Player Notes and Stories:
6/29 The Saints have $11.271 million in salary cap
room before signing Robert Meachem, according to ESPN. With
only $992,630 remaining in the rookie salary cap pool for
2007, the Saints will have $10.278 million remaining assuming
that Meachem's rookie contract has a 2007 cap value up to
the team's limit.
6/7 The Saints have signed
former Cardinals DT Kendrick Clancy.
5/29 Former Saint TE Tim Euhus has signed
in Arizona.
5/25 Saints special teams ace Fred McAfee has retired
and joined the Saints as Director of Player Programs.
5/24 The Saints waived TE Calen Powell
and signed former Redskins free agent safety Curry Burns.
5/15 After their rookie minicamp
the Saints inked two veteran defensive linemen,
Lance Legree and Anton Palepo, and an undrafted rookie linebacker
Desmond Sims from Arkansas.
5/8 The Vikings have signed former Saint starter
DT Howard Green.
5/8 The Saints are still adding undrafted
free agents, the latest North Alabama WR Anthony Merritt.
5/7 S Andrew Shanle, an undrafted rookie out of
Nebraska, has signed in Chicago.
5/7 Former Saint draft pick QB Adrian McPherson,
once the AFL rookie of the year, has been cut from the
Austin Wranglers, where he had started the first nine weeks
of this season. The Wranglers will go with Lang Campbell.
5/7 The Redskins have signed former Saint TE Zach
Hilton.
5/3 The Falcons have signed K Billy Cundiff.
5/3 The Saints signed
veteran P Chris Hansen to
compete with Steve Weatherford.
4/26 The Saints have successfully stolen
CB Jason David from the Colts, who signed his restricted free agent
offer sheet today.
4/26 DE Charles Grant is no longer the Saints'
franchise player, having signed a
new seven year contract.
4/17 The Saints have lost out on CB Tory James
(Bengals). The former LSU Tiger signed in New England.
4/16 The Saints have signed former LSU Tiger and
St. Louis Ram linebacker Trev Faulk. Faulk, 25, who missed
last season because of a back injury, bounced around the
league after leaving LSU in 2002 before landing with St.
Louis, where he started periodically in 2004 and 2005.
4/13 Former Saint training camper Troy Bienemann,
a long snapper rookie last year who didn't make it out
of training camp, has signed in Arizona.
4/13 The Saints are speaking with restricted free
agent cornerback Jason David of the Colts. Should the Saints
sign David to an offer sheet, they would be on the hook
for a fourth round draft pick, if they successfully steal
David from Indianapolis.
4/13
The Saints have announced the signings of Evans and TE Calen Powell, a former
Duke Blue Devil who has now bounced to his third team in two years.
The 6'5, 257 pounder has not appeared in an NFLgame, but has played in NFL Europa.
4/12 The Saints have signed
WR David Patten.
4/10 Online reports indicate the Saints have inked
LB Troy Evans (Texans) to a near-minimum two-year contract.
4/9 The Saints have interest in CB Tory James (Bengals),
CB Ralph Brown (Browns), DB Jack Brewer (Cardinals), LB
Orlando Huff (Cardinals), and LB Jeff Posey (Redskins).
4/5 As expected, the Saints have released K John
Carney.
4/5 DT Rodney Leisle has signed his one-year restricted
free agent tender.
4/3 The Saints have acquired K Olindo Mare from the Dolphins for their 6th round pick, the 199th overall. Mickey Loomis worked out a deal with his old boss and friend Randy Mueller
for the disgruntled kicker, who sought a fresh start. Mare will likely replace the aging John Carney, who was pulled by Sean Payton last year on kickoffs
and long field goal attempts.
4/3 The Saints have re-signed
S Jay Bellamy, a substitute starter last season, to a one-year base salary deal, ensuring that the Saint secondary will
have their elder statesman at least through training camp. Bellamy has been tough competitor since 2001 for the team and remains one of the longest tenured
Saints on the roster.
4/3 LB Cornelius Wortham, allocated to the Hamburg
Sea Devils of NFL Europa by the Saints, was waived after
training camp.
