February 3
New Orleans Times-Picayune
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New Orleans Saints General Manager Mickey Loomis and quarterback Drew Brees have found common ground on one area this week: They can't stand the prospect of watching Super Bowl XLVI with New Orleans not in it. Brees, in Indianapolis for promotional purposes Thursday, said he was getting out of town before the game. Loomis, poring over complex payroll projections and college talent evaluations in his Metairie office, said the Super Bowl thrill is gone."
February 3
New Orleans Times-Picayune
"
New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees said there is "no doubt in my mind" that his long-term contract with the Saints will be worked out before the start of free agency March 13. Although the Saints could use the franchise tag on Brees to maintain some exclusive negotiating rights, Brees said Thursday it's important for both sides to get his deal done so they can focus their resources on other priority free agents, including guard Carl Nicks and receivers Marques Colston and Robert Meachem."
February 3
New Orleans Times-Picayune
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New York Giants punter Steve Weatherford has become a celebrity these past two weeks, thanks to his role in the Giants' dramatic 20-17 overtime victory in the NFC championship game. And he's loving every minute of it. "Ten years from now, nobody's gonna care about me, and now everyone thinks you're so special. So I'm enjoying it," said Weatherford, who began his career with the New Orleans Saints in 2006 before being cut midway through the 2008 season and bouncing around to four other teams. Weatherford earned instant fame two weeks ago, first for his performance on the field, when he handled a low snap and set up kicker Lawrence Tynes' game-winning 31-yard field goal. Then Weatherford's"
February 3
New Orleans Times-Picayune
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New Orleans Saints tight end Jimmy Graham joined Atlanta Falcons tight end Tony Gonzalez and Pittsburgh Steelers receiver Hines Ward in Indianapolis on Thursday to discuss a special project they took part in this season called "NFL Characters Unite." They were paired with young victims of prejudice and discrimination to inspire them with their own stories of overcoming such obstacles in their youth. A one-hour documentary on their efforts will air on USA Network on Friday, February 10. Although Graham said his second NFL season was a hectic one, during which he was being "pulled in all different directions" during a breakout year, he said he didn't hesitate when this project was presented"
February 2
New Orleans Times-Picayune
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The New Orleans Saints have hired former St. Louis Rams defensive coordinator Ken Flajole as the team's new secondary coach, according to a league source. Flajole rejoins Steve Spagnuolo, the former Rams head coach whom the Saints hired last month as defensive coordinator. It was not clear when or if Flajole had begun working in Saints headquarters - the team is yet to make an official announcement of either his hire or Spagnuolo's. Spagnuolo began his tenure on Monday."
February 2
New Orleans Times-Picayune
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New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees said there is "no doubt in my mind" that he will work out a long-term contract with the Saints before the start of free agency March 13. Although the Saints could use the franchise tag on Brees to maintain some exclusive negotiating rights to him, Brees said Wednesday that it's important for both sides to get his deal done so they could focus their resources on other priority free agents, including guard Carl Nicks and receivers Marques Colston and Robert Meachem. "Yes, yes, absolutely," Brees said when asked if it's personally important to him to get the deal done in that timetable. "My goal, and I know just from my conversations with (Saints"
February 2
New Orleans Times-Picayune
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When the New York Giants hired defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo in 2007, cornerback Corey Webster felt a sense of deja vu. He said Spagnuolo's intensity, his attention to detail, and even his small stature reminded him of his former LSU coach, Nick Saban. "The closest personality I could ever see, that I had been around like that, was Coach Saban," Webster said. "They had kind of that small-man complex, that toughness, and that showed throughout their defense. They had a physical, aggressive-style defense. And it made the players want to play, want to be into that. All you had to do was go out there and do what he said, and you were going to be successful.""
