According to latest reports, the New Orleans Saints finalized a contract with former Chicago Bears fullback Jason McKie over the weekend to add options in reserve full back behind starter Heath Evans. The addition is also expected to help the Saints improve their lowly ranked defense.
At age of 30, McKie has spent the last seven seasons with the Bears since ending his rookie season with the Dallas Cowboys in 2003. But he never played a key role in the Bears. Working hard to gain a promotion from practice squad to blocking specialist, McKie finished his tenure with the Bears after having totally 54 rushing yards and 364 receiving yards for six touchdowns. As the Bears had a new offensive coordinator Mike Martz this offseason, the team is unlikely to use a fullback much in 2010 season, and therefore McKie became expendable with decreased value, which caused the eight years veteran to be released in mid-March.
However, with a height of 5-11 and weight of 247 pounds, McKie could get significant playing time after putting on New Orleans Saints jersey, if he manages to win the backup job over veteran Zak Keasey and Marcus Mailei. As starting fullback Evans is coming back from a knee injury, his backup could get quite a few chances to play as replacing starter when Evans has to stay off the field for breaks.
Showing posts with label New Orleans Saints. Show all posts
Showing posts with label New Orleans Saints. Show all posts
Monday, May 24, 2010
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Former Saints DE Grant pleaded no contest to affray
On the same day when former Minnesota Vikings defensive end Erasmus James received his sentence for a bar fight, the New Orleans Saints also had a former player, also defensive end, to be sentenced. Is this another competition? Not sure. But fortunately both of the two trouble-makers are no longer to have relation to the two teams.
The former Saints player is Charles Grant, who was charged with involuntary manslaughter in a nightclub fight, which caused a 23-year-old pregnant woman to be killed. Grant himself was also stabbed in the neck during the fight. As there has been no evidence showing that Grant was the one who shot, he was sentenced to probation as well as $1,000 fine and to pay $20,000 for the cost of investigation held by the Early County Sheriff’s Office.
Grant was a first-round pick by the Saints in 2002 and he has spent all of his first eight seasons with the Saints, with a total records of 431 tackles and 293 47 sacks, but the team still released during this offseason. Even if the team did not do that, after the serious neck injury, it would still be unlikely for him to wear back Saints jersey to play any more football.
The former Saints player is Charles Grant, who was charged with involuntary manslaughter in a nightclub fight, which caused a 23-year-old pregnant woman to be killed. Grant himself was also stabbed in the neck during the fight. As there has been no evidence showing that Grant was the one who shot, he was sentenced to probation as well as $1,000 fine and to pay $20,000 for the cost of investigation held by the Early County Sheriff’s Office.
Grant was a first-round pick by the Saints in 2002 and he has spent all of his first eight seasons with the Saints, with a total records of 431 tackles and 293 47 sacks, but the team still released during this offseason. Even if the team did not do that, after the serious neck injury, it would still be unlikely for him to wear back Saints jersey to play any more football.
Former Saints DE Grant pleaded no contest to affray
On the same day when former Minnesota Vikings defensive end Erasmus James received his sentence for a bar fight, the New Orleans Saints also had a former player, also defensive end, to be sentenced. Is this another competition? Not sure. But fortunately both of the two trouble-makers are no longer to have relation to the two teams.
The former Saints player is Charles Grant, who was charged with involuntary manslaughter in a nightclub fight, which caused a 23-year-old pregnant woman to be killed. Grant himself was also stabbed in the neck during the fight. As there has been no evidence showing that Grant was the one who shot, he was sentenced to probation as well as $1,000 fine and to pay $20,000 for the cost of investigation held by the Early County Sheriff’s Office.
Grant was a first-round pick by the Saints in 2002 and he has spent all of his first eight seasons with the Saints, with a total records of 431 tackles and 293 47 sacks, but the team still released during this offseason. Even if the team did not do that, after the serious neck injury, it would still be unlikely for him to wear back Saints jersey to play any more football.