4/3 In their continuing quest to find a veteran receiver to add to the corps, the Saints
reportedly met with former Patriots and Redskins receiver David Patten. The 5'10, 190 pound, 32-year old Patten
is coming off two injury-plagued seasons in Washington, where he landed after winning three Super Bowls as a key role player
for the Patriots. The 10-year veteran has 20 career touchdowns, seven in 2004 when he had 800 yards for the Patriots.
4/2 On day one of the voluntary
offseason conditioning program, DE
Charles Grant has not arrived, presumably
because he has not signed his tender
contract.
3/31 Former Saint practice
squad QB Kliff Kingsbury has signed
with the Montreal Alouettes.
3/28 CB Curtis DeLoatch has
signed with the Panthers as an unrestricted
free agent. DeLoatch recovered
Steve Gleason's blocked punt and scored
a goal-posted dunking touchdown in
the Saints' return to the Superdome
in Week 3.
3/27 WR Terrance Copper, a restricted free agent who drew attention on the open market from a number of teams, has signed a one-year
contract to remain with the Saints. The contract, likely negotiated outside the terms of his restriced free agent status, keeps the receiver
from signing an offer sheet from another team. Copper is expected to challenge for a starting job this season.
3/25 The Bears have signed DT Anthony Adams, who drew interest from the Saints early in free agency.
3/23 The Saints officially waived LB EJ Kuale on
March 19.
3/23 WR Bobby Engram has re-signed in Seattle.
3/23 Former Saint FB Terrelle Smith has shunned
his former New Orleans offensive coordinator Mike McCarthy
in Green Bay to return to Arizona.
3/23 The Cardinals have signed S Ken Hamlin, who
was pursued by the Saints earlier in March.
3/22 The Jets have signed DE Michael Haynes, who
spent a short amount of time with the Saints at the start
of the 2006 season.
3/22 Former LSU linebacker EJ Kuale is apparently
off the Saints roster, after being re-signed in mid-February
to the offseason roster, and in trouble in Baton Rouge.
Profootballtalk.com reports that Kuale appeared on the
East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office inmate list on firearm
and possession charges. Kuale was a prime student of linebackers
coach Joe Vitt during minicamp and training camp last offseason
but didn't win a roster spot after injuries limited him
in camp.
3/21 Published reports indicate that the Seahawks
are pushing hard to sign WR Bobby Engram, who visited with
the Saints and two other teams. The 34-year old utility receiver
led the Seahawks with 67 catches just two years ago,
when the Seahawks won the NFC Championship. A virus trigger
a thyroid condition that bisected his season, keeping him
out of weeks 5-14 of the 2006 regular season. He returned
for the final three games, catching four passes for 65 yards
in Week 16. Engram led the Seahawks in receiving yards in
two playoff games, catching seven passes for 120 yards including
a 36-yard catch and run against Dallas. Postseason 2006
wasn't kind to the other free agent uberveteran the Saints
visited with. WR Keenan McCardell played but wasn't thrown
a pass for the Chargers in their playoff game.
3/21 The Titans have signed S Bryan Scott, who
played sparingly last season for the Saints after arriving
in the Wayne Gandy trade. Scott visited Tennessee earlier.
3/21 Published reports indicate veteran S Omar
Stoutmire has signed in Washington. Stoutmire was a parttime
starter for the Saints last year.
3/21 With Kaesviharn on board, the Saints are no
longer interested in free agent S Ken Hamlin, who will
visit Dallas this week.
3/20 Former Colts WR Brandon Stokley has signed
in Denver. The veteran is overcoming an Achilles injury
and visited the Saints recently.
3/19 Former Panthers linebacker Chris Draft has
signed in St. Louis, joining former teammate Will Witherspoon.
The Saints were interested in Draft before signing Brian
Simmons.
3/19 Former Saints linebacker Colby Bockwoldt has
signed in San Francisco. Bockwoldt played in Tennessee
last season.
3/16 The Panthers have signed LB Terrance Melton,
one of the Saints' special teams fixtures and leading penalty
victims for the past three years.
