--Tight end Jeremy Shockey was acquired from the Giants for second- and fifth-round draft picks in 2009. In New Orleans, Shockey immediately becomes the main target in an already crowded tight end mix that includes Eric Johnson, Billy Miller and Mark Campbell.
Shockey is expected to join the team by Thursday, and has a history with coach Sean Payton, who was the Giants' offensive coordinator when Shockey was drafted.
"I have had a relationship with coach Payton and I appreciate what he has done as a head coach," Shockey said in a statement from the team. "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."
--The Saints announced the signing of defensive tackle DeMario Pressley, the first of their two fifth-round draft picks this spring, to a three-year contract.
Pressley, a 6-foot-3, 301-pounder from North Carolina State, was the first of the Saints' six draft picks to agree to terms with the team. The 144th pick of the draft, Pressley started 31 of 42 games at North Carolina State.
Pressley finished his career with 145 tackles, 4.5 sacks, two interceptions, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. A three-year starter, he earned second-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference honors as a junior in 2006.
To make room for Pressley on their 80-man roster, the Saints waived wide receiver Titus Ryan.
--For the second straight season, Saints guard Jahri Evans and wide receiver Marques Colston were among the NFL leaders in Performance Based Pay for 2007.
Each team was allowed to distribute $3.15 million to lower-salaried players, depending on the playing time they got last season. Eight Saints received at least $100,000, which is awarded on top of their base pay.
Evans earned $266,667 and ranked ninth in the league. Colston was 11th with $257,894 in extra pay. Both players had base salaries of $360,000.
--Saints quarterback Drew Brees joined New York Giants defensive end Osi Umenyiora and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell on a seven-day, three-country summer USO tour last week. The tour was led by Admiral Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
It was the first time that the commissioner of a sports league visited U.S. troops overseas as part of a USO tour. In addition, it was the second USO-sponsored tour this spring for Brees, who earlier visited Okinawa.
While on those Pacific beaches, Brees talked by phone to his grandfather, who had landed as a U.S. Marine there more than 60 years earlier and participated in some of the heaviest fighting in World War II.
--Saints owner Tom Benson was honored by the Volunteers of America as the organization's Good Samaritan Award in Philanthropy in recognition of his efforts to rebuild the Gulf Coast region following Hurricane Katrina.
VOA, one of the nation's largest and oldest human services organizations, presents the award each year to a person, program or organization that has made extraordinary efforts to provide services and shelter to those in need. The award was presented to Benson in June at the organization's national conference.
"I'm honored to receive this award, and on behalf of my family and the New Orleans Saints organization, I am grateful to be among those recognized for their good work," Benson said. "Since Hurricane Katrina, I'm proud of the overall impact our club has had on the community with donations, volunteer work and support. We vowed to take a leadership role in the days after the storm, and those efforts continue on a daily basis."
QUOTE TO NOTE "I'm proud and pleased with (my progress). I don't know if there's really a 'next benchmark' to be met on my part. It's pretty much getting out there and trying to make plays. That's what I am looking forward to." -- Saints RB Deuce McAllister on his surgically-repaired knees.
Copyright (C) 2008 The Sports Xchange. All Rights Reserved.
I don't care about the rest so I just posted the Gregg Williams portion:
In the eyes of many national pundits, the NFC South is known as a defensive division. The reason why is a bit of a mystery though, as it's been several years since Atlanta and Carolina fielded defenses that merited any sort of praise whatsoever, and even longer since the days of the
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Saints, Bush seek balancing act that finally puts it all together
By Larry Weisman, USA TODAY
For the New Orleans Saints to measure balance, they would need a scale that weighs in three dimensions.
Offensively, their reliance on the pass is overwhelming compared with what they are able to do when they run. Defensively they're weak, wit
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Only New Orleans Saints Coach Sean Payton and General Manager Mickey Loomis know if Kevin Houser's unceremonious release last week was related to Tax Credit-gate.
Today's version is about the play-action passing game, something the Saints have used very successfully in the past few years and no doubt will do so again this season.
Most football fans have heard that play action passing is built off a good ground attack, and to some extent that is true; however, if
In the weeks leading up to the start of the New Orleans Saints’ 2009 training camp, NewOrleansSaints.com will take an inside look at some interesting facts and figures of various high-profile players on the Saints’ roster. This is part three in the series.
In the weeks leading up to the start of the New Orleans Saints’ 2009 training camp, NewOrleansSaints.com will take an inside look at some interesting facts and figures of various high-profile players on the Saints’ roster. This is part four in the series.
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Hey all... For me its that time of year in my office where EVERYONE thinks their team is it. In here I have a SF fan, 2 Cowboy (I know right) fans, and by ___, a Steelers fan. After heated debate the question has been posed to me "what is soooooo different from this year and the last 2? (Defense I mean)" Let me explain: In th
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If you wanted to be cruel, you could say that Tom Benson collects defensive ends like other people collect Beanie Babies: they cost a whole lot, and all they do is sit there.
I said cruel, not accurate. Actually the Saints' ends are okay. But "okay" doesn't cut it when you consider that, as a
