Saints to visit with ex-Bear free agent DE Alex Brown

The Saints will visit on Tuesday with new free agent DE Alex Brown, released by the Bears on April 1.

Brown had played all eight years of his career with the Bears after entering the league as a fourth round pick out of the University of Florida. The former SEC Defensive Player of the Year has 33 collegiate sacks and 43.5 as a Bear, and is known as a pass rush specialist.

Brown had a big game in December 2008 in a game against the Saints which knocked New Orleans out of the playoffs. Brown collected two sacks (one nullified by penalty) and a TFL against Zach Strief, who was subbing for the late-scratch Jammal Brown.

Similar story in 2007, when Brown had four tackles, a sack, three passes defensed and a forced fumble against the Saints in the regular season finale.

Brown, 6'3, 260, will be 31 this summer. The Saints are looking for depth at defensive end, where they cut long-time Saint Charles Grant and have retained backup Jeff Charleston. Bobby McCray and Will Smith are penciled in as starters, though drafting at the position almost a given.

Its possible that the Saints are doing their homework on Brown and will go after him with a contract if they can't full their depth chart out with the NFL Draft in 17 days.

Previously this offseason, the Saints have met with free agent defensive ends James Hall and Leonard Little.

UPDATE: Brown will visit the Saints first in a tour of interested NFC South cities including Tampa Bay and Charlotte.

After flirtation with Detroit, DT Hargrove re-signs

DT Anthony Hargrove is one of hundreds of players who would have had a shot at unrestricted free agency while deserving of a longer contract. Instead a restricted free agent, the Saints could offer him a qualifying offer and lock him into a one-year contract with limited access to other teams.

The Saints chose to tender Hargrove at a level that would require another team to surrender a third round pick to New Orleans if they signed him away.

Saints visit with veteran RB Jamal Lewis

Despite a loaded depth chart with young players like Pierre Thomas, Reggie Bush and Lynell Hamilton, the Saints have still looked at veteran runningbacks this offseason.

First it was ex-Raider RB Justin Fargas.

Most recently, it was former University of Tennessee, Baltimore Raven and Cleveland Browns runningback Jamal Lewis.

Lewis, who will be 31 this season, peaked as a pro in 2003 when he rushed for 2066 yards as a Raven. Since then, while still averaging nearly 1000 yards over the past six seasons, Lewis has taken on a complimentary role in the past two seasons in Cleveland.

Lewis served a four month prison term in 2005 after being convicted for using a cell phone to help arrange cocaine trade.

Midway through last season, Lewis announced he would retire after the 2009 season. He also claimed he would consider himself a Raven for life, though he had played in Cleveland since 2007. Lewis was restricted to a short yardage back last season, the only season he did not score a touchdown.

The Browns released Lewis on February 17 and reportedly failed a team physical because of concussion issues.

Saints 2010 preseason schedule set

The Saints open the 2010 preseason on the road in New England, host the Texans and then the Chargers in a nationally televised night game, then wrap up the preseason in Nashville.

Exact date/times for all but the nationally-televised game are TBA.

@ Patriots (August 12-16)
vs Texans (August 19-23) (preceded by joint team practices)
vs Chargers (August 27, 7pm on CBS)
@ Titans (September 2-3)

Assistant coach Zimmer leaves for Kansas City

The Chiefs have announced a new hire, former Saints assistant coach Adam Zimmer.

Zimmer, the son of Bengals defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer, served as a defensive assistant for the Saints under Joe Vitt, the team's assistant head coach and linebackers coach.

In Kansas City, Zimmer will serve a similar role, with the title defensive assistant/assistant linebacker coach.

NOPF's 2010 Mock Draft v1.0

Many of our long-time readers know the drill - this is the time of year to complain about the odious, fruitless and self-gratifying nature of mock drafts, then post one anyway because we can't resist.

This year, thanks to the Saints' triumph in Super Bowl XLIV, the task is worse than ever... all 32 picks. Not that we mind.

