New Orleans Saints owner Tom Benson might be feeling the pressure of an offseason parade of scandals and bad press for his football team, but it didn’t show Friday. Benson took the lectern after being announced as a member of the 2012 class for the Saints Hall of Fame and minced no words when it came to what he thinks his club — which has been dealing with suspensions of key players and Coach Sean Payton as well as protracted contract negotiations with quarterback Drew Brees — might accomplish this season.

“We’re going to make history,” he predicted. “This is our goal, I’ll tell you right now: to win the Super Bowl in our own stadium.”

No “home” team has ever played in a Super Bowl let alone won one, but Benson said he has witnessed a circling of the wagons during this tumultuous offseason. Consequently, he warned, those who think the Saints, a perennial contender for the crown since their victory in Super Bowl XLIV, will be weakened by what has transpired are mistaken.

That theme ran through the ceremonies Friday at the Superdome, where Benson and the franchise’s all-time leading rusher, Deuce McAllister, were announced as this year’s Hall inductees. The induction ceremony will take place Sept. 21 as part of the Saints Hall of Fame “All Saints Weekend.”

The Hall announced that former WWL-TV sports director and longtime “voice of the Saints” radio broadcaster Jim Henderson is the 2012 winner of the Joe Gemetti Fleur de Lis Award, given annually “to a person who has supported the New Orleans Saints organization and contributed to the betterment of the franchise over a significant period of time.”

Former Saints special teams ace Steve Gleason, now crippled by an aggressive strain of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig’s disease), will be honored with a “legacy gallery” named after him at the Hall. Gleason is the first former player to receive such an honor, which was made in recognition not only of his September 2006 punt block, which remains a signature moment for many in New Orleans post-Katrina resurrection, but also for his overall contributions to the New Orleans community.

McAllister, elected unanimously in his first year of eligibility, devoted most of his remarks to praise for his teammates and the organization he continues to serve as an ambassador after an eight-year career. But he, too, said the club’s ongoing trials will bind it.

“Turmoil builds character,” McAllister said. “We’ll get through it. We’ve been through a lot of turmoil in the past and we got through it,” he added in a clear reference to Katrina.

Although McAllister stopped short of echoing Benson’s prediction of a Super Bowl win next February, he said the short-term issues besetting the team won’t crimp its long-term prospects. The Saints, he said, are poised to be a factor in the NFL for more than the next decade.

McAllister, who was chosen for the Pro Bowl in 2002 and 2003, led the Saints in rushing four times and finished as the team’s all-time leading rusher with 6,096 yards. His 55 touchdowns are the most in New Orleans history and places him fifth on the club’s all-time scoring list. He is 10th in team history in receptions with 234.

He remains one of the top stars Benson has brought on board since he bought the team in 1985, guaranteeing its home in New Orleans. Since then, Benson has had a sometimes-rocky relationship with the city and the fans, playing hardball with the state legislature to get taxpayer dollars and giving the appearance, which he denies, of wanting to bolt the city in the dreadful first weeks after Katrina.

Now riding the best wave in Saints history, Benson was able to joke about the past Friday. In introducing Benson, Ken Trahan labeled him “the most significant person in the history of the franchise,” and Benson said such praise hadn’t always greeted him.

“I oughta just sit down now,” he joked when he took the lectern. “We faced some tough times together, but it’s been a wonderful 25 years for me, and I hope it’s been a wonderful 25 years for our fans.”

Henderson, whose “pigs have flown, hell has frozen over!” call when the Saints won their first NFC championship and were headed to the Super Bowl remains a fan favorite, was out of town attending an event for his daughter and unable to attend Friday’s ceremony.

Gleason was there, accompanied by his wife and newborn son, Rivers. Less than a year ago, Gleason walked into the Saints’ media room and spoke with reporters. On Friday, he arrived in a wheelchair and had to be helped to the lectern before a hushed audience. He spoke in a voice already being strangled by the disease.

Despite his obvious physical hardships, Gleason wasted no time in cracking wise.

“I think it’s funny how quiet it gets as I approach the microphone,” he quipped.

He then delivered a brief speech suffused with such upbeat sentiment it reminded some in attendance of the famous remarks made by the former New York Yankee whose name is tied to the disease that killed him. He received a standing ovation when it was over.

His punt block against Atlanta the night the Saints reopened the Superdome after Katrina was an ineffable high, but the real joy of football, he said, is in the lifelong relationships it provides. He treasures those he has built with New Orleans through the Saints.

