Former New Orleans Saints defensive end Will Smith’s gunshot death was ruled a homicide by coroner Jeffrey Rouse.
On Wednesday Rouse said his preliminary autopsy results revealed Smith was shot eight times, with seven shots fired into his back.
“Seven of these wounds were penetrating in nature, with projectiles recovered and no corresponding exit wounds. These bullet tracks had entrance into the left upper back (1), left mid-back (2), left lower back (3), and left lateral chest wall (1). Many of these bullets perforated vital organs, including the lungs and heart,” Rouse said.
The attorney for Smith’s family spoke for the first time Wednesday since the incident, which led to a second-degree murder charge for the alleged gunman, Cardell Hayes.
Hayes remains in custody with a $1 million bail. His own attorney argued Monday that Hayes felt threatened after being rear-ended by Smith, who blocks later told Hayes he was armed.
Peter M. Thomson countered Wednesday that Hayes was intent on ramming Smith’s car and was “enraged” Saturday night in New Orleans when he allegedly shot Smith.
“Suddenly this Hummer drove up at great speed behind them and rammed into them violently, causing their back windshield to shatter, their heads to whip back, and their car to hit the Chevy Impala in front of them,” said Thomson, who described Smith’s surviving wife, Racquel, as crawling away from the scene to save her life after being shot in the leg.
—Tight end Dennis Pitta restructured his contract to stay with the Baltimore Ravens as he attempts to return from his second significant hip injury.
Pitta signed a five-year, $32 million contract in March of 2014, and was due to earn $5 million in base salary in 2016 along with $2.2 million of his prorated signing bonus for a total salary cap hit of $7.2 million. He was due to count $7.7 million against the cap in each of the final two years of the deal. Terms of the restructured deal were not disclosed, although Pitta will have the opportunity to earn some of his reduced pay back through incentives.
Pitta missed the entire 2015 season after re-injuring his hip injury originally sustained on Sept. 21, 2014 at Cleveland. That came after recovering from a dislocated and fractured hip suffered during the preseason in 2013.
—The Cleveland Browns picked up tight end Chase Ford off waivers from the Baltimore Ravens.
The Ravens let Ford go on Tuesday after he signed a $1.67 million restricted free agent a few weeks ago and also after tight end Dennis Pitta re-signed with the team.
The 6-foot-6, 245-pound Ford spent last season with the Minnesota Vikings and the Ravens. He was inactive for eight games with the Vikings and one with the Ravens before the team placed him on injured reserve.
—Defensive tackle Dominique Easley, a first-round pick in 2014 who ended his two seasons with the New England Patriots on injured reserve, hit the waiver wire.
The Patriots announced Wednesday that they released Easley.
Easley was a surprising first-round pick out of Florida because of durability concerns. He had hip, ankle and thigh injuries during the 2015 season and was placed on injured reserve on Dec. 16 after playing in nine games and registering two sacks.
In each of the last two seasons, Easley ended the year on injured reserve. He finished 2015 with 15 tackles and two sacks in 11 games, including two starts.
—The Cincinnati Bengals exercised the fifth-year option on tight end Tyler Eifert’s rookie contract.
Eifert is now signed through the 2017 season. The option is in his contract as a first-round pick (21st overall) in the 2013 NFL Draft out of Notre Dame. The option is worth $4.7 million.
Despite missing three games and most of a fourth due to injuries last season, the 6-foot-6, 250-pound Eifert scored 13 touchdowns, a record by four for a Bengals tight end and only one short of the NFL lead for all players.
Eifert, who turns 26 in Week 1 of the 2016 season, had career highs of 52 catches and 615 yards and was an initial ballot selection for the Pro Bowl.
—The Indianapolis Colts signed exclusive rights free agent safety Akeem Davis to a tender.
Davis saw action in six games last season for the New Orleans Saints, Seattle Seahawks and Colts. In 2014, he played mostly on special teams in 13 games for the Washington Redskins.
In 19 career NFL games, Davis has one tackle and one forced fumble on defense and 12 special-teams tackles.
The Colts also hired John Park for football research/analytics. Park will be involved in utilizing statistics for player, coaching, financial and medical evaluations.
—The Dallas Cowboys re-signed restricted free agent safety Jeff Heath to a four-year contract.
Heath, 24, was set to make $1.671 million this season, but the Cowboys locked him up to a longer deal for his special teams play and ability to play multiple roles defensively.
Heath has played in 46 of 48 regular-season games with Dallas over the last three seasons, making 102 tackles and three interceptions. He made one start at safety in 2015, spending most of his time on special teams.
Heath finished fourth on the team in special teams tackles in 2014 with eight and in 2015 his nine special teams tackles led the team.
—The Minnesota Vikings released linebackers Terrance Plummer and Alex Singleton. Both players are entering their second NFL seasons.
Plummer went undrafted out of Central Florida last year and appeared in three games, recording one tackle, for the Washington Redskins before being released on Oct. 5. He joined the Vikings’ practice squad Oct. 27, but had his contract terminated Dec. 1. Plummer rejoined the practice squad Dec. 8 and was signed to a futures contract Jan. 11.
Singleton went undrafted out of Montana State last year and originally signed with the Patriots, who waived him from their practice squad on Sept. 16. He signed with the Seahawks’ practice squad on Nov. 26, but was released Dec. 15 and hooked on with the Vikings’ practice squad Dec. 22. Singleton, who has yet to appear in a regular-season NFL game, was also signed to a futures contract Jan. 11.