• By LES EAST
• Special to The Advocate
• Published: Sep 1, 2009 - Page: 1C

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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.”

Grant has missed the past two preseason games because of a hamstring strain suffered in the preseason opener. He could play in the preseason finale against Miami on Thursday night in the Superdome, but even if he does, he’ll then go on hiatus.

“It doesn’t bother me,” Grant said of the suspension. “Those four (games) are already gone. The NFL gave us those four. You’ve got to be a man and take those four. It ain’t even on my mind anymore. It’s about what’s going to happen when you come back for those 12. That’s what’s important.”

Smith and Grant began training camp in their customary starting positions, Smith at right end, Grant at left.

Coach Sean Payton said at the start of camp eventually he would have to modify the rotation to get more work for the ends who would he playing in the first four games, players such as Bobby McCray, Paul Spicer, Anthony Hargrove and Jeff Charleston. Grant’s injury accelerated that modification a bit.

“This is a little different, knowing that we’re going to start the season with those suspensions,” Payton said. “That position, by nature, is one that has a lot of rotation to begin with. That makes it a little easier, unlike a position like quarterback or cornerback.”

The offseason program and training camp have been helpful for Smith and Grant, because they, like their defensive teammates, have had to learn a new system under new coordinator Gregg Williams.

“It’s a new defense and a new defensive mentality, a new defensive scheme,” Smith said. “I think everybody’s picking it up pretty well. It’s not complicated, it’s pretty simple. It’s a little more of an attacking front. It helps us as pass rushers on first and second down. I’m just focusing on that and going forward.”

The depth on the defensive line will be tested during the first month of the season, and Smith said he thinks the team has its most talented group of ends from top to bottom since 2004, Smith’s rookie season when he and Grant worked with Darren Howard and Willie Whitehead.

“We’ve got a lot of guys who can go out and do a lot of different things,” Smith said. “When you combine all the guys together, you’ve got a pretty good group.”