(1) St. Louis Rams - Oklahoma QB Sam Bradford
(2) Detroit Lions - Nebraska DT Ndamukong Suh
(3) Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Oklahoma DT Gerald McCoy
(4) Washington Redskins - USF DE Jason Pierre-Paul
(5) Kansas City Chiefs - Oklahoma State T Russell Okung
(6) Seattle Seahawks - Rutgers T Anthony Davis
(7) Cleveland Browns - Georgia Tech DE Derrick Morgan
(8) Oakland Raiders - Tennessee S Eric Berry
(9) Buffalo Bills - Florida CB Joe Haden
(10) Jacksonville Jaguars - Florida DE Carlos Dunlap
(11) Denver Broncos (from Chicago) - Oklahoma State WR Dez Bryant
(12) Miami Dolphins - Tennessee DT Dan Williams
(13) San Francisco 49ers - Iowa T Bryan Bulaga
(14) Seattle Seahawks (from Denver) - Michigan DE/LB Brandon Graham
(15) New York Giants - Texas S Earl Thomas
(16) Tennessee Titans - Boise State CB Kyle Wilson
(17) San Francisco 49ers (from Carolina) - Notre Dame QB Jimmy Clausen
(18) Pittsburgh Steelers - Oklahoma T Trent Williams
(19) Atlanta Falcons - UCLA DT Brian Price
(20) Houston Texans - Clemson RB CJ Spiller
(21) Cincinnati Bengals - Florida OL Maurkice Pouncey
(22) New England Patriots - Alabama LB Rolando McClain
(23) Green Bay Packers - USC T Charles Brown
(24) Philadelphia Eagles - Texas LB Sergio Kindle
(25) Baltimore Ravens - Cal DT/DE Tyson Alualu
(26) Arizona Cardinals - Rutgers CB Devin McCourty
(27) Dallas Cowboys - Idaho G Mike Iupati
(28) San Diego Chargers - Penn State DT Jared Odrick
(29) New York Jets - USC DE Everson Griffen
(30) Minnesota Vikings - USF S Nate Allen
(31) Indianapolis Colts - Indiana T Rodger Saffold

(32) New Orleans Saints -TCU DE/LB Jerry Hughes
Here's the rationale for Hughes, the best pass rusher on the best defense in the NCAA last season: the Saints paid a defensive coordinator in Gregg Williams, and he manufactured a championship-quality defense for you with some limited tools and an unlimited number of schemes. He opened the Super Bowl in 3-4, he ran a 3-3-5, he clawed and scratched and took down three Hall of Fame QB's in the playoffs. Hughes, 6'1.5, 255, gives Williams a weapon on defense, a guy who can create himself. Like Reggie Bush is a weapon for the offense, Hughes can line up at rush end or weak-side linebacker and demand attention his way - blazing speed off the end and smart, instinctive play that found 19.5 TFLs, 15 sacks, 6 FF and 2 picks as a senior. At this point in the draft, Hughes would be good value. Pass rushers are in high demand in the first round, and the Saints will be happy to see him fall to 32.

Saints' Draft 2010 picks

Saints picks in the 2010 NFL Draft:
1. (32nd overall)
2. (64th overall)
3. (95th overall)
4. (130th overall)
6. (201st overall)
7. (239th overall)

The Saints traded their 5th round pick in a 2009 draft day deal with Philadelphia to move up to draft SMU P Thomas Morstead. The Rams currently own this pick, the 163rd overall.

The Saints pick last in both the first and second rounds, but because of compensatory picks they do not pick last in later rounds.

Tuesday Saints notes

• Restricted free agent RB Mike Bell is set to become an Eagle at midnight tonight. The Saints are not expected to match an offer sheet Philadelphia signed with Bell worth nearly $1.7 million with $500,000 guaranteed.
  
  That half million is the difference between what the Eagles offered and what the Saints, who tendered him at less than 1.2 million, were willing to pay.
  
  
• Saints starting LG Carl Nicks was a massive, overpowering tackle at Nebraska. In the pros, he's become a massive, overpowering guard. After replacing Jamar Nesbit, during the veteran's Starcaps suspension, the rookie Nicks played so well that Nesbit didn't win back his starting job in 2008.
  
  Nicks has been rewarded by the league's "performance-based pay" program, which uses a calculation of play time and performance to reward under-paid players. Typically, these are mid to late-round picks like Nicks that are still playing, and playing well, under their rookie contracts.
  
  Nicks earned the sixth-highest award, more than $317,000.
  
