Fleur-de-Links: May 18, 2011

TWEETS:

SAINTS:

Newton, Ingram, Jones set for rookie event - NFC South Blog - ESPN
Despite the lockout, the NFC South’s three highest-profile rookies will go through an annual rite of spring later this week. Carolina quarterba

Jonathan Casillas is on the road to recovery, good news for the New Orleans Saints | NOLA.com
He was injured in the 2010 preseason and didn't play at all last year

Former Saints safety Sammy Knight went undrafted, but not unappreciated
The once-undrafted free agent reeled off truism after truism during several interviews with media before-and-after the press conference to announce that Knight had been selected for the club’s Hall of Fame.

The Value Of Shaun Rogers Not To Be Overlooked Inside Saints Defense | Who Dat Dish
The Value Of Shaun Rogers Not To Be Overlooked Inside Saints Defense

NFL.com Blogs " Blog Archive Brandt: Ingram will be draft steal for Saints "
"History will show Ingram to be one of the steals of the draft," Brandt said during his weekly live chat. "I think of him in relation to Emmitt Smith in terms of style, and I think he’ll be a successful running back for the Saints. He’s got great character, and that is a big success factor as well."

New Orleans Saints reader comment: Gregg Williams getting players that fit his philosophy | NOLA.com

Knight to be inducted into Saints’ Hall | Saints | 2theadvocate.com — Baton Rouge, LA

NFL.com Blogs " Blog Archive Data Points: History shows NFC South is wide open "

Sammy Knight on New Orleans Saints: There's no franchise like it | NOLA.com
Safety to be inducted into team's Hall of Fame later this year

Podcast: Saints QB Drew Brees - NFC South Blog - ESPN
New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees says the players will get their day in court in June when their appeal is heard.

AROUND THE LEAGUE:

Falcons NFLPA* rep hopes attention turns to collective bargaining | ProFootballTalk
While we wait and wait for litigation and leverage football to end, Falcons linebacker and NFLPA* rep Coy Wire hopes the two sides get back to the bargaining table sooner than later. "Hopefully, they can just turn their attention to getting a collectively bargained for agreement," Wire said.

Andy Reid: The longer the lockout, the worse the quality of play | ProFootballTalk
Eagles coach Andy Reid has acknowledged something that everyone in the NFL has to be thinking but not many on the management side will want to admit: If the lockout lasts long enough to cut into training camps, the quality of play whenever the regular season starts will be sub-par.

Another way to resolve the NFL collective bargaining agreement issues and prevent a lockdown
Another way to prevent a lockdown. What if the NFL collective bargaining agreement issues were resolved this way?

Kornheiser could be facing another backlash | ProFootballTalk
Last year, ESPN suspended Tony Kornheiser for two weeks after he made comments during his radio show regarding ESPN colleague Hannah Storm's on-air attire.

Vanden Bosch: "We still don’t know who has that leverage" | ProFootballTalk
"I think the general feeling from both sides was . . . until one side gained leverage, probably not much was going to be decided. And we still don’t know who has that leverage," Vanden Bosch told Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.

Nationwide poll puts greater blame for lockout on owners | ProFootballTalk
Though recent polling at PFT has shown a dramatic spike in support for the owners in the current labor dispute, a new nationwide poll conducted by the Suffolk University Political Research Center of likely presidential voters finds that 32 percent blame the owners, and only 19 percent blame the play...

NFL Labor Strife: Players locked in to risky position

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