Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, July 20, 1993 TAG: 9307200100
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: FREDONIA, N.Y. LENGTH: Medium
Smith, bitter over the absence of a new contract, is in the last year of a contract that pays him $1.6 million a year. He is seeking a deal that would pay $4 million a year.
"As of right now, I feel this will be my last year with the Buffalo Bills . . . unless they can work something out," he said.
General manager John Butler said negotiations were continuing, but the former Virginia Tech star must still pay $16,000 in fines for missing the first three days of camp.
Smith said the only reason he skipped camp was because he was trying to help the Bills figure out a way to pay him while staying within the salary cap to be imposed on NFL teams next year.
Smith said it was his understanding he would get a reporting bonus when he signed this year. Such a bonus wouldn't count against next year's salary cap.
But since negotiations hadn't concluded by camp, he would not have been able to collect a bonus had he reported for the start of training.
Smith said the Bills gave him an ultimatum Saturday.
"I won't go over the figures, but it was on the lines of `Here it is, take it or leave it,' " he said. "It wasn't anywhere near where what I thought I was worth."
Smith said he and the team were "somewhat of a distance apart" in terms of money, but "things would have been able to work out were they willing to talk with us."
Said Butler: "All I'm going to say is, one, I'm glad he's back and at work, and, two, I will never negotiate in public."
As for Smith's statement about playing only one more year with the Bills, Butler said: "There's emotions and things said that always take place in these situations."
Smith said he would try to give the Bills the same level of performance he has since Buffalo made him the first overall draft pick in 1985.
"I'm not going to concentrate on any negatives, although this will be on the back of my mind," he said.
Keywords:
FOOTBALL
by CNB