Will Smith's injury will spark youth movement for New Orleans Saints defense
 

There's nothing good about the news of Will Smith's season-ending knee injury.

Say what you will about what position he should have been playing in the New Orleans Saints' new 3-4 defense, he was still going to play a key role this year - especially in the wake of fellow outside linebacker Victor Butler's ownseason-ending knee injury earlier this summer. And the former Pro Bowler still had more left in the tank than some observers gave him credit for.

As I've written many times in defense of Smith this year against growing critics, his skill set as a power rusher and run defender was underrated. And ironically enough, he even had his best play of the summer as an outside linebacker in open space on Sunday against the Houston Texans - just a few minutes before he suffered the knee injury.

Then throw in all the intangibles about what a great leader and teammate Smith has been for a decade in New Orleans as the longest-tenured player on the roster, and it's an extremely tough day inside the facility on Airline Drive.

I'm not afraid to admit that I personally feel for a guy who's been a pleasure to watch develop into one of the franchise's all-time greats since I started covering the team in 2005.

However, I do believe the Saints can recover from losing Smith, and possibly even spin it forward in a positive way.

The Saints were going to move on without Smith at some point in the near future - maybe at the end of this season. So his injury just sped up the process a little bit.

The same thing happened when veteran defensive end Kenyon Coleman - a longtime favorite of defensive coordinator Rob Ryan - suffered a season-ending pectoral injury this summer.

And the same thing might happen with veteran linebacker Jonathan Vilma, if the Saints decide he won't be able to return to form this year after suffering another setback with his lingering knee injury earlier this month.

The Saints didn't go into this summer planning on a full-on youth movement on defense. But now it's happening, whether they like it or not.

And maybe that's not such a bad thing.

Read more: UPDATED: Will Smith's injury will spark youth movement for New Orleans Saints defense | NOLA.com

Re: Will Smith's injury will spark youth movement for New Orleans Saints defense
 

We all knew this was almost certainly the last year these players would wear a Black & Gold uniform, but we didn't want it to end because of injury!

Re: Will Smith's injury will spark youth movement for New Orleans Saints defense
 

Tez and JR need to put up!

Re: Will Smith's injury will spark youth movement for New Orleans Saints defense
 

I just hate that it's forced by injury...

http://weknowgifs.com/wp-content/upl...e-this-gif.gif

Re: Will Smith's injury will spark youth movement for New Orleans Saints defense
 

Why is it that when a player who seems to be on his way out, get's injured, suddenly becomes "Will The Team Survive Without ____________?"
Same can be said about cutting a player who wasn't drafted.

And there is talk of "doing away" with preseason.
Okay call it, heads you make the team, tails .........

Re: Will Smith's injury will spark youth movement for New Orleans Saints defense
 

Next man up. Many here wanted to cut him.

Re: Will Smith's injury will spark youth movement for New Orleans Saints defense
 

I wanted to cut him not have a surgeon cut him.

Re: Will Smith's injury will spark youth movement for New Orleans Saints defense
 

Re: Will Smith's injury will spark youth movement for New Orleans Saints defense
 

Exactly. If he gets beat - ok. But the inj bug s really sucking us dry.

Re: Will Smith's injury will spark youth movement for New Orleans Saints defense
 

So he's done