DE Will Smith (official thread)

[Buckskin86]

MICHAEL DOHERTY / Observer-Dispatch
Will Smith, a Thomas R. Proctor and Ohio State graduate, now with the NFL's New Orleans Saints, talks to media members in 2006 at Utica's D'Alessandro Stadium.

Utica?s Smith to host camp May 17
Observer-Dispatch
Posted May 08, 2008

UTICA ? New Orleans Saints defensive end Will Smith and his foundation, ?Where There?s a Will, There?s a Way,? will host their second annual football camp & combine on Saturday, May 17, at Thomas R. Proctor High School?s D?Alessandro Stadium.

The camp and combine are being held free of charge.

Utica’s Smith to host camp May 17 - Utica, NY 13501 - The Observer-Dispatch

[Buckskin86]

Smith Not Happy: DE Will Smith has yet to report to the team's offseason conditioning program because he wants a new contract, and his agent Joel Segal isn't unfamiliar to the Saints. He negotiated deals for Reggie Bush, He'll be negotiating new deals for Smith and WR Marques Colston soon. The two sides are in talks, and the deal is expected to be boxed in by the six-year, $63 million contract signed by teammate Charles Grant and the six year, $74 million deal just signed by Vikings DE Jared Allen.

Smith, 26, was the consummate teammate last year, playing through the season despite his teammate Charles Grant having just signed his new contract. Smith earned only $695,000 in 2007, part of his rookie contract signed in 2004. Smith outplayed Grant over the past two seasons and is the team's best defensive player. He has earned more than $20 million in his contract so far and is scheduled to make $1.3 million in 2008.

This weekend Smith is hosting a free football camp at his high school, Thomas R. Proctor High School, in Utica, NY.

NewOrleansProFootball.com

[Buckskin86]

Will Smith comes home to give back
By RON MOSHIER
Observer-Dispatch
Posted May 17, 2008


UTICA ? No, Will Smith didn?t have to come home again.

So why did he?

?For the kids,? said Smith, the New Orleans Saints defensive end and former Thomas R. Proctor High School star whose foundation hosted Saturday?s second annual, ?Where There?s a Will, There?s a Way,? football camp and combine at D?Alessandro Stadium.

?This is something I never had, and I want to help make it a little better for other kids.?

By the looks and the sounds, it?s working.

A punt, pass, and kick competition for children ages 5-12 was added this year, followed by lunch and an afternoon camp and combine for players entering grades 7-12.

The 26-year-old Smith, named to the NFL Pro Bowl two years ago ? when the Saints reached the NFC Championship Game ? considered the turnout promising, to say the least.

?It?s gotten bigger, absolutely, and hopefully it will keep getting bigger,? he said. ?We?ll sit down and try to figure out how we can make it better for the kids. We?re always trying to make it better, to improve.?

Will Smith comes home to give back - Utica, NY 13501 - The Observer-Dispatch

NBC-WKTV News Channel 2 - Local News - Video - NFL Star Will Smith Holds Football Camp At Proctor High

[osugrad21]

Link

Unhappy Smith a no-show at workouts

Saints' defensive end holding out for new long-term contract

Thursday, May 22, 2008 By Mike Triplett


As expected, Saints defensive end Will Smith is not participating in the team's organized team activities while he holds out for a long-term contract extension.
Smith, who turns 27 July 4, is entering the final year of his contract and is expected to earn more than $1 million this season, including incentives.
"He and I had a chance to visit about a month and a half ago, and you'd like to have all your players here. But it's not unusual," Saints Coach Sean Payton said. "I think you just go around the league, and each team has a player or two maybe that's unhappy with his contract. And so in the meantime our focus is on the players that are here. And we're full speed ahead."

Cont...

[Buckskin86]

Will Smith to attend minicamp
Posted by Jimmy Smith, The TImes-Picayune
May 29, 2008

Saints defensive end Will Smith, who has skipped the team's voluntary offseason program and the first two weeks of the OTA sessions, will attend the mandatory minicamp that begins today at the Airline Drive practice facility.

Players were required to report to the facility by 7 p.m. Thursday and Smith was on his way according to his agent, Joel Segal.

Segal, who also represents wide receiver Marques Colston, said both players will participate in this weekend's minicamp, the first of five practices scheduled this morning.

Smith has been absent from the conditioning program which commenced in mid-March, as well as the organized team activities that began on May 19 in apparent protest of the team's inability to restructure his contract, though both sides have continued on-going dialog aimed at that ultimate goal.

Colston, who has outperformed his original deal and also hopes for a new deal, possibly before this season, has taken part in the offseason conditioning program as well as the OTAs.

Smith, who'll be 27 on July 4, is scheduled to earn just more than $1 million this season in base salary and incentives. His counterpart on the other side of the Saints defensive line, Charles Grant, last year signed a contract extension that could eventually be worth $63 million. Since becoming the Saints' first-round pick out of Ohio State in 2004, Smith has earned $20 million in salary and bonuses.

Smith was traveling on Thursday and unavailable for comment. Saints Coach Sean Payton said last week that he expected Smith to participate in the mandatory practices.

