CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The $5 million a year that wide receiver Torrey Smith will count against the salary cap seemed like a lot on Friday when the Carolina Panthers traded starting cornerback Daryl Worley to Philadelphia for him.
Particularly when you consider Smith hadn't caught more than 36 passes in any of the past three seasons between San Francisco and Philadelphia.
It looks like a bargain now when you look at the deals top free-agent wide receivers who have accomplished less got in free agency.
Chicago gave Jacksonville's Allen Robinson, coming off an ACL injury, a three-year, $42 million deal. He has 202 catches for 2,848 yards and 22 touchdowns since being selected in the second round of the 2014 draft.
Kansas City gave Sammy Watkins a three-year, $48 million deal with $30 million guaranteed. The former Clemson star had 39 catches for 593 yards and eight touchdowns last season and has caught only 67 passes combined the past two seasons between Buffalo and the Los Angeles Rams.
Washington gave Paul Richardson a five-year deal that could be worth up to $40 million with $20 million guaranteed. Richardson had a career-best 44 catches last season at Seattle and has only 95 in four seasons.
Smith, 29, despite a down couple of seasons, has 302 career catches for 4,951 yards and 39 touchdowns in seven seasons between Baltimore, San Francisco and Philadelphia. He also has a Super Bowl ring that he won last season with the Eagles.
He had 13 catches for 157 yards in Philadelphia's three playoff wins, including five catches for 49 yards in the Super Bowl victory over New England.
So $5 million against the cap doesn't sound so bad versus the average salaries between $8 million and $16 million a year that others received.
Who knows what Smith would have gotten had he been released and hit the open market. He's not complaining, but he likes what others got.
"I love it," Smith said after the trade was made official on Wednesday. "I'm pro player all day. That's the way this business is supposed to work. Whether someone believes they deserve it or not, that's no one's opinion but the GM that gives it to them.
"I'm excited for those guys. They're honestly changing the landscape. Four years ago, you get a five-year deal with the amount they're getting. That was a great deal."
Only a year ago, Smith signed a three-year, $15 million deal with the Eagles, who traded him to clear room against their tight salary cap.
Smith wasn't the only deal the Panthers got in free agency. They re-signed 38-year-old defensive end Julius Peppers to a one-year, $5 million deal with $2.5 million guaranteed. That's a bargain in today's world for a player who had 11 sacks a year ago and ranks fourth on the NFL's all-time sack list with 154.5.
Cornerback Bashaud Breeland also could be a deal if he proves worthy of starting opposite James Bradberry. He got a three-year, $24 million deal with $11 million guaranteed.
General manager Marty Hurney had to shop wisely because of his cap situation, and it appears he did.
Potentially adding a second tight end to play opposite Pro Bowler Greg Olsen and upgrade from Ed Dickson also could happen. Seattle's Luke Willson reportedly was on his way to Charlotte on Wednesday.
But finding a veteran wide receiver to help lead a young receiving corps was a priority for Carolina, and getting Smith at a low cap number is impressive, considering what others were getting in free agency.
"He's a good-sized receiver who obviously has great speed," new offensive coordinator Norv Turner told the team website about the 6-foot, 205-pound Smith. "He's been successful in the vertical passing game his entire career, but I thought in Philadelphia he branched out and did more versatile things.
"He really showed he can be a complete receiver. He adds that dimension to our football team that will help everybody."
More specifically, Smith should help quarterback Cam Newton, who didn't have dependable receivers outside of Devin Funchess and running back Christian McCaffrey last season.
The Panthers have the potential for a solid core with Smith added to the mix, a healthy Curtis Samuel (coming off ankle surgery) and Damiere Byrd. Add a receiver in the first or second round of the draft and it gets even better.
A player such as Russell Shepard, a free-agent signee a year ago who counts $3.525 million against the 2018 cap, quickly could become expendable.
Smith already has a relationship with Newton. He worked with him a few summers at the Under Armour facility in Baltimore.
"He's a competitor," Smith said of the 2015 NFL MVP. "He's gonna bring the energy. He's going to have fun at all times, but he's going to work. He's going to bring out the best in you. He hates losing, which is how it should be."
Smith likes to win as well. When he heard rumblings there might be a trade his one wish was to go to a team that could compete for a title.
"This is that place for me," Smith said. "I was talking to my agent that if my option were to get picked up, this is one of the places I wanted to be. I'm excited it worked out that way."