SB Nation - Usama Young

Cowboys @ Saints Injury Update

Aaron Novinger — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 19:04:05 -0000

DeMarcus Ware's status for tomorrow night's game against the Saints is still uncertain. He looks like a game-time decision. Both he and FS Ken Hamlin are listed as questionable.

Jerry Jones on Ware:

"The good news is that, aside from his soreness, he certainly does physically have the ability to play," Jones said. "We'll just determine that as to how he’s feeling at game time."

Wade Phillips had hoped that Ware's status would be determine before the Cowboys left for New Orleans. That didn't happen. Ware is listed as questionable for Saturday night's game against the Saints.

Make the jump for the rest of the injury report.

DC.com on Hamlin:

Hamlin had limited participation all week in his return from a high ankle sprain. Though questionable, head coach Wade Phillips has seemed confident Hamlin would play for the first time since Nov. 15. Alan Ball has been starting in his place.

Strong safety and the Cowboys' leader in special teams tackles, Pat Watkins, is out with his sprained knee. He is not expected to be back during the regular season.

FB Deon Anderson, probable, did not go at today's walkthrough practice due to illness, but he is expected to play.

TE Martellus Bennett (concussion) has returned to practicing a full basis, but is not eligible to play until next week. He will be out against the Saints.

CB Terence Newman (knee) and SS Gerald Sensabaugh (thumb) are also still listed on the injury report, but are fine and will continue to start.

As for the Saints' injuries:

DT Sedrick Ellis (knee) looks like a game-time decision for now; he has missed two days of practice this week.

CB Jabari Greer (groin) will be out.

K Garrett Hartley (hip), OT Jon Stinchcomb (knee), TE Jeremy Shockey (toe), and DE Bobby McCrary (back) all returned to practice yesterday and are expected to assume their normal roles.

Here are the rest of their injured:

Receiver Lance Moore (ankle, hamstring) and tailback Mike Bell (knee) practiced fully.

Ten other players were limited -- tailback Pierre Thomas (hip), guard Jahri Evans (foot), guard Carl Nicks (back), offensive tackle Jermon Bushrod (thumb), center Jonathan Goodwin (ankle), cornerback Tracy Porter (knee), safety Usama Young (hip), linebacker Jonathan Vilma (knee), linebacker Scott Fujita (knee) and linebacker Marvin Mitchell (hamstring).

Saints @ Falcons: Time to go from Sprint Mode to Marathon Mode?

saints-nation — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 12:00:18 -0000

by Rob Carr - AP

15 days ago: New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees throws a pass against the Washington Redskins during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 6, 2009, in Landover, Md. The Saints won 33-30 in overtime. (AP Photo/Rob Carr)

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Before I even touch on this matchup, I just want to say how crazy of a week it's been. After that improbable and ridiculous Redskins win we somehow managed to pull off (I'm still not quite sure how), the aftermath has been comical. By now you've all seen the TV Shot to Death video that's been circulating, and you've also seen the rise in popularity to celebrity status that The Uknown Who Dat has gotten. Funny, this "news" has been courtesy of the fan base almost entirely as the national media, relatively speaking, continues to ignore us (though the Brees appearance on Leno was nice to see). Add all these strangely funny things happening this week to the laughable underperforming play of Charles Grant, and you've got yourself the trifecta of hilarity.

Anyway, I digress, and as the Saints enter this weekend's clash against the Falcons it's time, in my opinion, to shift gears from sprint mode to marathon mode.

Saints vs Falcons coverage

Don't confuse my title for saying that I don't think the Saints should go for 16-0. I'll settle that by coming out and saying the following: If the Saints are 15-0 going into Carolina in week 17, I think Drew Brees should start the game. What I am saying is this: The ultimate goal of the Saints is winning the Super Bowl, and the less risks we take to ensure that the ultimate goal has the best chance of happening, the better.

There's a fine line between what you can and can't do when you're seeking perfection at 16-0 and winning a Super Bowl, but at this point with the division sealed up, being one win away from a first round playoff bye and having a two game lead on home field advantage with four games left, I think a slight tweak in approach is called for.There is nothing I would have changed from the approach the Saints had throughout the Redskins game. It was close, sloppy, and it saw the Saints go down two scores multiple times. They had to go for the win and give it their all. Should the same scenario happen this week at Atlanta, then they shouldn't change the approach there either.

That said, it's entirely possible with both Michael Turner and Matt Ryan likely out Sunday that the Saints could have a three posession lead in the third quarter. Yes, they had trouble against a struggling Redskins team; Yes, the defensive backfield is in shambles; Any given Sunday, that's why they play the game yada, yada, etc... I get all that. But they're also capable of blowing them out. If that happens, I saw some things in the Patriots game I would not want repeated.

At this point it's not one game at a time anymore. You have to consider what's best long term now. After Bill Belicheck quit on the Saints down 38-17, I remember thinking to myself as Mike Bell took the clock running carries: "Why not run Lynell Hamilton here. He's active..." Sure enough, Bell went limping to the sidelines and had me cursing, "You idiots!"

And who came in for Bell but Pierre Thomas. Ok, fine, Bell is the closer and you don't want to give the Patriots any new signs of life because of their pedigree. At this point, though, I would argue we have too much to lose. Kyle Eckel was about to be cut, for God's sake. Throw him to the wolves and let him run the football. If we happen to be up 21 points in the third quarter against Atlanta on Sunday, I not only want Lynell Hamilton running the ball, I want Mark Brunell handing the ball off and I want him running behind Zach Strief, Jamar Nesbit, Nick Leckey and Darnell Dinkins. I also want Usama Young, Pierson Prioleau, Marcus McCauley and Chris Reis in the defensive backfield. Yes, the Saints would potentially be exposed to a comeback but they can always put their starters back in without risking them during that potential comeback run.

I'm not saying we don't go for 16-0, but I'm saying the Saints have to be smarter about how they try to do it, and it can't be a guns blazing effort. No one here wants to see the Saints get 16-0 at the expense of the ultimate prize. Over the next four games I'm sure we'll see the Saints build a big lead at least a time or two, and I'm hopeful they've learned their lesson from how the game ended against New England. It's not one game at a time anymore, because they've clinched a playoff birth and they're about to clinch a first round bye. The Saints are now in the full blown marathon discussion, and some pacing would be smart.

Do you guys think I'm being too cautious? I'm sure there's some of you that are thinking 16-0 at all cost. I know you can't play worrying about injuries, but isn't there a difference between being scared and being smart?

