Colston agrees to 3-year extension with Saints
July 23, 2008
Posted by Doug Tatum, The Times-Picayune July 23, 2008 5:29PM
JACKSON, MISS. – Star wide receiver Marques Colston has agreed to terms on a three-year extension with the Saints, General Manager Mickey Loomis announced Wednesday in his pre-training camp address,
Colston, a seventh-round pick in 2006, has far outplayed his rookie contract. In two seasons, he’s caught 168 passes for 2,240 yardsand 19 touchdowns.
Loomis said he can’t remember ever signing a player to an extension after two years. “He’s been a nice surprise for us,” Loomis said. “We’re excited to have Marques and to know that he’s going to part of the New Orleans Saints through 2011.”
“He’s steady and consistent and does his job” Saints Coach Sean Payton said. “As a player that was selected in round seven, he’s started off on a good note. .. He brings a level of consistency and he knows what to do.”
Payton, in his pre-camp address to media at Millsaps College, said Wednesday that 79 players reported to camp and that the team is in good shape. Three players – safety Josh Bullocks, cornerback Mike McKenzie and tight end Eric Johnson – will miss the first few days of practice because of injury.
Bullocks and McKenzie are on the physically unable to perform list. Payton said they could come off the list in a few days. Payton said Johnson will be out longer.
Cornerback Jerametrius Butler did not report. Payton said he decided to retire.
Payton said star running back Deuce McAllister came to camp at 227 pounds, a light weight for the former Ole Miss star coming off of two knee surgeries. He did not take part in the conditioning tests but Payton said he will take part in camp activities.
McAllister said he met with his surgeon, Dr. James Andrews on Monday and that he was cleared to go.
“I don’t know if it will be two-a-days right from the beginning … But I feel good about my health.”
McAllister said this is not a day he’s been eagerly anticipating.
“This is just another step. This isn’t the big day.”
Newly acquired tight end Jeremy Shockey will be listed as limited but soon will be at full speed, Payton said. Shockey missed the end of last season with the Giants after suffering a broken leg.
Loomis said the Shockey trade was the result of lengthy talks, starting before April’s draft. Loomis said he made a call to the Giants earlier this week to let them know the Saints were still interested and a deal was made.
Earlier Wednesday, the Saints announced that fifth-round draft pick Carl Nicks signed a three-year contract. That leaves first-round pick Sedrick Ellis of USC and second-round pick Tracy Porter as the only unsigned drafted players.
Loomis said right now he expects a lengthy holdout from Ellis and Porter because no deals are getting done around them.
Payton also said he doesn’t expect defensive end Charles Grant to be distracted by his legal situation in Georgia. Grant has been charged with involuntary manslaughter and has an arraignment date set for Aug. 15 in Early County, Ga.
As far as camp battles, Payton said he expects cornerback and wide receiver to be tough competitions. But he said at every position – except for quarterback – there will be tough competition for playing time.
Saints owner Tom Benson and his wife Gayle were in attendance at the opening press conference.
Work Weekend
July 23, 2008
Hard at Work!
Saints hope moves bring back 2006 form
July 23, 2008
After finishing one win shy of the Super Bowl in 2006, expectations never materialized for New Orleans Saints fans in 2007.
http://www.topix.com/nfl/new-orleans-saint…
Millsaps, Fans Prepare For Saints
July 22, 2008
Final preparations were under way at Millsaps College on Tuesday in preparation for the New Orleans Saints? arrival.
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Jeremy Shockey will meet New Orleans Saints in Jackson, Miss. today
July 22, 2008
After nearly six months of on-again, off-again trade talks, the Saints finally made a splash on the eve of training camp, acquiring New York Giants tight end Jeremy Shockey for two 2009 draft picks.
Andrew Mills/The Star-LedgerSaints make a splash with the trade of Giants tight end Jeremy Shockey.The Saints will send next year’s second- and fifth-round picks to the Giants in exchange for the four-time Pro Bowl player, who has been clamoring for the trade throughout the offseason.
Shockey, who turns 28 next month, has four years remaining on his contract, which is one of the most attractive aspects of the deal for the Saints. The Giants already footed the bill for Shockey’s signing bonus when he signed a five-year extension worth $26¤million in 2005.
“I am excited to join the Saints, as they have expressed interest in me,” Shockey said in a statement released by the team.
Shockey will meet with the media for the first time Thursday after the Saints’ first practice at Millsaps College in Jackson, Miss.
“I have had a relationship with Coach (Sean) Payton, and I appreciate what he has done as a head coach,” said Shockey, who enjoyed his most prolific offensive season as a rookie in 2002, when Payton was the Giants’ offensive coordinator. “The Saints have a lot of weapons, starting with Drew Brees, and I look forward to joining my teammates at training camp. This will be a fun year.”
Shockey will arrive today in Jackson and must pass a physical exam before the deal can become official. He is recovering from leg and ankle injuries that ended his season in December, but Payton said the Saints anticipate a full recovery before the start of the regular season.
Payton said he is ecstatic about the trade, which initially was discussed in March and April before the draft.
