While he hasn't ripped the organization or become a distraction, LJ Smith has certainly taken every opportunity to remind the Eagles that he's in a contract year.
"I look at a guy like Visanthe Shiancoe from the Giants," Smith said. Shiancoe signed a reported 5-year, $18.2 million free-agent contract with the Vikings. "Even he got $7 million guaranteed. I think he's caught like 20 balls in 4 years [actually 35 balls]. The market's definitely changed."
He also knows this is a contract year and it's important for him to be back 100%, but he doesn't want the Eagles to use the surgery against him...
LJ is absolutely right about the TE market. I wrote about this a few months ago. Guys like the aforementioned Shiancoe and probably more importantly Daniel Graham(who compares better to LJ numbers wise) got huge deals. LJ's numbers are better than both of those guys. Daniel Graham's five-year $30 million deal, with $15 million guaranteed is likely the starting point for LJ and his agent. I can't see any reason they'd accept less.