And that much is true for Flint Southwestern grad Mark Ingram, who after five games with the New Orleans Saints, leads the team with 216 rushing yards. The former Heisman Trophy winner’s arrival to the NFL was highly anticipated, and he’s a rookie NFL followers continue to watch.

Ingram, who starred in college at Alabama, is scheduled to sign memorabilia for fans Tuesday at Gulf Coast Cards at a Biloxi, Miss. mall.

For $99, fans get Ingram’s standard signature. For an additional $35, Ingram will include an inscription — which many collectors prefer — on fans’ items. Typically, an inscription includes the year a player was inducted into the Hall of Fame (ex. “HOF 80″) or marks another significant milestone in their career. Fans may choose to have Ingram pen “Who Dat?!” in honor of the Saints’ rally cry. 

Ingram and the Saints (4-1) are in first place in the NFC South after Sunday’s 30-27 win over Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers.

Brian de la Puente had no time to consider the magnitude of the moment. And that might not have been a bad thing considering the circumstances.

The message New Orleans Saints offensive line coach Aaron Kromer delivered to him midway through the second quarter of the Saints’ game against the Houston Texans was short and unceremonious: You’re in. You’re up. Let’s go.

No announcement by the public-address guy. No ticker across the bottom of the TV screen. No blaring of trumpets or clashing of cymbals.

You’re in. You’re up. Let’s go.

And just like that, de la Puente’s NFL odyssey ended. After three-plus years and five teams, de la Puente saw his first live action as an NFL offensive lineman, replacing injured starting center Olin Kreutz.

De la Puente played the final three quarters of the game at a position he played only sparingly in his career. In fact, he’d never played a down at center in an official game and hadn’t taken live snaps at the position in practice since training camp.

Yet, there he was on Sunday, in the heat of a furious comeback, firing shotgun snap after shotgun snap to Pro Bowl quarterback Drew Brees in front of 73,000 breathless fans.

“I just wanted to get the first snap out of the way,” de la Puente said. “I wasn’t nervous really. I didn’t have time to think about it.”

“It’s a credit to Drew, he hung in there with me, and everything went well. It also helps to have two Pro Bowl guards beside you and a 14-year veteran like Olin coming up to you after every series giving you pointers.”

The Saints didn’t skip a beat with de la Puente at center. During the 59 snaps he played, they outscored the Texans 40-23 en route to one of the most exhilarating comebacks in club history.

Afterward, de la Puente received a slew of well-wishing text messages and emails from family and friends. His first NFL action as an offensive lineman was a long time coming.

“It was exciting and fun,” he said. “It’s almost surreal.”

Down but not out

The Saints media guide tells the story on de la Puente as well as anything.

In his bio, the listing of his career transactions is twice as long as his career highlights. All told, de la Puente has experienced 20 transactions in a little more than three seasons. He’s been cut six times in that span.

At this time a year ago, he wasn’t even on a roster. The 49ers cut him in training camp, and for four weeks he sat by the phone, wondering whether the journey was over. He and future wife Makenzie spent their Sundays channel surfing and monitoring the waiver wire and injury report.

After weeks of inactivity, he’d almost given up on his dream. He visited a post-football career guidance counselor at his alma mater, California-Berkeley, to gauge his options. He compiled a resume, sent out emails and lined up job interviews in various fields: solar energy, finance, real estate.

“I thought, I might be done,” de la Puente said. “It was a good run, and I was OK with that.”

A few days later, de la Puente received a call from the Saints. A day later, he signed a contract to the practice squad. He made the club this year with a strong training camp and quietly eased ahead of Matt Tennant on the depth chart. Tennant was a fifth-round draft pick in 2010 whom the Saints like. But one of the tenants of Saints Coach Sean Payton’s coaching philosophy is to base personnel decisions on a player’s practice and game film and not his resume.

Consequently, de la Puente and not Tennant was the lone backup interior lineman active for the first three games of the season.

“During training camp when he was getting his snaps, he seemed to function very well and was very consistent,” Payton said. “… He had done a good enough job to where we felt confident that he could play either the guard or center position.”

De la Puente was born and reared in a southern California volleyball family. Both of his parents played volleyball in college: mother, Carrie, at UCLA, and father, Bob, at Cal State Northridge. His sister Allison played at Cal State Fullerton. And volleyball was among the four sports Brian played at San Clemente High School.