“This city has become my home, and this organization has been woven into the fabric of this city,” he said.

It once seemed unlikely that would be the case for Gleason, as unsigned free agents rarely enjoy careers in the NFL. In fact, one of the people Gleason singled out for thanks was Saints General Manager Mickey Loomis.

“Some thanks go out to Mickey (Loomis) especially because there were years he had to think creatively to keep me around,” Gleason said. “But I think that faith paid off, so thanks.”

As for McAllister, Gleason said the powerful running back loomed “like a superhero,” during his playing days but stands now as a valued friend.

“Deuce is one of those people I’m feeling very lucky to have crossed paths with,” Gleason said. “Though, on the practice field, it sometimes felt unlucky.”

The fact his name will now be forever tied to the club’s Hall of Fame in a unique way is itself reflective of his career, Gleason mused.

“With football, I never fit in quite perfectly; I was a linebacker in high school and had to find a way to fit in to the NFL,” he said. “So I suppose it’s little surprise with the Saints Hall of Fame I find a side entrance.”

•••••••

James Varney can be reached at jvarney@timespicayune.com or 504.717.1156.

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By Andrew Dunn -
2012-05-17T19:37:42Z

Not much else going on in the NFL world today.

Joe Vitt felt the void immediately. He took the field Friday for the first practice of the New Orleans Saints’ rookie minicamp, and for the first time in a long time, colleague and friend Sean Payton wasn’t by his side.

The competitive barbs, the coaching tips and on-field evaluations Vitt, a 34-year coaching veteran, had grown accustomed to receiving from Payton were conspicuously absent. Payton and his ever-present team-issue sun visor had left the building.

The Saints have conducted 970 practices since Payton took the helm as head coach in 2006. The five weekend workouts were the first conducted without Payton’s involvement in some capacity.

Payton began his league-mandated one-year suspension exactly one month ago today. Since then, his absence has been felt daily, almost hourly, at the Saints’ facility, but never more so than last weekend when the Saints held their first on-field workouts since the heartbreaking playoff loss to San Francisco in January.

“There was a huge void right from the get-go,” Vitt said Monday. “It’s something we have to get used to.”

It’s safe to say the Saints are learning as they go. Improvisation has become a way of life on Airline Drive. Instead of meeting with Payton for a post-practice breakdown, as he has done regularly throughout his tenure, Vitt met with defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo and offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael Jr.

These are uncharted waters, even for a team as accustomed to adverse adventures as the Saints. No NFL head coach has ever been suspended for a full season. No league official has ever been forced to live under such harsh restrictions.

When NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell suspended Payton in March for his involvement in the bounty scandal, some wondered exactly what impact his absence would have on the team he has elevated to among the league’s elite. If anyone could withstand the blow, it would be the Saints, with their veteran roster and credentialed coaching staff.

Six members of the coaching staff have been with the program since its inception. They know the Payton Way upside down. The daily operation will continue to hum without a hitch.

But it’s ludicrous to think Payton’s yearlong absence will not affect the team. He and Drew Brees were the alpha dogs of the organization. Payton’s play-calling acumen and game-planning expertise ranked among the best in the business. The across-the-board accountability he demanded throughout the organization will be difficult to replicate, even for someone as experienced and competent as Vitt.

There’s a reason Tom Benson paid Payton $7 million annually.

“How would Pittsburgh react if Chuck Knoll was gone? Or how would Dallas react if Tom Landry wasn’t there? Or San Francisco without Bill Walsh?” Vitt said. “Sean’s put those kinds of numbers up. He has that kind of recognition in the league. Nobody can take his place. … We recognize the challenge we are facing.”

More than the tangibles, it is Payton’s intangible qualities that will be missed most. Brees has long credited Payton for boosting his confidence and turning him into the player he is today. Payton’s can-do attitude was infectious to everyone in the building. His aggressiveness infused every facet of the operation.

“Sean had a quality in this building that you knew things were going to be all right,” said vice president of communications Greg Bensel, who met daily with Payton and was in constant communication with him. “He is as confident as anyone I have seen in the position. That void is big — clearly.”

Although Payton missed a few practices last season after undergoing reconstructive surgery on his left leg, he was still able to communicate with his staff and participate remotely in the weekly game plans. If a coach had a question, he was only a phone call or a short walk to the training room away.

This is an entirely different situation. Under the terms of his suspension, Payton is expected to avoid football or operational communication throughout the suspension. He can only have contact with Benson. Contact on football-related matters is strictly forbidden.

