Smith is scheduled to make $695K this year (plus some incentives)...and Grant is making around $8mm this year...with Smith having better numbers and Pro Bowl 2006 year. I believe I would be asking for a RAISE (contract or no contract). Just don't do it though the media!

No difference. If the coworker got a new contract that paid more even though production was the same, then how could I complain. I would expect the same raise, when my contract was to be renewed.

Comparing what Grant said/did when he was franchised to what Smith is doing now is not fair to Grant. Grant played out his contract before complaining. Will Smith has not. That's why Smith is acting prima dona to me.

There's a big difference in that.

Will smith will be paid a lot of money very soon. The probelm this year is teams had a lot of salary cap space and a not so good free agent class. When you look at what the Cowboys, Browns, Chargers, and Bills paid for Leonard Davis, Eric Steinbach, Kris Dielman, and Derrick Dockery, respectively, you see a problem throughout the league. That problem being none of these guys have ever been named to a Pro Bowl. Yet each of them is swimming in over $15 million in guaranteed money. The floor is getting pushed up for future deals, and the number will only continue to skyrocket. If Nate Clements gets $80 million over eight years, what would a guy like Champ Bailey get? Ditto C. Grant/ Will Smith

The difference is that me and my coworker do not play in the NFL. I agree through the media is not the correct way to do it. But honoring the original contract is crap IMO because if Im a player, why should I? I certainly know that if the team thought I was worth less than I was making, they would restructure or terminate my contract before it was up. So why should I, thinking that I am worth more than I am making, honor the original terms, especially when I know that other suitors will be lining up to offer a lucrative contract for my services. I dont like that it hurts the Saints but from a player's perspective, I would be doing the exact same thing because I know somewhere down the line, likely with a year or two left on a present contract, I will be asked to take a pay cut or my contract will be terminated. Goes both ways.

All fake money... don't be fooled by the value of the contracts you see. Of that 80 million for Clement, he's probably only going to see about 25 million of that over the first 3 years.

I have settled on that one.
for now..

I agree with you, but you know the player's agent won't go for that.

It's this situation that makes me think the league would be better off having clauses to increase the pay of a player who is highly outperforming his contract as well as to decrease the pay of a player severely underperforming his contract. It'll never happen, but I can understand Smith's envy of Grant's contract. I just think it's on him to control those feelings until it's his turn to reap the benefits of his performance.