Will Smith (91) & Jonathan Vilma (51) will remain with the Saints

 

The New Orleans Saints restructured the contracts of linebacker Jonathan Vilma and defensive end Will Smith on Tuesday, as the team scrambled to get under the $123 million salary cap.

Vilma, who has spent the last five years with the club, has a restructured deal that will pay him a base salary of $1 million, as opposed to the $4.8 million in base salary that he was scheduled to make.

The soon-to-be 31-year old Vilma had 37 tackles in 2012, along with an interception, after moving from inside linebacker to outside linebacker.

The Saints will use four linebackers in 2013, in their new 3-4 scheme.

Smith, who has played his entire nine-year career in New Orleans, after being drafted in the first round by the Saints in 2004, will have a base salary of $3 million in 2013, as opposed to the $9 million of base salary that he was scheduled to make.

The 31-year old Smith, who is the longest-tenured player on the team, tallied 58 tackles, along with six sacks in 2012.

 

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