He said his multisport background is applicable to the interior line, where quick feet and athleticism are required to pull and chop blockers. His versatility and intelligence allow him to learn and play several positions on the fly.

“He’s smart, he has good short-area quickness, and he’s a good athlete,” Payton said. “He was someone that was very consistent and more powerful than you would look at or notice there with his stature.”

A familiar face

No one was happier about de la Puente’s performance Sunday than fullback Jed Collins, a fellow long shot who grew up in Mission Viejo, Calif., a 10-minute drive from de la Puente’s home in San Clemente. Collins and de la Puente played against each other in high school and college and were teammates briefly with the Kansas City Chiefs. The pair became so close Collins became an ordained minister this summer and performed the wedding ceremony for Brian and Makenzie on July 9 in California.

So imagine their wonderment when they found themselves side by side in the same huddle for one of the most memorable wins in Saints history. At one point, Collins said he looked across the huddle and asked de la Puente, “How long have you been in here?”

“There were two or three series where he was in, and I had no idea,” Collins said. “That’s the biggest compliment you can give to a backup. You come in, and nobody notices.

“He walked in there with Pro Bowl players and an unbelievable quarterback, and he felt like he should be there. He acted accordingly and got the job done.”

The Berkeley education was on full display Monday as a gaggle of reporters flocked to de la Puente’s locker. He refused to get ahead of himself, even saying he preferred to look at the film before commenting on his performance. He’s fully aware Kreutz’s health will determine his role in Sunday’s game at Jacksonville. He could play 75 snaps or zero.

Regardless, he’ll always have his Warholian moment against the Texans to enjoy for posterity.

“It has been a long, hard road, and it’s kind of paying off,” he said. “It’s kind of exciting.”

•••••••

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

When New Orleans Saints kicker Garrett Hartley went down in the team’s third preseason game at Oakland, there was some concern. When just-signed veteran John Kasay came in and missed a field-goal attempt and an extra-point attempt in the team’s final preseason game against visiting Tennessee, some fans allowed their concern to drift toward panic.

Chalk up that situation as calmed.

Kasay has been perfect thus far. He made both of his field-goal attempts at Green Bay in Week 1 and added three more against Chicago, including a 53-yarder just before the two-minute warning at the end of the first half to put New Orleans up 16-7.

With Sunday’s field goals, Kasay now has made 438 and passed former Denver kicker Jason Elam for sixth place on the NFL’s all-time list. The 53-yard kick was Kasay’s 41st of more than 50 yards, which broke a tie with Morten Andersen for second place on that all-time league list. He has made at least one field goal of 50 yards or more in 18 of his 20 NFL seasons.

“He’s hitting the ball well, with a lot of confidence, and that’s good to see,” Coach Sean Payton said.

New Orleans wide receiver Devery Henderson also had a banner day, catching all three passes Drew Brees sent his way, including a 79-yard touchdown in the second quarter that put New Orleans ahead for good, 10-7.

Henderson now has back-to-back 100-yard receiving games, the first Saints receiver to record them since Marques Colston last season. Henderson hadn’t had such consecutive games since 2006, and he now has nine for his career, tying him with Wes Chandler and Donte Stallworth for fifth-most in Saints history.

When New Orleans Saints Coach Sean Payton talked in the preseason about the things New Orleans must improve upon if it is to make a serious run at Super Bowl XLVI, one he always hit upon was the running game’s “efficiency.”

That’s a nebulous term, and Payton didn’t shed much light on it in Oxnard, Calif., when asked for a definition. “The simple way to define it is running it better,” he replied, offering an inarguable but still opaque answer.

But Payton then went on to provide a more detailed window into his thinking.

“I think you look closely at yards per attempt,” he began. “In other words, you’re running the ball but how well are you running it? You look at your yards per attempt, your big plays in the running game. At some point the thing we did in ’09 is we finished games in the running game and so an ‘efficient’ run in the four-minute might be a 3-yard gain to get a first down and keep the clock moving. So those are specific areas and we’ve got a method to grade: red zone efficiency in the running game might be a little different than in the field, tight red zone, short yardage and goal line.”

Last year the Saints running game was at times notably absent, forcing quarterback Drew Brees to fight short-handed. But, just as they did with the defensive front seven, the Saints labored in the off-season to upgrade the position.

