Will Smith Not Happy

ScottyRo · 05-04-2007, 10:50 AM

An opposite situation is unfolding in New Orleans, where the Saints signed their franchise defensive end Charles Grant to a seven-year contract worth up to $63 million. Grant is now happy; New Orleans other defensive end, Pro Bowl selection Will Smith, is not.

Smith has two years remaining on a contract that is scheduled to pay him less than $1 million this season. Smith now is seeking a new contract and he is hoping and expecting talks aimed at a new contract to start soon, if they haven't already.

Personnel people around the league believe that Smith is every bit the player that Grant is, if not better, it's just that Grant had the fortune of having his contract expire now. But this is a prime example of the ripple effects of any lucrative contract that any team in the league now hands out. Somebody is going to be happy, and somebody is not.

http://www.nfl.com/nflnetwork/story/10164717

Above is the article where PFT got their information. My feeling is that Smith should wait another year before asking for a new contract. I don't mind players wanting to get a new deal with one year left since that can get us past the hassle of the franchise tag, but two years is just too early.

Instead of greedily wanting to get his money now, the signing of Grant should indicate to him that the Saints are going to give big contracts to their important players. We can go back and forth on the which DE is better debate, but the bottomline is Grant played out his contract without pulling any of this dissension in the ranks crap. One has acted like a leader (at least until the franchise tag) and the other is acting like a greedy prima dona.

My vote will be for keeping the leader and drafting the prima dona's replacement next year.

TheDeuce · 05-04-2007, 12:15 PM

Originally Posted by ScottyRo

An opposite situation is unfolding in New Orleans, where the Saints signed their franchise defensive end Charles Grant to a seven-year contract worth up to $63 million. Grant is now happy; New Orleans other defensive end, Pro Bowl selection Will Smith, is not.

Smith has two years remaining on a contract that is scheduled to pay him less than $1 million this season. Smith now is seeking a new contract and he is hoping and expecting talks aimed at a new contract to start soon, if they haven't already.

Personnel people around the league believe that Smith is every bit the player that Grant is, if not better, it's just that Grant had the fortune of having his contract expire now. But this is a prime example of the ripple effects of any lucrative contract that any team in the league now hands out. Somebody is going to be happy, and somebody is not.

http://www.nfl.com/nflnetwork/story/10164717

Above is the article where PFT got their information. My feeling is that Smith should wait another year before asking for a new contract. I don't mind players wanting to get a new deal with one year left since that can get us past the hassle of the franchise tag, but two years is just too early.

Instead of greedily wanting to get his money now, the signing of Grant should indicate to him that the Saints are going to give big contracts to their important players. We can go back and forth on the which DE is better debate, but the bottomline is Grant played out his contract without pulling any of this dissension in the ranks crap. One has acted like a leader (at least until the franchise tag) and the other is acting like a greedy prima dona.

My vote will be for keeping the leader and drafting the prima dona's replacement next year.

I completely agree here with ScottyRo. Sure, Will Smith deserves more money than he's making, but he's the one who signed the G**da** contract in the first place. If he's not willing to honor a promise that he made to this franchise, then why should we pay him a freakin cent? I hate sh** like this. These guys are making 25-50X as much as a typical fan, and they're sitting there whining about not making enough. Yes, equity theory says that we compare our inputs/outputs to other people's inputs/outputs and judge accordingly, but Will Smith signed his contract, so he needs to stop acting like a spoiled brat, shut up, and play football.

And I completely agree with your other point ScottyRo; when we signed Charles Grant, I think it showed that the franchise is committed to keeping our key players. Will Smith should understand this, and see that Grant played out his contract, and then got a new, fat one for his play over the last few years.

And on a side note, Charles Grant deserves every penny we're paying him in his new contract. He's got good stats, but IMO, more importantly, he brings more emotion to our defense than anybody else.

mikesaintfan · 05-04-2007, 12:20 PM

will smtih for lance briggs yes or no?

papz · 05-04-2007, 12:29 PM

Originally Posted by mikesaintfan

will smtih for lance briggs yes or no?

Definately no. Who's going to sack the passer for us? We don't have a suitable replacement for Smith nor do we need Briggs right now. We have we solid guys starting and though they aren't Lance Briggs, they're more than capable of getting the job done. Trading Smith will only leave a BIG void on our defense.

mikesaintfan · 05-04-2007, 12:48 PM

yeah you r right i am just looking so forward to this season i want news every day
i definetly think smith deserves a big fat raise and should give him a new frontloaded contract if we have anymore cap room

scott406 · 05-04-2007, 01:30 PM

Originally Posted by mikesaintfan

will smtih for lance briggs yes or no?

Lance Briggs is headed in the other direction, in terms of career, than Will Smith.
Sounds like the BILL KUHARICH school of GM's

ScottyRo · 05-04-2007, 11:16 AM

Originally Posted by saintsmissile

In comparison, if you and another guy had the same position and you had more production, why should he and not you get a raise?

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.

BRSaintsFan · 05-04-2007, 11:31 AM

Originally Posted by ScottyRo

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.

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.

scott406 · 05-04-2007, 11:26 AM

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

papz · 05-04-2007, 11:32 AM

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.