3/15 The Bucs are bringing in DE Charles Grant
for a visit, despite his franchise tag designation. It
isn't likely the Bucs would follow the standard protocol
of signing Grant to an offer sheet and paying the Saints
two first round picks - including the fourth overall pick
this year. More likely is that the Saints agree to trade
an unhappy Grant to the Bucs. Even more likely is Mickey
Loomis appearing as the featured act at Hustler. To trade
the fiery Grant to a divisional rival would be incomprehensible
to some and highly question to others, so its not going
to happen despite how much the Bucs want him and despite
how much Grant wants out. Trading Grant to another team
- not in the Saints division or on the 2007 schedule -
is possible.
3/15 Add the Dolphins to the list of teams interested
in WR Terrance Copper. The Saints decided not to protect
him with a higher restricted free agent tender, meaning
that unless the Saints ink him first, another team could
offer Copper and not have to pay anything in return to
the Saints. Copper entered the league as an undrafted
rookie.
3/15 Ancient by NFL standards, 37-year old Keenan
McCardell did enjoy his most recent success catching passes
from Drew Brees in San Diego. He will be visiting the Saints
"soon".
3/14
S Bryan Scott, who arrived along with a seventh round pick for T Wayne Gandy
in a 2006 trade with the Falcons, is an unrestricted free agent and is set to
meet with the Titans.
3/14 Former Saint fourth round pick and standout
starter Terrelle Smith has been waived by the Browns. When
Smith signed with Cleveland in free agency after the 2003
season, the Saints drafted current starter Mike Karney,
who went to the same school, played the same position and
wore the same number. Karney is under contract through
2010, thanks to a lucrative extension signed last summer.
3/13 The Tennessee Titans might try to pluck restricted
free agent WR Terrance Copper from the Saints, according
to published reports. The Titans would owe the Saints nothing
if they sign him to an offer sheet, and might use a "poison
pill" clause to prevent the Saints from matching the
contract, such as a clause that gaurantees the entire value
of the contract if Copper plays more than one game in the
state of Louisiana. Copper's loss would also change the
Saints' draft strategy, forcing them to sign both a veteran
(Stokley, McCardell, Engram) and draft a youngster.
3/13 WR Brandon Stokley, who visited the Saints
last week, has visited with the Denver Broncos.
3/13 ESPN reports that the Saints have set up a
visit with veteran WR Keenan McCardell. Former Jaguar,
Buc and most recent Charger, McCardell recently turned
37 and caught his first NFL pass in 1992.
3/13 The Saints visited with WR Bobby Engram (Seahawks)
today.
3/13 The Saints have signed
FS Kevin Kaesivharn to a four-year
contract.
3/13 It would be difficult to believe that the
Saints are still interested in Ken Hamlin.
3/12 CB Frank Walker, who visited the Saints last
week, has signed in Green Bay.
3/12 The Saints have re-signed CB DeJuan Groce
to a one-year deal. Groce was a restricted free agent that
received no tender from the Saints, making him unrestricted.
With no attention on the open market, Groce returned.
3/11 Published reports indicate that the Saints are
talking to free agent defensive tackle Kindal Moorehead (Carolina).
The 6'2, 285 pounder has 7.5 sacks in four years as a part
time player for the Panthers.
3/11 Trades: two players the Saints are linked
to possibly trading for are CB Dre Bly (Broncos, recently
Lions) and WR Darrel Jackson (Seahawks).
3/10 CB Rod Hood, a target of the Saints who worked
out for the team this past week, has signed in Arizona.
3/10 LB Donnie Edwards, once a target of the Saints
this offseason and the last, has signed with the Chiefs.
The Saints lost interest after nabbing Bengals LB Brian
Simmons.
3/10 WR Brandon Stokley did not work out on Thursday
in his visit with the Saints, and left without a contract.
He is in the thick of rehabbing a torn Achilles tendon.
3/10 Published reports confirm that the Saints
are no longer interested in LB Chris Draft (Carolina).
He will visit Atlanta and Tampa Bay next.
3/10 Former Saint starter and draft pick LB Colby
Bockwoldt has signed with Pittsburgh. Last training camp
the new Saints coaching staff cut Bockwoldt, a two-year
starter and a seventh round pick of the Haslett regime,
and he bounced to Tennessee for the 2006 season.
3/9 The Saints visted with
free agent CB Frank Walker on today. A four-year veteran
of the Giants, Walker played mostly special teams last
year in only seven games after working his way into Tom
Coughlin's doghouse.