Saints @ Falcons: Official Wednesday Injury Report

Saintsational — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 23:37:02 -0000

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS

Practice Report
	DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN PRACTICE
	Wednesday	LB Scott Fujita (knee), CB Jabari Greer (groin), LB Marvin Mitchell (hamstring), CB Tracy Porter (knee)

	LIMITED PARTICIPATION IN PRACTICE
	Wednesday	RB Mike Bell (knee), RB Reggie Bush (knee), T Jermon Bushrod (thumb), TE Darnell Dinkins (foot), DT Sedrick Ellis (knee), G Jahri Evans (toe), CB Randall Gay (hamstring), C Jonathan Goodwin (ankle), RB Lynell Hamilton (shoulder), DE Bobby McCray (knee), WR Lance Moore (ankle, hamstring), RB Pierre Thomas (quadricep), LB Jonathan Vilma (knee), S Usama Young (hip, calf)

ATLANTA FALCONS

Practice Report
	DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN PRACTICE
	Wednesday	G Harvey Dahl (ankle), CB Chris Houston (hamstring), C Todd McClure (knee), TE Justin Peelle (head), QB Matt Ryan (toe), RB Michael Turner (ankle)

	LIMITED PARTICIPATION IN PRACTICE
	Wednesday	DT Jonathan Babineaux (shoulder), T Sam Baker (elbow), WR Michael Jenkins (ankle), T Will Svitek (ankle), WR Roddy White (knee)

	FULL PARTICIPATION IN PRACTICE
	Wednesday	CB Christopher Owens (shoulder)

New Orleans Saints' Defensive and Special Teams Player Grades @ Redskins

saints-nation — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 19:00:15 -0000

by Gerald Herbert - AP

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Brace yourselves because it isn't pretty. I know I sometimes get criticized for being too harsh in my grading of certain players, and if you're one of the people that generally complains about that you will not be happy with some of these grades. As always I'm interested and looking forward to your feedback. Below are the player grades for defense and special teams at Washington. The letter grade represents the player's performance in the game and the GPA represents the player's cumulative effort on the season.

Saints vs Redskins coverage

Saints vs Redskins recap

Saints vs Redskins boxscore

Will Smith: B- (2.86) Smith fought through constant double teams and struggled to put much pressure on Campbell. He was very helpful against the run and did a good job there, finishing with 4 tackles. He was able to hit Campbell hard twice as the ball was released, but he saved his grade mostly for his performance against the run.

Charles Grant: D (2.14) Charles Grant finished with 2 tackles, both coming late in the contest. Otherwise, he was utterly and completely invisible. On most running plays, he was either blown completely off the ball and out of the play, or he overpursued the edge leaving massive running lanes for the Redskins to take advantage of. He really had a horrible, horrible game and at one point I considered giving him an F. If he hadn't registered a tackle, I would have given it to him. Grant has been undisciplined in his play, lazy, and overall bad as of late. I'd rather Bobby McCray get more snaps at the position at this point.

Bobby McCray: B- (2.06) McCray's lone tackle was on a running play where he blew the Redskins up for a big loss. Once again he surprised me by playing the run better and I think that part of his game has come a long way. His pass rushing skills have suffered a little from that improvement, but I can deal. He did get upfield a couple of times and force a quick release, but the bottom line is Campbell was getting the ball out too fast to wide open targets to get much of a pass rush. McCray doesn't get nearly enough playing time, and based on Grant's recent performances I'd like to see him start at Atlanta. Who knows if that'll happen, but a man can hope.

Anthony Hargrove: C- (2.36) The love affair with Hargrove for most continues despite him struggling to do much of anything in games. I'd say at this point he's played 2-3 good games, but the guy is a defensive end to me. The switch to defensive tackle hasn't worked out that well and he hasn't played the run with any inspiration. He finished with 1 tackle and was seen knocked off the ball repeatedly.

Sedrick Ellis: B- (2.71) Ellis finished with 6 tackles, including 1 for a loss. He's slowly getting back to his pre-injury level of play. He did allow a few players to slip out of his grasp by not wrapping up properly and showing poor tackling technique, but the effort and pursuit was always there. The Redskins only rushed for 88 yards and a 3.5 average per carry, so while it would seem like everything the Redskins did worked, the Saints were actually very good against the run.

Remi Ayodele: B+ (2.24) BY FAR, in my opinion, Ayodele's best game as a Saint. For me this was his coming out party. I've been hard on this guy all season and I've constantly complained about how this guy can be in the mix, but now I understand why. He was pushing the pile constantly, FANTASTIC against the run, and came up big on several third and short plays. The Redskins had no answer for his push up front, and as the game wore on the Redskins essentially gave up on running the ball because it wasn't really working and the pass yardage was coming so easy. He finished with 6 tackles, including one for a loss, and anytime a player was in his grasp he wasn't getting away.

Scott Shanle: B- (2.67) I heard rumblings that some fans were unhappy with Shanle's play, but I actually thought he was ok. On one running play he absorbed a strong block, opened his shoulder and was able to stop a run for no gain dead in it's tracks. Impressive play there, and overall Shanle used the lanes Ayodele and Ellis provided him to be effective stopping the run. He finished with 4 tackles, but he did miss a tackle or two. The major liability, for me, came in his pass coverage. He did a poor job on Fred Davis. Suprising because Shanle usually does a good job covering but he just couldn't run with Davis. Shanle got good pressure on the Vilma interception blitzing, forcing a quick release and bad pass from Campbell.

Jonathan Vilma: B- (2.92) Vilma finished with 5 tackles, but I thought he had a mediocre game overall. He wasn't aggressive and shooting gaps like he normally does. As I screamed at the TV for the defense to make a play, every time I'd notice Vilma pursue a play and get blocked out of contention. He saved his grade with a BIG interception with about 30 seconds left in regulation. That pick stopped a Redskins drive that could have given them a shot at a game winning field goal.

Malcolm Jenkins: D (2.76) The good: he had 9 tackles and was able to knock Campbell down on a blitz from the edge. The bad: those 9 tackles were a product of him getting beat repeatedly, and he dropped the easiest interception he'll ever get which would have killed a Redskins drive late in the red zone. The ugly: he looked like a rookie that was completely lost out there. He took horrendous angles on ball carriers, he bit badly on any fakes and double moves, he was often beat deep, and the "lack of speed" that many pre-draft gurus warned teams about before selecting Jenkins was exposed BIG TIME. He still tackled well, and he's just learning so I don't feel like we should all take the sky is falling approach by any means. Jenkins is still a good young player that will only get better... but this was a really bad showing for him. Hopefully he'll learn from it.

Roman Harper: D (3.03) Harper played his worst game of the season, hands down. We all know he's usually terrific in the box in run support, and we all know he's somewhat of a liability in coverage (especially downfield). Well, in this game he was bad in the box, and he was laughable against the pass. ESPN currently claims he had 4 tackles, whereas NFL.com has him listed as having as 2 tackles. So I don't know which one is accurate. What I did see was that Harper missed a repeated amount of opportunities to tackle someone, and his help over the top on pass plays downfield was late and pathetic. He gets a D instead of a D- for saving a touchdown on a kick return by Devin Thomas.

Darren Sharper: C (3.09) Sharper finished with 5 tackles. His lack of speed was an issue. On Fred Davis' first touchdown he took a bad angle and was beat to the corner. He was late bringing help over the top, like Harper. That said, Sharper was many times the security blanket, and he at least did a good job of limiting the damage. I felt like there were a few plays that were just "bad" instead of "disastrous" because Sharper was there to end them. Give him credit for coming up with a HUGE stop on 3rd and short right before Shaun Suisham's miracle miss.