After working with Shockey in New York and Jason Witten with the Dallas Cowboys, Payton has been itching to land another Pro Bowl-caliber tight end for his offense since he arrived in New Orleans in 2006. Shockey’s best asset is his versatility. Shockey, 6 feet 5, 253 pounds, excels as a pass-catcher and blocker.
“I’m excited. … It took a while,” Payton said while traveling to Jackson on Monday afternoon. “I think probably you go through your range of emotions. Leading up to the draft, you think maybe it will happen. Then after that first day, there’s some disappointment because it didn’t. Then it kind of goes away for a while.
“But you still have that same interest, and it ended up working out in the end.”
In the end, the deal can be credited to a combination of the Saints’ patience and Shockey’s impatience.
The Saints didn’t have to increase their trade offer to get the deal done. They just had to wait for the Giants to come around.
In April, the Saints offered a similar deal, which centered around the 40th overall pick in the 2008 draft. Then in the summer, there was talk of a three-team deal, which would have sent the draft picks to Miami and Dolphins defensive end Jason Taylor to New York. But the Giants weren’t ready to part ways with Shockey at either point.
Then the rift began to grow between Shockey and the Giants.
Shockey had long expressed his desire to be used more as a pass catcher than as a blocker in New York’s offense. According to reports, he also became upset by the perception last year that the Giants might have been better off without him during their Super Bowl run, and he became bitter when he believed the team was leaking stories to the media about his unhappiness. He also was reportedly miffed that the team banned him from the sideline during its Super Bowl victory over the New England Patriots.
Things hit a boiling point last month during minicamp when Shockey refused to join his injured teammates on the sideline during practice, and he reportedly engaged in a private shouting match with General Manager Jerry Reese.
Surely, that made it easier for the Giants to relent when the Saints checked back in with them Monday morning. But Payton and Saints General Manager Mickey Loomis said the calendar probably had the most to do with it, with the deadline of training camp looming.
“It had really lied dormant for a few months here, and then this morning we just called to reiterate our interest,” said Loomis, who said he always felt like the deal was simmering on the back burner.
The Saints had to work an undisclosed contingency plan into the deal to account for the possibility that they might owe their second-round pick to the New York Jets as part of their previous trade agreement for linebacker Jonathan Vilma. But that clause is unlikely to be triggered, so the Saints don’t expect it to be an issue.
The Saints have no qualms about Shockey’s outspoken, often brash, personality. Payton, who always has enjoyed a good relationship with Shockey, said Shockey’s teammates have always liked and respected the way he plays the game.
“I think he’ll be well-received (in the locker room),” Payton said. “I think he’s a guy that wears his emotion on his sleeve. I think there are a number of players like that, but you’ll never mistake him for someone who doesn’t care.
“The game is very important to him, the team’s success is very important. He brings a dimension of competitiveness and energy to the huddle. He’s someone that wants to do well, wants to please. I look forward to it.”
Giants officials spoke highly of Shockey on the way out, as well.
Coach Tom Coughlin spoke of him in the same vein that Payton did, calling him a “very talented player who always played with great enthusiasm and great effort” in a statement released by the Giants. He described Shockey as “an outstanding football player who plays the game full speed and plays the game the way it was meant to be played.”
Giants President John Mara described Shockey’s close relationship with his father, the late Wellington Mara, and said he personally had some long conversations with Shockey this spring and summer.
“From those conversations, it was apparent to me that a fresh start was the best thing for us and for Jeremy,” Mara said.
Reese gave a brief statement, saying, “Jeremy Shockey was a great competitor and contributor during his years with the Giants. We wish him well in New Orleans.”
Shockey, who was drafted 14th overall by the Giants out of Miami in 2002, has 371 career receptions for 4,228 yards and 27 touchdowns. He set career highs with 74 catches and 894 yards as a rookie under Payton. Last season, he had 57 receptions for 619 yards with three touchdowns before suffering the injury.
Shockey’s presence will make things a bit crowded at the tight end position, where veterans Eric Johnson, Mark Campbell and Billy Miller will battle for roster spots during training camp.
Johnson, who has been battling a lingering ankle injury throughout the summer, said he welcomes the competition and expects Shockey to be a great addition to the offense.
“I haven’t really had too much time to worry about how it affects me personally,” Johnson said. “Really, I’m just trying to get my ankle right.
“Of course, it can be a plus. He seems like a good guy, and he’ll be a good addition to the tight end squad.”
ROOKIE CONTRACTS: Loomis, meanwhile, said he isn’t too optimistic that the Saints will be able to complete contracts with first-round draft pick Sedrick Ellis and second-round pick Tracy Porter before the players are scheduled to report to camp Wednesday, because there has been so little action around the league.
So far, six first-round picks have signed deals with their teams.
ROSTER MOVES: The Saints will release tight end Buck Ortega to make room for Shockey on the roster.
Last week, New Orleans released cornerback Anwar Phillips, defensive end Jeremy Geathers, quarterback Travis Lulay and receiver Titus Ryan.