3/9 Published reports out of Cincinnati indicate
the Saints are close to signing veteran free safety Kevin
Kaesviharn. The seven year veteran lost his starting job
for a time last year, but started seven games in formation
or in place of injured Madieu Williams and collected six
interceptions, including one of Drew Brees in the end zone.
He also collected 1.5 sacks in that game. Kaesviharn visited
the Browns on Thursday.
3/9 Cornerback William James has re-signed with
Philadelphia. He had visited the Saints this week.
3/8 The Seattle Seahawks have signed S Deon Grant
to a huge contract. Grant visited with the Saints on Sunday.
The Giants were reportedly the next-highest bidders for
the former Jaguar. Grant's arrival bumps Ken Hamlin out
of Seattle's plans.
3/8 The Saints will visit for former Ravens and
Colts receiver Brandon Stokley, an eight year veteran out
of Louisiana-Lafayette. Stokley's agent indicates that
his ruptured Achilles' heel should be ready by the summer.
He was cut March 2 by the Colts, and will visited the Saints
today.
3/7 The Saints visited with former Eagles cornerbacks
William James and Rod Hood today.
3/7 The Saints have signed former 49ers starter
TE Eric Johnson to a one-year deal.
3/7 WR Joe Horn has followed Bobby Hebert, Morten
Anderson, and Brady Smith to Atlanta, ESPN reports.
3/6 The Saints will meet with former Colts and
Cowboys kicker Mike Vanderjagt, the most accurate in league
history. It's a sign that the Saints are looking to replace
John Carney, who will be 43 years old before the NFL Draft.
Last season substitute kicker Billy Cundiff attempted some
of the longer field goals for Carney, as well as handled
kickoffs.
3/6 Various published reports indicate the Saints
will sign
veteran LB Brian Simmons of the Bengals to a new
three-year contract. The versatile linebacker will compete
for a starting spot at middle.
3/5 Free agent linebacker Danny Clark will visit
the Houston Texans.
3/5 WR Joe Horn is meeting with the Atlanta Falcons
and their head coach Bobby Petrino tonight. According to
NFL.com, a deal could be struck in the next 24-48 hours.
3/5 The Saints have announced that both Bengals S Kevin Kaesviharn and 49ers TE Eric Johnson will visit with the team today and tomorrow.
Johnson, a former starter for the 49ers out of Yale, lost the 2003 season to a broken collarbone, delivered by Saints CB Dale Carter in a preseason game.
3/5 The Saints will reportedly host former Eagles
CB William James, who was known as William Peterson when
the Giants drafted him in the third round of the 2001 NFL
Draft.
The Saints will visit with James on Tuesday March 6.
3/4 Chargers LB Donnie Edwards will likely end up
in New Orleans or Kansas City. The Saints were very close
to trading for the starting middle linebacker last summer.
3/4 Interest that indicates third-year FS Josh
Bullocks is on the hot seat includes Ken Hamlin, Kevin
Kaesviharn and Deon Grant.
3/4 Former Ravens and Colts receiver Brandon Stokley,
a product of Louisiana-Lafayette, has drawn interest from
the Saints. Chief concern is a ruptured right Achilles
suffered only four months ago.
3/4 The Saints will visit with DT Anthony Adams
(San Francisco).
3/4 The Saints have been linked to LB Chris Draft
(Carolina).
3/3 Former Saints WR Joe Horn could end up in Jacksonville,
according to published reports.
3/3 LB Brian Simmons (Cincinnati) and teammate
Kaesivharn will be visiting New Orleans this weekend.
3/3 The Saints have agreed to a
two-year contract with starting right tackle Jon Stinchcomb. The $7 million
deal will pay the former second round pick $5 million in
2007.
3/2 The first players the Saints have
genuine interest in are reportedly safety Ken Hamlin (Seattle)
and Kevin Kaesviharn (Cincinnati). Both with visit this
weekend.
3/2 The Falcons are interested in WR Joe Horn, as expected.
3/2 The Broncos are interested in G Montrae Holland.
3/1 The Saints have extended tenders to two of
their four restricted free agents: WR Terrance Copper and
DT Rodney Leisle. Two other restricted free agents, LB
Terrance Melton and CB DeJuan Groce, did not receive a
tender and are now effectively unrestricted free agents.