Troy Evans: D+ (1.55) Evans did finish with 5 tackles, but he was bad in pass coverage and bad in run defense. Twice I caught Sean Payton laying into him on the sidelines for missing assignments. He was third in line to play the position, but had to play with the starting unit once Scott Fujita was made inactive and Jo-Lonn Dunbar got injured early (looked like a hamstring pull). I hear Fujita may be out for a while after he had emergency surgery following a bursa sac rupture in his knee that caused a staph infection. I don't know if that means he's out for the year or what, but we're in MASSIVE trouble if we can't get Fujita back. Too bad, he was playing at a high level. Evans, however, was not. Hopefully Dunbar can get back on the field because he's a much more palatable option.

Pierson Prioleau: C- (2.50) He was ok in coverage, actually, except for one play where he played too far off his receiver and allowed a first down in front of him. He finished with 3 tackles. He'd get a better grade, but he came up with a real boneheaded facemask penalty late that gave the Redskins a chance to win the game.

Usama Young: B- (3.00) He got some reps again at corner in dime packages after McKenzie went out with an injury. His coverage was good and he handled himself fine. He didn't really have anything memorable to write about, but no mistakes either. His biggest play came on special teams when he recovered a fumble right before halftime to give the Saints good field position after they had been stopped down 17-10.

Mike McKenzie: D- (2.17) As good as he was last week, it was back down to earth for Mike McKenzie. McKenzie just couldn't seem to do anything right whatsoever. He was beat deep routinely. He blew just about every open field tackle he had a chance at making. He gave receivers way too much cushion, and yet they would still blow right past him. At one point he took a terrible angle, and Sharper made the tackle behind him and gave him a death stare and screamed letting him not it's not ok to mess up plays like that. At times he seemed disinterested in being out there. At one point he was beat deep, the receiver then fell down, and McKenzie didn't even bother hustling to touch him down. He did finished with 4 tackles, but probably could have had about 10-15 with the number of plays being run right at him. The injury he suffered in the game is unknown, but I was glad it took him out of the game. He flirted with an F for large portions of the game.

Chris McAlister: C+ (2.50) McAlister, like Jenkins and McKenzie, was getting beat routinely and did a poor job of tackling the screen receiver pass the Redskins ran all day. He gave a lot of cushion to his man as well, inciting the Redskins to continuously use that play. He finished with 3 tackles. McAlister, though, came up with arguably the biggest play of the game. He hit Mike Sellers and managed to jar the ball loose in overtime, and had the good sense to recover the fumble as the whistle was being blown and Sellers was called down. The replay showed the head referee that it was indeed a fumble (not sure about that call, but I'll take it), and McAlister single handedly got the Saints the ball in overtime. Ultimately, they would turn that turnover into the game winning 3 points.

Garrett Hartley: A- (3.67) Surprise move to see Sean Payton go with Hartley for this game instead of John Carney. Chris Berman on ESPN said at one point that Carney was hurt, but I think he's misinformed. I think this move was strictly performance based, though I could be wrong. Regardless, Hartley was excellent. All of his kicks were right down the middle. He was 4 for 5 on field goals with a long of 34 yards. His miss was a 58 yarder as time expired, so it's hard to blame him for that miss. Extra points might not be a big deal, either, but Carney has been shaky on that all season long and Hartley did tie the game at 30 with his PAT after Meachem's touchdown. He also hit the game winning 18 yarder, twice, as the first was called back by a Zorn timeout. I don't think there's any way Carney kicks next week and this could mean the end of the veteran's reunion run with the Saints. Hartley was impressive with his accuracy.

Thomas Morstead: C (3.00) Morstead's kickoff depth was much shorter than usual. To be expected given the weather and field temperatue. He did manage to get one about half way into the end zone in overtime, which was an important time to do so. His punts were largely poor, as he averaged 33.3 yards on 3 punts. He did manage to pin one inside the 20, though. One of his punts was so short, it hit an unsuspecting Redskins' blocker in the back, resulting in a turnover for the Saints. The punt was bad, but the end result was magnificent.

Courtney Roby: B+ (3.00) Roby was routinely getting past the 30 on kickoff returns, and almost broke one big on a couple of occassions. Per usual his returns were impressive. He also made a nice tackle on special teams as a gunner.

My Defensive Player of the Game: Remi Ayodele

My Special Teams Player of the Game: Garrett Hartley

Poll

Who Was Your Defensive Player of the Game @ Washington?

Remi Ayodele

17 votes

Sedrick Ellis

21 votes

Darren Sharper

7 votes

Jonathan Vilma

54 votes

Chris McAlister

16 votes

The Defense Was So Collectively Bad, I'd Rather Click Here and Not Pick Anyone

74 votes

No one on defense impressed me, so Garrett Hartley gets the vote

65 votes

* BY REQUEST * Robert Meachem, for his "defensive" touchdown

352 votes

606 votes | Poll has closed

MNF Patriots @ Saints: Malcolm Jenkins' Baptismal by Fire

saints-nation — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 12:00:14 -0000

by Bill Haber - AP

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I hope rookie first-round draft choice and cornerback Malcolm Jenkins enjoyed the first start of his career, covering a tough receiver in Antonio Bryant and facing a raw and mistake-prone rookie quarterback in Josh Freeman. His second start is about the get a lot harder. Coming into the Dome will be Tom Brady, a first ballot Hall of Famer who probably has a claim as the best quarterback in the league and top ten of all time. He's quarterbacked his team to three Super Bowl victories and a Super Bowl loss on the heals of the first 16-0 season in NFL history. Oh yeah, and one of his receivers happens to be one of the best of all time, too, in Randy Moss. For the Saints' sake, I hope Jabari Greer can make it back in time for this game healthy. He's their best cover corner and the Saints are depleted enough with Tracy Porter assuredly out and Randall Gay probably out as well. If Greer can go, that probably leaves Jenkins to cover Wes Welker. Welker leads the Patriots with 79 receptions and has had over 110 receptions in each of the last two seasons. If Greer can't go, then Jenkins will probably have to man up on Mr. Randy Moss. I'm not going to lie, my first thought is: YIKES. Welcome to the NFL, Malcolm. Either way, it's going to be an enormous challenge for the rookie to take on; one that will likely see him fail a few times.

Patriots vs Saints coverage

There's really no way of knowing what the Saints corner rotation is going to look like Sunday until we see it on the field. The only thing at this point that's certain is that Malcolm Jenkins will start, and Malcolm Jenkins will have his hands full. Beyond that, the following are questions we can ask ourselves:

1. Is there any chance Randall Gay will play? Any at all? Probably not, right?

2. If Jabari Greer can't go, who starts next to Jenkins? Chris McAlister? Usama Young?

3. How much action does Young even see at corner now that McAlister and McKenzie are in the mix? Are the Saints more confident right now in Young, who was converted to safety in training camp, or the veterans they signed?

4. Will McKenzie even be active, regardless of whether Jabari Greer plays or not?

5. If Greer plays, but is still sore, can he even run with Moss? Is a Greer at 90% covering Moss better than anything else we have?

My head is spinning, and part of the problem is that Sean Payton won't reveal how injured his players are or what his rotation plans will be. Nor should he, but that doesn't mean I am capable of sitting and waiting. By God I am going to speculate.

The wild cards in the equation are Pierson Prioleau and Usama Young. We've seen both come in to cover slot receivers in passing down packages. In Young's case last week, he even had to match up against outside receivers because the Saints were so short-handed. I think Chris McAlister is a given active this week. With Mike McKenzie, I'm going to say there's a 40% chance he's active. Hopefully the starters will be Greer and Jenkins. If Greer doesn't play, that's where the equation really gets dicey. I think it's fair to say that whatever rotation the Saints go with, their offense will have to score a lot of points to give them a chance.

