Despite all of the development Andre Smith has shown over the last couple of season with the Cincinnati Bengals, becoming one of the better right tackles in the NFL, it hasn’t brought the sides any closer to agreeing upon a new deal, despite the team mostly focusing on keeping their own free agents this off-season instead of bringing players from the outside.

Just like on his first season in the league, Andre Smith is holding out. Last time it lasted into the preseason preparations, and it will last the same length or more from what the situation seems to be developing into.

Andre Smith is looking at other offensive linemen around the NFL like Gosder Cherilus of the Colts getting $34.5 million for five years, Jake Long with the St. Louis Rams getting $34 million to a four year deal, Phil Loadholt getting $25 million over four years from the Vikings and Sebastian Vollmer getting $27 million over four years from the New England Patriots.

Smith thought he could get $9 million a season before free agency began, but that’s not the kind of market he’s in right now, as Jake Long got the best deal of everyone, worth $8.5 million a season, and there haven’t been too many offers for Smith as well. While there aren’t too many talks between the sides at the moment, realizing that he isn’t going to get something close to 8 figures yearly will do Smith and the Bengals a world of good. At this point, a deal like the one Vollmer got might be enough to seal the deal.

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