Saints Gab

NFC South Blogger Pat Yasinskas previews the Saints draft

The Saints back and forth game with backup QB Joey Harrington took another turn today, as the team again re-signed him. Harrington had been an unrestricted free agent after serving as New Orleans’ third quarterback for 12 games last season. But the Saints had said all along they wanted Harrington back and were just waiting until there was room under the salary cap. The Saints are set with Drew Brees, who threw for more than 5,000 yards last season, as the starter. But top backup Mark Brunell will turn 39 in September.

The Saints have come to terms with veteran free-agent defensive tackle Rod Coleman. Sources say that Coleman is aboard with a one-year deal. He didn’t play last season after he was released by the Falcons. The 32-year-old joins the team playing again for defensive line coach Bill Johnson.

The 6-foot-2, 285-pound lineman led all NFL defensive tackles in sacks in 2004 (11.5) and 2005 (10.5) while Johnson was a Falcons assistant. Coleman also forced four fumbles in 2005 and was selected to represent the NFC in the Pro Bowl after that season.

In 2007, Coleman played sparingly after hurting himself in a personal watercraft accident. In November of that season, he was placed on injured reserve and has not played since.

Coleman was drafted by the Oakland Raiders in 1999 and has played nine seasons, his last four with Atlanta. He has 293 career tackles and 58.5 sacks.

Coleman has played in 109 regular season games, starting 70. He also has played in nine postseason games, including the 2003 Super Bowl with the Raiders.

The city of New Orleans today threw their hat in the ring for the 2013 Super Bowl. The Saints and the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation have officially submitted a bid to host the 2013 big game. Foundation president Jay Cicero says the bid submitted Friday afternoon deals with technical aspects of hosting the game, such as the availability of hotel rooms and convention facilities. New Orleans has hosted nine Super Bowls, but none since 2002.

The Saints today released safety Kevin Kaesviharn. The move comes just hours after the team inked veteran free agent Pierson Prioleau. Kaesviharn had two years remaining on the four-year contract he signed in 2007, but the Saints decided to go in a different direction, signing veterans Darren Sharper and Prioleau in free agency.

The Saints got some more secondary help today, as the team signed free-agent safety Pierson Prioleau. He will add depth in the defensive backfield. Terms of the deal announced Thursday were not disclosed.

The 5-foot-10, 188-pound safety has played 10 years with the San Francisco 49ers, Buffalo Bills, Washington Redskins and the Jacksonville Jaguars. Prioleau played all 16 games with the Jaguars last season, starting once.

The New Orleans Times-Picayune is rumoring that the Saints may take a long look at Ohio State RB Chris Wells. Here is the report from today’s paper:

The more I hear Saints Coach Sean Payton talk about the team’s needs, the more I start to feel like Ohio State tailback Chris “Beanie” Wells has a chance to land in New Orleans with the No. 14 pick in the draft. For now, we’re sticking with Ohio State cornerback/safety Malcolm Jenkins in our mock draft, because he’s considered the better player and fills the more glaring need. But I wouldn’t be surprised if either Buckeye becomes a Saint on draft day.

The Saints today announced that veteran cornerback Mike McKenzie has been released. “Decisions such as these are the hardest to make in this business,” G.M. Mickey Loomis said. “Mike has been a standout performer for the Saints both on and off the field during his career with the Saints. We wish him well in his future and thank him for all of his efforts representing the Saints.”

McKenzie last season had a pick and 22 tackles for the team. He was entering the final year of his contract, at a base salary of $4.45 million. The move, then, frees up $4.45 million in cap space. In 133 career games — 129 starts — between the Saints and Packers, the 32- year-old McKenzie has accumulated 27 interceptions, 141 passes defensed and 516 tackles.

The Saints have brought in free-agent center Nick Leckey and have inked him to a deal. Leckey has spent five years in the NFL, starting with the Cardinals and then playing most recently in St. Louis. He was the Cards 6th round pick back in 2004.

Last season he started the first ten games of the season at center, but then broke a bone in his foot and landed on injured reserve. He started 28 for the Cardinals from 2004 through 2006.

The Saints have agreed to terms on a one-year contract with free agent defensive lineman Paul Spicer.
Team spokesman Greg Bensel announced the deal Tuesday. Financial terms were not disclosed.

The 33-year-old Spicer started in 10 of 16 games last season for the Jacksonville Jaguars. The signing reunites the 10-year veteran with Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, who had the same job with the Jaguars last season.