Colston happy to be healthy
May 31, 2008
Two years ago, Marques Colston was a little-known seventh-round draft pick struggling just to get through mini-camp with the New Orleans Saints.
http://www.topix.com/nfl/new-orleans-saint…
DE Will Smith attends Saints minicamp
May 30, 2008
A contract dispute didn’t stop New Orleans Saints defensive end Will Smith from attending the team’s mandatory minicamp Friday morning as he worked out with the team for the first time this offseason.
http://www.topix.com/nfl/new-orleans-saint…
Five questions for minicamp
May 30, 2008
Five questions for minicamp – David Gladow – New Orleans Sports
Posted by David Gladow, NOLA.com May 29, 2008 2:03PM
Categories: NFL, Saints
Eliot Kamenitz / Times-PicayuneMark Brunell prepares to throw the ball during last week’s OTAs.For football junkies, this is the time to pay attention. Why? Because in another week or two, they’ll have nothing to do for the better part of two months.
It’s sad, but true. The NFL dead zone is fast approaching … no NFL Draft, no big free agency moves, no team training activities, nothing much of anything except the rare contract signing.
Oh sure, the true fanatics can play Madden endlessly or fine tune their fantasy football draft boards. But the majority of us are going to go through some major withdrawal symptoms.
So with that in mind, we offer a Saints minicamp preview, to prime fans for what may be the last significant Saints activity for the next several weeks. And besides, a lot can be learned from minicamp.
Such as…
1.) Did that major first-round investment at defensive tackle pay off? Coaches will always tell you that the defense should be ahead of the offense at this stage of the offseason, so if the Saints defense comes out and shuts the offense down … well, let’s not all get too excited.
That said, minicamps are the first real opportunity for coaches to see what they’ve got in their rookie additions, and perhaps no addition is quite as significant to an NFL team as Sedrick Ellis’ is to the Saints.
Provided Ellis participates this weekend (and all players, including him, are expected to be present), the former USC defensive tackle’s performance could have a profound impact on a Saints defense that, perhaps more than anything, needs a better push up front. On paper, Ellis fits that bill. He earned praise from coach Sean Payton for his performance during OTAs; now he needs to bring it in more of a game-like environment.
Here’s guessing he will.
Eliot Kamenitz / Times-PicayuneCharles Grant is an important figure in the Saints’ success in 2008.2.) Who’s going to suit up at defensive end? Will Smith is trying to negotiate a new contract and Charles Grant has found himself in some legal trouble. Add in a shoulder injury for Bobby McCray, and the Saints may unexpectedly find themselves with a real lack of defensive ends this weekend.
As stated above, all players are expected to attend this mandatory practice, but if Smith wants to stage a holdout, this is the time to start. Likewise, Grant may be given a special leave of absence due to his “unique” circumstances. That leaves New Orleans with Josh Savage and Jeremy Geathers.
That’s a concern.
Granted, the coaching staff will relish getting a long look at both of those young players, but the last thing the team wants to do is start moving tackles to end to compensate for a lack of depth. For one, it takes away valuable reps for those tackles at their natural positions. For another, it can hurt the level of competition for the offensive linemen.
For those reasons, it will be interesting to see how the situation plays itself out.
3.) Can someone emerge at defensive back? Please? The buzz among Saints fans indicates a total lack of faith that the team has adequately addressed its problems in the secondary. The experts aren’t convinced either.
Ultimately, this team will be judged on how it defends the pass in 2008, and while the additions in the front seven figure to help matters considerably, the secondary simply has to play better. And for that to happen, some of the returnees have to get better … or the new additions have to exceed expectations.
I watched rookie second-round pick Tracy Porter break up one pass and get his hands on another in limited action during OTAs last week, so my own eyes are telling me he can certainly compete at this level. Can he come in and play well in a game situation though? That is the question.
With Mike McKenzie still being held out due to ACL rehab, this is a perfect time for some of the younger players to make their mark. Porter and free-agent acquisition Randall Gay will get lots of attention this weekend … as will returnees Jason David, Usama Young and Jason Craft.
Someone has to step up. Right?
