Will

Smith

Coach Jim Haslett is excited about mixing in the 3-4 defense to the team’s repetoire this season.

The first-round pick has had a quiet start to his career.

Smith was released by the Saints on Wednesday and is free to sign with any other team immediately. Coach Dennis Allen was the Saints’ assistant defensive line coach from 2006-2007 and was on the New Orleans staff until 2010. Those were Smith’s glory days. All four of Oakland’s defensive line starters from 2013 are free agents, but GM Reggie McKenzie needs to be aiming much higher. He has over $60 million in cap space. Smith is best-suited as a backup.

As is the case with Vikings DT Kevin Williams, Smith’s two-game StarCaps suspension is up. The Saints got their pass rush back on track against the Bears Sunday, sacking Jay Cutler six times. Smith will add even more life to what projects as an explosive front four. New Orleans’ defense is much more the unit that played against Chicago than the lifeless defense of Week 1.

Smith is owed a $1 million roster bonus on March 27 and carries a $10.15M cap number, according to The Sideline View’s Adam Caplan. By moving money around and guaranteeing some of Smith’s base salary, the Saints could save $5 million to $6 million. Per Cole, the reworked contract “could be done today.”

What the hold up is remains unclear, but Goodell did not guarantee justice would be meted out before the draft. He did say he would reject the “just following orders” defense, and that “evidence was clear that the players embraced it.” That’s bad news for players like MLB Jonathan Vilma, SS Roman Harper and DE Will Smith, who are likely planning to make disgraced former DC Gregg Williams the scapegoat in their inevitable appeals.

Packers DE Anthony Hargrove (eight games), Saints DE Will Smith (four games) and Browns LB Scott Fujita (three games) have also filed appeals. The NFLPA had already filed grievances on the suspended players’ behalf, so Vilma’s appeal may be a purely procedural move. It’s highly unlikely the league will take mercy on Vilma after upholding the bans of coach Sean Payton, GM Mickey Loomis and assistant head coach Joe Vitt.

The charge dates back to 2010. Smith was indicted by a grand jury last March, but the Lafayette Parish DA’s Office opted to dismiss the charges after the defensive end completed community service and participated in counseling. His wife also requested that the charges be dismissed.

The NFL’s investigation concluded that Vilma, as captain of the defense, aided Greg Williams in establishing and funding the bounty program. Vilma’s suspension will kick in immediately while Packers DE Anthony Hargrove (8 games), Saints DE Will Smith (4 games), and Browns LB Scott Fujita (3 games) are allowed to participate in OTAs and preseason action. Curtis Lofton will shift to middle linebacker, with David Hawthorne on the weak side and one of Scott Shanle, Martez Wilson, and Chris Chamberlain on the strong side. No other players will be suspended for the bounty scandal.

The league found that Smith assisted former DC Gregg Williams in “establishing and funding the program,” and “pledged significant sums to the program pool” for cart-offs and knockouts of opponents. The Saints will open the season perilously thin at defensive end, with only Junior Galette, Turk McBride, and Greg Romeus behind disappointing 2011 first-round pick Cam Jordan. Smith will be eligible to resume playing in games in Week 5.