"Obviously Will has been discussing and is interested in a new contract," Segal said Thursday. "He told me he will be at the minicamp and doesn't want to miss the time to work to get better and maintain his goal of attaining a Super Bowl win."

Segal said he was not sure if Smith would remain in New Orleans to work in the voluntary sessions that continue following this weekend's five practices.

Will Smith to attend minicamp - New Orleans Saints Beat - Times-Picayune - NOLA.com

[Buckskin86]

Posted on Sat, May. 31, 2008
Will Smith shows up for Saints minicamp
Holdout is still possible, he says
By LARRY HOLDER

METAIRIE, La. --A contract dispute didn't stop New Orleans Saints defensive end Will Smith from attending the team's mandatory minicamp Friday morning as he worked out with the team for the first time this offseason.

Smith didn't make any promises to be back with the Saints for the rest of the organized team activities, though, nor did he rule out a holdout if a new deal isn't in place by training camp.

Smith, a Pro Bowler in 2006, is looking for a new contract as he enters the final year of his deal in 2008, where he will make a little more than $1 million in base salary. Smith had skipped all of the Saints' voluntary offseason workouts up to this point.

"It's a decision (to attend minicamp) that me and my agent talked about," Smith said. "I wanted to be a team guy and be with my teammates. Our main goal is to win a Super Bowl this year, so I wanted to be here and help the team out."

SunHerald.com : Will Smith shows up for Saints minicamp

Smith's new contract should be done deal
Saturday, May 31, 2008
John DeShazier

So far, the Saints almost perfectly have "no big dealed" the absence of a big deal for Will Smith, essentially making a non-issue of a contract situation that could be contentious.

But make no mistake: Smith, one of the top defensive ends in the NFL, wants to be paid like one and should be paid like one. And the fact that he reported Friday for the team's mandatory three-day minicamp, after skipping all of the voluntary workouts, doesn't diminish that at all.

"It's a decision that me and my agent (Joel Segal) talked about," Smith said. "I want to be a team guy, be here for my teammates. The main goal is to win a Super Bowl this year, so I wanted to be here and help the team out."

He's here for now, at least.

"I've got to take it one day at a time," he said of being in New Orleans and working out with the team the rest of the offseason. "We'll see what happens after this weekend."

"Gotta see what happens," he said of reporting to Jackson, Miss., for training camp. "You never know. Got to take it one day at a time."

Smith's new contract should be done deal- NOLA.com

Smith hopes for new deal 'in near future'
By LES EAST
Special to The Advocate
Published: May 31, 2008

METAIRIE ? Saints defensive end Will Smith said Friday that he?s hopeful he?ll have a new long-term contract ?in the near future.?

Smith has stayed away from the team?s voluntary offseason workout program while his agent and Saints General Manager Mickey Loomis work on a new deal to replace his current one, which has one year remaining at a value of slightly more than $1 million.

The Saints? No. 1 draft choice in 2004 participated in the first two practices of the team?s three-day minicamp, which continues with two workouts today and concludes with one on Sunday.

Smith said he?ll decide at the end of minicamp whether he?ll stick around for the remaining two weeks of the offseason program. He wouldn?t speculate on whether he might hold out from training camp if a deal isn?t done by then.

?It?s a slow process and I knew that going into it,? Smith said between workouts. ?I knew it wouldn?t be (quick). I?ve got to see what happens. You never know. I?ve got to take it one day at a time and I?m hopeful that something will get done in the near future.?

Smith said he chose to attend the minicamp because he ?wanted to be a team guy and be here for my teammates,? but he would have been subject to fines if he had skipped the camp.

?That?s all voluntary and you don?t have to be there,? Smith said of the offseason program, which began in mid-March and ends June 12.

?The mini-camp is something you have to be at. It?s important to start off the 2008 season. It?s important. That?s why I?m here.?

Smith said he has been working out five days a week. ?It?s not like I?m missing out on work,? he said. ?I?m always training. My body is my job. Every day I?m working hard and trying to get better.?

Smith, who was a Pro Bowl player two years ago, said he?s confident he and the Saints will reach a fair agreement.

?You just have to take it in small steps,? he 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 hopefully we will get something done in the near future.?

Saints coach Sean Payton wouldn?t comment on details of the negotiation, but said he was pleased with what he saw from Smith.

?He?s in pretty good shape,? Payton said. ?Obviously there?s a transition into football movements. He seems to be handling things pretty well.?

Payton said he didn?t see any evidence that his other starting defensive end, Charles Grant, is being distracted after being indicted last week on a charge of involuntary manslaughter stemming from an altercation outside a night club in Blakely, Ga., in which a pregnant woman was shot to death in February.

?There hasn?t been anything from this end,? Payton said. ?He?s been full speed ahead with the meetings and our itinerary of what we?re doing from a practice standpoint and handling all the other things.?

2theadvocate.com | Featured Saints Stories | Smith hopes for new deal 'in near future' — Baton Rouge, LA

[Buckskin86]

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 s