Eliot Kamenitz / Times-PicayuneWill the usual names dominate action … or will new faces emerge?4.) What’s going to happen at running back? Deuce McAllister is coming off leg and knee injuries. Reggie Bush struggled to run between the tackles in his absence. So what do the coaches have in mind for a solution?
How about an open competition? Bush is going to continue to split snaps at running back and slot receiver, so don’t expect his role to change much should McAllister miss more time in ’08 … which is a departure from the strategy last year, and very likely a good one. What will be interesting is the competition between McAllister, Aaron Stecker and Pierre Thomas, which should be hot and intense all summer long.
Make no mistake, the starting role is McAllister’s to lose. But with his health still an unknown, the other two can grab some significant carries this season. And while the Deuce is sitting on the sidelines during minicamp, Thomas and Stecker will take the opportunity to make a big early impression.
5.) Can the team erase the bad karma of a disappointing 2007 flop? The 2006 season was magical. The 2007 season wasn’t. More than anything, the Saints want to turn the page on last season and get pointed in the right direction … and that starts with training sessions.
If anything can be learned from ’07, it’s this: Don’t go 0-4.
The Saints stumbled out of the gate last year and never recovered, clawing their way to a final 7-9 record. The lesson is clear. If the Saints want to return to the postseason in ’08, they’ll have to get off to a better start. That starts not in Week 1, not in the preseason or training camp, but now. The players should come out motivated and efficient, ready to push their way to a better finish … and perhaps more importantly, a better start.
Saints’ London game tickets moving fast
May 30, 2008
Saints’ London game tickets moving fast – New Orleans Saints Beat – Times-Picayune – NOLA.com
Posted by Jimmy Smith, The TImes-Picayune May 29, 2008 3:08PM
Categories: SaintsIt took just 90 minutes on Thursday for the first 40,000 tickets to be sold for the Saints’ Oct. 26 game against the San Diego Chargers in London’s Wembley Stadium.
“We are delighted to report the overwhelming interest in this year’s game,” said Alistair Kirkwood, the managing director of NFL United Kingdom.
“Today’s sales at Ticketmaster have matched the pace at which tickets were bought for last year’s game between the Miami Dolphins and New York Giants, which was historic in being the first-ever regular-season game outside North America. This proves that our event is one of the most eagerly awaited on the British sports calendar.”
The tickets sold on Thursday were available to fans who were randomly selected from an initial large number of registered ticket requests.
The demand for tickets forced the NFL to release an additional 5,000 tickets for immediate sale. The league said there has also has been an increase in the number of tickets that will be offered in the second sale of tickets to fans who registered in February when the game was announced.
Will Smith to attend minicamp
May 30, 2008
Will Smith to attend minicamp – New Orleans Saints Beat – Times-Picayune – NOLA.com
Posted by Jimmy Smith, The TImes-Picayune May 29, 2008 4:07PM
Categories: SaintsSaints defensive end Will Smith, who has skipped the team’s voluntary offseason program and the first two weeks of the OTA sessions, will attend the mandatory minicamp that begins today at the Airline Drive practice facility.
Players were required to report to the facility by 7 p.m. Thursday and Smith was on his way according to his agent, Joel Segal.
Segal, who also represents wide receiver Marques Colston, said both players will participate in this weekend’s minicamp, the first of five practices scheduled this morning.
Smith has been absent from the conditioning program which commenced in mid-March, as well as the organized team activities that began on May 19 in apparent protest of the team’s inability to restructure his contract, though both sides have continued on-going dialog aimed at that ultimate goal.
Colston, who has outperformed his original deal and also hopes for a new deal, possibly before this season, has taken part in the offseason conditioning program as well as the OTAs.
Smith, who’ll be 27 on July 4, is scheduled to earn just more than $1 million this season in base salary and incentives. His counterpart on the other side of the Saints defensive line, Charles Grant, last year signed a contract extension that could eventually be worth $63 million. Since becoming the Saints’ first-round pick out of Ohio State in 2004, Smith has earned $20 million in salary and bonuses.