So since Jenkins is the only real given, how do you think he'll do? He'll face Moss or Welker, and either way he's in for arguably the biggest challenge he'll ever face in his career. How does he fare?

New Orleans Saints' Defensive and Special Teams Player Grades @ Bucs

saints-nation — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 12:00:24 -0000

by Chris O'Meara - AP

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Below are the grades for the defense and special teams @ Tampa Bay. Some terrific play all around.

Saints vs Buccaneers coverage

Saints vs Buccaneers recap

Saints vs Buccaneers boxscore

Will Smith: B+ (2.83) Smith finished with 3 tackles and a sack. He did a reasonably good job of putting pressure on Josh Freeman, and was able to waltz in untouched for an easy sack on a missed blocking assignment. It was nice to see Smith help against the run on a number of occasions, too.

Charles Grant: C (2.37) Grant finished with just 2 tackles, and he knocked Freeman down once on a pass rush. His pass rushing was mediocre, and his run defense was mediocre... so he gets a mediocre grade to go with his mediocre GPA.

Bobby McCray: D+ (1.89) What happened to this guy? He was a very solid pass rusher last year, but his reps get lessened each week mostly due to his complete lack of production. At one point in training camp they were talking about installing packages that would include McCray blitzing from the linebacker slot. Whatever happened to that? No tackles for McCray in this game despite a decent number of snaps. He was complete neutralized on pass downs, too.

Anthony Hargrove: B- (2.44) Just one tackle for Hargrove, but he did a good job getting push on passing plays up the middle, and he recovered a CRUCIAL fumble that broke Tampa Bay's back.

Remi Ayodele: B (2.19) Ayodele plugged up the middle much better than usual and forced the Tampa backs to often bounce their runs outside, allowing the Saints' linebackers to make plays. He finished with 3 tackles and also showed more effort than what I've seen in the past. The main problem I've had with Ayodele is he has a lazy streak where he won't play to the whistle, but I didn't see that in this game.

Scott Fujita: A- (2.72) Fujita is back and playing at a high level. This was arguably his best game of the season. He was making terrific reads and had a very impressive play getting in the backfield and hitting the Bucs' runner for a loss. His tackles were sure and he showed no ill effects from the calf injury that slowed him down. His biggest play was a blitz off the backside where he sacked Freeman and knocked the ball loose, leading to Hargrove's big recovery. Nice to see Fujita making plays, he's been missed. He was a major reason the Bucs struggled to move the ball after that first drive.

Scott Shanle: C+ (2.77) Quiet day for Shanle, who really didn't do much until the second half. There were no major mistakes, but some of the bigger runs early in the game were plays going right at him where he didn't absorb the blocks very well.He was solid in coverage and ended with 2 tackles.

Jonathan Vilma: A- (3.00) Vilma was all over the field, looked fast and was steady. He finished with 6 tackles, a defended pass, a knockdown on a blitz, and an interception. When he gets a clean look at stopping a rusher he almost always makes the play. I don't think he's playing at quite the level he was a season ago, but he clearly makes everyone around him better. Nice to see him get that pick, he made a fantastic catch covering a tough customer in Kellen Winslow Jr.

Randall Gay: C (2.59) Gay was pretty solid in coverage before leaving early with a tweaked hamstring. From what I've heard it sounds unlikely he'll be back in time for the Monday Night game.

Malcolm Jenkins: A- (3.07) Jenkins made a terrific interception, the first of his career, going to the ground to come up with a low pass. He benefited from Antonio Bryant slipping, but still jumped the route well and showed terrific hands. He led the team with 7 tackles on the day and 2 defended passes. He held a very good receiver in Antonio Bryant to just 3 catches. Bryant did have a 21 yard reception against Jenkins at one point, but the coverage was picture perfect and Bryant just made a ridiculous catch on his outside shoulder - not much you can blame the rookie for there. He really stepped in and did not miss a beat.

Roman Harper: B (3.23) Harper dropped an easy interception, jumping a route well but failing to come up with the catch. If there's one thing I've learned from watching Harper all the years is the guy has the worst set of hands I've almost ever seen. He finished with just 3 tackles, but was sent blitzing a number of times. He was able to register a half sack, and he also knocked Freeman to the ground two other times.

Darren Sharper: B- (3.15) Sharper was fine. No real chances to get a pick this time. The few times he was in a good position, the ball by Freeman was so poorly thrown that Sharper had no chance. He finished with 5 tackles and was especially helpful against the run. His grade suffers because of yet another personal foul 15 yard penalty. He's had at least 4 or 5 this year. It was a blatant facemask penalty, and there really was no need for him to do that.

Jo-Lonn Dunbar: C+ (2.73) Dunbar finished with 3 tackles and played in spot duty late in the game at linebacker. He was aggressive and did ok. He over-pursued twice but with the game so far out of reach it's hard to grade him. I'll give him some love for doing a great job on special teams, though.

DeMario Pressley: B- (2.78) This guy deserves to start alongside Sedrick Ellis. There, I said it. I know there's a love affair going on with just about any avid Saints watcher and Anthony Hargrove, and the coaching staff seems enamored with Ayodele, but Pressley has been the tackle performing most consistently. I see him sometimes get pushed off the line of scrimmage, but once when that happen he bounced back up the middle and ended up making the tackle. Even when he's beat he plays to the whistle and shows terrific effort. He finished with 3 tackles and did a decent job rushing the passer.

Pierson Prioleau: B- (2.67) He finished with 3 tackles and did a fairly good job in coverage. With the Saints depleted at corner thanks to the injuries to Torrence and Gay, he stepped in and helped hold down the fort.

Usama Young: B (3.17) Young also lent a helping hand at corner with the Saints shorthanded by injury. He was pretty good, especially helping in run support. He finished with 2 tackles. His grade gets a boost, too, from 2 spectacular special teams plays. First he forced a deep punt to be fair caught inside the 20 with terrific downfield coverage, then he dove on a ball and downed it at the 1 yard line after another great punt by Morstead.

Leigh Torrence: C (2.00) Torrence was placed on IR, I'm told, and that's too bad. The guy was finally getting some playing time. Sure, he wasn't the best corner but you can't argue with the guy's toughness. He separated his shoulder and came back in the game to play and make a tackle due to the Saints' injury problems. He finished with 4 tackles and teamed up with Harper to get the other half of a sack on Freeman. He was also responsible for the touchdown pass to Michael Clayton, though, and I feel like his coverage was spotty enough that a better quarterback could have made him pay. I'm surprised as far as he was playing off receivers that Freeman didn't take advantage of the short routes in front of him.

John Carney: A- (2.77) Carney did his job, so it's hard to give him a worse grade. He hit a big 38 yard field goal to break a 7-7 tie, and at the time it was important. He also hit all 5 of his extra points, but once again got one or two barely inside the upright.