  The top earner in the program was Vikings C John Sullivan, who earned a bonus just shy of $400k, play that included a game-saving tackle on CB Tracy Porter in the final seconds of regulation of the NFC Championship game.
  
  Porter could have won the game outright with an interception return for a touchdown had Sullivan not hustled out to bring him down - with blockers in front - near mid-field. As it was, Porter instead won the Super Bowl two weeks later with a game-icing interception return.
  
  
• The NFL's long-awaited end to sudden death overtime has finally been implemented. Starting in the playoffs for now, new overtime means that the first team to possess the ball will not win the game on a field goal. They will win the game on a touchdown. If the first team kicks a field goal, the second team is guaranteed another possession. Other than that, it remains sudden death after the first possession.
  
  That is, the Saints would not have won the NFC Championship game after driving for a field goal on the opening possession of overtime.
  
  Favre's final throw of the season turned out to be Porter's interception, he never saw the field in overtime. Under new rules, Hartley would have kicked off to the Vikings, who would have one opportunity to win or tie.
  
  Ironically, the Saints ownership voted for the new rules. The Vikings voted against, as did three other teams.
  

Monday Saints notes

• The Saints received no compensatory picks in the 2010 draft, announced on Monday.
  
  The picks, awarded via a fantastically complicated formula in the league office, gives non-tradable picks at the end of round 3-7 to teams that lost players via free agency.
  
  
• When the league announces prime time games this week, we should see the Saints hosting the Vikings on opening night of the regular season. It's an honor the champions from the prior seasons get.
  
  
• The 2011 Spring owner's meetings will be held in New Orleans. That's a lot of big spenders coming to town, and they'll be talking about some pretty heavy subjects.
  
  
• Former West Virginia and Tennessee Titan cornerback Adam "Pac Man" Jones worked out in Hahnville on Friday. Jones is a native of Atlanta, Georgia.
  
  Despite the locality, the Saints were not among the five pro teams represented.
  
  
• Veteran free agent defensive end James Hall was the first free agent visit of the Saints. A New Orleans native, Hall has re-signed with his 2009 team, the St. Louis Rams.
  
  

First pick of Haslett-Mueller era, DE Darren Howard, cut by Philadelphia

The Saints have been pursuing veteran defensive linemen since free agent opened: Jamal Williams, Leonard Little, and James Hall. Why not add a relatively familiar face to that list in former Saint Darren Howard?

Howard was the second pick of the second round in the 2000 NFL Draft, the highest pick the Saints had left after the Ricky Williams trade the year prior. The Saints were thrilled to add him, as the pass rusher from Kansas State had somehow slipped out of the first round.

Howard was an immediate success in New Orleans, teaming with Joe Johnson, Norman Hand and LaRoi Glover to be the strongest unit on the team as the Saints were propelled to their first playoff victory in franchise history.

Collecting 44.5 sacks in six seasons, Howard left the Saints after the dismal 2005 season for Philadelphia. He started all 16 games for the Eagles and helped them into the divisional playoffs where he would make his last career start in the Superdome in 2006.

In that game, Howard recovered a key late Reggie Bush fumble near midfield that gave the Eagles offense one last shot. The Saints defense was able to shut down McNabb and the Eagles with less than two minutes left, and the Saints offense ran out the clock on a 27-24 victory.

Since then, Howard hasn't started a regular season game but moved into a situational pass rusher role. Playing both end and tackle, the 6'3, 260 pounder collected 17.5 sacks over the past three seasons as the first defensive lineman off the bench for the Eagles. He collected 6.5 sacks in 2009, not a bad number and more than any Saint except for DE Will Smith (13.0).

These stats on IgglesBlog indicate Howard's decline past age 33 however, and help explain why the Eagles made the move to acquire Seahawks DE Darryl Tapp to replace Howard.

We'll see if he draws the Saints' attention.

Saints visit with free agent RB Fargas

As RB Mike Bell is set to become a member of the Eagles, the Saints visited with free agent RB Justin Fargas on Tuesday.

This is a curious move, in that Bell was given a low tender in part because of the three other backs on the Saints' roster: Pierre Thomas, Reggie Bush and Lynell Hamilton. The Saints will also return a healthy Heath Evans, a versatile fullback, in 2010.

