By Mike Triplett, The Times-Picayune

March 23, 2010, 9:45PM

New Orleans Saints spokesman Greg Bensel confirmed that the team has decided not to match the Philadelphia Eagles’ contract offer to restricted free agent tailback Mike Bell, meaning he will no longer be a Saint as of Wednesday.

Bell signed a one-year, $1.7 million offer sheet with the Eagles last week, which included $500,000 guaranteed and a no-trade clause through Aug. 1. The Saints had one week to match the offer or let him go. They decided to let him walk, in part because they have a lot of money invested at the tailback position, which includes Reggie Bush, Pierre Thomas and emerging third-year power back Lynell Hamilton.

Bell’s agent Josh Luchs said the move to Philadelphia will be “bittersweet” for the tailback, who resurrected his career with the Saints as a fourth-year pro in 2009.

“He has a lot of respect for the (Saints) organization and (Coach) Sean Payton and (General Manager) Mickey Loomis. He has a lot of gratitude for the opportunity they gave him. And he has a love affair with the fans there,” Luchs said. “But he has such a small window to capitalize on the window of opportunity to take his career that was resuscitated by the Saints to another level.”

By James Varney, The Times-Picayune

March 23, 2010, 2:48PM

Orlando, Fla. — The NFL announced the awarding of “performance-based pay” bonuses Tuesday, a piece of the now-expired collective bargaining agreement with players that has doled out nearly $600 million over the last eight seasons.

Minnesota Vikings center John Sullivan got the highest award – $397,555 – while New Orleans Saints guard Carl Nicks was sixth with $317,313, according to league figures released at the NFL owners meeting in Orlando.

Performance-Based Pay is computed by using a “player index,” the league said.

“To produce the index, a player’s regular-season playtime (total plays on offense, defense and special teams) is divided by his adjusted regular-season compensation (full season salary, prorated portion of signing bonus, earned incentives).  Each player’s index is then compared to those of the other players on his team to determine the amount of his pay,” according to the announcement.

Since its induction, the Saints have two of the top 25 players on the bonus list. In sixth place is guard Jahri Evans, a 4th round pick in the 2006 draft, who has been awarded $782,363, while Nicks, taken in the fifth round of the 2008 draft, has earned $652,346, placing him 24th on the list.

By James Varney, The Times-Picayune

March 23, 2010, 2:54PM

Orlando, Fla. — The NFL owners approved proposed changes in postseason overtime rules by a 28-4 vote Tuesday but one of the teams voting ‘no’ was a bit of a surprise: the Minnesota Vikings.

Even though Atlanta Falcons president Rich McKay told reporters in a conference call about the proposed changes that no single team had pushed for a potential dual-possession format in playoff overtime, the Vikings were widely considered a team in favor of the measure. That belief was rooted in the NFC championship game when the Saints won the coin toss and then punched their ticket to Super Bowl XLIV with a 40-yard field goal by Garrett Hartley.

Should the same situation arise, the vote could come back to haunt the Saints, who cast a vote in favor of the change.

By James Varney, The Times-Picayune

March 23, 2010, 9:15AM

Orlando, Fla. — New Orleans Saints owner Tom Benson insisted Monday he is the same person since his club claimed its first NFL championship but hinted the same isn’t true for everyone else in the franchise.

“I don’t think so,” he said when asked if he had changed. “I just noticed, you know, our coach is sort of walking a little high.”

And with that, he threw back his head and chuckled like a Super Bowl winner who can afford a laugh on Sean Payton’s dime.

Read the rest of the story here.

By Times-Picayune Staff

March 22, 2010, 10:54AM

Apparently the Detroit Lions would like to see New Orleans Saints free agent defensive lineman Anthony Hargrove contribute at more than one position if they pursue him, according to Tom Kowolski of Mlive.com:

Orlando — If the Detroit Lions eventually pursue Anthony Hargrove, the New Orleans Saints defensive lineman who is a restricted free agent, coach Jim Schwartz plans to move Hargrove up and down the defensive line.

“You know the guy he reminded me the most of?  Kevin Carter,” said Schwartz, who is in Orlando for the NFL owners meetings. “He’d probably play end on first and second down and then rush from the inside on third down. He’s still young. I think at some point he could be a full-time tackle.

By James Varney, The Times-Picayune

March 22, 2010, 8:38AM

The 2011 NFL owners meeting will likely be held in New Orleans, according to several league sources gathered here in Orlando.

No formal announcement has been made and it is not clear that one will be announced during the 2010 meeting. That is in part because the deal remains tentative at the moment and in part because the league is also involved in contractual discussions with other cities, sources said.

Although the owners’ meeting is not a mammoth affair in terms of conferences – the league estimates it books around 500 hotel rooms – it is traditionally a posh event, attracting deep pockets and the cachet that goes with a high-profile slice of the entertainment world.

By James Varney, The Times-Picayune

March 22, 2010, 6:11AM

ORLANDO, FLA. – Though no doubt it serves New Orleans Saints fans just fine, the NFL will consider tinkering with its overtime format this week as the owners meeting commences today.

It was the sudden death overtime that gained immortality in Superdome lore, as the Saints won the coin toss and then saw Garrett Hartley’s 40-yard kick sail through the uprights and put the black-and-gold in the Super Bowl.

Read the rest of the story here.

By The Times-Picayune

March 19, 2010, 3:52PM

Super Bowl XLIV champion New Orleans Saints sent out season ticket renewal notices Friday for the upcoming season, which will include the first price increase since after the 2007 season.

“Our goal is to continue to provide strong value and services for our fans, and we are deeply appreciative,” said Mike Stanfield, Saints vice president of ticket and suite sales. “Our organization is committed to continuing to field a championship-caliber product on the field.”

Read the rest of the story here.

By Mike Triplett, The Times-Picayune

March 19, 2010, 8:39AM

New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees and tight end Billy Miller are scheduled to team up again with former Kansas City Chiefs and San Diego Chargers linebacker Donnie Edwards for an upcoming USO/Armed Forces Entertainment tour to Turkey, Djibouti and the Persian Gulf. They will visit with the troops stationed there to talk with them, sign autographs and pose for photos.

This will be the fifth USO Tour for Brees and the third for Miller. The trio traveled together to Japan in 2008 and to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, last year. Brees and Edwards went to Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates in 2007.

Story located at.

By Mike Triplett, The Times-Picayune

March 18, 2010, 5:02PM

The Pittsburgh Steelers don’t expect to be selected as the season-opening opponent for the Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints on Thursday night, Sept. 9, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The Saints, who will host the nationally-televised season opener, are expected to learn their opponent next week.

Read the rest of the story here.