic joke of a journalism career" isn't hateful?? I value the work done here very highly. If you think its a joke, please leave us in peace. Good luck finding higher quality Packer coverage elsewhere.
June 24, 2011 at 09:53 pm
No joke - I look at the name before the article every time. And every time, I'm glad when I see Brian's name.
*High fivin' a million angels*
June 24, 2011 at 10:40 pm
The guy came out and said a deal is in place for after the lockout...........
Why does this raise eyebrows LOL....
The Packers negotiated a few contracts before the lockout and and surely have told others we'll see. WE ALL KNOW the draft has an effect as well.
I think that maybe an article on predicting the final 53 or something would be better.
This is jumping to even the smallest conclusion which is lame...
I usually love most of Brian Carriveau's articles but these are just a damper on an otherwise fact-less topic.
June 25, 2011 at 04:19 am
I have disagreed with Brian and Aaron many times but the simple truth of any/all their posts is they supply information via their "leg work" research to which I have no idea how to access or even be privy too.
June 25, 2011 at 02:40 pm
CheeseheadTV fills a niche role in the Green Bay Packers blog scene. The site is great for discussions and summaries. I appreciate all the work Brian puts into collecting and commenting on articles each weekday. Without him I'd be behind on the news regarding everybody's favorite sports franchise.
If I want an analysis with a ton of depth, I head over to Jersey Al's AllGreenBayPackers.com. Simple as that.
PackerAaron
June 26, 2011 at 02:02 pm
Seriously. I mean, it doesn't get more in-depth than this:
http://jerseyal.com/GBP/2011/06/26/the-complete-history-of-green-bay-pac...
I kid because I love ;)