New Orleans Saints

NFL draft could be moved out of New York in the future

He'll be paid about $8 million per year with the New Orleans Saints

He was selected to eight Pro Bowls in 13 seasons

Once again, after almost 500 votes in the election to choose the next member of our New Orleans Saints Mount Rushmore replica, we still don't have a clear cut winner receiving a majority vote. So we're going to hold another runoff election. How Everyone Voted: Choosing the Second Member of Saints Mount Rushmore This time there were three names that separated themselves from the field in the initial election. I've rounded up those top three vote-getters - Sean Payton, Archie Manning, and Deuce McAllister - and put them all in a new poll below. This is it, all answers are final. The winner of this poll will officially become the third face on our mountain sculpture. Unlike our initial poll, this one will only be open for 24 hours so make sure you get your vote in. Once we have our winner, we'll remove his name from the list and begin the voting process all over again with a new poll to determine the fourth and final member. Whose face should be the third one included on our Saints Mount Rushmore? Vote now! More on the Mount: Saints Mount Rushmore: An Introduction Choosing the First Member of our Saints Mount Rushmore Choosing the Second Member of our Saints Mount Rushmore Poll Whose face should be the next one included on our Saints Mount Rushmore? Sean Payton Archie Manning Deuce McAllister 21 votes | Results

To be able to see some real NFL football we still have to wait patiently for a couple of months. Until then, everybody tries to get busy following other sports: that’s the only way to survive until September, I guess. You can choose (well, you don’t necessarily have to choose) between baseball, basketball, hockey and list goes on. As far as I’m concerned, my focus shifts to the world of poker. The World Series Of Poker are approaching and that’s how I came up with the idea for this piece. I wondered, are there any poker pros who resemble any New Orleans Saints players? Here’s the result of my speculations. So let’s…“Shuffle up and deal!” Marques Colston & Jason Mercier Quiet and lethal. These are the two words that immediately pop up in my mind when I think about those two guys. They are never ostentatious or pretentious in any way, they just work hard and when it matters the most they get the job done. Plus, they both came out of nowhere: Colston was a seventh-round pick in the 2006 NFL Draft (No. 252 overall) while Mercier defeated about 700 players and won his first major title in the first live tournament he played (NLHE Main Event of the European Poker Tour – Season 4 – in San Remo, Italy). Since the beginning they put up great numbers year in and year out. Mercier collected a couple of final table appearances in the EPT and in the NAPT circuits, won two WSOP bracelets in 2009 ($1,500 PLO) and 2011 ($5,000 PLO 6-max), finished in 4th place at the WSOPE Main Event in 2009 (£10.000 NLHE) and made nine final tables plus thirty-one WSOP money finishes. He dominated the EPT High-Roller events, became a PokerStars Pro in 2009 and won two WCOOP events (World Championship Of Online Poker) in 2010 ($1,050 NLHE) and 2012 ($10,300 8-Game High-Roller). Colston missed just one 1000-yards season in 2008 (when he played only 11 of the total 16 contests) and is currently the Saints’ all-time franchise leader in receiving touchdowns and total touchdowns with 58. He holds the record for most receptions in a player’s first two season (168) and he got his ring in SB XLIV, when he recorded seven receptions for 83 yards. Is there anything else that one should add? I think that numbers are doing all the talking for these two great players. Drew Brees & Doyle Brunson Okay, this was easy. Two good old gunslingers from Texas, they both achieved amazing results throughout their careers. It would take too long to list them all here. About Drew Brees…well, I don’t think there’s anything else I can say that the readers of this piece already know about DAT man, so I’ll move on to “Texas Dolly”. The ten-time WSOP champion turned the poker world upside down spreading the Texas Hold’ Em phenomenon and proving that poker is a skill game and not necessarily connected with criminal enterprises. In 1978 he published a book that is the all-time top-selling poker book, “Super System”; it is considered the bible of poker and its enormous success led to the publication of “Super System II” in 2004. He’s nowadays one of the most influential figures in the poker business and probably still one of the best face-readers in modern poker. They are tough too. The “godfather of poker” was a good basketball prospect at college but his career ended due to a serious leg injury from which he never fully recovered; he never gave up and instead of being a basketball pro he became a poker pro. The same kind of mindset helped Brees to heal from the devastating shoulder injury he got back in 2005: some doctors said he had little-to-no chance of playing pro football again and four years later they saw him in Miami, raising the Lombardi Trophy. Brees and Brunson are extremely talented players who take advantage of their natural abilities and their developed skills (through hard work and love for the game) to excel at what they do. They are the perfect example that if you work har