The Saints are no entitled to any compensation should Terrance
Copper sign an offer sheet, though they have the right of first
refusal. Copper was an undrafted free agent signee as a rookie.
Leisle, who was drafted in the fifth round, carries a fifth
round compensatory pick should he leave.
3/1 The Saints have been linked to the top tight
end available in free agency, Daniel Graham from New England,
by published reports.
3/1 The Saints have cut
WR Joe Horn. Given the Saints' gross inexperience at
the position now, with youngsters Marques Colston, Terrance
Copper, and Devery Henderson the top three options, the Saints
may look for a veteran presence in the receiving corps to
compete with them. Bringing back Horn is an outside possibility.
3/1 The Saints have re-signed
DT Antwan Lake to a two-year contract.
2/28 The Saints cut
TE Ernie Conwell and re-signed TE Billy Miller.
2/26 DT Hollis Thomas signed to a
new four-year contract.
2/24 Saints in NFL Europa: DE Willie
Evans (Amsterdam), DT McKinley Boykin (Cologne), S Chris
Reis (Cologne), LB
Cornelius Wortham (Hamburg).
2/24 Former Saints in NFL Europa: former Grambling
and Saints training camp QB Bruce Eugene has been allocated
to NFL Europa by Tampa Bay. Joining him in Frankfurt will
be former Saint draft pick and camp QB J.T. O'Sullivan,
who has bounced around the league since losing out to Todd
Bouman a few years ago in training camp Saints 2006 sixth-round
draft pick CB Josh Lay has been allocated to Berlin by
the St. Louis Rams. 2005 camp body CB Matt Clark arrived
in NFL Europe as a free agent. Former Saint practice squadder
LB Zach Woodfin will play for Frankfurt.
2/20
The Saints have applied the franchise tag to DE Charles
Grant.
2/15 Street
free agents added.
2/9 It doesn't take much to suppose that the Saints
are still interested in Chargers linebacker Donnie Edwards.
The Saints were within one round of agreeing on draft pick
compensation to acquire Edwards before the season began.
Published reports indicate that the same animosity that
pushed Edwards onto the trading block for most of last
season is destined to push Edwards off the roster this
offseason. Edwards, who will be 34 in 2007, had 141 tackles
last season. The veteran hasn't missed a game since 1998,
and has missed two games in 11 seasons.
2/9 The Saints have signed
LB Scott Shanle to a
new four-year contract, preventing him from hitting the
open market.
2/9 Former Saints draft pick and reserve QB J.T.
O'Sullivan has been signed by the Chicago Bears and allocated
to NFL Europe.
1/26 At this point of the offseason, the
Saints are likely going to try to retain LB Danny Clark,
DT Antwan Lake, TE Billy Miller, LB Scott Shanle, T Jon
Stinchcomb. LB Tommy Polley will be a free agent, but his
return depends on the injury. K John Carney, DE Willie
Whitehead, TE Ernie Conwell are all potential veteran cuts.
1/26 The Saints may be willing to let Jon Stinchcomb
hit the open market if they cannot wrap him up to a contract
that fits their terms before March 2. 7th round pick Zach
Strief, who looked great against the Bucs and Panthers
in his only playing time, is the darling of the coaching
staff. Stinchcomb deserve sstarters money, but will not
get a giant payday from the Saints. Stinchcomb got a lot
of credit from the staff for playing through a hyperextended
right elbow against Chicago.
1/22 Published reports out of Florida indicate
that the Bucs may be interested in stealing the Saints'
highest-profile free agent, DE Charles Grant. Tampa is
wanting badly for new blood on the defensive line. Grant
will be 29 when the 2007 season starts and is hitting the
market this offseason, having played out his five year
rookie contract. It's not the best year for Grant to hit
the open waters of free agency, as Colts DE Dwight Freeney,
Falcons DE Patrick Kerney and Bengals DE Justin Smith are
also hitting the market. The Saints have been working on
re-signing Grant all season, and have little in the way
of leverage aside from last year's fifth round pick Rob
Ninkovich, who spent the season on injured reserve. Grant
had one of his best years in his contract year, including
a often dominant training camp.
1/4 The Bengals have signed and allocated former
Saints 7th round pick DE Jimmy Verdon to NFL Europe. |
