JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jacksonville Jaguars were hoping for a fresh start. Instead, they opened training camp with a big problem.

	Smith

Five-time Pro Bowl selection Jimmy Smith was a holdout Thursday when the Jaguars reported for camp.

He feels he's underpaid and says the Jaguars haven't made good on past promises to compensate him for what he is -- the most productive receiver in the NFL over the past five years.

"I'm not asking to be the top-paid receiver, but it's embarrassing,'' said Smith, scheduled to make $2.75 million this season. "Last year, promises were made by management. After last season, I wanted to see if they would keep that promise.''

While Smith was a holdout, first-round draft pick John Henderson signed his contract Thursday -- a five-year, $10 million deal with a $6.7 million signing bonus to be split over two seasons. It means Smith was the only one missing from meetings on the first day of camp.

The promises Smith refers to are those he says the Jaguars made when he repeatedly agreed to restructure his contract to help the team deal with its salary-cap problems.

In 1999, Smith signed a five-year contract extension worth $19 million. Since then, he has extended his deal through 2006 in moves to help the Jaguars deal with the cap. He has gotten slight raises in those renegotiations, but still isn't among the 10 highest-paid receivers in the league.

Smith has more catches (479) and receiving yards (6,728) than any receiver in the league over the last five seasons.

"I don't want to do this, but I'm forced to do it,'' he said. "I have no other options.''

Jaguars contract negotiator Paul Vance says the team has been talking to Smith and his agent, Gary Uberstine, since February, and the Jaguars have offered Smith a raise.

"Apparently, Jimmy feels he hasn't been offered enough,'' Vance said. "I've talked to the agent every day for quite a while.''

Uberstine did not return messages left at his office by The Associated Press.

Coach Tom Coughlin said he didn't know of any promises that were made to Smith when he renegotiated his deals for salary-cap reasons, and owner Wayne Weaver agreed.

"Last February, Jimmy claimed I had made a promise to give him a new contract,'' Weaver said. "At that time, I reminded Jimmy that I had never promised him a new contract, but rather that I would continue to be fair to him in the context of the contract that he signed. Jimmy did not dispute this then and I never heard anything further on this'' until Thursday.

Smith's absence comes at a time when the Jaguars are trying to mend fences with fans, who have stayed away the past few years, as the record has plummeted and the team's salary-cap management style has proven faulty.

This summer, Coughlin, Weaver and several other front-office types hit the banquet circuit around Jacksonville promising a fresh start. They drastically overhauled the roster to get the salary cap in shape.

Smith, along with Mark Brunell and Fred Taylor, are among the few core veterans they kept, in hopes of staying competitive while they rebuild.

Starting the season with a high-profile holdout clearly wasn't what the team had in mind for this PR campaign.

"I am disappointed that Jimmy decided not to report to the opening of training camp,'' Weaver said. "It is not in Jimmy's nor the club's best interest for him to not be here with the rest of the team.''

Coughlin said Smith will be fined for each day of camp he misses.

Several teammates said they understand Smith's position. "I really think he's very much underpaid,'' Taylor said. "You've got guys who can't carry his shoulder pads to the field who are getting way more than he's getting. It's sick when you think about it.''