Unhappy Will Smith not at offseason work, wants new deal (1 Viewer)

[Dan in Lafayette]

Jimmy Smith / New Orleans Times-Picayune

PALM BEACH, FLA. - Saints defensive end Will Smith, apparently unhappy that the team has yet to restructure his soon-to-expire contract by giving him an extension and raise, is not participating in the team's off-season conditioning program, Coach Sean Payton said Wednedsay.

Smith, who watched last year as fellow lineman Charles Grant signed a seven-year contract that could eventually be worth $63 million, played for a base salary of $695,000 in 2007.

The club's first-round draft choice in 2004, Smith's original contract earned him $20 million in bonuses, and by reaching certain incentives, Smith is scheduled to earn just more than a million this season in the last year of his contract.

Payton said he understands Smith's position and feels certain the team will come to a new contractual understanding with the former Pro Bowl player. Full Story – Picayunehttp://blog.nola.com/saintsbeat/2008/04/unhappy_will_smith_not_at_offs.html