Fleur-de-Links: May 5, 2011

TWEETS:

SAINTS:

Tanier: Forget Cam -- NFC South just got really good - NFL- NBC Sports
Tanier: The NFC South was the best division in the NFL last year. The Falcons went 13-3. The Saints, who happened to be the defending champions, went 11-5. The Buccaneers went 10-6 and would have won weaker divisions like the NFC or AFC West. They were all excellent teams, but each had one glaring hole. Those holes have been filled.

Saints release statement on Toronto’s interest | ProFootballTalk
As Florio mentioned this morning, the fact that Toronto is looking at the Saints as a team to possibly relocate to Canada is "borderline ridiculous." The Saints wanted to make sure their fans knew it was ridiculous too before the story ruined anyone's Jazz Fest on Thursday.

Saints Nation: Recent History with Drafted Linebackers Looks Very Bleak for Saints | May

New Orleans Saints move quickly to strike down flimsy Toronto rumors | NOLA.com
The Saints moved quickly Thursday to squelch a rumor, based on an apparently off-the-cuff remark by a Toronto figure, that they were on a short list of teams possibly moving to Canada. Doug Ford, reportedly the brother of the mayor of Toronto and a city councillor, made the remarks to TheScore.com. Ford was quoted as saying, "(the NFL has) to...

Saints to Toronto? Not a chance - NFC South Blog - ESPN
The New Orleans Saints were quick to emphatically shoot down a report out of Canada that they were on a short list of teams that could be relocated to

Saints' dedication to greatness | DailyComet.com
This is a tough time to be a fan of professional football.

Saints say they want Bush to stay, but is he already gone? - NFL - CBSSports.com Football
Reggie Bush said in January he was 'open to whatever' when it came to contract talks. After the Saints drafted Mark Ingram, Larry Holder says the only thing Bush looks open to now is leaving. Can the Saints convince him to stay?

Ingram tops list of immediate-impact rookies - NFL - Sporting News
"He manufactures yards in between the tackles much better than a lot of runners," CBS and NFL Sirius Radio analyst Solomon Wilcots said. "When people compare him to Emmitt Smith, they are right. He's got that jump cut that Emmitt had, where he's going in a hole here but as soon as that blocker comes down he jumps backside and out the gate."

New Orleans Saints reader comment: Having a plan is key | NOLA.com
Highlighting comments from their readers

Toronto eyeballs two teams for possible relocation | ProFootballTalk
Toronto has gotten a taste of the NFL over the past few years, hosting at least one Bills game annually.  And it has made the powers-that-be hungry for more. Councillor Doug Ford, the brother of Toronto mayor Rob Ford (wait, I thought their last name was McKenzie), tells Brad Gagnon of TheScore.

Saints informal workouts at Tulane are win-win for both parties | NOLA.com
"Mickey jokingly asked me if I would invite him to breakfast at my office around 8 (a.m.) each morning," Dickson said, laughing. Dickson isn't naïve. He understands there's some P.R. value to having a group of NFL stars on campus. He also believes it could be beneficial for Tulane's athletes, who will be working out in the same weight room and training facility as the Saints for the next several weeks. "At the very least, even if they're able to just observe and see the level of work ethic, commitment and intensity that goes into it," Dickson said. "It's one thing to see it on television but it see it in their own building I would think would be beneficial."

AROUND THE LEAGUE:

Falcons paid a ransom for Julio Jones; will payoff be Super? - USATODAY.com
To pull off the most stunning move of the 2011 NFL Draft, the Atlanta Falcons were essentially on the clock for a month. You want Julio Jones? It is going to cost you. Tremendously.

Look for more two-TE sets in NFC South - NFC South Blog - ESPN
Of all the later-round picks by NFC South teams in the draft, the guy I’m most intrigued by is Tampa Bay tight end Luke Stocker.

Goodell says the league, players need to be talking in order to strike a new deal | ProFootballTalk
The NFL continues to maintain and update the labor propaganda website known as NFLLabor.com.  Most recently, the league has added to the site a transcript of Commissioner Roger Goodell's conference call with Colts fans.

Carney creates informal kicker camp | ProFootballTalk
While teams around the league come together for practices, you have probably had one thought: What about the kickers?  (Okay, you probably didn't have that thought.) John Carney, who has bounced between player and coach of late, has them covered.

Hines Ward cuffed at gunpoint in stolen-car misunderstanding | ProFootballTalk
Steelers receiver Hines Ward, who has spent the offseason as one of the contestants on Dancing with the Stars, had to do a different type of tapdancing early Thursday.

Ray Edwards: "There’s no way I will play for less than what my backup got" | ProFootballTalk
Fans should be ruling for the courts to force the NFL to re-open for business.  Players are rooting for it too. There are plenty of players, however, that would suffer if the NFL is forced to go back to work and 2010 league rules are put in place.

Texans plan to use Mario Williams at outside linebacker | ProFootballTalk
The biggest addition to the Texans defense this offseason wasn't first-round pick J.J. Watt, but defensive coordinator Wade Phillips. The former Cowboys coach is changing just about everything about the Texans old approach in their transition to a 3-4 defense.

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