I missed this one yesterday. My bad. It's from the Clarion Ledger and it's about training camp at Millsaps and a little bit about Deuce. Definitely read if you want to get those tingles and goosebumps of excitement in anticipation of the upcoming season. Technically it hasn't been officially announced that the Saints will hold camp there, but unofficially, its official. To sum up the rest of the article...it's gonna be freakin' hot!

Pro Football Talk is continuing to fan the flames of the rumor that Payton was behind the Meuller firing.

As far as we can tell, both Loomis and Payton were in on the move to move out Mueller.

Payton, we’re told, never felt comfortable working with Mueller.  In fact, Payton made a run at getting Mueller ousted a year ago, something that Mueller himself might not even know about today.

But Loomis was the guy who pulled the strings this time around, and Loomis now holds the juice.  The V.P. of player personnel position is gone, and the college and pro scouting directors now report directly to Loomis.

And it’s Loomis, not Payton, who has final say over the final 53-man roster.  So Loomis now has the juice, even though Loomis is a cap-and-contracts guy who was in the right place at the right time when Rick Mueller’s brother, Randy, was fired.

With that said, Payton is in no danger.  He and Loomis are joined at the hip, we’re told.  And they’ll likely remain that way until the team struggles for a few seasons and Loomis persuades ownership that it’s time to hire a new coach.

That’s the overriding point here.  The guy who has the owner’s ear is the guy who has the best chance at keeping his job, especially when the guy who has the owner’s ear also knows sufficiently little about the scouting and coaching to claim that the current state of the team shouldn’t be blamed on him.

Still no links on any of this yet, so I reserve myself.

This was a good one. It's a quick post on Bleacher Report asking the question, "Marques Colston or Brandon Marshall...Best Receiver for the Money?" And the winner is...drumroll please....oh, read it for yourself! Lazy! I'm sick of doing all the work.

I was just kidding in the last post. I strangely enjoy wasting my free time doing this for absolutely no reason or payment. Marques Colston won. Here is what Bleacher Report said...

So who gets the distinction for having the best hands for the money? In my mind, Marques Colston gets the slight nod as best receiver for the money simply because he's put up solid numbers in both of seasons in the NFL. 

Things may change if Marshall has another season with over 100 catches, but for now he'll have to settle for second best WR for the money.

I still feel bad about being rude earlier. Here is a cool Reggie/Deuce video to make up for it.

Fox Sports had this article about sophomore players this season who are ready to take the next step. At the top of that list is New Orleans Saints own Robert Meachem.

Robert Meachem, WR, New Orleans Saints

First round, 27th overall

After being inactive for the entire 2007 season due to a knee injury which required arthroscopic surgery, Meachem enters his second season with the Saints and will be given every opportunity to be the second WR alongside Marques Colston. The Saints resigned Devery Henderson and David Patten this offseason and also have Lance Moore, who will compete for playing time. But Meachem is a highly touted prospect, who has tremendous quickness, vertical speed and playmaking ability.

Meachem is the perfect compliment to Colston, who's a physical, sure-handed intermediate route-runner, and the tandem has the potential to be explosive with Drew Brees delivering them the ball.

Has anyone else thought about the possibility of Meachem and Arrington both breaking out this year. That would give us three tall, prototypical wide receivers with the best quarterback in the league throwing to them. Triple Towers of Terror. If that happens, I got dibs on the name. You heard it here first. Unless anyone has something better. Leave them in the comment section. Never happen anyway.

The Times-Pic had another Sports Talk live chat with David Gladow. Here is the whole thing. I will do my usual summation.

On the cornerback situation.

Why 9-10 corners?   Because they obviously don't feel great about what they have at the position (hence the Butler signing this week).   A little birdie told me that McKenzie really isn't expected to be ready by the start of the regular season, so lots of these younger guys will get their chance to shine.   Watch Porter and Young during the offseason to see how they progress.   That might tell you how this defense will utlimately fair in '08.

A little birdie? Can we quote you on that? That's kinda important news. Apparently McKenzie will not be ready to go for the season opener.

On Rick Mueller.

I didn't know Rick personally, so I'm not going to spew venom at the team.   If they were unsatisfied with his performance, fine, make the move.   I think what most people are complaining about is that it came out of left field ... making it look like another patented bizarre Saints move.

That was pretty much it. Nothing else important.