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Making the Pro Bowl more watchable has long been a goal of the NFL, which is why it was a topic of discussion at the league's spring meeting in Boston this week. As it stands now the game is boring, the players give minimal effort and nobody watches it. But Albert Breer reports that the league has some ideas to make things a little more interesting. Albert Breer of NFL Network reported that the league is considering elements that would make the game more like a game show, such as having incentives paid out during the game. Oh hey, great idea! But something feels familiar about all of this. Rewarding players with cash incentives for particular plays on the field? Seriously I swear I've heard this before. Damn I just can't put my finger --- HOLY $#!+ IT'S F***ING BOUNTYGATE! Those bastards have stolen our scandal and now they're using it to fix their crappy all-star game! Yeah okay, I know I said just last week that we need to start putting the past behind us but c'mon this is ridiculous. Let's be honest. The whole game show concept is just a pay for performance program in a more respectable package (Heeeeeere's your host, Gregg Williams!) and incentive is just another word for bounty. The Bountygate Effect: Blaming Bountygate for Everything Isn't it more than a bit hypocritical that Roger Goodell and the league spent an entire year making sure the world knew that pay for performance systems would not be tolerated but are now willing to incorporate it heavily into the Pro Bowl? Isn't it laughable that Roger Goodell once said, "The bounty rule promotes two key elements of NFL football: player safety and competitive integrity. It is our responsibility to protect ... the integrity of our game" yet the league is okay with throwing it away, y'now just this one time. Breer added that the NFL doesn't "feel the need to keep the integrity of what a normal football game is." I couldn't make this stuff up if I tried. It's like they think we're freakin' morons. The NFL needs to get its act together and figure out once and for all exactly what message they're trying to send their fans regarding incentive payments because the NFL is currently sending this particular Saints fan mixed signals. You could imagine why I might have a serious problem with that.

Saints News: New Orleans Saints Working Through Defensive Transition Under Rob Ryan - #saints

Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports Some would say the New Orleans Saints got a gift this offseason when they landed defensive coordinator Rob Ryan. The veteran DC was unfairly put on the chopping block in Dallas, but now he’s got a new life in the Big Easy. Part of the hiring of Ryan, is that fact that he plays a 3-4 defensive scheme. So naturally, there’s going to be an adjustment process for the returning players. One such veteran that this change is directly impacting, is none other than captain Will Smith. Smith will now be shifting from defensive end, to outside linebacker. Head coach Sean Payton recently acknowledged the transition for the defense’s captain: “That’s where we’ll start him. We can play him right and left, but I think initially that right outside position would be very similar to what he’s played for us in the past.” The new OLB said that he’s getting used to being in an upright stance, but for the most part, his role will be very similar. While this is technically a position change, it’s really more of a conversion. OLB is basically the equivalent of a DE in a 3-4 such as Ryan’s. Adjustments like this are all part of the transformation in New Orleans. I’m confident that Ryan will turn the Saints-D around, and I think we’ll see noticeable improvement after just a few games. Ryan runs a proven system, and so far, all indications are that the players have bought in. Switching schemes is not an easy thing, but the Saints have the right man for the job to do it. Follow Andrew Fisher on Twitter