Fargas despite being 30 years old has really only received significant playing time in four NFL seasons out of his seven, all with the Raiders. With 80 carries in his first three seasons, he then lead the team in rushing for three straight years before being usurped by Darren McFadden last year.

Fargas broke his leg as a freshman at Michigan, never got on track and transferred to USC as a Senior. Since his arrival in the NFL he's been beset by injuries, including knee injuries in 2003, 2007 and 2009.

Fargas has a collision-happy running style, a mix of Pierre Thomas' never-go-down spinning and fighting and Mike Bell's one-cut sprint. Its been blamed for his near-constant injury issues, though never criticized - Fargas is beloved in Oakland. He was released after the Raiders claim he failed a physical, which Fargas denies.

He remains an unrestricted free agent after also meeting with the Browns, Chiefs and Eagles. No contract offer from the Saints was reported. Fargas was cut by the Raiders, meaning that he would not qualify as the one free agent addition to offset the loss of Scott Fujita.

Fargas is the son of the actor Antonio Fargas, who played "Huggy Bear" on the 1970s TV show Starsky and Hutch.

So the visit with Fargas could be smoke screen, though we're not sure who. Or it could indicate some unannounced problem with Thomas, Bush, or Hamilton.

Saints RB Bell to be an Eagle in 7 days

The Eagles have signed Saints restricted free agent RB Mike Bell to a one year, $1.7 million offer sheet.

Bell signed the offer sheet Tuesday night. He appears to be headed for a #2 RB job in Philadelphia. In New Orleans, he would be facing stiff competition from youngster Lynell Hamilton to win the #3 RB job.

The contract includes $500,000 in guaranteed money and with performance incentives, could net Bell over $2 million. That's potentially double what the Saints were willing to pay Bell in 2010, his low restricted free agent tender of $1.176 million.

The Saints will almost certainly decline to match the offer in seven days, and Bell will be an Eagle and the primary backup to LeSean McCoy.

UPDATE: The offer sheet was officially signed and submitted on Wednesday, March 17. The Saints have until Wednesday, March 24 to respond to the offer.

Saints RFA DT Hargrove to visit Detroit; poison pill possibility

The Saints net sum of transactions so far in free agency 2010 have been the loss of defensive stalwart Scott Fujita, a host of minor re-signings, one incoming visit (free agent DT James Hall) and a few misses (DT Jamal Williams, QB Jake Delhomme, RB LaDainian Tomlinson?).

That may change soon.

Reserve defensive tackle Anthony Hargrove is a restricted free agent with a third-round pick price tag on his head and will be visiting Detroit on Tuesday March 16.

Should he sign an offer sheet with the Lions, the Saints would have seven days to consider matching the offer. Should they match, Hargrove becomes a Saint under those contract terms - essentially, the Lions did the negotiating work for the Saints. Should they decline, Hargrove becomes a Lion, and their 3rd round pick goes to the Saints.

Additionally, restricted free agent Mike Bell will make his second visit. Last week he met with Seattle, now he will meet with Philadelphia.

Bell is a restricted free agent tendered at a level with no compensation for the Saints should he leave. The Saints do have right of first refusal on any contract offer sheet Bell signs.

This is the point where Saints fans should become familiar with the term "poison pill."

The trick is in the wording above - Hargrove becomes a Saint under contract terms that the Lions negotiated. When new teams sign players to restricted offer sheets, they usually (and honestly) do so by offering to play the player more than the old team would care to pay.

For example, the Saints front-loaded their contract offer to CB Jason David in 2007, forcing the Colts' hand to let him leave.

However, three prominent poison pill cases in the past were not so conventional.

The Jets stole RB Curtis Martin from the Patriots with a "poison pill," including language in the contract that would make Martin an unrestricted free agent after only one year if the Patriots matched in 1998.

In 2005, the Vikings used a poison pill to prevent Seattle from matching an offer sheet for star guard Steve Hutchinson. That contract guaranteed the entire balance of Hutchinson's contract if he wasn't the highest-paid offensive lineman on the team. With star LT Walter Jones having recently signed a big contact, had Seattle matched the offer it would have made Hutchinson's contract instantly guaranteed - $49 million. That cap burden would have been damaging to Seattle, or any team.