“There’s a number of new faces in regards to who we’ve acquired in trying to help us as a team offensively run the ball better,” Payton noted following a practice in Oxnard. “Darren Sproles is one player with a lot of experience; Mark Ingram is a draft pick that we used in the first round. Pierre Thomas was a key signing for us before the lockout. And we’ve got some other players: we haven’t seen a lot of Chris Ivory right now as he’s recovering from his foot and sports hernia, but he’s close. Joique Bell and some of these other guys have all played well. So it’s a deep position and one that we feel like is very talented.”

Thomas, 5 feet 11, 215, is entering his fifth season, having made the Saints as an undrafted free agent out of Illinois in 2007. A nagging ankle injury and contract dispute behind him, Thomas appears poised to regain the critical role he played in the Saints’ championship run of 2009. In his career, he has accounted for 2,877 yards and 24 touchdowns. He has never managed to play in 16 games in a season but, on the other hand, he has lost a grand total of just two fumbles.

Ingram, 5-9, 215, brings with him the Heisman Trophy he won at Alabama, real power, and an uncanny knack for finding space in tight spots along the line of scrimmage.

He flashed real grit in the team’s second preseason game against Houston when the Saints called his number twice in a row on fourth down at the goal line. Ingram scored a touchdown on the first play, that was nullified by a timeout, and then came right back and scored again.

Sproles, 5-6, 190, is a six-year veteran out of Kansas State. He comes to New Orleans via San Diego, where he amassed nearly 10,000 all-purpose yards and 21 touchdowns.

Brees has more than once expressed his delight with the new stable of backs.

“I think it’s a great trio,” he said. “When you look at all their strengths, all their abilities, and just kind of the diverse group that we have. I’m thinking, as a defense, it’s hard when you give them that 1-2-3 punch because all of them can do so many good things and yet you’re able to rotate them and keep them fresh and do so many things with them. That’s only going to benefit us and our offense and how complex we’re going to be able to be – what we’re going to be able to do with formations and with personnel groups, it really becomes a great weapon for us.”

Payton broke down the various qualities he sees in each of the prominent backs.

“Sproles is explosive, he carries his pads well, he’s a space player,” he began. “He gives you versatility in the nickel packages, he’s a good receiver. A guy that’s got a great feel for both the run and the passing game. Pierre’s a guy who’s got great versatility as well but they’re different runners and they’re different route runners.”

Is Pierre more of a north-south runner than Sproles?

“I would just say Pierre is a guy that runs with good vision; not a slasher but a guy who is hard to hit cleanly, and I would say Darren is a guy who’s going to make you miss entirely and is going to put his foot in the ground – they’re different type players,” Payton said.

“Mark Ingram, has the speed, he’d be more comparable to Pierre,” the coach continued. “He’s a guy who runs with really good pad level, he’s strong, he blocks the blitz well. So they’re different. Pierre’s very versatile: can handle the base, can handle the nickel; knows the protections and then I see Sproles kind of opposite of where Mark is. They’re just different players.”

Such versatility is delicious for a coach like Payton who favors a multi-dimensional attack. But having backs with clear-cut qualities (things they do better than other things) can also make for a certain predictability: the playbook thins in relation to each back’s abilities.

Payton dismissed the possibility.

“Yeah, when he’s in there’s certain things you’re going to do,” he said. “Within the framework of what you’re doing when he’s in is run your draws, run your screens. You’ve still got to have play versatility when he’s in the game. It can’t just be X, Y and Z. You’ve got to have enough of the package and he can do that – he can run between the tackles. You look at your packages and you study your tendencies and you make sure that it’s not always, ‘this, this and this,’ and you’ve got to look at it.”

Plus:

“It gives you depth, though, it gives you depth more than anything else. And so all of them get the same touches in a game. It allows you during the course of a season, when one of them gets nicked up, to not back off what you’re wanting to do.”

•••••••

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

The New Orleans Saints placed veteran cornerback Fabian Washington on injured reserve Thursday after a hamstring injury wiped out most of his training camp.

Washington, 28, signed with the Saints a month ago to add depth to the secondary, but he originally suffered the hamstring injury just a few days after he first hit the practice field in early August. He came back briefly before aggravating the injury.

The former first-round pick out of Nebraska was a starter earlier in his career in both Oakland and Baltimore, but he was fighting for a backup job with the Saints and may have had trouble beating out Leigh Torrence and Johnny Patrick for a roster spot even if healthy.

Washington’s season will be done unless the Saints agree to release him when he’s healthy or agree to an injury settlement with him down the road.

