Packers C Evan Dietrich-Smith is $1.3 Million Richer

Back in March, when the restricted free agents were tendered contracts for 2013, there was some concern that the Green Bay Packers made a mistake with C Evan Dietrich-Smith because they didn't offer a high enough tender to secure a draft pick in return if he signs elsewhere. Now that bit of drama is over because he signed his tender and he'll return to the Packers in 2013.

Dietrich-Smith signs restricted tender pck.rs/XxUlB3
— Rob Demovsky (@RobDemovsky) April 13, 2013

I was on the fence back in March whether the Packers would even tender him a contract. They didn't appear to view him as a starter, and $1.323 million is rich (at least with the Packers) for a backup. But with no Plan B currently on the roster, paying Dietrich-Smith a premium (as far as the Packers were concerned) was probably worth it.

It was possible that another team might have offered him a multi-year contract and a starting role, Adam Czech thought it could happen, but as was the case with LB Brad Jones, it turned out that both players were more valuable to the Packers than any other team. While Jones received a multi-year deal because he was an unrestricted free agent, Dietrich-Smith is only re-signed for one year as a restricted free agent. Here's what I wrote about Jones a couple weeks ago.

While I'm not a big fan of Dietrich-Smith, he's OK as a backup but stretched as a starter, this is a no-risk signing. It's hard to disagree with a one-year contract when the Packers have cap room available, and he provides depth at a very thin position.