The former Saints player is Charles Grant, who was charged with involuntary manslaughter in a nightclub fight, which caused a 23-year-old pregnant woman to be killed. Grant himself was also stabbed in the neck during the fight. As there has been no evidence showing that Grant was the one who shot, he was sentenced to probation as well as $1,000 fine and to pay $20,000 for the cost of investigation held by the Early County Sheriff’s Office.
Grant was a first-round pick by the Saints in 2002 and he has spent all of his first eight seasons with the Saints, with a total records of 431 tackles and 293 47 sacks, but the team still released during this offseason. Even if the team did not do that, after the serious neck injury, it would still be unlikely for him to wear back Saints jersey to play any more football.
Friday, May 7, 2010
Former Saints RB’s son will try out at rookie camp
The New Orleans Saints will hold rookie minicamp at this weekend, and among the 65 participants, there will be a familiar face to Saints fans. Son of former Saints running back, Craig Heyward, was also invited to have a tryout of the Saints jersey his late father used to wear.
With a height of 6 feet and weight of 234 pounds, Heyward Jr. did not have as much experience of playing football as many other tryout players. Only playing sparingly as work-on at Middle Tennessee State, he does not seem to have good chance of winning any spot with the Saints. However, even just showing respects to his late father, the young man should just do his best to impress Saints coaches as much as he can.
Old Heyward died of brain cancer in 2006, when his sons had not started their college football career. Heyward later joined the Blue Raiders as a walk-on on the scout team and did not earn a roster spot until his senior year. His total number during the college football career included only two kickoff returns for 23 yards and four carries for three yards. By comparison, his younger brother, Cameron Heyward, seems to have a more promising future on the football field. Cameron is now already a standout defensive end at Ohio State and is hopefully to be a first-round pick in 2011 NFL draft.
With a height of 6 feet and weight of 234 pounds, Heyward Jr. did not have as much experience of playing football as many other tryout players. Only playing sparingly as work-on at Middle Tennessee State, he does not seem to have good chance of winning any spot with the Saints. However, even just showing respects to his late father, the young man should just do his best to impress Saints coaches as much as he can.
Old Heyward died of brain cancer in 2006, when his sons had not started their college football career. Heyward later joined the Blue Raiders as a walk-on on the scout team and did not earn a roster spot until his senior year. His total number during the college football career included only two kickoff returns for 23 yards and four carries for three yards. By comparison, his younger brother, Cameron Heyward, seems to have a more promising future on the football field. Cameron is now already a standout defensive end at Ohio State and is hopefully to be a first-round pick in 2011 NFL draft.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Saints plan to relocate seats for 1,200 season ticket holders
The New Orleans Saints have been struggling with bad public relation since the Vicodin scandal. The team’s clarification seems not convincing enough, suspected head coach Sean Payton released statement to deny the abuse, but that did not reduce speculations to other members of the team. So the Saints need to do something more.
They do, but not for the Vicodin theft case. The Saints are now making plans to relocate a group of 1,200 season tickets holders, who was displaced last season after the Saints changed the arrangement of seasons in Superdome and moved the press box to the upper regions of the building. As a result, these tickets holders had to watch games in the cold wind for a couple of months and earned a name of “the missing 1,200”.
As an effort to improve their relationship with the public, the Saints are now reaching out to contract the 1,200 ticket holder to carry out the new relocating plan. According to reports, they made promise in late April that they need two to three weeks to get everything solved. So the “missing 1,200” won’t have to wait for long before they can put on Saints jerseys to enjoy watching the Super Bowl XLIV winner team defending their title in 2010 season.
They do, but not for the Vicodin theft case. The Saints are now making plans to relocate a group of 1,200 season tickets holders, who was displaced last season after the Saints changed the arrangement of seasons in Superdome and moved the press box to the upper regions of the building. As a result, these tickets holders had to watch games in the cold wind for a couple of months and earned a name of “the missing 1,200”.
As an effort to improve their relationship with the public, the Saints are now reaching out to contract the 1,200 ticket holder to carry out the new relocating plan. According to reports, they made promise in late April that they need two to three weeks to get everything solved. So the “missing 1,200” won’t have to wait for long before they can put on Saints jerseys to enjoy watching the Super Bowl XLIV winner team defending their title in 2010 season.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Jaguars RFA LB Ingram is trying chance with Saints
While the New Orleans Saints unrestricted free agent safety Darren Sharper is making his trip with the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Jaguars restricted free agent linebacker Clint Ingram was also have a visit in New Orleans to see if he could have a new job there.
