Smith hopes for new deal 'in near future'

• By LES EAST
• Special to The Advocate
• Published: May 31, 2008 - UPDATED: 12:05 a.m.

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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.”