05-04-2007, 12:15 PM	#2
TheDeuce 1000 Posts + Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 2,928	Originally Posted by ScottyRo An opposite situation is unfolding in New Orleans, where the Saints signed their franchise defensive end Charles Grant to a seven-year contract worth up to $63 million. Grant is now happy; New Orleans other defensive end, Pro Bowl selection Will Smith, is not. Smith has two years remaining on a contract that is scheduled to pay him less than $1 million this season. Smith now is seeking a new contract and he is hoping and expecting talks aimed at a new contract to start soon, if they haven't already. Personnel people around the league believe that Smith is every bit the player that Grant is, if not better, it's just that Grant had the fortune of having his contract expire now. But this is a prime example of the ripple effects of any lucrative contract that any team in the league now hands out. Somebody is going to be happy, and somebody is not. http://www.nfl.com/nflnetwork/story/10164717 Above is the article where PFT got their information. My feeling is that Smith should wait another year before asking for a new contract. I don't mind players wanting to get a new deal with one year left since that can get us past the hassle of the franchise tag, but two years is just too early. Instead of greedily wanting to get his money now, the signing of Grant should indicate to him that the Saints are going to give big contracts to their important players. We can go back and forth on the which DE is better debate, but the bottomline is Grant played out his contract without pulling any of this dissension in the ranks crap. One has acted like a leader (at least until the franchise tag) and the other is acting like a greedy prima dona. My vote will be for keeping the leader and drafting the prima dona's replacement next year. I completely agree here with ScottyRo. Sure, Will Smith deserves more money than he's making, but he's the one who signed the Gda contract in the first place. If he's not willing to honor a promise that he made to this franchise, then why should we pay him a freakin cent? I hate sh** like this. These guys are making 25-50X as much as a typical fan, and they're sitting there whining about not making enough. Yes, equity theory says that we compare our inputs/outputs to other people's inputs/outputs and judge accordingly, but Will Smith signed his contract, so he needs to stop acting like a spoiled brat, shut up, and play football. And I completely agree with your other point ScottyRo; when we signed Charles Grant, I think it showed that the franchise is committed to keeping our key players. Will Smith should understand this, and see that Grant played out his contract, and then got a new, fat one for his play over the last few years. And on a side note, Charles Grant deserves every penny we're paying him in his new contract. He's got good stats, but IMO, more importantly, he brings more emotion to our defense than anybody else.
TheDeuce 1000 Posts + Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 2,928

05-04-2007, 12:20 PM	#3
mikesaintfan 1000 Posts + Join Date: May 2006 Location: new jersey Posts: 1,070	trade will smtih for lance briggs yes or no?

05-04-2007, 12:29 PM	#4
papz Problem? Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: New Orleans Posts: 11,797	Originally Posted by mikesaintfan will smtih for lance briggs yes or no? Definately no. Who's going to sack the passer for us? We don't have a suitable replacement for Smith nor do we need Briggs right now. We have we solid guys starting and though they aren't Lance Briggs, they're more than capable of getting the job done. Trading Smith will only leave a BIG void on our defense.

05-04-2007, 12:48 PM	#5
mikesaintfan 1000 Posts + Join Date: May 2006 Location: new jersey Posts: 1,070	true dat yeah you r right i am just looking so forward to this season i want news every day i definetly think smith deserves a big fat raise and should give him a new frontloaded contract if we have anymore cap room

05-04-2007, 01:30 PM	#6
scott406 Registered Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Westbank Posts: 72	Originally Posted by mikesaintfan will smtih for lance briggs yes or no? Lance Briggs is headed in the other direction, in terms of career, than Will Smith. Sounds like the BILL KUHARICH school of GM's

05-04-2007, 10:50 AM	#1
ScottyRo 1000 Posts + Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Williamsburg, VA (ugh, the food here) Posts: 1,704	An opposite situation is unfolding in New Orleans, where the Saints signed their franchise defensive end Charles Grant to a seven-year contract worth up to $63 million. Grant is now happy; New Orleans other defensive end, Pro Bowl selection Will Smith, is not. Smith has two years remaining on a contract that is scheduled to pay him less than $1 million this season. Smith now is seeking a new contract and he is hoping and expecting talks aimed at a new contract to start soon, if they haven't already. Personnel people around the league believe that Smith is every bit the player that Grant is, if not better, it's just that Grant had the fortune of having his contract expire now. But this is a prime example of the ripple effects of any lucrative contract that any team in the league now hands out. Somebody is going to be happy, and somebody is not. http://www.nfl.com/nflnetwork/story/10164717 Above is the article where PFT got their information. My feeling is that Smith should wait another year before asking for a new contract. I don't mind players wanting to get a new deal with one year left since that can get us past the hassle of the franchise tag, but two years is just too early. Instead of greedily wanting to get his money now, the signing of Grant should indicate to him that the Saints are going to give big contracts to their important players. We can go back and forth on the which DE is better debate, but the bottomline is Grant played out his contract without pulling any of this dissension in the ranks crap. One has acted like a leader (at least until the franchise tag) and the other is acting like a greedy prima dona. My vote will be for keeping the leader and drafting the prima dona's replacement next year.

05-04-2007, 11:16 AM	#7
ScottyRo 1000 Posts + Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Williamsburg, VA (ugh, the food here) Posts: 1,704	Originally Posted by saintsmissile In comparison, if you and another guy had the same position and you had more production, why should he and not you get a raise? 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.

05-04-2007, 11:31 AM	#8
BRSaintsFan 100th Post Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Atlanta, GA Posts: 449	Originally Posted by ScottyRo 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. 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.

05-04-2007, 11:26 AM	#9
scott406 Registered Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Westbank Posts: 72	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

05-04-2007, 11:32 AM	#10
papz Problem? Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: New Orleans Posts: 11,797	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.