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Saints ends set to take 'those 4'
Suspended Smith, Grant focus on return

* By LES EAST
* Special to The Advocate
* Published: Sep 1, 2009

METAIRIE ? As the Saints begin their final two weeks of preparation before opening the regular season, defensive ends Will Smith and Charles Grant are in a hurry-up-and-wait mode.

They?re trying to use these final days of preseason to prepare themselves for the upcoming season, though they know, when the final roster is set over the weekend, they will begin four-game suspensions for testing positive for a banned substance last year.

The teams? bookend $63 million ends won?t be available until the fifth game ? and sixth week because of New Orleans? bye ? against the Giants on Oct. 18. (Place-kicker Garrett Hartley will be suspended for the same time period because of a more recent positive test.)

?I?m not really worried about it,? Smith said. ?We?ve been in camp, and I?ve been worried about camp and learning the defense and getting everything situated. I haven?t even thought about it.?

2theadvocate.com | Sports | Saints ends set to take 'those 4' — Baton Rouge, LA