February 2
New Orleans Times-Picayune
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New Orleans Saints guard Carl Nicks said he would love to stay in New Orleans next season, but he remains unsure whether the team will be able to re-sign him along with fellow free agents Drew Brees, Marques Colston, Tracy Porter and others. Nicks said it's "disheartening" that the Saints haven't made a strong push to re-sign him yet. "They never talked to me at all about it really (last season), which I thought was kind of weird. But I talked to (General Manager Mickey Loomis) the last day before exit meetings, and he said they were going to do their best to try to keep me. So that's the gist of contract talks," said Nicks, who is expected to command a salary of more than $8 million per"
February 2
New Orleans Times-Picayune
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The New Orleans Saints offensive line made a bittersweet trip to the site of Super Bowl XLVI on Wednesday to accept the Prilosec OTC Madden Protectors Award for the second time in three years. Although they all said it was hard to be in town this week without playing in the game - "It sucks," guard Carl Nicks said bluntly - they said the honor was a nice consolation prize. "That's why I'm in and out. I'm not staying," guard Jahri Evans said. "I'm just here to be with the guys, accept this great award that John Madden put together, that Anthony Munoz is presenting. Just to be here with the fellas and put a cap on a season, the good season we had as a line and as an offense.""
February 2
New Orleans Times-Picayune
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Saints quarterback Drew Brees capped off a record-setting season by winning the FedEx Air Player of the Year Award on Wednesday at Super Bowl XLVI. Brees beat out Green Bay's Aaron Rodgers and New England's Tom Brady for the honor, which is based on fan voting. It's the fourth time Brees has won the award since its inception in 2003. He also was honored in 2006, 2008 and 2009."
February 2
New Orleans Times-Picayune
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New Orleans Saints guard Carl Nicks said he would "love to stay" in New Orleans next season but said he remains unsure if the team will be able to re-sign him along with fellow free agents Drew Brees, Marques Colston, Tracy Porter and others. Nicks said it's "disheartening" that the Saints haven't made a strong push to re-sign him yet. "They never talked to me at all about it really (last season), which I thought was kind of weird. But I talked to (General Manager Mickey Loomis) the last day before exit meetings and he said they were going to do their best to try and keep me. So that's the gist of contract talks," said Nicks, who is expected to command a salary of more than $8 million per"
February 1
New Orleans Times-Picayune
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As the host city of Super Bowl XLVII, New Orleans could also play host to the Pro Bowl in 2013. The NFL's two-year contract with Hawaii ended this year, and the league is considering a handful of sites for next year's all-star game, including New Orleans. "We are exploring all options," league spokesman Brian McCarthy said. The NFL experimented with playing the Pro Bowl in the same city as the Super Bowl two years ago in South Florida, when they also decided to play the game on the Sunday before the Super Bowl for the first time."
January 31
New Orleans Times-Picayune
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Who Dat may belong to the people again soon enough. The NFL announced Saturday that it has reached a settlement on behalf of itself and the New Orleans Saints with Who Dat?, Inc., a company that had claimed to have trademarked the catchphrase, that dismisses a lawsuit over the use of "Who Dat?" on merchandise. According to two-sentence press releases issued by the NFL and Who Dat?, Inc., owner Steve Monistere, both have agreed to make merchandise available to fans that contains both the "Who Dat?" and NFL brands. No such merchandise appeared on the NFL's website on Monday, however."
January 31
New Orleans Times-Picayune
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Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is the most marketable player in the NFL, according to an exclusive survey of sports business execs, analysts and media personalities conducted by SportsBusiness Daily. The Super Bowl XLV MVP edged out Patriots QB Tom Brady, with three other QBs - the Colts' Peyton Manning, the Saints' Drew Brees and the Broncos' Tim Tebow - rounding out the top five. Rodgers was named on 41 of 50 ballots, five more than either Brady or Manning. However, Brady did receive 15 first-place votes compared to 12 for Rodgers."
January 27
New Orleans Times-Picayune
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Although New Orleans Saints tight end Jimmy Graham insisted earlier this year that he'll retire whenever Drew Brees is done playing so that he doesn't ever have to play with another quarterback, he's been willing to bend the rules this week. Graham also has been reeling in passes from Green Bay's Aaron Rodgers and Carolina's Cam Newton during practices as he soaks up his first Pro Bowl experience in Hawaii. "Hey, I'm still a young tight end, so I'm gonna catch balls from whoever's throwing them," Graham said via telephone. "But obviously, early in practice, Drew's only looking at me." Graham, Brees and Saints offensive linemen Jermon Bushrod, Carl Nicks and Jahri Evans are all in Honolulu"
January 26
New Orleans Times-Picayune
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The New Orleans Saints' Drew Brees (No. 1), Green Bay Packers' Aaron Rodgers (No. 2) and New England Patriot's Tom Brady (No. 3) top the Bloomberg Businessweek/Horrow Sports Ventures 2012 Power 100 ranking of the most powerful professional athletes in the U.S. To determine who the 100 most powerful athletes are on- and off-the-field going into 2012. As the business of sports continues to grow, endorsement contracts increasingly impact players, teams, and the industry. These contracts take into consideration many of the same factors as the Power 100 ranking - performance, name awareness, appeal, influence, trustworthiness and overall popularity, among other things. Social media, for"
January 25
New Orleans Times-Picayune
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As Steve Spagnuolo, the new defensive coordinator of the New Orleans Saints, knows, the worst thing an NFL coach faces isn't getting fired, it's silence. Certainly, that was the dreaded prospect in the Spagnuolo household Jan. 2, when, as expected, he was sacked by the St. Louis Rams after three years as their head coach. It turned out, however, the NFL doesn't see Spagnuolo as a man whose time has run out."
