Actually have a bit to report today after yesterdays slow day.

The big news from yesterday was the signings of OL Rob Hunt and Isaiah Ross. The New Orleans Saints official website has the lowdown.

Hunt, a 6-4, 301-pound product of North Dakota State, is a former fifth-round draft choice of the Indianapolis Colts in 2005. He spent the 2005 and 2006 seasons on the practice squad of the Denver Broncos and was later signed by the Kansas City Chiefs, with whom he played in the 2007 preseason. The native of Cavalier, North Dakota can also play guard and played two seasons in NFL Europe (Rhein, 2006 and Berlin, 2007) prior to the 2008 campaign with the AFL’s VooDoo.

Ross (6-3, 320) has spent the last two springs playing indoors in the Arena League, 2007 with the Nashville Kats and ’08 with the VooDoo. Playing indoors, Ross caught 14 passes for 140 yards and five touchdowns in addition to his blocking duties for the VooDoo during the 2008 season. He first signed out of the University of Nevada as a rookie free agent with the San Diego Chargers in 2004 and went on to start 10 games for the Frankfurt Galaxy of NFL Europe in 2005.

I think thats pretty cool that they both played for the Voodoo.

Also of note, the team released OL Marquay Love and Carnell Stewart. So basically we just pulled the old switch-a-roo.

RotoWorld has their Minicamp Tour of the NFC South right here. This is what they had to say.

New Orleans Saints: The Saints have been mentioned as a possible landing spot for LaMont Jordan and other running backs. That supports my belief that Deuce McAllister is highly unlikely to contribute much this season. Unfortunately, another teammate would be bad news for Rotoworld's favorite ADP value, Pierre Thomas. … Marques Colston's knee surgery proved to be minor, and he was fully practicing in June. Colston still has room to improve entering his third season, making him a potential top-five wideout. … Robert Meachem predictably enjoyed an improved offseason. The second-year pro has an outside chance to start, although I expect Devery Henderson, David Patten, and Meachem to cancel each other out.

Seems like the word is out about Pierre Thomas.

Here is a video from MSNBC from the same guy who wrote the above RotoWorld piece, Greg Rosenthal.

I hate these stupid interviews with these know it alls. They just don't give off the heir of legitimacy. I do like the stats they had on Colston though.

All the way from the UK is this article from the Voice about the International Series game at Wembley. It's all the same stuff from Bush and Tomlinson's PR tour a little while ago.

“I’m really excited, its my first time playing out of the country, I'm excited to come over here and help promote football and make it big over here. I’m looking forward to it,” he said.

“I’m still in the early stages of my career I haven’t reached my peak yet. Hopefully this will be a great year for me. I have been working tremendously hard,” he explained.

 

He added: “It’s going to be a tough game. Obviously LaDainian is a great player. We’re going to have to block the hype out and just concentrate.”

Yes Reggie...hopefully.

The article ends with this kinda funny Did you Know section.

• Did you know….?

• The National Football league (NFL) is the largest professional American football league in the world.

• It was formed by eleven teams in 1920. The league currently consists of thirty-two teams from American cities and regions, divided evenly into two conferences The American Football Conference (AFC) and National Football Conference (NFC).

• At the end of the regular season, six teams from each conference play in the NFL playoffs, a twelve team single elimination tournament that culminates with the championship game, known as the superbowl.

• Over the years the superbowl has become the most-watched U.S. television broadcast of the year, and has become likened to a de facto U.S. national holiday.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Bowl - cite_note-0 In addition, many popular singers and musicians have performed during the Super Bowl's pre-game and halftime ceremonies.

• The NFL has the highest per game attendance of any domestic professional sports league in the world drawing over 67,000 spectators per game.

On top of the OL signings yesterday was the signing of Brian Adams. No, not everyone's favorite Canadian rocker. Adams will be the new assistant director of college scouting for the Saints after leaving the Panthers as their college scout. This all comes from an article in Rock Hill, SC's Herald. The good news is this.

The Carolina Panthers lost yet another member of their scouting department, the third at the end of a year of significant personnel turnover for the team.

Maybe this means the Panthers will be a team in turmoil this year!

The New Orleans Saints official website also had some info about a fund raising event this weekend being put on by Mike McKenzie's 34 Ways Foundation at the W Hotel here in town.

Regarding the event, McKenzie states “The people of New Orleans have lost a lot. They’ve lost not just material things, but they’ve lost family, friends, and their livelihoods. We are raising funds for a facility that will provide the guidance and support necessary to uplift this devastated community, especially for the youth who have nowhere to go when they’re not in school. We are here to try to rebuild the New Orleans community from the inside out.”

I know some of these articles are from yesterday. Sorry for the delay.

The Times-Pic has a quick write up telling us that Odell Thurman is facing an indefinite suspension. For WhoDats hoping the Saints might pick him up, start looking elsewhere.

