Saints Gab

In a surprise move, the New Orleans Saints have released LB Troy Evans and four others in an attempt to trim down their roster. Also released were: WRs Mark Bradley and Rod Harper, CB Danny Gorrer, and G Tim Duckworth.

I am very surprised at the release of Evans above all others because of what he has meant to the team over the past couple of years. Since joining the Saints in 2007, he has not only served as a heck of a backup at strong-side linebacker, but he was also voted special teams captain for the last two years. I can only trust that the decision makers have very good reasons for cutting such a hard worker who obviously had clout in the locker room and on the field. Saints General Manager, Mickey Loomis said of him,

“Decisions like these are never easy to make. Troy Evans was an instrumental part of the Saints Superbowl XLIV in 2009 and we are truly thankful for his hard work and dedication. We know that the fans of our team will be grateful for Troy’s contributions and the way he contributed to our success both on and off the football field.”

And Sean Payton said,

“It’s always difficult when you have to make decisions such as releasing players that have contributed as much to the Saints as Troy has. Troy was our special teams captain the past two years and provided us with tremendous depth at the outside linebacker position the last three years.”

With the pressing issues on special teams, I wonder if it’s a wise move at this point in time to let go a player with Evans’ experience, abilities and versatility. Those qualities don’t come standard these days. I guess all any of us can do is trust that there is some logic behind this decision that the rest of us have yet to see.

From: The Times Picayune

Saints general manager Micky Loomis acknowledged that the Saints have an important decision to make with running back Deuce McAllister, one of the most popular players in franchise history who is due to earn $5.3 million in salary and bonuses this year. “It’s something we have to review, no question. It’s not a given that he’s going to be here, and it’s not a given that he’s not. But we need to evaluate it,” said Loomis, who said the Saints intend to make a decision before the start of free agency in late February so McAllister isn’t left in limbo.

“We’re going to be very respectful to his wishes. He’s going to be part of the process,” Loomis said of McAllister, who played a limited role in 2008 after two major knee surgeries. “The first step is to get a real good medical evaluation. Then after we get that, let’s review where we’re at, where he’s at and his contract and what his entire circumstance means to our team.”

From: New Orleans Times-Picayune

Sean Payton said he and Mickey Loomis have always shared a philosophy of being “judicious” when it comes to “so-called high-priced free agents, ” which suggests that the Saints aren’t looking to break the bank for one defensive star. Undoubtedly, they would show interest in Oakland Raiders cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha if he becomes available, because he is regarded as one of the best players in the league at one of the Saints’ greatest need positions

Recently, some statements have been made by Saints General Manager Mickey Loomis when discussing whether the Saints would return to New Orleans for the season opener against Tampa Bay and by Howie Long on the Fox pre-game show on this past Sunday. Both of these individuals statements questioned whether New Orleans was a realistic long-term home for the team.

I just wanted to say something about this before it gets too far.

This kind of talk isn’t fair. No one questions whether northern California should have professional sports teams despite their tendency to have earthquakes and forest fires. No one questions whether the Florida NFL franchises should be located in hurricane-free areas either.

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Saints General Manager Mickey Loomis announced on Monday that the team has made the following cuts in order to meet the league maximum of 75 players on their active roster: WR Todd Blythe, S Curome Cox, FB Kevin Dudley, C Rob Hunt, and P Waylon Prather.

Blythe was an undrafted free agent from Iowa State. He played in two games this preseason, catching one pass for 11 yards.

Cox was signed as a free agent during training camp. With four years in the league, Cox played in the first preseason game, making one tackle and suffering a groin injury that kept him out of the last two games.

Dudley has been a part of the last two training camps and was on the practice squad last year. He played for the University of Michigan and caught one pass for a touchdown in the preseason. Dudley sprained his left ankle during the Cincinnati game.

Former New Orleans VooDoo player Hunt was in one preseason game this year.

Prather was an undrafted free agent from San Jose State University and played in all three preseason games. He averaged 53 yards on three punts, the longest was 60 yards.

The deadline for the next 22 cuts is 3 p.m. central time on Saturday.

Word is the Saints have fired VP of Player Personnel Rick Mueller. ProFootballTalk.com is reporting that the firing comes after Mueller lost a power struggle with GM Mickey Loomis. The site reports that the struggle may have come from the fact that Loomis is more of a salary cap manager, while Mueller is more into scouting and evaluating. The biggest thing to come from this situation is that Loomis has more power in the organization than Mueller did, which is why today Mueller is out, and Loomis is not.