January 24
New Orleans Times-Picayune
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Though he has the luxury of more time this year than he did last, New Orleans Saints General Manager Mickey Loomis is wasting none in the 2012 offseason. Nearly an hour before college players in attendance for the Senior Bowl were due to walk on stage and be weighed and measured, Loomis was ensconced in a front row seat. And a half hour before the players hit the turf at Ladd-Peebles Stadium for their first practice Monday in Mobile, Ala., Loomis was in the stands."
January 24
New Orleans Times-Picayune
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New Orleans Saints general manager Mickey Loomis had this to say Monday about the free agency of quarterback Drew Brees. Loomis said negotiations, put on hold at Brees' request during the season, had not yet recommenced but he expects they will soon. "I don't think that there's any additional pressure," he said. "This is a player we value a lot, more than any other player in the history of our team. I don't know that pressure is the right word. We want to get him signed. We made an effort with Drew prior to last season, even at the beginning of last season. I understand his desire to table that until after the season and hopefully we can get going right away and get that buttoned up. It"
January 23
New Orleans Times-Picayune
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The meaning of the New Orleans Saints' Super Bowl victory is hard to put into words. How do you convey what that glorious night in February meant to the fans who suffered through the early seasons at Tulane Stadium? And what about the lost opportunity of the Archie Manning years? The two decades before the first winning record? The optimism of the Mora years followed by the embarrassment of the Ditka years?"
January 22
New Orleans Times-Picayune
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It should be a busy post-season for New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees in terms of the award banquet circuit. He is poised to rake in a ton of those, even if the one he wanted most eluded him. Like all truly great players, Brees would trade all such hardware in a heartbeat to once again hoist the Lombardi Trophy as Super Bowl champion. But that won't happen for the Saints next month, so Brees will have to settle for various awards recognizing his record breaking 2011 season in which, among other things, he shattered the mark for passing yardage in a season that had stood since Dan Marino in 1984. The NFL players union, of which Brees is a director, launched the post-season award"
January 22
New Orleans Times-Picayune
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Let me be the first to welcome new New Orleans Saints defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo to New Orleans, where the search for great defensive football now enters its second decade. Spagnuolo will be the fifth defensive coordinator to coach in New Orleans in the past 12 seasons. Each of his four predecessors -- Ron Zook, Rick Venturi, Gary Gibbs and Gregg Williams -- took over the Saints' defense with great fanfare, and each left town pilloried. The last defensive coordinator to leave New Orleans on good terms might have been Monte Kiffin in 1995. Or Steve Sidwell before him. The position hasn't exactly been a launching pad for head coaching gigs. But if Spagnuolo can work his magic in"
January 21
New Orleans Times-Picayune
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Saints quarterback Drew Brees echoed the words of coach Sean Payton on Friday, saying that he too would be "beyond stunned" if he's not back in New Orleans next season. Brees is set to become an unrestricted free agent March 13, but he said he hopes his agent, Tom Condon, and the Saints will be able to hammer out a deal sooner. "Really the sooner the better," Brees said Friday during a conference call with the New Orleans media. "Now here we are at the end of the season, and it's time to pick up discussions again, obviously once we all get a chance to step away and decompress and let this season kind of settle. But I've had conversations with (Saints General Manager) Mickey Loomis and my"
January 21
New Orleans Times-Picayune
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With coaching changes already occurring and more possibly on the horizon for the Saints, quarterback Drew Brees addressed the situation Friday. Brees employed one of his favorite words to describe the hiring of former St. Louis Rams head coach Steve Spagnuolo, 52, as Greg Williams' replacement as defensive coordinator, labeling it "awesome." Spagnuola's Rams beat the Saints 31-21 in Week 8 this season, and Brees joked that game -- perhaps the Saints' worst offensive performance in the past two years -- flashed through his mind when he learned Spagnuolo and he were now essentially teammates. "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em -- or have him join you," Brees joked Friday. "We recognize his"
January 21
New Orleans Times-Picayune
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Steve Spagnuolo has a big headset to fill, and not just because there were times when Gregg Williams' ego seemed to stretch to his 10-gallon size. Williams won a Super Bowl as Saints defensive coordinator, and there was justification for, and supporting evidence of, his swagger in New Orleans. Spagnuolo has won a Super Bowl ring as defensive coordinator, too, with the New York Giants. So although that fact absolutely should carry freight with Saints fans, and his hiring looks like a steal for Coach Sean Payton, it remains a significant footnote that the defense hasn't yet done anything under his tutelage, and he's replacing a guy who demanded an attitude that resulted in a championship."