Oxnard, Calif. — New Orleans Saints fullback Jed Collins said he has been cut 12 or 13 times while bouncing around with seven different NFL teams the past three years.

But he might finally find a home in New Orleans.

Collins stood out in Saturday night’s preseason game at Houston after being given his first chance to line up with the first-team offense, paving the way for a 13-yard run by Pierre Thomas, among other big gains.

Collins, 6 feet 1, 255 pounds, joined the Saints as part of their practice squad last season, and Coach Sean Payton said he stood out enough in practice that they wanted to give him a shot at the permanent job this season.

“I’ve been grinding, trying to find a system that needs me, a program that likes me, an opportunity,” said Collins, who joined the Philadelphia Eagles in 2008 as an undrafted free agent from Washington State.

Since then, he’s spent time with the Eagles, Browns, Cardinals, Chiefs, Titans, Bears and Saints. He was only on the active roster for two games with Cleveland in 2008 but did not play.

“It’s been tough,” Collins said. “But I’ve just been keeping it in my mind that I can play this game. And once your opportunity comes, you’ve got to stand into it. And I feel like I’m trying to take advantage of what they’re giving me.”

Collins is battling veteran newcomer Korey Hall for the starting fullback job, which was vacated when the Saints decided to part ways with veteran Heath Evans.

The Saints made a strong push to sign Hall as a free agent from the Green Bay Packers as soon as the lockout was lifted, so they obviously think highly of him. And by all accounts, he has also been impressive both as a blocker and a special teams standout.

But the Saints could wind up keeping both players. Typically, they will keep five tight ends and fullbacks, whether it’s a combination of four and one or three and two.

“That’s a good competition going there with those two players, and both of them are having good camps,” said Payton, who said the team had been planning since last year to make Collins part of that competition.

“We felt like it was going to be Jed and another player competing,” Payton said. “I think as the season went on last year and as he was on the practice squad, he did some real good things against our defense, and we began to see someone we thought was physical, and that was encouraging. So that has continued. His growth has been right in front of us, and he’s done well.”

Collins spent the offseason working with the Saints players at Tulane and said he has been developing a trust and chemistry with his teammates, including quarterback Drew Brees. He said that’s important for a guy who has bounced around so many times.

“Confidence is always huge in this game, because as a free-agent guy who’s always competing for a job, you don’t always get too many chances,” Collins said. “So if you’re in there always worrying about how you’re doing or what you’re doing, you’re not going to be able to get the job done. So being comfortable in there with Drew and the running backs, the new guys, being confident that I’m supposed to be in that huddle and I’m supposed to be on that field, has really helped me this year.

“But other than that, it’s just working hard and being ready to hit anything that moves.”

INJURY REPORT: There was only one addition to the Saints’ injury report Wednesday. Defensive tackle Mitch King was sidelined by an undisclosed injury, further thinning the injury-riddled position.

Tailback Mark Ingram and guard Carl Nicks continued to rest their sore knees Wednesday, as expected. Also sidelined were linebackers Will Herring, Clint Ingram and Ezra Butler, defensive tackles Aubrayo Franklin and Tom Johnson, defensive ends Junior Galette, Jeff Charleston and Greg Romeus, cornerbacks Johnny Patrick and Fabian Washington, tailbacks Chris Ivory and Chris Taylor, receiver Jarred Fayson and guard Roger Allen.

Rookie strongside linebacker Martez Wilson took advantage of valuable snaps with the first-team defense the past two days during Herring and Ingram’s absences.

JENKINS ‘SPECIAL’: Third-year Saints safety Malcolm Jenkins drew high praise from veteran teammate Alex Brown on Wednesday. Brown, who played college ball at Florida before spending his first eight seasons with the Chicago Bears, said he has played with three “special” players in his career — defensive end Jevon Kearse, linebacker Brian Urlacher and now Jenkins.

Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams has spoken in similar lofty terms of Jenkins, too, saying he strives to be a true all-time great and has the tireless work ethic to accomplish it.

Jenkins started to show his potential last season with two NFC Defensive Player of the Week awards down the stretch, and he was painfully missed in the Saints’ playoff loss at Seattle with a knee injury in January.

Obviously, expectations are even higher this season for Jenkins, a former first-round pick who switched from cornerback to free safety last summer.

BITTER END: The Saints’ defense walked off the field much happier than the offense Wednesday, finishing with back-to-back interceptions against Brees in the final team drill.

