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Wednesday, September 05, 2007 – 3:00 PM

COLTS & SAINTS KICK OFF SEASON THURSDAY NIGHT ON NBC

No more waiting. The NFL roars back Thursday night.

NFL Kickoff 2007 starts in Indianapolis that night when the Super Bowl XLI champion Colts host the New Orleans Saints in the season’s first game (NBC, 7:30 PM CT; Saints Radio Network) that will be the culmination of kickoff festivities at Monument Circle in downtown Indianapolis and at the RCA Dome, site of the game.

The Saints – who reached the NFC Championship Game last year – are the hometown team of Colts quarterback PEYTON MANNING, the Super Bowl XLI MVP. Manning will square off against his fellow starting quarterback in the 2007 Pro Bowl, DREW BREES. Indianapolis has won its last 10 primetime regular-season games, including four last year.

The Thursday night kickoff will be accompanied by musical performances to celebrate the beginning of the season and honor the Colts and the city of Indianapolis.

The pregame special show, “NFL OPENING KICKOFF 2007 PRESENTED BY SPRINT” on NBC, NFL Network and SIRIUS Satellite Radio at 8:00 PM ET will feature performances by Indiana-native JOHN MELLENCAMP, FAITH HILL and KELLY CLARKSON. KEYSHIA COLE will be joined by Fort Wayne, Indiana’s Voices of Unity Youth Choir in singing the national anthem. Mellencamp will perform at the RCA Dome and Hill, Clarkson and HINDER will sing at a free concert at Monument Circle.

LET’S KICK IT OFF!

The players are ready…America’s ready.

After seven months of offseason, here comes five months of pressure-packed unpredictability. The National Football League – with its 17 weeks of surprises — is back. The excitement quotient in America just took a jump – big time!

“This is when it gets serious,” says Miami Dolphins defensive tackle VONNIE HOLLIDAY. “This is why you go through the whole offseason. This is what it’s all about.”

What it will be all about when the season ends on December 30 is anybody’s guess. Unpredictability? Last season, seven teams that qualified for the playoffs in 2005 did not make them in 2006. Since 2000 – that’s seven seasons – 12 different teams have played in the Super Bowl.

“I think the biggest mistake is to try to pick up where you left off,” says head coach SEAN PAYTON of the New Orleans Saints. “In our business, you start again from Day One.”

“Day One” is this Thursday, when Payton’s Saints visit the Super Bowl XLI champion Indianapolis Colts in the kickoff to the season. Then comes 13 games on Sunday, with Kickoff 2007 Weekend concluding on Monday night with a primetime doubleheader on ESPN.

The weekend will mark the beginning of one more raucous NFL season — played under the theme of “Who Wants It More?” — that arrives already packed with intrigue and change.

Great Commercial !

The defense will have a huge challenge with the Colts, but I think they will be improved over last year.

Getting pumped up!!

Doug Miller, NewOrleansSaints.com
Sunday, September 02, 2007 – 3:38 PM
The New Orleans Saints have signed seven players to their practice squad, it was announced by Head Coach Sean Payton following today’s practice.

The players signed were guard Tim Duckworth, fullback Kevin Dudley, defensive end Willie Evans, linebacker Marvin Mitchell, quarterback Tyler Palko, cornerback Anwar Phillips and safety Chris Reis.

Below is a brief thumbnail of each player:

Duckworth is a rookie out of Auburn who signed with New Orleans just before the opening of the preseason. The 24-year-old guard saw action on offense and on special teams during the team’s summer slate.

Dudley first came to the Saints as a practice squad signee during the 2006 postseason after previously spending time with the Atlanta Falcons. The fullback from the University of Michigan had a productive preseason for the Saints, carrying the ball five times for 15 yards and catching eight passes for 62 yards and a touchdown.

Evans signed with Saints in January and was allocated to the Amsterdam Admirals of NFL Europa. The former Mississippi State defensive end made eight tackles in the preseason, including three sacks against Miami in the preseason finale.