Thomas Morstead: A+ (3.03) He was booming the ball all day long. I tip my cap to you, Mr. Morstead, and I can't tell you how glad I am the Saints kept you over Glenn Pakulak. He was, in a word, fantastic. Every kickoff he booted went into the end zone, and as the game progressed they kept getting deeper and deeper (I believe his last 3 were touchbacks). Clifton Smith is known for being one of the most dangerous returners in the NFC, and Morstead completely neutralized him. He also blasted 4 punts for a 48.8 average, and pinned two inside the 20 (one of those at the 1). He only had one of his punts returned for 11 yards, so he ends up with an extremely impressive net average of a little over 46 yards. Without question his best game as a Saint.

Courtney Roby: B+ (2.93) Roby was pretty good returning kickoffs. No standout plays but he returned 2 kicks for a 25.5 average. His coverage skills, however, are what earned him his grade this time. The play that Usama Young made at the one was only thanks to a great athletic and head's up play by Roby, as he dove into the end zone and tipped the ball back into the field. For some reason the Bucs challenged that play, too, which had to be one of the dumbest challenges of all time.

My Defensive Player of the Game: Malcolm Jenkins
My Special Teams Player of the Game: Thomas Morstead

Poll

Who Was Your Defensive Player of the Game?

Malcolm Jenkins

200 votes

Scott Fujita

113 votes

Jonathan Vilma

111 votes

Chris Reis (didn't play enough to get a grade, but I'll give him props for his pick)

17 votes

441 votes | Poll has closed

New Orleans Saints' Defensive and Special Teams Player Grades @ Rams

saints-nation — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 12:15:20 -0000

by Jeff Roberson - AP

about 1 month ago: St. Louis Rams running back Steven Jackson (39) is stopped by New Orleans Saints defensive end Charles Grant (94) as Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma, left, looks on during the fourth quarter of an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 15, 2009, in St. Louis. The Saints won 28-23. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

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Below are the grades for the Saints' Defense and Special Teams @ the Rams.

Saints vs Rams boxscore

Saints vs Rams coverage

Saints vs Rams recap

Will Smith: B- (2.78) Smith registered yet another sack which also forced the ball loose, but unfortunately the Saints weren't able to recover. The Rams ended up scoring on the next play on a long pass to Avery. He's been getting better and better this season rushing the passer. Against the run he was mediocre. He finished with just 2 tackles.

Charles Grant: B+ (2.41) Grant was terrific against the run for the second straight week. He finished with 5 tackles and was present on many of the stops the defense made against the run in the second half. 2 of his tackles were plays where he beat his blocker and was able to meet Steven Jackson in the backfield for a loss. His play was aggressive and his tackles were hard to break. He even had a couple of decent pass rushes, and I felt he deserved a half sack on the sack given to Ayodele.

Bobby McCray: B- (1.96) McCray showed some nice ability against the run for once, and this time he got more pressure on the quarterback. Just one tackle for McCray in the game, but I at least saw him involved, active, and always in pursuit. A promising performance given how invisible he's been.

Anthony Hargrove: C (2.42) Hargrove did finish with 4 tackles, and his pressure on Marc Bulger was good, but he's still a little light to play the run effectively. He was pushed out of the way often and mauled on several of Jackson's big runs.

Remi Ayodele: C (2.09) Ayodele got a coverage sack, and just 1 tackle. He was surprisingly pretty good rushing the passer and he pancaked Bulger on another play just as Bulger released his pass. Otherwise, he was eaten alive on running plays and did a poor job of playing at the point of attack. Sedrick Ellis needs to get back in the lineup healthy because the last three weeks watching the Saints attempt to stop the run have been painful.

Scott Fujita: C- (2.53) Fujita was feeling things out early and he seemed rusty in his first game back from a calf injury. He was juked a couple of times by Jackson and allowed him to run through weak arm tackles at other times. As the game wore on, though, he seemed to get better and better as he adjusted back to the game speed. He was in the right place for most of the game and played well in coverage. He finished with 4 tackles, and I hope he'll play more like he did in the second half for all of next week.

Scott Shanle: B (2.81) Nice to see Shanle bounce back and play a pretty solid game. Like Fujita, he was pushed around a little early and seemed to be too tentative in his reads. He did make a couple of terrific open field tackles on a very hard to bring down Steven Jackson, though, and those plays could have been massive gainers if Shanle doesn't come up with the tackle. His tackling technique is very sound, and it's nice to have a linebacker you can trust. True to form he also did a good job in coverage. He finished with 6 tackles including one for a loss.

Jonathan Vilma: B- (2.93) Mixed bag for Vilma. He did have 8 tackles and seemed to get better as the game wore on, but he also had a number of opportunities to make plays where Jackson made him look like a backup. Vilma did a good job on a blitz of hitting Bulger, and almost got a sack at one point but Bulger released the pass as he was going down. Vilma also missed a couple of assignments in the passing game, allowing Daniel Fells to make plays.

Marvin Mitchell: B- (2.45) Mitchell had 2 tackles, including one which was a vicious hit. Overall he didn't make mistakes and looked good against the run and pass in limited duty.

Tracy Porter: C (3.11) Before Porter left the game with an injury, he was having a forgettable game. Assigned for a large part of the game to cover rookie Brandon Gibson, who had no catches on the season going into this game, he was beat all too often. On the play he was injured, he was not only beat but completely blew the tackle. Porter finished with 2 tackles. The news that his injury is only a strain is huge, though. The Saints need him desperately, and the fact the he should be back in time for the stretch run and the playoffs is crucial.

Randall Gay: D- (2.67) Gay was beat on two touchdown passes to Donnie Avery and the Rams in general picked on him all day. He looked slow and despite good coverage on the second touchdown he showed terrible ball skills. Gay did finish with 4 tackles on the day. Gay in my estimation is best used in the slot as a physical corner. I know the Saints were short handed, but matching him up against a burner like Donnie Avery was a terrible matchup. I heard whispers of Jason David comparisons (ahem, Saintsational) and that is going a little too far. Just because he can't run with Donnie Avery it doesn't mean he has no clue out there. Gay will be fine, just a rough day for him lined up against a receiver that is as fast as just about anyone. Next week against Antonio Bryant and Michael Clayton I think Gay will look better.

Malcolm Jenkins: C+ (2.92) He was ok, not great. He finished with 2 tackles and put nice pressure on a couple of blitzes. He did have one devastating hit on Bulger that the Rams' quarterback barely got up from. He also had a big "defended pass" late in the game, where he ran with Avery before getting hit in the back with the ball. One thing I was impressed by was a running play where it was Jackson, a blocker and Jenkins, and Jenkins did a good job of sticking his head in there and trying to take out Jackson's legs. He slowed Jackson down enough to make it an easy tackle for his teammates. Malcolm is pretty physical for a corner.

Roman Harper: B+ (3.26) Another solid game from Harper. He's becoming a pretty steady performer for the Saints, and brace yourselves because he actually looked good against the pass. He was around the box a good amount, especially in the second half, and finished with 8 tackles. He did a good job, mostly, of limiting Jackson's effectiveness at the second level. He had a key pass breakup late in the third quarter on a 3rd down in the red zone forcing a Rams' field goal, and he was involved on the hail mary attempt breakup.

DeMario Pressley: B (2.84) He was pretty good against the run. Sure he was pushed around at times and somewhat responsible for the yardage Jackson amassed, but he looked aggressive and I liked his hustle. Given the fact that Pressley is essentially a red shirt rookie that's only in his second game as a pro, he's performed admirably. He had 5 tackles including 2 for losses.

