ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, August 27, 1996 TAG: 9608270086
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: ORCHARD PARK, N.Y.
SOURCE: Associated Press
THE FORMER VIRGINIA TECH star is upset at the NFL club's delay in reworking his contract.
Bruce Smith, angry about slow progress being made with renegotiating his contract, considered walking out on the Buffalo Bills. His agent advised against it.
Smith, an eight-time Pro Bowl defensive end, thought about skipping practice Wednesday and sitting out Sunday's season opener against the New York Giants in protest of a deal he signed last year.
``I'm unhappy with the way that things have progressed,'' Smith said Monday. ``Whether I'll hold out or not, I don't know yet. I'm listening to my agent right now, and we'll make those decisions as we come across.''
Smith has two years remaining on his contract after restructuring the deal before last season in a move he claimed helped the Bills sign other players. He is scheduled to be paid $2.2 million the next two years and became unhappy when others around the league signed for more money.
Smith's agent, Leigh Steinberg, later strongly suggested Smith would be in the lineup against the Giants. Steinberg usually recommends his clients play rather than walk.
``My strong sense is that we'll deal with this privately,'' Steinberg said. ``Ralph Wilson has been a very fair owner over time. I certainly wouldn't think it would come to any interruption of progress toward playing in the New York Giants game.''
Smith, who fired Brig Owens and hired Steinberg, said he would not have completed the deal before last season had he known the Bills would not resume talks this season.
The Bills would not be able to restructure a new deal for this season because of the salary cap. Smith wants a guarantee from Wilson that he would have a contract before next season.
Wilson gave a similar guarantee to quarterback Jim Kelly but not Smith. He also gave a $5 million signing bonus to offensive lineman John Fina and $2 million bonuses to wide receiver Quinn Early and linebacker Chris Spielman.
``I took $600,000 less off my present contract, which I was going to make anyway, and they turned around and gave $5 million signing bonuses to players and $2 million and $3 million signing bonuses to players,'' Smith said. ``It doesn't make any sense to me.''
The Bills are gearing up for what they expect to be a successful season, one that could land them in another Super Bowl.
Smith's teammates are more concerned with his approach becoming a distraction on the field. Smith played in no exhibition games because of offseason knee surgery. He has participated in less than a dozen practices since the start of training camp.
Bills coach Marv Levy said Smith has not discussed the contract problem with him. Smith's teammates have been trying to avoid the distraction by focusing on the Giants. Others couldn't be bothered.
``Who cares?'' Kelly said. ``I don't worry about what Bruce is doing. I'll put it this way: Bruce in the last week is doing everything on his own, so whatever he feels he has to do for himself, he's going to do.''
``With the guys that we have, we're going to go out there and do a job regardless of who's out there,'' safety Henry Jones said. ``If Bruce isn't out there, it's his business.
Smith said during training camp that he had no plans for a walkout or any other protest. But he has become more public about his unhappiness over the past few weeks.
``I've been very angry and very frustrated,'' Smith said. ``I want to stay out of the newspapers with these types of issues, but it's becoming harder and harder. I'm losing sleep over it. I feel like I'm the lowest person in the organization right now because I can't get my point across.''
LENGTH: Medium: 77 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: AP. Bills defensive end Bruce Smith, a star in his daysby CNBat Virginia Tech and a future Hall of Famer, is unhappy with his
$2.2 million contract, which does not measure up to some of his
less-heralded teammates. color.