| pakowitz |
04-25-2008 10:47 PM |
New contract for DE Smith in the works
Saints DE Will Smith has opted not to attend the team’s offseason workouts thus far in an expression of his desire for a new contract, but our source in New Orleans says negotiations have not been contentious and there’s reason to believe a deal will be agreed to in the near future. The Saints have a history of locking up key players with long-term deals and rarely lose one of their own because of contract negotiations gone awry. Just last year New Orleans signed DE Charles Grant to a seven-year, $63 million deal after he had voiced his displeasure when the club initially used the franchise tag on him. That said, the team’s front office does not want to look like a pushover that’s willing to dole out megadeals to anyone who asks for one. The Saints view Smith, however, as a player who has earned it. He has averaged nearly 8½ sacks in his four seasons and will be paid a salary of about $1 million for the ’08 season, which is a relative bargain for a player of his caliber. The Saints are committed to crafting a new contract, and the process could speed up following the Vikings’ signing of DE Jared Allen to a six-year, $74 million deal. That provides a ceiling for the terms of Smith’s next agreement. Allen, who entered the league in 2004, the same year as Smith, has averaged almost 2½ sacks per season more than Smith.
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