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New Orleans defensive end Will Smith expresses loyalty to team
Associated Press ? June 1, 2008

METAIRIE ? Underpaid as former Pro Bowl defensive end Will Smith may be, he said his top priorities are showing loyalty to his teammates and helping the New Orleans Saints become a contender ? at least for now.

Smith worked out with the Saints for the first time this offseason when he participated in the first day of the team's mandatory minicamp on Friday.

Smith has stayed away from the team's voluntary workouts, which began in mid-March, apparently in an effort to expedite negotiations on a new long-term contract. He has one year remaining on his current deal, which likely would pay him in the range of $1.8 million next season, depending on which incentives he hits.

"I wanted to be a team guy and be here for my teammates," said Smith, who would have been subjected to fines if he had skipped the minicamp. "The main goal is to win a Super Bowl this year, so I wanted to be over here and help the team out."

Smith said he will wait until after the minicamp concludes Sunday before deciding whether to participate in the final two weeks of the offseason program. He wouldn't speculate on a possible holdout from training camp if a deal isn't done by then.

"You just have to take it in small steps," Smith said. "This is not going to happen overnight. It's going to be a gradual process and we've got a lot of time to get something done and I'm hopeful that we will get something done in the near future."

New Orleans defensive end Will Smith expresses loyalty to team | thenewsstar.com | The News Star