Mitchell was the selected by the Saints in the seventh round of the NFL Draft this spring after playing collegiately at the University of Tennessee. The rookie linebacker played in all five preseason games and recorded nine tackles on defense and another on special teams.

Palko was a rookie free agent signee out of the University of Pittsburgh. The left-handed passer saw extensive playing time in three games this preseason, completing 27 of 48 passes for 271 yards with one touchdown and four interceptions. He also showed some play-making ability, gaining 59 yards rushing on nine attempts.

Phillips was in training camp with the Saints for the second time in 2007. The former Penn State defensive back first came to New Orleans as an undrafted free agent a year ago and spent the 2006 season on the team’s practice squad. He played in all five games this preseason, recording three tackles and a pass defense.

Reis signed with the club as a free agent in January and was allocated to the Cologne Centurions of NFL Europa, where he earned all-league honors. The former Georgia Tech defensive back tallied 13 tackles in preseason action and picked off two passes against Miami in the finale.

NOTES: RB Antonio Pittman, who was waived yesterday, was claimed off of waivers by the St. Louis Rams … RB Jamaal Branch was signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers to their practice squad, and CB David Jones was claimed off of waivers by the Cincinnati Bengals.

Saints Cut 12; Set Roster for Regular Season

by Dave Lawrence, NewOrleansSaints.com
Saturday, September 01, 2007 – 5:00 PM

Reaching the NFL-mandated active roster limit of 53, the New Orleans Saints waived 12 players Saturday and terminated the contract of defensive end Anton Palepoi, Executive Vice President/General Manager Mickey Loomis announced. The 12 players waived were safety Curry Burns, guard Tim Duckworth, fullback Kevin Dudley, defensive end Willie Evans, wide receiver Tramain Hall, cornerback David Jones, linebacker Marvin Mitchell, quarterback Tyler Palko, cornerback Anwar Phillips, running back Antonio Pittman, safety Chris Reis and guard Dave Yovanovits.

Burns re-signed with New Orleans this spring after spending time on the Saints’ practice squad in 2006. The Louisville product is a second-year pro who made 11 tackles on defense and four more on special teams during the 2007 preseason.

Duckworth is a rookie out of Auburn who signed with New Orleans just before the opening of the preseason. The 24-year-old guard saw action on offense and on special teams during the team’s summer slate.

Dudley first came to the Saints as a practice squad signee during the 2006 postseason after previously spending time with the Atlanta Falcons. The fullback from the University of Michigan had a productive preseason for the Saints, carrying the ball five times for 15 yards and catching eight passes for 62 yards and a touchdown.

Evans signed with Saints in January and was allocated to the Amsterdam Admirals of NFL Europa. The former Mississippi State defensive end made eight tackles in the preseason, including three sacks against Miami in the preseason finale.

Hall joined the Saints following the conclusion of the NFL Europa season this spring, where he played with Cologne. A product of North Carolina State, he caught one pass for 15 yards for New Orleans this preseason and also returned five punts for 19 yards and averaged 13.7 yards on three kickoff returns.

Jones was the team’s fifth-round selection in April’s draft. The youngster out of Wingate played in all five preseason contests for the Saints and recorded six tackles, two pass defenses and intercepted a pass against Miami.

Mitchell was the selected by the Saints in the seventh round of the NFL Draft this spring after playing collegiately at the University of Tennessee. The rookie linebacker played in all five preseason games and recorded nine tackles on defense and another on special teams.

Palepoi joined the Saints as a free agent following a spring mini-camp workout. The fifth-year veteran lineman played in all five games as a reserve defensive end, making seven tackles and deflecting four pass attempts.

Palko was a rookie free agent signee out of the University of Pittsburgh. The left-handed passer saw extensive playing time in three games this preseason, completing 27 of 48 passes for 271 yards with one touchdown and four interceptions. He also showed some play-making ability, gaining 59 yards rushing on nine attempts.

