WhoDat!656

I didn't get to watch the game, but from the comments I have read, Will Smith isn't going to make it at OLB.

Maybe he could play DE?

Would it be better for the Saints to bite the bullet and cut him? I don't remember how much his re-negotiated salary is.

Danno

I'll pitch in.

Right now, if we only keep 4 OLB's, Will Smith is the odd man out, if the Chiefs game is any indicator of the new slimmed down version of Will Smith.

lee909

From what i can see his cap hit is 8,502,451 and we would be hit for 7,855,902 in dead money.Not sure if this is the new deal or not.There is a one year club option next season according to the site

*edit*Looks like the pay cut was included
2013 Restructure: $6M paycut

Will Smith Contracts, Salaries, Cap Hits, & Transactions


Dont think he will be cut.He helped the team taking the paycut and this could just be a payoff while making use of him.You cant change everyone in a year

Danno

I guess he would make a decent back-up since we're likely forced to keep him. Maybe in certain packages like maybe an extra DE on certain downs.

lee909

He dropped from roughly 280lb to 260lb.He would be better putting it back on,especially with the loss of Coleman and backing up at DE.
Having said that to be fair to him he wont have played OLB for a long time and didnt have much time.If he still looks bad in the third game ill be more worried.

Trying to see what the dead money is on next year as it was reported he signed a two year deal and next years money is bad.

WhoDat!656

In all fairness to the Fresh Prince, it is a new position and the first pre-season game.

lee909

Last bit on the contract

The Saints did finally push for a paycut in 2013, but by that time the damage was done. Even in reducing his pay from $9 to $3 million Smith still has a cap charge of $8 million this season putting him around the top 15 at the position. When they do release him next season he will still carry over $2 million in cap penalties due to that 2012 restructure.

westbankdaze

There is no way Smith is going to play LB this season. He will be a backup DE.

The LB corps is worrisome. We didn't get to see some of the guys but I am not sure we are going to see alot of improvement from Tez and galette. Neither are good in coverage so I don't see how we will get that improvement in the flats. I don't think the outcome would have been any different than what we saw last night based on all those screen passes they were throwing.

dizzle88

Rememer when we all said theres no way Shanle gets on the field this season?

All you heard from the coaching staff is how good of a player he was - every week

I hope its not the case with will smith, bring him in as an extra lineman sure, but I'd rather have jason david play OLB than will smith

westbankdaze

Shanle looked better as a LB than what we showed last night when the ones were on the field.