Smith was traveling on Thursday and unavailable for comment. Saints Coach Sean Payton said last week that he expected Smith to participate in the mandatory practices.
“Obviously Will has been discussing and is interested in a new contract,” Segal said Thursday. “He told me he will be at the minicamp and doesn’t want to miss the time to work to get better and maintain his goal of attaining a Super Bowl win.”
Segal said he was not sure if Smith would remain in New Orleans to work in the voluntary sessions that continue following this weekend’s five practices.
Grant, who last week was indicted on involuntary manslaughter charges stemming from a February melee in Blakely, Ga., that left a 23-year-old pregnant woman dead, will also be participating in the minicamp his attorney said Thursday.
“Charles is fine to go to minicamp this weekend,” Edward Tolley said. “We’re going to have a meeting among the lawyers next week and start moving this thing in a positive direction.”
No other court dates or appearances have been scheduled in the case, which last week was assigned to Early County (Ga.) Superior Court Judge Ronnie Joe Lane.
The individual indicted for the actual murder, Laquient Macklin, remains in the Early County Jail.
“He’s had a bond hearing,” Tolley said, “but the judge hasn’t ruled yet. I think once he rules on the bond question, we’ll probably start getting some scheduling orders as to everybody else. I talked to Charles (Wednesday) and I told him I wanted him to do his job, to try to maintain as normal a schedule and lifestyle and responsibilities as possible and we’ll go from there.”
The Saints will hold two practices today, two on Saturday and one on Sunday.
Only Saturday morning’s practice is open to the public. The other four workouts will be closed.
Grant surrenders after indictment
May 29, 2008
National Football League star Charles Grant is out on $10,000 bond after surrendering to the Early County Sheriff’s Office Thursday.
http://www.topix.com/nfl/new-orleans-saint…
Jindal coming to Saints minicamp
May 29, 2008
Jindal coming to Saints minicamp – New Orleans Saints Beat – Times-Picayune – NOLA.com
Posted by The Times-Picayune May 28, 2008 5:14PM
Categories: SaintsLouisiana Governor Bobby Jindal will make an appearance at Saints minicamp Friday afternoon, kicking off a campaign to get people ready for hurricane season.
The campaing is “Get a Gameplan”, and Jindal will be at the Saints practice facility on Airline Drive at 2:30 p.m. Friday.
Saints make some roster moves
May 28, 2008
Saints make some roster moves – New Orleans Saints Beat – Times-Picayune NFL – NOLA.com
Posted by dtatum May 27, 2008 5:13PM
Categories: SaintsAccording to a press release from the team, the Saints on Tuesday signed free agent linebackers Chris Graham and William Kershaw, as well as defensive back Tuff Harris. The team also released former LSU linebacker Luke Sanders.
Graham, a 5-foot-11, 225-pound linebacker, is a rookie free agent from Michigan. He was a four-year letterman and a two-year starter for the Wolverines, opening 20 of 46 career games on the college level.
Harris (6-0, 198) is a first-year player who spent the 2007 season with the Miami Dolphins, splitting time between the practice squad and active roster. He was waived by the Dolphins in April.
Kershaw (6-3, 240) is also a first-year player who has had stints with four NFL clubs since first being signed as an undrafted free agent by the Kansas City Chiefs in 2006. The athletic linebacker has played in three career regular season games, making one tackle on special teams, and also made three special teams tackles in Kansas City’s AFC wild card appearance following the ’06 season.
Loomis also announced that the Saints waived linebacker Luke Sanders, who played at LSU, and safety Rocky Schwartz, who played at Houston, undrafted free agents who were signed after April’s draft.
The Saints begin minicamp Friday.
The LSU/USC Debate
May 27, 2008
For the past several years, ever since the “split” national championship between the LSU Tigers and the USC Trojans, the two have become sort of rivals in a sense.
http://www.topix.com/nfl/new-orleans-saint…
Former Buckeye Smith absent from Saints
May 27, 2008
New Orleans Saints defensive end Will Smith skipped an optional offseason training session Wednesday, May 21, apparently because he is unhappy with his contract.
2009 SPONSOR
ADVERTISERS