There were two interviews on the New Orleans Saints official website. The first one is with Sean Payton. He's the guy that coaches the team. Whoever was asking the questions must have been an LSU fan because half of the them were about Skyler Green. He is probably going for the return/receiver spot. The rest was about Mark Brunell looking good and mentioning the players who were sitting out. The one thing that stood out however, was this statement on the Will Smith situation...

"I think when the time comes there will be an announcement, but right now Mickey and his agent are working through the contract and trying to sort things out. There’s nothing really new to announce."

My interpretation of that comment is this is a done deal. I get that feeling. The Saints still have plenty of cap room, so its totally possible. Of course its a good sign that he showed up to voluntary OTAs yesterday as well, even if he did sit out of practice because of his toe. Things seemed to have smoothed over a bit, don't you think?

Two articles covering this were from the Times-Pic and Sun Hearald; here and here.

Speaking of Skyler Green, the Times-Pic has a piece on him today. I get it meow. Times-Pic writer Jimmy Smith was the LSU fanatic asking the questions in the interview. Let's hear what Skyler had to say.

"This is very special," Green said after Tuesday's practice. "I can't wait for the opportunity to come out on the football field. When it does, I'll make the best of it."

 

"I just have to go out here and do the things I'm asked to do," Green said. "I have to make the plays when the plays are there for me to make and just some kind of way catch the coach's eye, show them I have given all the effort I have to make this team.

"This is not the easiest time to do it. But when you can go out there and do it repetitiously every day, it's good on your part that they see you give the effort every single time you're out there."

"My priority here is to be a returner and special teams guy first," Green said, "then work my way into the receiving corps. The things I'm doing now, the coaches see I give the maximum effort every time -- catching balls, making the big plays when they're there to be made. The only thing I need to do is get into that playbook a little more, get a little better understanding.

"To be a part of the Saints organization, make it as a punt returner first, starting punt returner, and getting in there in the offense and playing some wide receiver. . . . That would be the perfect world."

Here is what Payton said about him in the aforementioned interview.

It's hard, because you're not really getting a lot of good return looks," Payton said Tuesday. "Until we get into the preseason, you won't know exactly where he's at as a punt returner. But, certainly, he's a candidate to be competing for a position on the team, starting with special teams and as a backup receiver."

"I think you always have to consider that. Yes. Yes. Yes," Payton said. "If a guy brought something to the table more than what you felt like you had, I think you see teams each year do that. One of the things we mentioned at the onset of this camp was improving the return game, both kickoff and punt returns. We are collectively looking for those guys; who are they going to be."

You got your story Jimmy Smith.

The other interview from the New Orleans Saints official website was with Drew Brees. Not much here really. He sugar coated every answer. According to Drew, every player we are interested in learning more about is playing at a high level and is looking great out there. Come on Drew, give me something.

Also from the New Orleans Saints official website was the news about our two new signees. Here is what they had to say.

The New Orleans Saints have signed free agent cornerback Jerametrius Butler and center Marquay Love, Executive Vice President/General Manager Mickey Loomis announced today.

Butler is an eighth-year veteran defensive back who spent his first six NFL seasons with the St. Louis Rams and played in 2007 with the Buffalo Bills. The 5-10, 181-pound former fifth-round draft choice has played in 71 career regular season games, starting 32 of them, and made 218 tackles along with nine interceptions, 25 pass defenses, one forced fumble and four fumble recoveries.

The product of Kansas State posted his most prolific seasons to date in 2003-04 for St. Louis, leading the Rams in interceptions in both of those years before a knee injury suffered in training camp prior to the 2005 season forced him to miss that entire campaign. Butler has also proven to be valuable on special teams, adding 20 career stops in kick coverage. He is a veteran of six career postseason games, with three playoff starts under his belt. Butler participated in the Saints' weekend minicamp on a tryout basis.

Love, who stands at six feet tall and weighs 307 pounds, first entered the NFL when he signed with the Miami Dolphins as an undrafted free agent in May 2007. The collegiate defensive tackle made the switch to the offensive side of the ball during Miami's training camp before being waived in the team's final round of roster cuts. The former University of Houston lineman participated also took part in the team's recent minicamp as a tryout.

The Saints also waived linebacker Chris Graham, who was signed as a rookie free agent last month.

WWL had a report about the difference between OTAs and minicamp. Their findings: there is none. The same things are accomplished except minicamp has one more practice a day.

Jon Stinchomb expresses his feelings on the situation.

“To me, minicamps are outdated, to be honest,” Saints offensive tackle Jon Stinchcomb said. “OTAs, we do the exact same thing. The routine is pretty much the same. We practice the same. The tempo and intensity is the same.

 

“In the next CBA (collective bargaining agreement), it probably should be addressed in my mind. There’s something where the difference is so minimal in my mind.”