Tweets #Saints begin Organized Team Activities today! instagram.com/p/ZkwWGlmKvA— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) May 21, 2013 First day of OTA's twitter.com/MartezWilson95…— Martez Wilson (@MartezWilson95) May 21, 2013 Sheriff is back in town, rookies are here, and the sun is shining.Time to go to work!#OTA1— Jedidiah Collins (@JedCollins45) May 21, 2013 Felt great to get back on the field in a practice environment today. Football season is upon us, and we're getting better now!— Lance Moore (@LanceMoore16) May 21, 2013 3 Sacks In 12 Plays I'm A #MADMAN Great 1st day Time to rest up PLAYBOOK and #Nap God Bless Every1 hope y'all Grinding!— NuLa C.E.O. (@JuniorG93) May 21, 2013 It's not how many hours you put it ... it's what you put into those hours that counts. #OutworkTheCompetition— Roman Harper (@Harp41) May 21, 2013 There is no success without some struggle along the way. #KeepGoing— Roman Harper (@Harp41) May 21, 2013 OTA's... Finally back to football!!! Let the journey begin or better yet let it continue! Who Dat! #Saints— Malcolm Jenkins (@MalcolmJenkins) May 21, 2013 Smh I woke up all excited like, what fit imma wear today... Like it's bthe first day of school... Goodmornin #whodatnation 1st day of OTA's— cameron jordan (@camjordan94) May 21, 2013 In 2016, you'll be watching the NFL and some guy will hit a guy & there will be a Mario-esque "FINE!" graphic over his head & "bling!" sound— Will Kill 4 Biscuit (@moosedenied) May 21, 2013 2016: "Next week, Microsoft will give one lucky fan the opportunity to literally control your favorite team's actual punter via your XBox!"— Will Kill 4 Biscuit (@moosedenied) May 21, 2013 Deadspin reminds that a week ago ESPN unveiled its new $125mil set for sportscenter. Today they laid off 400 people. deadspin.com/source-espn-la…— whodoes (@whodoesblog) May 21, 2013 Super Bowl lineup the next four years: NY/NJ after 2013 season; Arizona after 2014; SF/Santa Clara after 2015; then Houston.— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) May 21, 2013 On our way up to the NBA Lottery- Monty and Anthony, Mickey Loomis and Mr & Mrs Benson twitter.com/GregBensel/sta…— Greg Bensel (@GregBensel) May 21, 2013 Anthony meeting with local New Orleans media pre-lottery twitter.com/GregBensel/sta…— Greg Bensel (@GregBensel) May 21, 2013 Man who killed Bears fan in Jacksonville pleads guilty to murder wp.me/p14QSB-8WKo— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) May 21, 2013 So, the 49ers will hold the most tech-equipped Super Bowl ever, Texans trumpet their available park/tailgate space and Miami group is sour— Jason La Canfora (@JasonLaCanfora) May 21, 2013 _______________________________________________ Who dat talkin' 'bout dem Saints? Mickey Loomis and Sean Payton Talk About OTAsThe New Orleans Saints began organized team activities on Tuesday. At the Saints Hall of Fame Golf tournament on Monday, Executive Vice President/General Manager Mickey Loomis and Head Coach Sean Payton talked about the work ahead: Saints ready to practice with Payton again | wwltv.com New Orleans Even as Sean Payton tried to make the best of his one-season bounty banishment from the NFL by spending time with his children, getting in shape and playing golf, he often compared his punishment to prison time. Saints prepare for start of OTAs; release Broughton | Black and GoldThe Saints, who begin their organized team activities (OTAs) on Tuesday, announced Monday that the club waived defensive end Braylon Broughton. Changes loom as Saints return to practice field | Saints | The Advocate — Baton Rouge, LAKENNER — Now that the Saints have switched to a 3-4 defense, coach Sean Payton must decide who will play which position. Tuesday’s