First, linebacker Jonathan Vilma tipped up a pass that was intended for tight end Jimmy Graham, and safety Roman Harper reeled it in after a quick bobble. Then cornerback Patrick Robinson stepped in front of a pass in the direction of receiver Robert Meachem for an easy pick.

Harper defended Brees by saying it was a drill that puts the offense in a bad position, forcing them to get down the field quickly with only one timeout.

“Drew has to force some throws and has to try and get some big chunks in a small amount of time,” Harper said. “So we’re gonna have opportunities to make plays defensively any time the offense is like that. And we’ve just got to take a knee after we get the interception.”

••••••••

Mike Triplett can be reached at mtriplett@timespicayune.com or 504.826.3405.

Third-year New Orleans Saints safety Malcolm Jenkins drew high praise from veteran teammate Alex Brown on Wednesday. Brown, who played college ball at Florida before spending his first eight seasons with the Chicago Bears, said he has played with three “special” players in his career – defensive end Jevon Kearse, linebacker Brian Urlacher and now Jenkins.

Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams has spoken in similar lofty terms of Jenkins in the past, too, saying he strives to be a true all-time great in the NFL and has the tireless work ethic to show for it.

Jenkins started to flash his potential last year with two NFC Defensive Player of the Week awards down the stretch, and he was painfully missed in the Saints’ playoff loss at Seattle with a knee injury in January.

Obviously expectations are even higher this year for the former first-round pick, who switched from cornerback to free safety last summer.

News and notes from the New Orleans Saints’ practice Wednesday. 

Saints practiced at their indoor facility.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Specialists: The Saints are in as good of shape as any team in the NFL at the kicking positions, with fourth-year kicker Garrett Hartley and third-year punter Thomas Morstead. They didn’t bring in any competition for either player to camp.

Hartley had his ups and downs last season, but the Saints showed faith in him, and he eventually settled in. With his strong leg and improved confidence, he’s one of the best young kickers in the league. Morstead’s own booming leg is an asset on both punts and kickoffs. It wouldn’t be surprising to see him flirt with his first Pro Bowl invitation this season.

Second-year long snapper Justin Drescher was solid when he joined the Saints late last year, and he seems to have the edge on rookie Kyle Nelson in camp.

Newly signed veteran Darren Sproles will likely take over both kickoff and punt return duties for the Saints. He’s above average in both areas, having returned two kickoffs and two punts for touchdowns in his career. Sproles’ second cousin, Courtney Roby, is obviously in the mix for kickoff returns as well, having held down that job for the past three years. Either way, the Saints figure to be doing a lot more kneeling for touchbacks under the NFL’s new rules.

Veteran receiver Lance Moore is another experienced punt returner. And undrafted rookie receiver Joseph Morgan is making a push to be considered for the job after his spectacular 78-yard touchdown in the Saints’ preseason opener a week ago in the Superdome.

FIRST DOWN

The Saints turned their attention toward Saturday’s preseason game against the Houston Texans during Thursday’s practice. The offense and defense practiced against “scout teams,” instead matching wits against each other.

Still, the day provided some highlights and lowlights. The most dramatic moment

came when quarterback Sean Canfield hit rookie receiver Joseph Morgan for a big gain down the field against the first-team defense. Defensive coordinator Gregg Williams responded by dragging most of the defensive players down the field for a not-so-private chewing-out session. He let them know in no uncertain terms that they didn’t look ready for Saturday’s game and that they all shared in the blame. They can make up for it, of course, by having another performance similar to last Friday night’s against the San Francisco 49ers.

Receiver Devery Henderson made a terrific catch early in practice while filling in for the scout-team offense, but he later dropped a ball with the first-team offense in the end zone.

Safety Roman Harper also dropped a chance at an interception and immediately punished himself with a set of push-ups on the field.

Rookie safety DeAndre McDaniel reeled in an easy interception on a ball floated up by Canfield.

GAME PLAN

Safety Malcolm Jenkins and guard Jahri Evans are both expected to play in Saturday’s game, despite being limited by knee injuries this week. Cornerback Tracy Porter won’t play, despite returning to practice this week from his knee injury.

Coach Sean Payton listed cornerback Leigh Torrence (hip) and tight end Tory Humphrey (knee) as “questionable” after they didn’t practice Thursday. Everyone else on the injury report won’t play.

