PRO FOOTBALL / DAILY REPORT : RAIDERS : Smith’s Contract Doesn’t Affect Shell

Raider Coach Art Shell wants to leave no doubt. His decision on whether defensive lineman Anthony Smith plays has nothing to do with Smith’s contract.

Shell, responding to a report in The Times that Smith has a $200,000 bonus clause in his contract for leading the league in sacks, vehemently denied hints by some Smith supporters that his limited playing time this season is related to the bonus.

Shell said he was unaware of the bonus clause until he read the story.

“I don’t coach that way,” Shell said. “I don’t coach to hold a guy back. And I won’t allow anybody to tell me to keep a guy out of the game because of that.”

Smith is used only on third downs and some passing downs. But he was a part-time player long before his sack total began to grow. That total stands at 13, good enough to lead the AFC. Clyde Simmons of the Philadelphia Eagles is the NFL leader with 14 1/2 sacks.

“I don’t want to know what kind of clauses a guy has in his contract,” Shell said. “We are going to do what is good for this football team. If a guy should be playing, he’ll play. If he shouldn’t be playing, he won’t play. And it won’t be because of some clause in his contract.”

Add sacks: In a recent publication, the Raiders had given defensive tackle Dan Birdwell credit for the team’s individual season record for sacks with 13 1/2 in 1967. But after further research by the club, defensive end Sean Jones is listed as the Raider record-holder with 15 1/2 sacks in 1986.