The Seahawks responded by signing Vikings WR Nate Burleson to a sardonically-matching seven year, $49 million contract offer. This one included a "poison pill" that required Burleson's contact be guaranteed should he play a certain number of games inside the state of Minnesota. To the Seahawks, thanks to certain unlikely incentives, the contract offer was a mere four year, $14 million deal.

The concept of a poison pill was hotly debated after the Seahawks and Vikings sparred via Hutchinson and Burleson, with the Player's Union in favor of them because it furthered the ability of players to move from team to team.

The league disliked it for obvious competitive reasons, and the Vikings caught a storm of strife from the league afterwards. The method is entirely permissible in the books, though that it hasn't happened on such a large scale since 2005 gives belief that the league has strongly discouraged it.

Notes: Delhomme, Saints in de ja vu

In 2002, ex-Saints QB Jake Delhomme signed with another team because he wanted a starting job and starting money.

In 2010, ex-Saints QB Jake Delhomme signed with another team because he wanted a starting job and starting money.

Delhomme, after his flight to New Orleans was delayed, has signed a contract with the Cleveland Browns, ostensibly to be their starting quarterback. ESPN is reporting that Delhomme has been given starting money, to the tune of nearly $7 million per year for two years.

The Saints were prepared to meet with Delhomme this weekend for the possibility of the Louisiana-Lafayette returning to his first pro team for a backup job behind Drew Brees.

Veteran defensive end James Hall remains the Saints' only free agent visit so far.

Notes:

Patrick Swilling Jr., son of former Saint great linebacker Pat, was named MVP of the 5A basketball title game as Brother Martin won the state championship. Patrick has decided to focus on football in college, and is a three star safety undeclared in the recruiting process so far. He's considering his dad's alma mater, Georgia Tech, as well as Ole Miss, Miami, Kentucky, and Auburn.

The Saints have announced that their 2010 training camp will remain at Saints headquarters in Metairie.

Thursday free agent notes

• Free agent QB Jake Delhomme will be visiting the Saints. He's familiar with New Orleans, not only from growing up in Breaux Bridge, playing college ball in Lafayette, playing pro ball for the Saints through 2002, and then whipping the Saints eight times out of eleven as a Panther.
  
  
• The Saints have re-signed LS Jason Kyle to a one-year contract. Kyle performed well as the Saints' long snapper in 2009, signing him after Seattle cut him, in what became a long snapper swap. The Seahawks signed LS Kevin Houser last year after the Saints cut him because of some internal locker room strife, which has resulted in a lawsuit.
  
  
• Ex-Lion and ex-Ram, 33-year old DE James Hall, a St. Augustine High School product, is the Saints' first outside free agent visit.
  
  
• Various online reports indicate that free agent RB LaDainian Tomlinson may visit New Orleans, assuming he doesn't sign with Minnesota or the Jets in coming days. Hard to imagine a Pierre Thomas-Reggie Bush-Lynell Hamilton-LaDainian Tomlinson backfield.
  
  
• Former Saint draft pick guard Andy Alleman has signed with the Colts.
  
  
• Former Saint draft pick cornerback Michael Hawthorne, is showing the reborn Arena Football League's Orlando Storm a glimpse of da speed.
  

Delhomme coming back?

Online reports indicate that free agent ex-Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme, a Louisiana-Lafayette product and a Saint from 1997-2002, will visit the Saints.

The Saints are looking at their backup quarterback position, with Mark Brunell on the open market.

After visiting the Browns this week, Delhomme will be visiting the Saints Friday and Saturday of this week, so could be a Saint by the end of the weekend.

Delhomme, 35, a backup to firmly-entrenched Aaron Brooks, left the team as a free agent after the 2002 season for starter's money and a starter's job in Carolina.

The Breaux Bridge, LA native went 8-3 against his hometown team as a Panther, dealing some painful losses to the Saints. Delhomme led the Panthers to the Super Bowl in his first season in Carolina in 2003, and to the NFC Championship game two years later.

He had a brutal performance in a playoff game against Arizona in January of 2009, tossing five interceptions in a 33-14 loss to the Cardinals at home, two weeks after beating the Saints with a last-second field goal drive in the Superdome.