Pierson Prioleau: C+ (2.67) Prioleau gave up a couple of passes but also laid some nice hits. He finished with 3 tackles and helped the Saints out when they were so thin on the final drive in dime coverage.

Usama Young: B+ (3.33) At times Young looked like a harder hitting, faster version of Darren Sharper. He had a terrific break on the ball on his interception, and he also defended another pass showing nice anticipation. He finished with 4 tackles and had some nice hits. His grade could be better, but he took a couple of bad angles on Jackson at the second level and did a bad job of wrapping up at other times which allowed the Rams to gain more yardage.

Leigh Torrence: C (2.00) Torrence did finish with 4 tackles, and showed pretty good coverage specifically on a deep ball late in the game, but in general he played too far off his man allowing easy throws underneath. He was beat at least twice on slants. He was responsible for Gibson once Porter left with an injury and he did very little to slow him down.

John Carney B- (2.67) No field goal attempts and Carney finished 4 for 4 on extra points. I'm sure some of you are thinking: well, he did everything we asked him to do, why doesn't he get an A or an A-? Well, first off, the best I'd give him for that minimal of a contribution is MAYBE a B+, but couple that with the fact that the Saints were forced to punt once and go for it another time on 4th down because Carney's leg strength was unreliable and there you have it. As much as I like Carney and trust his accuracy, it's a bummer that we don't have an option we currently trust with the game on the line and the ball at our opponent's 35 yard line.

Thomas Morstead D+ (2.89) Morstead didn't have any touchbacks on kickoffs, but his depth was ok. His punting performance was actually pretty dismal. He averaged just 37.3 yards on 3 punts, and netted just 20.6 per punt if you count 2 touchbacks and a 10 yard punt return. On his last punt he blasted it out of the end zone, but it sounded like there was a coaching mix up and he was just following instructions.

Courtney Roby A (2.88) Roby took one to the house to open the second half and break a 14-14 tie. His speed hitting the hole on that return was impressive and no Ram ever had a chance at him. I'm happy to see Roby solidify his standing as the team's returner. I also liked that on a deep kickoff later in the game, he didn't let the big play go to his head and he downed it for a touchback. He also came close to making a nice play as a gunner on a punt that bounced inside the 5, but punt returner blew him up before he had a chance to down the ball prior to it going in the end zone. Glad he didn't get hurt on that play, it was a vicious hit and we need him.

Jo-Lonn Dunbar: B (2.83) Dunbar threw an awesome block on Roby's return, and he was credited with a tackle as a gunner. I could have SWORN I remember him making two tackles, though. None the less, he was involved downfield and had a good day on special teams, so I thought I'd give him his props.

My Defensive Player of the Game: Roman Harper
My Special Teams Player of the Game: Courtney Roby

Poll

Who Was Your Defensive Player of the Game?

Usama Young

108 votes

Jonathan Vilma

20 votes

Roman Harper

102 votes

Charles Grant

55 votes

285 votes | Poll has closed

Saints Training Camp Update: Day Eleven

Saintsational — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 17:54:21 -0000

More photos » by Bill Haber - AP

4 months ago: New Orleans Saints cornerback Malcolm Jenkins (27) tries to deal with the Louisiana heat at the club's NFL football training camp in Metairie, La., Monday, Aug. 10, 2009. Jenkins missed some of practice due to problems with the heat. This was Jenkins' first practice since signing his contract. (AP Photo/Bill Haber)

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Check back for more updates later!

Twitter

jeffduncantp A.M. practice getting ready to start. First look @ Malcolm Jenkins as an official member of the Saints. Will tweet impressions.

jeffduncantp Brees back. Malcoln Jenkins welcomed to NFL by triple-digit heat index.

jeffduncantp Jenkins debuts with 2nd team defense.

jeffduncantp Jenkins already struggling with heat. Takin a knee, helmet off, trainers around him, teammates pouring water on his neck. He's hurting.

jeffduncantp Morstead wins punt drill. Consistently better hangtime

jeffduncantp Mercilessly practice ends. Heat index 124 degrees.

LastMango1 good to see Drew and Malcolm back on field for AM practice.124 heat index; Scott Hanson NFL Network and Jason Cole Yahoo in town today

jeffduncantp Updates from A.M prax: T. Porter , D. Campbell, D. Woods, C. Vaughn out. Porter has tweaked hamstring. Brees back but did not address media.

jeffduncantp Lots of work on short-yardage rushing in a.m. First play in 1s vs. 1s: H. Evans stuffed for minus-1 on 3rd-and-1; 2nd play: Brees INC pass.

jeffduncantp Jenkins struggled early but fought through it and finished workout with about a dozen consecutive reps. Looked mentally into it. Not lost.

jeffduncantp It was so hot at Saints' a.m. training camp practice cacti were dying

saints83 Great to see my main man @drewbrees back at practice today. Love him like a brother. Thanks to all that prayed for him and his family.

JeremyShockey the heat index was way over 100 this morning lost another 7 pounds... we all are glad 9 is back with us... pls continue the prayers

CPT23 Glad to have our general back @DrewBrees - Lets get it!

CPT23 Ohh it's a hot one, like 7 inches from the midday sun! Heat index reached 124 today!!

usama_young28 grindin at camp. D is looking rejuvenated. no more excuses, time to make it happen.

reggie_bush 124 degree heat index today @ practice! I thought I literally saw the Devil sitting on the sideline talkin bout, "yeah it's hot bruh!" Lol

LastMango1 saints waive G Joe McMahon to make room for Jenkins

JeremyShockey the clock is ticking! need to find some energy for this second practice. You all who never been so lucky to taste 2 a days your missing out

LastMango1 today we placed TE Dan Campbell on IR; signed free agent G Nathan Bennett

jeffduncantp Saints place TE Dan Campbell on IR; sign OG Nathan Bennett. Bennett has spent time in 5 teams camps, since 2007, most recently with ATL

jeffduncantp P.M. practice done. Bobby McCray out with back spasms.

jeffduncantp Colston ends 2-minute drill with awesome leaping TD catch over Harper, Gay. Coverage was good, but Colston caught ball @ height of crossbar

jeffduncantp Drew Brees: "It was a long weekend, it was a tough weekend. ... I'd rather deal with it, move on and I'm trying to."

jeffduncantp Brees said he will be with team all week and play in the exhibition opener vs. Cincy on Friday @ the Dome

Linkage

Defense might have had the upper hand in the New Orleans Saints morning workout, and other observations - Times-Pic

Mature Bell Strives for Short Term Goals - New Orleans Saints official website

"Since my rookie year, I haven’t had to carry the load," Bell says. "Whether it was because I was moved to fullback or issues with a coach or injury, I haven’t had that kind of season."

-Mike Bell

"The fact that I haven’t played that much," Bell continues, "means that I am very fresh coming into this season. So, even for a guy with my physical style, it’s like I’m a second-year back rather than a fourth."

-Mike Bell

"I’m feeling great physically," Bell says. "I’m in great shape, and I’ve been working out hard in the weight room. I’m also working with a chiropractor and doing a lot of pre-hab. It’s a blessing that I’m still this healthy in camp, but if I feel any sort of tweak, I call the chiropractor to get it worked out."

