Saints' Harper, Smith could face bounty punishment

The NFL is soon expected to punish players involved in the New Orleans Saints bounty scandal, though word has begun to leak about which players could be affected.

Linebacker Jonathan Vilma has already said he was "bracing" for a two-to-eight game suspension, but Roman Harper and Will Smith surfaced Monday as potential names, according to an NFL Network report.

The report said that the players are "featured prominently in the investigation" and "could end up facing more severe discipline" than many players involved in the case.

All three players were with the Saints during Gregg Williams' run as defensive coordinator.