I didn’t even know Patrick Cowan was on the roster. Or who he was, for that matter.
via Saints Beat
The New Orleans Saints have signed free agent wide receiver D’Juan Woods and waived quarterback Patrick Cowan, the team announced Wednesday afternoon.
Woods, a 6-foot-1, 210-pound receiver is a first-year NFL player who initially came into the league when he signed as an undrafted free agent with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2007.
via Saints Insider
“I’m going to shoot you straight: College is the greatest time of your life,” he said to a round of giggles from the excited graduates. “Your parents aren’t around anymore to tell you what to do. You can finally say ‘I’m my own man, I’m my own woman.’ It’s great.
“But with that freedom comes responsibility. It’s your job to go to class. It’s your job to study. It’s your job to be in bed at the right time. And you will because you made a commitment to yourself and your parents and everyone else to do the right things.”
Below are other NFL players who were spotted in Vegas where Shockey passed out. Not that it matters but Shockey was far from the only NFL guy having a good time Vegas-style.
via Las Vegas Sun
Patrick Willis, Larry Johnson, Bernard Berrian, Bobby Wade, Desean Jackson, Darnell Docket, Dwight Freeney, Shawne Merriman, Terrell Owens, Willie Parker, Willis McGahee, Adrian Peterson, Reggie Bush, Javon Walker, Sammy Morris, Simeon Rice
via Sun Herald
For the entire season, the statistics seemed to back Payton up. Thomas was stopped for only six losses as a rusher, or 4.7 percent of the time. Among running backs with at least 100 carriers, that was the lowest percentage of runs for losses in the NFL.
“They think they need a bigger back,” Thomas said. “I can do most of the same things Reggie does. … I’m very versatile. I can be used in so many different ways — special teams, out there on the wideout, in the backfield — so I think that’s what they see me as, but I’m trying to show them I can be that power back that they need.”
Pierre Thomas could very well be the every down back for the Saints if he can stay healthy. If that happens, look for a big season out of Thomas.
via The Advocate
“I think me and Reggie give us the same thing we had with Deuce and Reggie,” Thomas said during a break from offseason workouts last week. “I’ve heard they want a power back, and I’m trying to be that power back for them.
“I’ve been trying to work on my legs, get more explosiveness in my legs, and just try to get that chance when it’s third and one and they call my name, and they know I’m going to get it for them.”
Payton said he likes what he has seen from Mike Bell, a four-year veteran who rushed 13 times for 42 yards and a touchdown in four games after being signed in November last season, and Lynell Hamilton, who spent last season on the practice squad as a rookie. The Saints list Bell at 225 pounds and Hamilton at 235.
New Orleans signed two undrafted free agents with impressive college credentials — P.J. Hill, who rushed for 1,000 yards in each of his three seasons at Wisconsin before turning pro early, and Herb Donaldson, who rushed for more than 4,000 yards in his career at Western Illinois.
The Saints list Hill at 218 pounds and Donaldson at 226. Fullback Heath Evans (250 pounds), signed as a free agent in March, could be a short-yardage option as well.
“I think that we have good competition,” Payton said. “I think those guys understand their roles and understand what they’re competing for. They’re all competing for touches — be it hand-offs or passing plays or reps in a game — and we have three fullbacks that are doing the same thing, all with a little bit of a different background and experience.”
Via ESPN
New Orleans Saints tight end Jeremy Shockey was taken to the hospital after becoming dehydrated near a swimming pool while attending a party with several NFL players in Las Vegas, spokesman Greg Bensel said on Sunday.
After being treated, Shockey was discharged from the hospital, according to Bensel, and appears to be “in good shape now.”
The party, called “Rehab,” apparently was at the Beach Club Pool at the Hard Rock Cafe Casino, another Saints official said.
This is a position that has dogged the Saints somewhat in the last few years. One of the missing pieces in the New Orleans offense has been the dominant tight end, and with the Saints making the move to get Jeremy Shockey, this needs to be the year that he steps up and lives up to the billing.
via Saints Beat
CURRENT DEPTH CHART
Player – Age – Height – Weight
Jeremy Shockey, 28, 6-5, 251
Billy Miller, 32, 6-3, 252
Dan Campbell, 33, 6-5, 265
Darnell Dinkins, 32, 6-4, 260
Buck Ortega, 27, 6-4, 250BREAKDOWN:
A healthy, committed Shockey could be an absolute monster in this offense, with so many yards and touchdowns to go around and Sean Payton’s and Drew Brees’ past success with tight ends. But health and commitment are two huge question marks with Shockey.I’ve been touting him as a big-time breakout candidate for the Saints this year, with nothing but glowing reports coming out of Saints camp about his health, his attitude and his frequent participation in the team’s offseason program. Then came this weekend’s incident in Las Vegas, when he was rushed to the hospital during a pool party with apparent dehydration.
Charles Grant and Will Smith will be suspended, as well as former Saint Deuce McAllister should he play in the NFL in 2009. A federal judge has ruled against them in the StarCaps lawsuit so they will miss the first four games of 2009 as a result.
via Saints Beat
New Orleans Saints defensive ends Will Smith and Charles Grant and former Saints tailback Deuce McAllister will have to serve their four-game suspensions at the start of the 2009 season after a federal judge threw out their lawsuit against the NFL late Friday in Minnesota.
The Saints have been preparing for the possibility of losing Smith and Grant to start the season. They added veteran defensive end Paul Spicer early in free agency and recently added defensive end Anthony Hargrove to a mix that already includes Bobby McCray, Jeff Charleston and Rob Ninkovich.
Great read and great take. A genuine cause for optimism. Excepts follow, but go read the whole thing. Good stuff.
via Saints Insider
The depth at cornerback is impressive. Pierre Thomas is ready for the challenge of being the Saints’ lead back. The depth chart along the defensive line behind starters Charles Grant, Kendrick Clancy, Sedrick Ellis and Will Smith is interesting. Wide receiver Robert Meachem was impressive. While starters Lance Moore and Marques Colston recover from offseason surgeries, he’s working with the first-team offense and appears to be taking advantage of his opportunity. Running backs Mike Bell and Lynell Hamilton are not going to give up their roster spots without a fight.
via KFFL
Saints | Warren signs
Fri, 22 May 2009 10:03:02 -0700The New Orleans Saints have signed unrestricted free-agent WR Paris Warren (Buccaneers) to a one-year contract. Terms of the contract were not disclosed.