dberce1

Found this on another Saints forum. Had no link to back it up, but the story looks to be credible. Could be a hoax, I guess we'll hear more later in the day if it's true. If it is true, there is going to be some maaaaaaaaaad fans:

The New Orleans Saints apprised agent Drew Rosenhaus on Thursday that they have abandoned their efforts to trade starting free safety Dwight Smith, one of their steadiest defenders during a dismal 2005 season, and instead will release the veteran defensive back after just one year with the franchise.

The move comes after New Orleans officials spent much of the offseason attempting to trade Smith, and just one week before Saints players are scheduled to report to summer training camp at Millsaps College near Jackson, Miss.

A five-year veteran, Smith will become an unrestricted free agent once his name officially appears on the NFL internal transactions network, which could come as early as Thursday afternoon. While the Saints apparently could not find a trade deal to their liking, it is expected that Smith will have multiple suitors as a free agent.

One franchise that probably will pursue him is Tampa Bay, the franchise with which Smith began his NFL career. It will not be surprising if Smith has a new home within two or three days.

The former Akron standout, a third-round pick of the Bucs in the 2001 draft, is the kind of safety many teams covet, an interior defender with cornerback-level coverage skills. In fact, Smith started his career with the Bucs as a standout nickel cornerback and then was moved to safety 2003.

Smith, 27, provides a defense with tremendous flexibility because of his hybrid skills and his ability to move out into the slot and cover wide receivers.

As arguably the Saints' most notable veteran addition in 2005, Smith signed a five-year, $15 million contract as an unrestricted free agent, and the deal included a $3.5 million signing bonus. The four years that were remaining on his New Orleans contract were for base salaries of $1.2 million (for 2006), $1.6 million (2007), $2.5 million (2008) and $3.5 million (2009). Given the palatable level of those salaries for the next two seasons, it is surprising that no team stepped up and traded for him.

In his only season with the Saints, Smith appeared in 15 games, all starts, and registered 86 tackles, one sack, two interceptions, seven passes defensed and two forced fumbles.

It has been rumored that Smith might have experienced some personality conflicts with some members of the New Orleans management team. It is also possible that with a new head coach (Sean Payton) and new defensive coordinator (Gary Gibbs), he simply did not fit into the Saints' plans any longer.

New Orleans has dramatically reshapes its safety corps in the last 14 months. The Saints used second-round picks on Josh Bullocks in 2005 and on Roman Harper in 2006. A player the coaches regard very highly, Bullocks started 13 games as a rookie last year. New Orleans also signed veteran Omar Stoutmire as a free agent in the offseason and acquired former second-rounder Bryan Scott in a trade with Atlanta.

For his career, Smith has appeared in 78 games and started 49 of them. He has 306 tackles, one sack, 14 interceptions, 45 passes defensed, seven forced fumbles and two recoveries. In Tampa Bay's victory over the Oakland Raiders in Super Bowl XXXVII, Smith returned two interceptions for touchdowns.

AllSaints

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2525154

Well Bellamy and Bullocks starters???//

DJLengai

The team is going to regret making this move a lot. Smith and McKenzie are our best DB's and Smith is one of the best safeties around. Getting nothing for him is unbelievable. Horrible...Horrible....Horrible

saintswhodi

Okay so, letting LeCharles walk for nothing was dumb enough. Now cutting Dwight for NOTHING? You mean to tell me they couldn't even get a 4th round pick for him? It was said a month or two ago Tampa Bay was offering at least a third. I agree with DJ, they are gonna regret this move. Big time.

Iron-Head

Same things when Brooks got cut, Oakland already said they'd give us their first string waterboy for him but they waited so long to pull the trigger that everyone knew we were gonna cut him and vvie him away for nothin'

jrmllb

I dont get it...the guy was a standout last year...How can they say he does not fit...he's a safety...Lineman and LB's I get when you change you have too many or not enough, but safeties...bad move bad move...they are going to regret this...well if they dont I think we will...I guess that money may be part of Reggie's signing bonus...LOL...

LSUJeremy

MOTHERFU****!!!!!!

kingwoodfan

Give the new coaching staff a chance . Payton's not going to put up with the kind crap that Haslett did. There were obvious personality conflicts with the coaching staff and Smith.

dberce1

here's the link finally:

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2525154



--------ummmmmmmmm, I'm an idiot, didn't see it posted above, sorry. oh well, nothing else to see here, go bout ya business.

NoBandwagonrs

they said on the WWL that smith was being a problem in the locker room and payton is like parcells if u do something like that, it doesnt matter who u r, ur gonna be cut