If he wants to contact a team official about a non-football matter, he must do so by speaker-phone in the presence of Saints legal counsel Vicky Neumeyer.

He had to get the NFL to approve his new downtown office in Benson Tower.

Nevertheless, while Payton will be physically absent from the Saints’ day-to-day operations, team officials have ensured he’ll be with them in spirit. To honor their absent leader, team officials have purposefully left vacant the chairs in the draft room and team meeting rooms. They’ll do the same with his seats on the team bus and plane during the season.

The Saints had time to plan for Payton’s departure. As they did last season after his leg injury, they’ve divvied up his duties among Vitt, Carmichael and offensive line coach Aaron Kromer. It was notable and symbolic that Vitt, Carmichael, Spagnuolo and special teams coordinator Grege McMahon shared the dais at Monday’s post-minicamp press conference.

Truth be told, though, the Saints are navigating on the fly. No one knows how this will play out. As Mike Tyson once said, “Everybody has a plan … until they get punched in the mouth,” and the Saints won’t enter the ring for four more months.

The true test for the Payton-less Saints will come in September when the real games begin. Their task will be exacerbated by the loss of Vitt and General Manager Mickey Loomis, who will begin their suspensions at that time. Moreover, the team is also expected to be without defensive leaders Jon Vilma and Will Smith. But Payton’s loss is the one they’ll feel the most.

“We miss everything we know about him,” Carmichael said. “He’s special. He has some magic to him.”

For now, the magic is gone. But it’s far from forgotten on Airline Drive, and won’t be any time soon.

•••••••

Jeff Duncan can be reached at jduncan@timespicayune.com or 504.826.3404.

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The attitude at Saints camp isn’t exactly, “No Payton, no problem,” but it’s awfully close when it comes to the status of their record-setting offense. From management to players to the fan base, there seems to be no doubt in anyone’s mind that the offense won’t miss a beat with coordinator Pete Carmichael Jr. taking over while Coach Sean Payton serves his season-long suspension.

It helps that Carmichael proved his worth during an unexpected audition last year when he took over play-calling duties after Payton was sidelined by a severe leg injury in Week 6 and remained in the role for the rest of the year.

It helps even more that Carmichael, 40, has worked closely with Payton and quarterback Drew Brees in developing the team’s offense since 2006, when he was hired as part of Payton’s original staff as the quarterbacks coach.

“We definitely think the offense is in good hands,” Saints General Manager Mickey Loomis said, complimenting not only Carmichael but the entire staff of veteran offensive assistants.

“No. 1, he’s really intelligent, and I think he’s got a good demeanor,” Loomis said of Carmichael. “He’s been here from the very beginning with Sean. So I think one of the advantages is that he’s in tune with Drew, and he’s in tune with Sean and what he is looking for offensively in terms of rhythm as well as scheme.

“Sean’s been able to mentor him as he’s come along. He’s grown each year, and he did a fantastic job last year when Sean was down. If not for that, I think that would’ve been an uncertainty with us — we’d think Pete could do a good job, but now we know.”

As Loomis pointed out, Carmichael has known Brees longer than anyone in the Saints organization. Carmichael worked as an offensive assistant with the San Diego Chargers from 2002-05 before he and Brees decided to join the Saints.

And since then, the level of trust and respect between Carmichael and Brees has been evident.

“Nobody knows Drew Brees as well as Pete. Nobody knows Pete as well as Drew Brees,” Saints interim coach Joe Vitt said. “They were tied at the hip in San Diego, so they speak a common language and common verbiage.

“After Sean got hurt, Pete called 95 percent of the offense a year ago and had to install a lot of the offense during the week. This is not uncharted waters for him, and it’s not uncharted waters for our offense. Are we going to miss Sean? Absolutely. He’s unique in what he does. But I think Pete has proven, and our offense has proven what they can do when Sean’s on the shelf.”

Carmichael’s degree of difficulty has been increased by the fact that Brees also is gone this offseason as he and the Saints remain in a contract standoff. Next week, Carmichael will be installing the offense on the field for the first time when the team begins organized team activities, and he’ll do it with backup Chase Daniel behind center.

However, Carmichael vowed to plow ahead with the players who are here in camp.

“Obviously, we want him in the building. We just have to go forward with what’s here right now,” Carmichael said. “Obviously, as Joe Vitt said, Drew and Mickey are going to get this worked out. We can’t spend time worrying about it. We have to move forward. We’re going to keep the same volume of what we’re going to install and just go from there.”