INJURY REPORT

G Jahri Evans: knee

RB Chris Ivory: foot

RB Joique Bell: knee

TE Tory Humphrey: knee

CB Leigh Torrence: hip

CB Johnny Patrick: knee

CB Fabian Washington: hamstring

DE Jeff Charleston: ankle

DE Greg Romeus: knee

DT Tom Johnson: calf

LB Clint Ingram: hamstring

LB Ezra Butler: hamstring

LB Ramon Humber: hamstring

FRIDAY’S SCHEDULE

Morning walk-through, then travel to Houston.

FROM NEWORLEANSSAINTS.COM

The New Orleans Saints announced today that they have released veteran New Orleans Saints right tackle Jon Stinchcomb. The announcement was made by Saints’ Executive Vice President/General Manager Mickey Loomis.

Stinchcomb, 6-5, 315 pounds, was selected by the Saints in the second round of the 2003 NFL Draft with the 37th overall selection. An NFC Pro Bowl selection in 2009 and the team’s starting right tackle in Super Bowl XLIV, the 31-year old had been a fixture on the right side of the offensive line since 2006 (Saints’ Head Coach Sean Payton’s first season). Stinchcomb had also authored a streak of 80 consecutive starts, dating back to the start of the ’06 season.

“We as an organization have the utmost respect for Jon and all that he has worked so hard to accomplish during his career,” said Saints’ Executive Vice President/General Manager Mickey Loomis. “He’s exemplified professionalism, both on the field and in our community and been an outstanding player, teammate and mentor to many of our younger players. We respect the efforts and professionalism he brought to our team.”

“Jon has epitomized what we have tried to accomplish here with our program,” Head Coach Sean Payton stated following practice. “This was a decision that we spent a lot of time on and not something taken lightly at all. I can tell you that everyone in this organization has a ton of respect for him. Again, it was a difficult decision. He’s been a big part of the past five seasons here.”

Stinchcomb, whose older brother Matt was a 1999 first-round draft choice of the Oakland Raiders, endured challenges early in his career with the Saints. As a rookie in 2003 he appeared in six games, primarily on special teams and in reserve action. In 2004 he saw reserve action in just four games while being inactive 12 other times. His third season in the league (2005), witnessed him being lost for the season after rupturing his right patella tendon during training camp. Yet through perseverance and with a new offensive system in place, Stinchcomb earned the trust of Payton and the Saints’ offensive staff and earned the starting right tackle spot.

With Stinchcomb in the lineup, the Saints produced one of the most prolific offenses in the NFL the past five seasons, leading the league in yards per game three-of-the-past five seasons and finishing first in scoring in both 2008 and 2009. Stinchcomb owned the distinction of having played in 90 regular season games, the second-highest total of any active Saints player, trailing DE Will Smith’s 109 games entering the 2011 season. Stinchcomb also owned six starts in postseason play, including two NFC Championship games and the aforementioned Super Bowl XLIV.

The native of Lilburn, Ga. graduated from the University of Georgia. Not only a standout performer on the football field, Stinchcomb has been an outstanding contributor in the community, as well. In 2008 he was named the Saints’ “Man of the Year’ for his tireless efforts in working with numerous different outreach programs, ranging from making regular visits to area hospitals and schools, while also organizing local camps for children and organizing an annual holiday bike giveaway.

As a collegian at Georgia, Stinchcomb started 34-of-37 games he appeared in and earned All-Academic honors in 2001-2002. He also was named a Walter Camp Foundation All-American (2002), All-SEC and one of six recipients for the National Football Foundation scholarship. On the prep level at Parkview High School in his hometown of Lilburn, Georgia, Stinchcomb was a USA Today and Parade All-American.

Leading up to the New Orleans Saints’ 24-3 preseason-opening win against the San Francisco 49ers on Friday night, reserve linebacker Jo-Lonn Dunbar got together with fellow backup linebacker Jonathan Casillas.

They chatted about what Casillas, who is coming off Lisfranc foot surgery that forced him to miss the entire 2010 season, could expect against the 49ers. They talked about playing hard and playing fast, much like Casillas did last preseason before the injury robbed him of his opportunity to become a starter in the NFL.

Against San Francisco, he played like he wants another shot.

“It’s good to see him back,” Dunbar said. “He is an eager player. He loves playing football, and I like playing next to him. Whenever you can get in there and you see him run and flash and make some plays, it is always good. That’s what he did.”