January 20
New Orleans Times-Picayune
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New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees echoed the words of Coach Sean Payton on Friday, saying that he too would be "beyond stunned" if he's not back in New Orleans next season. Brees is set to become an unrestricted free agent but said he hopes his agent Tom Condon and the Saints will be able to hammer out a deal sooner than later. "Now here we are at the end of the season and it's time to pick up discussions again, obviously once we all get a chance to step away and decompress and let this season kind of settle," Brees said Friday during a conference call with the New Orleans media. "But I've had conversations with (Saints General Manager) Mickey Loomis and my agent and at some point"
January 20
New Orleans Times-Picayune
"
First, my glass-is-half-empty view on the New Orleans Saints' offseason: They're facing the scariest free-agent period in franchise history. Although the Saints have thrived despite losing some valuable players in recent years, they've never lost one as important to the team as Drew Brees, Carl Nicks or Marques Colston. These guys are different. They're the elite of the elite, and they can't be easily replaced. Now, my glass-is-half-full prediction: I think the Saints will keep all three of them. It won't be easy. Although it's practically guaranteed that Brees will stay, the Saints might have to use their franchise tag on him. And Nicks and Colston certainly will attract a long line of"
January 20
New Orleans Times-Picayune
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Moving swiftly to counter what appeared to be growing NFL interest in Steve Spagnuolo as a defensive coordinator, New Orleans Saints Coach Sean Payton decided Thursday to offer him the job in New Orleans, according to sources familiar with the matter. No contract had been signed late Thursday, however, but an announcement is expected by the Saints some time Friday. Spagnuolo reportedly was not in New Orleans late Thursday and is not expected to meet with the media Friday, team officials said."
January 19
New Orleans Times-Picayune
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The Saints announced the signing of 10 players to futures contracts Wednesday as they begin to fill out their 80-man roster for the offseason. Among the group is former Destrehan and Louisiana Tech cornerback Josh Victorian. Victorian, 5 feet 10, 190 pounds, went to training camp with the Baltimore Ravens last season and spent time on the New England Patriots' practice squad."
January 19
New Orleans Times-Picayune
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The Saints pressed forward Wednesday in their search for a defensive coordinator, interviewing former Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo and reportedly mulling a host of other candidates. The club declined to comment, but a league source confirmed Spagnuolo's visit to Metairie. With the league's annual offseason coach hiring and firing in full swing, Coach Sean Payton is apparently wasting little time interviewing candidates to replace departed defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, who left for the same post with the St. Louis Rams."
January 19
New Orleans Times-Picayune
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The New Orleans Saints confirmed that they signed former Destrehan and Louisiana Tech cornerback Josh Victorian to a futures contract Wednesday. And they also announced three more players who were signed to futures contracts - quarterback Sean Canfield, guard Nick Howell and defensive back Cord Parks."
January 18
New Orleans Times-Picayune
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New Orleans Saints Coach Sean Payton confirmed the departure of one of his top assistants Tuesday and said the search for a replacement will be part of a meticulous evaluation of the entire club as it seeks a return to championship form in 2012. Speaking three days after a crushing playoff defeat in San Francisco that left New Orleans once again short of its goal to represent the NFC in Super Bowl XLVI, Payton said defensive coordinator Gregg Williams accepted an offer to fill the same position on the staff of new St. Louis Rams coach Jeff Fisher."