“I think you’d have to explain to me what the advantage of the minicamp brings that OTAs don’t,” Stinchcomb said. “I don’t want to speak out of turn, and I’m not cracking down on it. It’s really not a big deal. But the way these things are run, there’s no difference between an OTA and a minicamp.”

The Sun Herald had an article covering the same old Will Smith news. The article also gave us a little info about Sedrick Ellis' progress in the contract signing department.

"I don't even think there's been any discussions," Ellis said.

Ellis doubts negotiations will begin until July and will wait to see what type of deal Kansas City defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey gets to help his own deal. The Chiefs took Dorsey at No. 5 and the Saints traded up to No. 7 to snag Ellis.

Oh the beauracracy!

The Sun-Herald had kind of a wrap up of minicamp this weekend. I will sum up their opinions in bullet form. 

• Gay and Porter were good but not amazing.
• Usama Young was blah.
• WR's Blythe and Robinson will not make the team.
• WR position is going to be a battle.
• McAllister looked on schedule.
• Mark Brunell was so impressive that the team will only carry two quarterbacks on the 53-man roster.
• Charles Grant was in shape.
• Bush wants to return more punts but muffed one in a drill this weekend. (so much for my post yesterday afternoon?)
• Marvin Mitchell is a surprise talent.

Black and Gold Soul had a post about our much improved defensive line. It's possible. The stars will have to align.

You guys should get a kick with this one. Matt Miller at SB Nations Mocking the Draft released his NFC 2008 season predictions. Matt is pretty respectable (he wouldn't be part of SB Nation if he wasn't) and knows his stuff. So where did he put the Saints? Your gonna love this...

New Orleans Saints                 

Wk      Matchup          

1          Tampa Bay Buccaneers            W

2          at Washington Redskins            W

3          at Denver Broncos        W

4          San Francisco 49ers     W

5          Minnesota Vikings        W

6          Oakland Raiders           W

7          at Carolina Panthers      W

8          San Diego Chargers (in London)           W

9          Bye     

10        at Atlanta Falcons         W

11        at Kansas City Chiefs   W

12        Green Bay Packers       W

13        at Tampa Bay Buccaneers        L

14        Atlanta Falcons             W

15        at Chicago Bears          L

16        at Detroit Lions             W

17        Carolina Panthers         W

Total                14W-2L

14-2 baby!! At first I thought this was a typo. Maybe the numbers were reversed. But its not. In fact, we start 11-0. I gotta admit, i really cant imagine that.

By the way, when taking Matt's predictions for every other team, a 14-2 record ties us with the Vikings for first place in the conference and also with the Chargers for best records in the entire league. Oh no, not this again! No more foolish optimism.

ESPN Insider had some random quick clips. The first is the Saints signing of former Buffalo Bills cornerback Jerametrius Butler and defensive tackle Marquay Love.

DB stockpile: As if the Saints hadn't done enough at cornerback this offseason with the signing of Randall Gay and the drafting of cornerback Tracy Porter in the second round, they also signed former Buffalo Bills cornerback Jerametrius Butler Monday. Injuries did leave the Saints down at cornerback over the weekend. Starter Mike McKenzie is coming off a knee surgery. Things were so short at cornerback, Porter was working with the first team. The Saints also signed defensive tackle Marquay Love Monday.

Awesome. We can start weeding out the garbage and keeping the real cream of the crop. I'm loving it. (sung to the McDonald's jingle).

Also from the article was this little nugget.

By waiting until Monday to release halfback Travis Henry, the Broncos ended up saving $1.1 million in cap room instead of suffering a $2.5 million net loss had they released him in May.

Might Travis Henry be a good pickup for the Saints as extra insurance in the backfield? The Saints have been so aggressive this offseason, I wouldn't say it an impossibility. What do you think?

On a long side note: A hearty WhoDat to the godfather of CSC readers Stujo4 for alerting me of this via email. (You other CSC faithful should take note. Your life's aspirations should be to attain to Stujo4's greatness in participation.) However, I am, for the most part, too busy to put up a post during the day. If Stu, or anyone in a situation like this, could grab a quick 5 minutes during their day, go ahead and put up a FanPost. It would have been there on the FanPost sidebar for everyone else checking in that day to see. If I happen to catch it or if you email me (I check it nonstop) to tell me you put up breaking news, I can just quickly promote it to the front page and make it even more visible. That's how this whole CSC thing works. You guys have the ability to bring the latest news to this site before I ever get to. Of course the more the merrier, but with a small, growing army of loyal CSC readers out there checking the world wide web multiple times a day while at work, or whatever, for the latest on the Saints, some news is bound to break while I am busy doing the nine to five thang and can't give to you until later. There is power in numbers and with your help, this site can be so much better. Don't forget that!

I'm done. I am serious though.