Carmichael said he has stayed in touch with Brees this offseason, mostly just “as friends.” But he said Brees will also occasionally throw out a few plays he would like to run.

Honestly, though, those conversations aren’t even necessary.

Payton, Carmichael and Brees don’t all share the same mind, but they have unfiltered access into each other’s brains.

They’ve spent so many hours together over the past six years that they can finish each other’s sentences in meeting rooms. ESPN captured that on film last year when it was allowed rare access into one of their pregame meetings before “Monday Night Football.”

“Pete’s got his own ideas. I wouldn’t want to say he’s just a clone,” Loomis said. “Yet all their ideas come from a basic core philosophy that they believe in and how it can be successful.”

Carmichael doesn’t have to rewrite the Saints’ playbook this year. He estimated Monday that about “95 percent” of the Saints’ offense is carried over from past years, “and then five percent or maybe 10 percent is maybe something new that you put in the year before that you liked.”

And most of those tweaks were added before Payton’s suspension went into effect last month.

“This is going on year seven for us with Sean’s offense. The progression is pretty smooth,” said Carmichael, who said his own confidence was boosted last year when he filled in for Payton.

“I think what I’ve been doing since I’ve been here every year, more and more, has been more responsibility,” said Carmichael, who served as quarterbacks coach for three years before being promoted to the offensive coordinator job in 2009. “I feel comfortable going into next year; I don’t think the job’s going to change too much.”

The transition was smooth last year. In Carmichael’s first week on the job in Week 7, which Payton began in a hospital room, Carmichael installed the game plan and called the plays that led to New Orleans’ 62-7 victory over the Indianapolis Colts.

By the end of the regular season, Brees broke the NFL record for passing yards in a single season, and the Saints’ offense broke the NFL record for total yards gained in a single season, among others.

That’s a big reason why Carmichael went from one of the NFL’s best kept secrets to one of its rising head-coaching candidates. The Colts and Oakland Raiders reached out to him about their vacancies, and they won’t be the last.

It’s crazy to believe that Payton’s offensive mind won’t be missed, since he has cemented a reputation over the past six years as one of the league’s most innovative and aggressive strategists.

But no one could have designed a better backup plan.

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New Orleans Saints kicker Thomas Morstead, defensive end Jeff Charleston, center Brian de la Puente, and center Matthew Tennant have been active volunteers at the Louisiana SPCA in Algiers since they completed the volunteer orientation program last fall. In addition to their shelter volunteer time, the saintly Charleston and Morstead were part of this spring’s Dog Day Afternoon walk and festival in City Park, a fundraiser for the Louisiana SPCA.

Charleston was celebrity host, entertaining the crowd throughout the day during the canine contests. He also escorted adoptable rescue dog Sasha in the Gatsby Strut dog walk. Morstead joined Charleston at the Dog Day Afternoon. Morstead brought his own dog, the very cute Bella, who enjoyed the day at the park. Both Saints players happily mingled with fans and posed for photos during the festival.

Another New Orleans Saints player, Mark Ingram, attended a Louisiana SPCA celebrity adoption event in March, where he signed autographs and posed for photos with Saints fans, which included staff members.

During this event at the Algiers shelter, Ingram also presented Louisiana SPCA CEO

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Attorney Peter Ginsberg, who represents New Orleans Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma, made an appearance on ProFootballTalk’s live segment Friday and told the website that the appeals for the players suspended in the bounty scandal will be held Wednesday and May 30.

Vilma is facing the longest suspension – a full season – while Saints defensive end Will Smith was suspended for four games, former Saints linebacker Scott Fujita (now with the Browns) was suspended for three games and former Saints defensive lineman Anthony Hargrove (Packers) was hit with an eight-game suspension.

According to Ginsberg, the first hearing will be about whether the appeals should be heard by by Ted Cottrell or Art Shell, jointly hired and paid by the league and the NFLPA to resolve appeals for on-field discipline, instead of NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, the man who issued the suspensions and whether the new CBA prevented the league from taking action on behavior that happened prior to Aug. 4, 2011.

Pro Football Talk reported that the second hearing will be about whether the issue should be resolved via Special Master Stephen Burbank because it involves a salary-cap violation.

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In an effort to beef up competition for the backup cornerback position, the New Orleans Saints have added Marquis Johnson to roster, Saints General Manager Mickey Loomis confirmed Friday.

Johnson, 5 feet 11 and 205 pounds, is a former 2010 seventh-round pick of the St. Louis Rams out of Alabama. In two seasons, he played in five games, totaling seven tackles. In three games last season, he had five tackles and defended three passes.

