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While much of the attention regarding pending player discipline for the New Orleans Saints' "bounty" program has focused on linebacker Jonathan Vilma, safety Roman Harper and defensive end Will Smith also featured prominently in the NFL's investigation, sources with knowledge of the situation said Monday.

Harper and Smith were probed in depth and could end up facing more severe discipline than the majority of the players whom the league believes were active in the program. The NFL's report indicated 22 to 27 players were involved during the three years the Saints' defense was investigated.

Vilma is expected to face the most stern punishment of any Saints player, sources said. The linebacker is preparing for a suspension between two and eight games.

Linebacker Scott Fujita has been mentioned in connection to the case, and he was a part of the NFL Players Association contingent that met with NFL officials in New York on Monday, serving in his capacity in the union's executive committee. But Fujita was with the Saints for only one of the three seasons under review before going to the Cleveland Browns. Others, like Vilma, Smith and Harper, were there for all three seasons and have been focal points in the investigation from a player standpoint, sources said.

Saints quarterback Drew Brees said Monday that the NFL still has not presented him with "meaningful evidence" in the Saints' "bounty" case.

NFL.com news: Roman Harper, Will Smith could be punished in 'bounty' case

TheOak

Here is the deal and the only way the NFL can handle this with out legal repercussions.

Video does not matter.
Hits and injured players do not matter.

The ONLY players that the NFL can go after are those who it has physical proof of that put money into the Bounty Pot.

halloween 65

And then there is the way Goddell conducts buisness. I know what your saying but he's headhunting himself.

TheOak

Even Goodell/NFL has a legal team looking at EVERYTHING he does.

Tobias-Reiper

But this time he's dealing with a union and lawyers, not employees like the Saints FO and coaching staff.

SaintsRule11

The silver lining is that players can appeal the ruling isn't that correct? Just like with the Star Caps situation and they can hopefully drag out the appeal process for a very long time.

NOLA54

If I were a union steward representing these player I would say the following to Goodell. " If you believe their play or conduct was questionable during games or the season, then why would you not have administered discipline at the time of the infractions? Discipline is meant to correct a behaivor & not to punish. Why wait 2-3 years to discipline a player? Waiting gives the player the impression that they have not been doing anything incorrectly or wrong. Therefore they were not given the opportunity to correct the behaivor since they did not know the behaivor is incorrect. Goodell allowed the behaivor to continue for said period of time. This makes him liable as well & he should be suspended for not taking action sooner. If this goes to an arbitrater or a judge the above questions are ones they will be asking too. This is why I think Goodell is going to have a hell of time getting suspensions upheld.