Robert Smith's retirement could become official as early as today, saving the Vikings money against their 2001 salary cap and opening an opportunity to sign more veteran free agents.

After waiting almost five months as a courtesy to Dennis Green and the Vikings, Robert Smith’s NFL retirement is expected to become official today.

Smith, who announced his retirement at the end of January, technically isn’t retired from the standpoint of the NFL. That comes only when he submits his retirement papers to the league, which are expected to be completed today. Since Smith signed a five-year contract that had two years remaining on it, although the language clearly made him a free agent after last season, the fact he was never waived means he is technically still an NFL player — until today.

The move by Smith helped save the Vikings money against the salary cap, a figure that has been widely debated, but one that would have kicked in immediately if he had made his retirement official before June 1.

MONDAY NOTES
* Because salary cap cuts for June 1 weren’t made until 4 p.m. Central time Friday, there was little action in the free agent market, since most teams closed shop for the weekend. The flurry of signings is expected to begin today.
* Don’t expect to see the Vikings be too active early on in the signing process, with the possible exception of snatching a cornerback they like. The team is likely to wait until July and try to snap up some bargain veterans as training camps draw close.