-Mike Bell

"This off-season I prepared myself much more mentally than physically," Bell says. "The key for me is going to be mentally tough throughout the season. I know I have the physical tools, so I just need to keep mentally focused throughout the season."

-Mike Bell

"I am just focused on making the team right now," Bell continues. "I’m a short-term goals guy, so I put all of my focus on what I’m working on at that time. If I stay focused on what’s directly ahead of me, the rest will work itself out."

-Mike Bell

"I’m working hard just to understand the game, especially because this offense is so complex," Bell says. "It’ll help to slow the game down so I can play even better. In this offense, it’s best for me to know where everyone is at all times whether it’s a carry, blitz pick-up, or running a route."

-Mike Bell

"I need to be better at letting go of my mistakes," Bell says. "When I make a mistake, I need to learn from it and fix the mistake, but I need to not harp on it. I need to be able to move on during the game, so that it’s not bothering me while I play."

-Mike Bell

"I want to wear down the defense with my physical running," Bell says. "I love contact. I am never going to shy away from contact. I want to tire out the defense by constantly coming at them, which will allow Pierre Thomas and Reggie Bush to break an 80 yard run."

-Mike Bell

"I still plan on being relentless," Bell says. "I’m going to play like a chicken with its head cut off. Lawrence Taylor said like a crazed dog."

-Mike Bell

New Orleans Saints safety Chris Reis makes his presence felt in practice - Times-Pic

"I'm a versatile player, I feel like," said Reis, who began his career as an undrafted free agent in Atlanta, then played in NFL Europe before carving out a niche as a special teams standout. "And I'm trying to show these coaches that I work hard, and I feel like I'm a smart player, and I try to do the right things, and I try to bring energy. And wherever they need me, they can put me."

-Chris Reis

New Orleans Saints rookie cornerback Malcolm Jenkins makes his long-awaited debut at training camp - Times-Pic

"It was a monkey off my back,'' Jenkins said of the negotiations that lasted much longer than either side had hoped or wanted. "When my agent (Ben Dogra) called me and told me everything had been settled, I told him I didn't care, I just wanted to be in camp. I didn't want the breakdown (of the contract), I was just happy that it was done and I started packing my bags."

-Malcolm Jenkins

"Look, there's always give and take in a negotiation,'' Loomis said. "I guess there was finally enough give and take. I'm disappointed that it took this long but that happens sometimes. The good news is that Malcolm is a smart kid. He had his head in the playbook and I think he'll catch up reasonably quickly.

"He was definitely agonizing out there and that's a good thing. It was good that he wanted to be here but there's also a business aspect to this game and that's taken care of for the next five years."

-Mickey Loomis

"I was very antsy,'' he said. "I was home doing nothing. My agent was getting close to telling me to leave ( New Orleans) but I told him I didn't want to because I wanted to get into camp. I was pressuring him to try and get me in here. I didn't want it to take as long as it did but business is business.''

-Malcolm Jenkins

"My personal goals are to start,'' Jenkins said. "I think I'm good enough to (start). I know there are some good guys in front of me and everybody is working hard so it's not going to be something that I'm just going to walk into. My personal goal is to start and I want to be the best I can be. But if that's not good enough, I just want to play and contribute to the team.''

Mentally, I'm not behind at all. I know the playbook. I studied it day in and day out. They really didn't install anything new since the spring. Really, I just got to catch up physically and get in football shape.''

-Malcolm Jenkins

New Orleans Saints face hottest training camp practice to date - Times-Pic

"We had a couple days off our feet, so guys came out today and everybody was fired up, but sometimes that heat kind of gets to you," Smith said. "But it's something we needed. We know it's going to be like this in the fourth quarter of a game, where you feel a little uncomfortable, you've got to focus, you've got to fight through it, and you've got to win. That's one of the things that we're trying to focus on this year is winning at the end of the game, winning in the fourth quarter, after 50 minutes of the game. Winning those last 10 minutes."

-Will Smith

Jenkins Battles Through First Practice in Searing Heat - New Orleans Saints official website

"I knew all the defensive players had to do 40 of them on the first day of camp and that my time was coming," Jenkins said. "They are tough to do and I think they caught up with me there a little bit in the middle of practice."

-Malcolm Jenkins

"I had been working out every day at Tulane," Jenkins said. "But maybe just putting the pads and helmet on took its toll. I needed to catch my second wind midway through practice, maybe it was went the clouds popped up that it felt better."

-Malcolm Jenkins

"Now I can just concentrate on football," he said. "And acclimating myself to the southern heat."

-Malcolm Jenkins

Teen Take - A look at the 2009 New Orleans Saints - NewOrleans.com

Drew Brees, Malcolm Jenkins on the practice field with New Orleans Saints - Times-Pic

New Orleans Saints' attendance report: Jenkins, Brees, Gay return; Porter out - Times-Pic

Day 11 Notebook - New Orleans Saints official website

Video

Jeff Duncan's New Orleans Saints training camp video log, Day 12 (Aug. 10, 2009)

Saints Malcolm Jenkins takes the field

Malcolm Jenkins Press Conference

From the New Orleans Saints official website

It looked like you started off with a little extra exercise. What was that about?

"I guess everybody on the defense did 40 up-downs on the first day of camp so they wanted to make sure I got caught up to speed."

You did more than everyone else out there. How many did you have to do?

"I did 40. Everybody else did 14 and I continued on to 40."

It looked like you struggled early but did you pick it up towards the end of practice?

"Yeah, those 40 up-downs caught up to me early. I had to sit out for a little bit and get used to the heat and everything and the pads, but I got back in there and finished practice."

How different is it to be out here now rather than working out on your own?

"I've been down here and working out over at Tulane in the heat trying to simulate things, but coming out the first day and throwing on the pads and helmet with a visor and everything, that adds another element to it. It's something I'll have to get used to."

How antsy were you as the negotiations dragged on?

"Very antsy. I was at home doing nothing really. I didn't want to leave town. My agent was getting close to telling me to leave but I didn't want to because I wanted to be in camp. I was really pressuring them to get me in here. I didn't want it to take as long as it did, but business is business."

How far behind do you think you are?

"Mentally, I'm not behind at all. I know the playbook; I studied it day in and day out. They didn't really install anything new since the spring. Really I just have to catch up physically and get in football shape."

How different did this feel as compared to the minicamps?

"Rookie minicamp was a little easier because we didn't have pads on, just the helmet and I was in shape. I'm still in shape, but when you throw on the shoulder pads and helmet, it's a totally different element."

How close are you physically?

"I think I just need a couple practices under my belt. I caught my second wind toward the end of practice. The clouds came out a little bit which helped me out. I just need to get a couple of practices under my belt."

Do you expect to play on Friday?

"Yes. I'll be ready by Friday."

What did you weigh in at?

"204."

Was that the reporting weight for you?

"205 was my reporting weight."

What was it like day to day as you were missing being out here?