January 18
New Orleans Times-Picayune
columnist Jeff Duncan
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Coach Sean Payton spent a large portion of his annual season-ending Saints news conference Tuesday talking about improvement. His goal this offseason, as it is every January, is to improve the team in every phase: offense, defense, special teams and coaching. That will be a tall order this year. A Jimmy Graham-like tall order."
January 18
New Orleans Times-Picayune
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Upon realizing that the Saints' history-making 2011 season is over and the long road to 2012 is just beginning, punter Thomas Morstead said the initial reaction is, "Oh (expletive), we've got to start all over again. We've got to come back and start at zero." Ultimately, Morstead said, the Saints will take time to recharge physically and emotionally. And they will be ready to come back together as a team in a couple of months to "start trying to build a championship team again.""
January 18
New Orleans Times-Picayune
"
It happened quickly, but the 2011 season is already in the rearview mirror for the New Orleans Saints. And it has already been lumped together with the 2010 season. Although the Saints were much better this year, setting a bushel of NFL records, winning more games and advancing one round further into the playoffs, both seasons were ultimately failures compared to the Saints' goal of returning to the Super Bowl. "That's the only way you can look at it," receiver Lance Moore said after lumping the last two years together as a "disappointment. "We made it one week further, but that's not our ultimate goal.""
January 17
New Orleans Times-Picayune
columnist John DeShazier
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Who would've had it better than the Saints? Noooooobody. With all due respect to San Francisco 49ers Coach Jim Harbaugh - for the pilfering of the now-famous question he blares, and the answer his team roars back in approval - the world of the NFC championship game would have been New Orleans' char-broiled oyster if the Saints had been able to hold on Saturday in San Francisco. So the sting from the Saints' 36-32, come-from-ahead loss to the 49ers should've felt even more venomous to players Sunday, when the New York Giants ransacked the Packers 37-20 in Green Bay, Wis."
January 17
New Orleans Times-Picayune
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Gregg Williams, whose defensive revival helped lift the New Orleans Saints to their first Super Bowl championship two years ago, is leaving to become the defensive coordinator of the St. Louis Rams, according to various reports. The move has been anticipated for several days, since Williams' contract was set to expire with the Saints and his close friend Jeff Fisher was hired as the Rams' head coach. The NFL Network and St. Louis Dispatch reported Monday that he had officially agreed to the move."
January 16
New Orleans Times-Picayune
"
If you happened to be an NFL fan with no particular rooting interest, you would probably remember it as the most exciting playoff game you ever witnessed. If you happened to be a New Orleans Saints fan, you'll remember it as perhaps the No. 1 gut-wrenching loss of all time. Four touchdowns, and four lead changes, in the final four minutes Drives of 79, 80, 88 and 85 yards. A 44-yard touchdown pass, followed by a 28-yard touchdown run, followed by a 66-yard touchdown pass, followed by a 14-yard touchdown pass. "It's a shame someone had to lose,'' is the kind of cliché you usually hear after such sustained drama."
January 16
New Orleans Times-Picayune
"
Three years after being brought in to change the culture of the defense and help deliver a Super Bowl title, the tenure of New Orleans Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams in New Orleans appears to have come to an end. With Saturday's heartbreaking 36-32 loss at San Francisco in the NFC divisional playoffs ending the Saints' season, all signs are pointing to Williams, whose contract is set to expire at the end of the season, becoming the new defensive coordinator of the St. Louis Rams. Williams' best friend in the coaching business, Jeff Fisher, became the head coach of the Rams late last week."
January 16
New Orleans Times-Picayune
columnist Mike Triplett
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The San Francisco 49ers' sensational defense caused fits for the New Orleans Saints' spectacular offense. But the Saints were still able to come up with some of their trademark big plays. They scored touchdowns in the first half on a 14-yard pass from Brees to tight end Jimmy Graham and a 25-yard strike from Brees to Colston. Then in the final 4:02, they scored dramatic touchdowns on a 44-yard pass to Sproles and a 66-yard pass to Graham. Sproles caught the ball around the 49ers' 37-yard line and made both safeties Dashon Goldson and Donte Whitner miss him before scooting into the end zone."