Playing in his first game since being injured last September in the final preseason game against the Tennessee Titans, Casillas looked much like the player who became the star of the Saints’ 2010 training camp.

Flying around the field and showcasing his superior athleticism, Casillas, 6 feet 1, 227 pounds, had a game-high seven tackles, two tackles for losses, a sack and three quarterback hurries in the Saints’ blitz-heavy game plan.

“It was good,” said Casillas. “It was a good feeling. I was flying around out there. I wasn’t exactly doing what I was supposed to every play, but at the same time, I was going 110 miles per hour. It just felt good to be back out there.”

Entering his third season, Casillas has spent the first two weeks of training camp backing up incumbent starter Scott Shanle at the weakside position.

Casillas, however, appears to have the perfect combination of speed and athleticism to provide the type of dynamic playmaking defensive coordinator Gregg Williams is seeking from the position.

He showed it off Friday night, blitzing from the corner and regularly pressuring 49ers backup quarterback Colin Kaepernick.

“I thought he played just the way he has been practicing,” middle linebacker Jonathan Vilma said. “He’s been doing a great job. He’s been getting after it, hustling. He picked up right where he left off last year. What I saw (Friday) didn’t surprise me at all.”

One solid performance likely won’t be enough for Casillas to supplant Shanle, who has held the starting job the past five years and re-signed with the Saints last month for two years and $4 million.

Casillas said he isn’t going to rest on one game. He still has something to prove.

“That’s why we have these last three preseason games left,” he said. “I get to go out there and prove it every week. We get to get back out there (today) and go hard at practice.”

Although Casillas appeared to pick up where he left off last preseason, he said his performance was far from perfect. There were times he was out of position and others when he didn’t use proper technique.

He’s sure Williams and linebackers coach Joe Vitt will have plenty for him to correct when they view game tape.

“I was a little rusty,” Casillas said. “My hat placement wasn’t correct on some plays. I got to get my drops right on Cover 2. I just have to keep improving on my entire game, getting my foot work right and get back to the fundamentals and have a better showing next week.”

Still, Casillas — a former standout at Wisconsin who was the only rookie free agent to earn a spot on the Saints’ 2009 roster and played in 11 games as a rookie — said being “a little rusty” is far better than sitting and watching like he was forced to do last season.

Casillas burst on to the scene and into the starting lineup last year in camp after a 10-tackle performance against the New England Patriots.

After that game, Williams switched Shanle from the weak side to the strong side spot and promoted Casillas.

All was going well until the preseason finale, when he suffered the Lisfranc injury, which required the insertion of two screws in his foot.

Being placed on injured reserve allowed for extra time in the film room and for him to reflect on how easily a professional career can be taken away.

“It was really tough,” said Casillas. “My hopes were really high last year. I think I prepare myself really well coming into the season, and it was disappointing being injured and missing a whole entire year. But I was looking forward to this year because I knew I was going to have a chance to get back.

“I’m becoming more of a student of the game. I let my athleticism do a lot for me earlier in my career, just like any guy, because you are going off passion and heart. You don’t really know a lot about what is going on. But I have a good grasp of the defense. Every time they add some stuff to it, I just open up my notebook a little more.”

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Nakia Hogan can be reached at nhogan@timespicayune.com or 504.826.3405.

The New Orleans Saints took a couple of hits in free agency Wednesday, losing starting center Jonathan Goodwin to the San Francisco 49ers and backup defensive tackle Anthony Hargrove to the Philadelphia Eagles.

Goodwin’s departure could be the most significant to date because the Saints don’t have an experienced backup in waiting. For now, the most likely replacement is second-year pro Matt Tennant, unless the Saints opt to replace Goodwin through free agency.

Goodwin said the Saints made an attempt to keep him in New Orleans, but the deal in San Francisco, which was reportedly worth $10.9 million over three years, was too good to pass up.

It’s similar to what happened when the Saints lost defensive starters Scott Fujita and Remi Ayodele the past two years. They wanted them back, but only at a certain price.

In fact, it’s similar to what happened when Goodwin took over as the starter in 2008 after former Saint Jeff Faine left to become the highest-paid center in NFL history in Tampa Bay.

Goodwin, 32, joined the Saints in 2006 after starting his career with the New York Jets. He backed up Faine for two years before making a seamless transition into the starting job. He earned a Pro Bowl invitation in 2009 en route to the Super Bowl.