He played in only 11 games in 2009, throwing 8 TD's to 18 interceptions, and was not the same quarterback as he was in the past. He was briefly hospitalized with a rib injury and fractured a finger last season and was replaced by Matt Moore, who has now been anointed the starter in Carolina.

He was cut by the Panthers last week, less than a year after signing a new contract extension with $20 million in guarantees.

Broncos don't let DT Williams get away

The Saints were expecting to host free agent DT Jamal Williams for a visit and contract negotiations today.

Williams never got to New Orleans.

The Broncos offered $7 million guaranteed and $16 million over three years and Williams signed. Denver also picked up ex-Patriot and LSU product DE Jarvis Green today.

QB Drew Brees played with Williams in San Diego and publicly recommended him yesterday.

Another free agent remotely linked to the Saints, ex-Charger RB LaDainian Tomlinson is set to visit the Vikings.

Turley's soul still "Bleeds Black and Gold"

Former Saints offensive tackle Kyle Turley, a 1998 first round pick of the Mike Ditka era, has released his first solo album under the artist name "Turley".

The 12th track on the rock/country album is "My Soul Bleeds Black and Gold" and features the lyrics "Gotta get back to New Orleans/ to their Superdome and the fleur di lis/ I got an itch for a cajun bead/ and you can find me on Bourbon Street".

A starter at both right and left tackle through the Haslett regime, and infamous for his helmet-throwing brawl in defense of Aaron Brooks, Turley was traded to St. Louis in 2004 for a second round pick, a choice that would be wasted by the Saints on bust Notre Dame LB Courtney Watson.

In post-NFL life, Turley has been near the front of the NFL Player union's fight for retiree benefits because Turley appears on the path for serious neurological problems because of his playing time.

Saints re-sign UFA CB Leigh Torrence

Free agent cornerback Leigh Torrence, a backup through Week 11 last year before he succumbed to the team's rash of injuries at the position, has been re-signed per online reports. He attended the Hornets game on Monday night.

Torrence has played in 12 games in one and a half seasons with the Saints after being claimed off waivers from the Redskins midway through 2008.

He is five seasons out of Stanford as an undrafted free agent and played in Green Bay, Atlanta and Washington before becoming a Saint.

Torrence's shoulder injury in Tampa Bay in November 2009 forced him to injured reserve. The Saints signed CB Mike McKenzie to fill in. Torrence played sparsely on defense and was mostly used on special teams.

Sharper's cool free agent market explained

At a public signing appearance in New Orleans, unrestricted free agent Darren Sharper showed up with a clear explanation of his cool free market interest level.

Expected to be one of the hot free agents entering the market, news on his prospects was slim.

The Saints' 2009 starter at free safety showed up at the Prytania Theater walking with the aid of crutches, the result of minor arthroscopic knee surgery. Sharper voiced confidence about his ability to play football in 2010, but the fact remains that Dr. James Andrews cut on Sharper less than a week ago.

Sharper canceled free agent visits he had lined up. This will put the determination of his 2010 off by weeks.

As written earlier, the Saints took a check with me approach with Scott Fujita, only to find the Browns' offer far and away what they were willing to pay. They will take the same approach, perhaps with the same result, with Sharper.

Saints tour veteran d-linemen free agents

With Scott Fujita lost via free agency, the Final 8 rules now allow the Saints to sign a new unrestricted free agent, as long as the first year salary+bonus number is less than what Fujita signed for.

Various online reports indicate the Saints have lined up visits at some point this week with DE James Hall (33), DE Leonard Little (35), and DT Jamal Williams (34 in April).

Williams was actually cut by the Chargers, meaning that the Saints could have signed him before losing Fujita.

The long time St. Louis Ram, Little is expected to visit the Saints later this week. Hall is a New Orleans native who prepped at St. Augustine High School before attending Michigan.

Fujita will miss New Orleans

The Saints have a hole to fill at strong-side linebacker for the first time since 2006.

Linebacker Scott Fujita, who signed with the Saints before the 2006, following Sean Payton and Gary Gibbs from Dallas to New Orleans, has signed a contract in Cleveland with the Browns, who pressed upon him a superior contract offer.