Geathers, an undrafted free agent, was trying to follow the footsteps of his father Jumpy Geathers, a former Saints standout. Phillips was a mainstay on the Saints’ practice squad the past two years.
Michael Lombardi – What we learned in Shockey trade
July 22, 2008
What we learned in Shockey trade – Michael Lombardi – SI.com
A few weeks ago, I wrote in one of my columns that I would never want to trade a second-round pick, as they are like “gold.” With second-round picks, a team gets a four-year contract for a potential starter at a very modest price. What is not to like about that? So, naturally this week, two teams traded second-round picks for players: the Redskins got Jason Taylor from the Dolphins and the Saints obtained Jeremy Shockey from the Giants. Here’s what we learned from the latter trade.
The Saints love OffenseWe have heard for some time how much the Saints wanted the Giants tight end. Finally he is reunited with Sean Payton, the former offensive coordinator of the Giants and now Saints head coach. The Saints offense was powerful and could move the ball before it got Shockey, but now it is going to be even more explosive.
If you look over the history and origins of the West Coast offense and find the guidelines left behind from Bill Walsh, the father of the offense, the one requirement to make this offense function at a high-octane level is a great pass-catching tight end. Walsh was relentless in his pursuit of finding the right tight end. His first draft with the 49ers, his first pick overall, in the second round was a tight end, Earl Cooper, from Rice. Walsh traded a bunch of picks to New England for retired tight end Russ Francis in 1982 and convinced him to keep playing. So the Shockey trade does not surprise me at all. The Saints have been trying to find the right player at tight end since Payton arrived.
What this does for the Saints offense is force teams to respect their inside passing game. Along with Mark Campbell as the blocking tight end, the Saints have the ability to run the ball against nickel coverage. Tight ends who can run routes and block are a very challenging matchup for most defenses. And the way the Saints can throw the ball with Drew Brees at the helm, Shockey’s pass receiving skill set will blend in very well. He can win on man-to-man coverage and he can be a matchup problem for smaller defensive backs who attempt to cover him.
Tight ends are like knights in chess: They are versatile, they can strike from far away, and if used and deployed correctly they can make the other pieces fit well around them. Wideout Marques Colston, for one, will greatly benefit from having Shockey around. He’ll see less rolled coverages and will have the freedom to beat some one-on-one matchups on the outside. And if the Saints were not already proficient in the red zone (No. 2 in the NFL last year in red-zone scoring), having Shockey will make them better as he can win in the middle of the field, which is where most red-zone defenses will force the ball to be thrown.
I like that the Saints were proactive. It makes me proud I picked them to make the playoffs. Now just go and sign a big back….
Saints trade for Jeremy Shockey
July 22, 2008
Saints trade for Jeremy Shockey – New Orleans Saints Beat – Times-Picayune – NOLA.com
Posted by Mike Triplett, The Times-Picayune July 21, 2008 1:39PM
Categories: Breaking News, Saints
APJeremy Shockey is now a Saint.It took nearly six months, but the New Orleans Saints finally got their man, agreeing to a trade for New York Giants tight end Jeremy Shockey on Tuesday.
Saints General Manager Mickey Loomis confirmed the deal, which is still contingent on league approval and Shockey passing a physical. League sources said the Saints gave up a second-round and fifth-round pick in 2009.
The Saints have been targeting Shockey since before the start of free agency in February, and they had reportedly offered similar picks in this year’s draft back in March and April. But the Giants had been reluctant to give up the volatile four-time Pro Bowler for anything less than a first-round pick.
Perhaps the Giants finally had enough of the tension created by their disgruntled star, who was reportedly pushing for the trade to New Orleans.
Shockey will be reunited with Saints Coach Sean Payton, who served as the Giants’ offensive coordinator during Shockey’s rookie season in 2002. Shockey caught 74 passes for 894 yards that year – both of which remain his career highs. He has reportedly become increasingly upset in recent years that he isn’t more involved in the Giants’ passing attack.
Nevertheless, Shockey (6-foot-5, 251 pounds) is one of the NFL’s premier blocking tight ends, and his versatility will give the Saints offense a dimension that it has not had during Payton’s tenure.
Shockey’s presence also makes things a bit crowded at the tight end position, where veterans Eric Johnson, Mark Campbell and Billy Miller will now be battling for roster spots during training camp.
The Saints will report to camp Wednesday at Millsaps College in Jackson, Miss., with the first set of two-a-day practices scheduled for Thursday.
Shockey traded…Wie to try the men again…More doping tests at…
July 21, 2008
Shockey traded…Wie to try the men again…More doping tests at the Tour NEW ORLEANS Veteran tight end Jeremy Shockey is moving from the Big Apple to the Big Easy.
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Report: Giants to trade Shockey to New Orleans
July 21, 2008
The New York Giants have agreed to trade disgruntled tight end Jeremy Shockey to the New Orleans Saints, according to Fox Sports.
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Saints agree to terms with 2 picks
July 20, 2008
The New Orleans Saints agreed to terms with kicker Taylor Mehlhaff and wide receiver Adrian Arrington on Friday, leaving only three draft picks unsigned as training camp approaches next week.
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