February 17th, 2014 
Matt Loede 
Posted in 
Pass rusher Will Smith missed the 2013 season after tearing his ACL in a preseason game.
Smith was released by the Saints last week along with defensive veterans Roman Harper, Jabari Greer and Jonathan Vilma.
But Smith isn’t ready to retire at 32, Ramon Antonio Vargas of the Baton Rouge Advocate reports. “I’m ahead of schedule of where I need to be,” Smith remarked during a recent telephone interview about rehabilitating the injury that sidelined him. “I can’t play a football game tomorrow, but … it’s a slow process. I still have a lot of time — two, three months — before things really start back up football-wise.”
He admitted he’s more comfortable playing defensive end in a 4-3 scheme since that’s the position and system in which he’s been for the vast majority of his career. Nonetheless, he’s preparing himself to prove to whichever team might sign him that he can also contribute as an outside linebacker in a 3-4, which he briefly played as defensive coordinator Rob Ryan began installing his scheme in his first year with the Saints.
“I definitely want to play until I don’t have the passion,” said Smith, who added his children would likely continue to go to school in New Orleans if he landed elsewhere in the NFL. “I want to play until I can’t at a high level anymore.”
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I wouldn’t give up on Will Smith being able to contribute to an NFL defense yet – it just depends on how well he’s recovered from injury, and what kind of price he and his agent are demanding.