Saints News: 5.24.08

Sorry guys, it's Saturday. Not much going on today.

David Gladow did one of those live chat thing-a-ma-jig's over at the Times-Pic. It wasn't all about the Saints, but there was some discussion.

On picking up another LB.

Sean Payton said himself that there would be no big moves there.   Now obviously LB is going to be a numbers game ... particularly with Simoneau knicked up.   They'll bring in someone, and Odell might be a good gamble, bt it probably won't be a big name.

Yeah, but I'm guessing more along the lines of rookie FA rather than veteran Pro Bowler.

On Will Smith.

Some folks are positive it will happen before training camp.   With Grant in a little hot water, that might prompt the Saints to make that happen.   I take a more cautious approach.

I think the odds are very good it will happen by September, but we'll have to wait for talks to heat up ... and they haven't yet.

On Robert Meachem.

My opinion:   He's going to perform.   Four reasons:  

1. The reports on him doing well this offseason appear to have validity.

2. Rookie wide receivers typically struggle.

3. He was injured last year.

4. He's a younger, more expensive version of Devery Henderson.   All things being equal, he will get the nod ... so he just has to match Henderson in practices to get his shot.

I think he'll get it.

Dave made a mistake by referring to Adrian Arrington as a sixth-round pick.

Incidentally, the newest sixth-round guy, Adrian Arrington, is off to a great start in New Orleans.   Wide receiver will be a hotly contested positional battle this fall, that is for sure!

It was the seventh-round.

Rita Benson LeBlanc will be awarded the Pop Warner Female Achievement Award tonight. So says this write-up from the New Orleans Saints official website.

The Pop Warner Female Achievement Award is being presented to Benson LeBlanc not just for her success as an executive in football at both the team and league levels, but for her commitment to developing programs that have benefited the community, youth and charities in the Gulf South and the leadership role that she and the Saints have taken to rebuild the New Orleans region post-Katrina.

The article also tells us this.

Rita Benson LeBlanc joins many other prominent and successful females who have accepted this award at the Pop Warner Scholar All-American Banquet including Olympic Gold Medal Gymnasts, Natalie Coughlin (2007), Kerri Strug (1999) and Amanda Borden (2003), American Idol Judge Paula Abdul (2000), Sports Journalists Kelly Naqi (ESPN in 2006), Lesley Visser (CBS in 2005) and ABC's Good Morning America anchor Robin Roberts (2001).

Wait a minute! Who!? Paul Abdul!? Hmmmm. Paula Abdul, huh? Interesting. Really? Paul Abdul? Alright.