"Day to day it was just trying to find something to occupy my time. There are 24 hours in a day and I had all 24 of them. I would work out for about two hours a day but then there would be 22 hours left. I would just try to keep my mind off of things. I was antsy; I wanted to get into camp. I was studying film and studying the playbook but I didn't want to overdo it to where I would gas myself out mentally. I just tried to play video games and watch movies - just do things alone. Everybody was in camp and I don't really know too many people in New Orleans so I was doing everything by myself. It is what it is and I'm happy to be here."

Once the picks before and after you signed, what did it come down to for your deal to get done?

"It was that the deal that was on the table wasn't suitable for me and my agent. We just wanted to continue to work on it and see if we could get an even deal."

Was there a time when you really pushed your agent to just get the deal done?

"Last week I told him I wanted to be in on Wednesday and I would be ready to take whatever. After talking to him and talking to my parents and the advice I got from everybody, they told me just to be patient for a little bit and hold on. Toward the end of the week, things picked up with the negotiations so I just let time take it."

What did you think would make the deal get done as it went on?

"There were more and more updates. There was more conversation after early on when there wasn't much going back and forth. Then they started having phone calls two or three times a day and I knew that the negotiations had at least kick-started."

What is your sense as to your expected contribution in this new defense here?

"One good thing is that the corners will definitely step it up this year. Everyone has kind of elevated their game and then you add me to the picture and hopefully I can do the same. When you have depth at that position, that's always valuable. It's a long season and guys go down, but if you have someone who can come in and play just as well, that's something great to have. This year our defense is going to be something that everyone is talking about."

Have you ever had a practice where you felt like you did out in that heat today?

"No. Today is about as bad as I've ever felt."

Has there been any rookie hazing yet or do you anticipate any?

"I've just had to carry some pads. I just got here so I've been hiding out from the vets."

How long of a layoff has it been since you last had a full practice?

"The last time I had on shoulder pads was January 5. That's a long layoff after not really doing anything and jump into a two-a-day, that's a lot. It's going to take me a couple of practices to catch up to speed, but I'm confident that it will be there."

What did your teammates say to you?

"They just congratulated me. They're happy for me to be here and told me to get with it. They're happy to have me here and ready to keep going."

Did you stay in touch with anybody over the last few weeks?

"Most of the rookies would call me and update me on what was going on. The coaches called me every now and then."

Did they bring you any film to watch?

"I still had all the film from the OTAs and the rookie camp. I just went through all of that. I had the installations and the playbook so I was up to speed as far as what was going in every day."

Did you talk with Coach Payton or Mickey Loomis during all of this?

"No."

Did you check into the hotel last night or this morning?

"Last night. About 12:30 last night. Everybody was asleep. When I got to my room, Chip Vaughnwas still up for a little bit, but that was the only person I saw."

Did you know you set the franchise record for longest holdout?

"That's not something that I want to be known for. Unfortunately that's what it is, but I'm happy to be here."

What were your emotions when you heard that the deal was getting done?

"It was a monkey off my back. My agent called me and told me that everything happened suddenly and he tried to explain everything to me, I told him ‘I don't care, I just want to be in camp.' I didn't really want the breakdown; I was happy that it was done and I started packing my bags."

What are your expectations for this season?

"My personal goals are to start. I know there are some good guys in front of me and everybody is working hard so it's not something that I'm going to walk into, but my personal goal is to start. I want to be the best I can be but if that doesn't happen, I want to contribute as much as I can."

What were you required to do before you could get on the field this morning?

"I had to check in with the doctors, weigh in and had a 6:30 meeting with Coach Oden this morning just to catch up on today's install and to refresh my memory a little bit."

Will you have a little extra work after practice as well for the next few days?

"Probably. That's going to be something that I want to do anyway. I have to catch up. I can't waste my time sleeping all the time."

What did your parents say when you told them you did the deal?

"They were happy. They were just excited that it was done because they knew I wanted to get in camp. They wanted me to be a little more patient but they're happy that it's all over and happy that they can get to the Cincinnati game."

What will be your biggest extravagance now that you've signed your first pro contract?

"Nothing. I already have a car. I'm not a real flashy guy. I have a little apartment and I don't need much else."

Lots of Pictures from OTA's!

Saintsational — Sat, 23 May 2009 17:22:50 -0000

Make the jump for a ridiculous amount of awesome photos. All of these pictures come courtesy of Newscom.

College Hill: Saints Edition

Saintsational — Sun, 17 May 2009 17:46:29 -0000

It's the graduation season and while many young college graduates are walking across some stage of sorts and collecting their hard-earned degrees, a couple of New Orleans Saints players are taking the walk with them this year.

Usama Young and Jammal Brown have both finally finished their college careers at their former schools, Kent State and Oklahoma, respectively. While both of these players have already achieved at least a modicum of financial success in their lives thanks to their NFL careers and probably don't really need their diplomas, it's great to see professional athletes place an importance on education and lead by example.

“It was very important for me to finish what I started,” Young said. “My goal from the very beginning was to graduate and I figured it¹s better late than never. I grew up in a home where both parents were educators and I’ve always believed that without an education I wouldn¹t be where I am on the football field.”

-Usama Young

"I always told my mom I'd get (the degree),"

-Jammal Brown

Life in the NFL won't last forever and the smart players prepare themselves for their future endeavors.

"I'd like to be an athletic counselor and work closely with the kids," he said. "Going from high school to college is a big jump. You go from being a star to taking a backseat, and some people don't take that too well. I've been there in every situation. I stuck it out.

"A lot of people waste that opportunity when they get into a situation that they're not familiar with, and they never pan out. They need someone to help them transition. I went through all those aspects and I think I could guide them."

-Jammal Brown

But Brown didn't waste his opportunity, even if it took him longer than usual.

CSC applauds Usama Young, Jammal Brown and all other professional athletes who realize what is really important in life, especially in a society that often promotes sports over education.

Congratulations to the Class of 2009!

SB Nation - Usama Young

Cowboys @ Saints Injury Update

Saints @ Falcons: Time to go from Sprint Mode to Marathon Mode?

Saints @ Falcons: Official Wednesday Injury Report

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS

ATLANTA FALCONS

New Orleans Saints' Defensive and Special Teams Player Grades @ Redskins

Who Was Your Defensive Player of the Game @ Washington?

Remi Ayodele

Sedrick Ellis

Darren Sharper

Jonathan Vilma

Chris McAlister

The Defense Was So Collectively Bad, I'd Rather Click Here and Not Pick Anyone

No one on defense impressed me, so Garrett Hartley gets the vote

*** BY REQUEST *** Robert Meachem, for his "defensive" touchdown

MNF Patriots @ Saints: Malcolm Jenkins' Baptismal by Fire

New Orleans Saints' Defensive and Special Teams Player Grades @ Bucs

Who Was Your Defensive Player of the Game?

Malcolm Jenkins

Scott Fujita

Jonathan Vilma

Chris Reis (didn't play enough to get a grade, but I'll give him props for his pick)

New Orleans Saints' Defensive and Special Teams Player Grades @ Rams

Who Was Your Defensive Player of the Game?

Usama Young

Jonathan Vilma

Roman Harper

Charles Grant

Saints Training Camp Update: Day Eleven

Twitter

Linkage

Video

Malcolm Jenkins Press Conference

Lots of Pictures from OTA's!

College Hill: Saints Edition

* BY REQUEST * Robert Meachem, for his "defensive" touchdown