The 27-year-old Ingram could play at outside linebacker, which is still a void after former starter Scott Fujita was signed away by the Cleveland Browns in free agency and the Saints did not pick any rookie at this position during the three-day draft. Therefore, young six-year pro Ingram could offer a great help to the team’s defensive line if a deal is really to be done. Well, it’s just a possibility, as he is still facing competition with other candidates like Jonathan Casillas, Jo-Lonn Dunbar, Marvin Mitchell, Anthony Waters, Stanley Arnoux and veteran Troy Evans.
Here a few good reasons for Ingram to put on New Orleans Saints jersey. With a height of 6-2 and weight of 240 pounds, Ingram has had good experience of starting at outside linebacker as it was mostly his job during his four-year career with the Jaguars. Besides, the Saints current defensive coordinator Gregg Williams was working for the Jaguars in 2008 as the defensive coordinator. What’s more, Ingram ended last season early with a shoulder injury but still managed to have 52 tackle and one sack during the 12 games he played.
The 27-year-old Ingram could play at outside linebacker, which is still a void after former starter Scott Fujita was signed away by the Cleveland Browns in free agency and the Saints did not pick any rookie at this position during the three-day draft. Therefore, young six-year pro Ingram could offer a great help to the team’s defensive line if a deal is really to be done. Well, it’s just a possibility, as he is still facing competition with other candidates like Jonathan Casillas, Jo-Lonn Dunbar, Marvin Mitchell, Anthony Waters, Stanley Arnoux and veteran Troy Evans.
Here a few good reasons for Ingram to put on New Orleans Saints jersey. With a height of 6-2 and weight of 240 pounds, Ingram has had good experience of starting at outside linebacker as it was mostly his job during his four-year career with the Jaguars. Besides, the Saints current defensive coordinator Gregg Williams was working for the Jaguars in 2008 as the defensive coordinator. What’s more, Ingram ended last season early with a shoulder injury but still managed to have 52 tackle and one sack during the 12 games he played.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Saints need time to prove their choices right
It’s only a few days after the 2010 NFL draft, and people have been already expecting the grade of teams’ draft picks. While most people do not expect the New Orleans Saints to rank high with their choices, some analysts pointed out that it may take some time before the newly drafted rookies to show their value to the team.
The Saints did not seem to have urgent needs in any positions before the draft, but since they had the picks, they still made some choices with the plan of finding some young players with potentials. The selection of LSU defensive tackle AI woods is unlikely to add much help as a run-stopper to the defensive interior, but given time and learning, he just has great chance of developing into what we expect him to be. Another interesting choice made by Saints was the selection of tight end Jimmy Graham. Graham had only one-year experience of playing football after converting from basketball to football. However, analysts predict that Saints Coach Sean Payton will anyhow find the best way to utilize him at red zone.
Therefore, we may not have high expectation of how good the Saints choices could be during the rookies’ first year of wearing Saints jerseys. And any immediate grade of draft picks could be proven to be incorrect a year later and the best rookie of the year 2010 is not necessarily to be those being drafted from the first round.
The Saints did not seem to have urgent needs in any positions before the draft, but since they had the picks, they still made some choices with the plan of finding some young players with potentials. The selection of LSU defensive tackle AI woods is unlikely to add much help as a run-stopper to the defensive interior, but given time and learning, he just has great chance of developing into what we expect him to be. Another interesting choice made by Saints was the selection of tight end Jimmy Graham. Graham had only one-year experience of playing football after converting from basketball to football. However, analysts predict that Saints Coach Sean Payton will anyhow find the best way to utilize him at red zone.
Therefore, we may not have high expectation of how good the Saints choices could be during the rookies’ first year of wearing Saints jerseys. And any immediate grade of draft picks could be proven to be incorrect a year later and the best rookie of the year 2010 is not necessarily to be those being drafted from the first round.
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