The Saints like what they’ve seen from Tennant after trading up to draft him in the fifth round out of Boston College last year. But he’ll obviously face a learning curve if he takes over for one of the NFL’s most sophisticated offenses.

Hargrove was also a tremendous free agent find for the Saints when he joined them in 2009. The versatile tackle started six games and had five sacks during that Super Bowl season, then played in all 16 games last season with zero starts and one sack.

The 28-year-old also made a big impact on the Saints’ locker room with his exuberant personality. He turned around his life and career in New Orleans after coming back from a year-long suspension for repeated drug violations.

His departure wasn’t a big surprise, though. The Saints have been making over their tackle position this offseason, adding veterans Shaun Rogers and Aubrayo Franklin. And Hargrove was looking for an opportunity to play more at defensive end.

Mike Triplett can be reached at mtriplett@timespicayune.com or 504.826.3405.

Former New Orleans Saints center Jonathan Goodwin agreed to a three-year deal with the San Francisco 49ers, reportedly worth $10.9 million.

Goodwin, 32, has been a starter in New Orleans for the last three years, including a Pro Bowl invitation in 2009 en route to the Super Bowl. He said last week that the Saints had still expressed interest in bringing him back. But clearly they were prepared to let him go rather than match that price tag — similar to their recent losses of defensive veterans Scott Fujita and Remi Ayodele the last two years.

Second-year pro Matt Tennant will likely replace him after being drafted last year out of Boston College. The Saints are high on Tennant’s potential, but he’ll obviously face a learning curve if he takes over for one of the NFL’s most sophisticated offenses.

Goodwin (6-3, 318) signed with the Saints in 2006 and backed up Jeff Faine for two years before making a seamless transition into the starting job. He began his career with the New York Jets.

The Saints on Wednesday also lost defensive tackle Anthony Hargrove to the Philadlphia Eagles.

The New Orleans Saints officially announced all of their veteran free agent signings, including four that hadn’t been previously reported. They re-signed safety Pierson Prioleau and added fullback Korey Hall, defensive end Curtis Johnson and guard Dan Gay.

The Saints also confirmed that they have now officially added tailback Darren Sproles and linebacker Will Herring and re-signed Lance Moore, Jermon Bushrod, Scott Shanle, Danny Clark, Jo-Lonn Dunbar, Chris Reis and Leigh Torrence.

Details on the newcomers, according to the Saints’ press release:

The 6-0, 236-pound Hall was converted from linebacker to fullback upon joining the Green Bay Packers as a sixth-round draft pick in 2007 out of Boise State and has appeared in 48 games with 26 starts. He’s recorded 21 receptions for 137 yards with one TD during his career, while serving as the blocking back for a Packers offensive attack that joined the Saints as the only two clubs to finish in the top 10 in offense for the past four seasons. Hall’s also posted 52 career special teams tackles, including leading the Super Bowl XLV Champions with a career-best 15 stops on coverage units in 2010.

Johnson, 6-3, 254, was originally signed by Indianapolis as an undrafted free agent in 2008 out of Clark Atlanta and has appeared in ten games for the Colts and Dallas Cowboys and recorded five tackles (two solo), one sack and eight special teams stops. He spent most of the 2010 season on the St. Louis Rams practice squad, before being elevated to the active roster for the final two contests.

Gay, 6-4, 303, is a Lafayette native who prepped at St. Thomas More High School and started the final 34 games of his college career at Baylor at every position on the offensive line except for center from 2006-08. He was originally signed as an undrafted free agent by the San Diego Chargers in 2009, spent the final month of the season on the New York Jets practice squad and went to their training camp in 2010.

New Orleans Saints free agent linebacker Scott Shanle said he has already been on the phone with the St. Louis Rams’ general manager and linebackers coach, and he is working on lining up a visit with them.

He said the Detroit Lions and Philadelphia Eagles have also expressed interest. He also expects to talk to the Saints about remaining in New Orleans, and he has already talked with linebackers coach Joe Vitt to catch up this morning.

Shanle said he’d like to re-sign with the Saints and believes they are interested in bringing him back.

“But it’s a matter of how much they want you back,” Shanle said, pointing to former Saints linebacker Scott Fujita as an example.

The Saints also wanted to re-sign Fujita last year, he said, but they weren’t in the same financial ballpark as the Cleveland Browns.

As for the Rams, Shanle said he likes that they’re a team on the rise, and he’d be interested in returning to the team where he began his career.