Johnson, who is familiar with Saints defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, who drafted Johnson in St. Louis, likely will compete with second-year player Johnny Patrick and fifth-round draft pick Corey White for the backup cornerback spots behind starters Jabari Greer and Patrick Robinson.

At the moment, the Saints are still thin in experienced depth behind the starters. Veterans Tracy Porter and Leigh Torrence left this offseason in free agency.

While Johnson hasn’t found his niche yet in the NFL, he was a key contributor to Alabama’s defense his final two seasons, totaling 78 tackles, 22 pass breakups and three interceptions in 2008 and 2009.

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Although he played against only a few NFL players during his days at Samford, New Orleans Saints fifth-round pick Corey White doesn’t lack confidence. Some would even argue the cornerback’s approach to football borders on cocky, if not downright arrogant.

In fact, not long after he was selected on the final day of the NFL draft, White, a three-year starter in college, said he already was chomping at the bit to show off his skills in practice against Saints superstar quarterback Drew Brees.

“It’s going to be fun picking off some balls from Drew Brees,” he said. “It is going to be real fun.

“I am real confident in my game. You have to be confident to play this game.”

Saints coaches will get an up-close look at what White and other rookies can do this weekend as the Saints open a three-day rookie minicamp today. All the practices are closed to the media and public.

White, though, will have to wait before he can defend against Brees’ passes, as the record-setting quarterback hasn’t signed his franchise tag or a long-term contract. And Brees wouldn’t have been a part of this weekend’s practices anyway.

The Saints were attracted to White (6 feet, 205 pounds) because of his size and athletic ability.

Under first-year defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, the Saints are expected to play a lot of press coverage, with the cornerbacks challenging the receivers at the line of scrimmage.

White, who ran a 4.4 in the 40-yard dash and had a 41 1/2-inch vertical leap at his pro day, showed he could be that type of player during his 44-game college career in which he had 140 tackles, seven interceptions, 18 passes defended, four forced fumbles and one blocked kick.

“We put a premium on corners in the package we’re going to run, on arm length, height and his press ability,” Spagnuolo said. “He showed that he was able to do that in this system. We have corners that have done that a lot. I think he’ll fit in that way.

“He played at a small school, so you’ll get dinged for that a little bit, and I don’t know if that’s always fair. That’s what our scouts dug up, a good name, a good prospect. We all looked at him and thought he was a pretty good football player.”

White will be given an opportunity to battle second-year cornerback Johnny Patrick for the third cornerback spot.

Behind starting cornerbacks Jabari Greer and Patrick Robinson, the Saints have little experienced depth. Veteran cornerbacks Tracy Porter and Leigh Torrence left the team this offseason, signing free agent contracts with the Denver Broncos and the Washington Redskins.

White, who also could play safety, said he’s ready to show everyone what he is capable of after being mostly overlooked during his college career.

“I feel like I can play anywhere in the secondary including special teams,” he said. “I feel like I am a ball hawk. I am going to go get the ball if it’s in the air.”

White said he isn’t the type to shy away from contact. In high school at Dunwoody (Ga.), he also played basketball. At 6 feet, he didn’t have a natural position, so he was simply tabbed as the “enforcer.”

“I came in on defense to foul people,” he joked. “You know football players, they can’t control themselves on a basketball court. I was the enforcer.”

Coming out of the talent-rich Atlanta area, White wasn’t heavily recruited. He had a few offers from some FCS schools, but the major schools stayed away.

Despite playing at Samford of the Southern Conference, White wasn’t too hard for the Saints to find. Coaches and scouts were impressed with how White performed against opponents from larger conferences, including the season finale against Auburn.

Although White’s stat line wasn’t overly impressive — four tackles and no pass breakups — he was solid in coverage against bigger, faster receivers.

“I think one of the things that was impressive about him is that when he played against a big-time opponent, he played really well,” Saints interim coach Joe Vitt said.

Added special teams coordinator Greg McMahon: “He jumped out in the Auburn game. We saw him on certainly defense and special teams. He’s a guy that when you come from a small school, you want to see him against good competition. He played well.”

White believes he can play even better. He likens his game to one of the all-time great NFL defensive backs.

“Charles Woodson. I feel like he is a complete defensive back,” he said. “He can do it all: tackle, cover, zone player, man player, he can do it all. I like to compare myself to him.”

Saints coaches will see this weekend with their own eyes if that comparison has any truth to it.

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