Phillips was in training camp with the Saints for the second time in 2007. The former Penn State defensive back first came to New Orleans as an undrafted free agent a year ago and spent the 2006 season on the team’s practice squad. He played in all five games this preseason, recording three tackles and a pass defense.

Pittman was drafted by the Saints in the fourth round this spring. The running back from Ohio State led the team in carries this preseason, rushing 55 times for 173 yards and a touchdown. He also caught six passes for 35 yards in five games.

Reis signed with the club as a free agent in January and was allocated to the Cologne Centurions of NFL Europa, where he earned all-league honors. The former Georgia Tech defensive back tallied 13 tackles in preseason action and picked off two passes against Miami in the finale.

Yovanovits is a fourth-year pro who signed with the Saints in the offseason following prior stints with the New York Jets and Cleveland Browns. The former Temple lineman worked at both guard spots and saw action at center while battling a knee injury this preseason.

The Saints head into the regular season with 17 players on the 53-man roster that were not on the active roster for January’s NFC Championship game (two were on injured reserve and one on the practice squad).

Beginning Sunday, the Saints and all 32 NFL teams may establish a practice squad of up to eight players. The Saints will open the regular season Thursday night in Indianapolis against the Colts at 7:30 pm CT.

Saints Reduce Roster By Nine

by Dave Lawrence, NewOrleansSaints.com
Friday, August 31, 2007 – 3:30 PM

New Orleans Saints Executive Vice President/General Manager Mickey Loomis announced Friday that the team has parted ways with nine players as the deadline for reaching the league-mandated roster level of 53 players approaches.

The Saints terminated the contract of linebacker Dhani Jones and waived offensive linemen Ben Archibald, Brian Ferentz and Rob Petitti, wide receiver Derrick Doyle, tight end Ronnie Ghent, and defensive linemen Rodney Leisle, Scott Scharff and Brandon Villarreal.

Archibald is a second-year pro who first joined the Saints in 2004, spending that season and all of the 2006 campaign on the team’s practice squad. The versatile offensive lineman was on the club’s active roster during the 2005 season and saw action in six games, primarily on special teams. The BYU graduate played in all five games this preseason, working at right guard.

Doyle signed with the club as a rookie free agent following the Saints’ preseason opener in August. The former Northwestern State standout saw limited playing time over the final four contests of the summer and did not record any statistics.

Ferentz joined the Saints prior to their third preseason game after spending the 2006 season on the Falcons’ practice squad. The University of Iowa product saw action at both center and left guard over the course of the team’s final three preseason contests.

Ghent signed with the Saints just prior to the Hall of Fame game and caught two passes for 23 yards during the preseason. The former University of Louisville tight end previously spent time on the Cincinnati Bengals’ practice squad after originally signing with the Philadelphia Eagles out of college in 2004.

Jones signed with the Saints as a free agent a few weeks prior to the opening of training camp. The eight-year veteran linebacker started twice in the preseason and turned in 16 tackles and a sack for the Saints in five games.

Leisle was drafted by the Saints in the fifth round in 2004 and played in 17 regular season games for the club over the span of three seasons. He played in 14 games in 2006 and tallied 19 tackles and a fumble recovery. The former UCLA Bruin made eight tackles this preseason, including a sack against the Dolphins.

Petitti came to New Orleans after being claimed off waivers prior to the 2006 season from the Dallas Cowboys. The former University of Pittsburgh offensive lineman was inactive for all but one game in ’06 and played in all five games this preseason at right tackle.

Scharff re-joined the Saints early in training camp after spending time on the team’s practice squad in 2006. The defensive end out of Stanford made three tackles over the course of the preseason.

Villarreal first joined the club as an undrafted free agent in 2006 and spent the entire ’06 campaign on the practice squad. The former Purdue Boilermaker made two tackles from his reserve defensive tackle position this preseason.

The Saints roster currently stands at 66 and the club must reach the level of 53 by 3:00 pm (CT) Saturday.