After obliterating the NFL record books this year, the New Orleans Saints’ offense is now taking over the Pro Bowl too. For the first time in franchise history, five offensive players were invited to the annual all-star game, including first-time selections tight end Jimmy Graham and offensive tackle Jermon Bushrod.

They joined quarterback Drew Brees and guards Carl Nicks and Jahri Evans, thanks to a combination of votes by fans, players and coaches. Graham, Evans and Nicks are starters. No defensive players or special teamers made the team.

This is the third straight year the Saints have had at least five Pro Bowlers, though they’re all hoping to skip the game to play in the Super Bowl instead, like they did two years ago. This year’s game will be played in Honolulu on Sunday, Jan. 29, one week before Super Bowl XLVI in Indianapolis.

It’s no surprise that the Saints landed five offensive players in the game – including Brees, who was selected for the fifth time in the last six years. Brees broke Dan Marino’s NFL record for the most passing yards in a single season on Monday night, reaching 5,087 yards with one game to spare. And the entire offense is on pace to break the 2000 St. Louis Rams’ NFL record of 7,075 yards in a season, among other marks.

Graham also has a shot at NFL history. He needs 68 yards in Sunday’s regular-season finale against the Carolina Panthers to break Kellen Winslow’s 31-year-old NFL record of 1,290 receiving yards by a tight end. However, Graham also needs to pass up New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski, who is six yards ahead of him right now during a league-wide tight end revolution.

In just his second NFL season, Graham has put together one of the most prolific seasons by a tight end in NFL history, with 91 catches for 1,213 yards and 10 touchdowns.

“Being selected to represent the NFC team in the Pro Bowl is a tremendous honor,” Graham said in a statement released by the team. “If you look around the NFC, you see a ton of amazing and talented players at tight end and to be thought of in that company by my peers, the head coaches and the fans who follow the NFL is something I take seriously. I think it goes without saying that there are many people to thank–starting with my position coach, Terry Malone, our offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael and Coach (Sean) Payton. None of this would be possible without working with guys like Drew Brees, our running backs and receivers and the guys in the tight ends room. David Thomas has been a great mentor, as was Jeremy Shockey, and I have learned a lot from each guy who has worked with me over the past two seasons. My focus right now isn’t on going to Hawaii, it’s on the Carolina Panthers and getting ready for the playoffs, but I think any guy who gets named to the Pro Bowl realizes that it’s a heck of compliment and I am grateful and humbled by it.”

Bushrod’s selection was a breakthrough moment for the fifth-year pro and third-year starter. The recognition is certainly due after he’s flown mostly under the radar in his young career. He has only allowed three sacks this season while protecting Brees’ blind side.

Evans and Nicks are widely considered the NFL’s best guard tandem, thanks to the way they create a secure pocket for Brees to step into, as well as the way the block for run plays and screen passes. This is the third straight Pro Bowl selection for Evans and the second straight for Nicks.

The list of Pro Bowl alternates was not immediately released, though it’s likely the Saints could earn more invites down the road when replacement players are needed.

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The dust has settled, and the revolving door finally has stopped at New Orleans Saints’ camp.

The team the Saints take to Green Bay in three weeks will be derived from the group they take to Texas and California this weekend.

New Orleans Coach Sean Payton said Tuesday the player procurement phase is essentially over, and that the comings and goings are over, give or take a name or two. (That’s potentially sobering news for Darren Sharper fans.) The next three weeks will be spent transforming the sprawling 89-man roster into a cohesive 53-man team.

Midway through camp, it has become clear this Saints team will look distinctively different than it did a year ago, and the final roster could easily sport 20 new faces — and more than a third of the 22 starters could be new.

That’s a far cry from a year ago when the Saints kept their lineups virtually intact. Twenty of the 22 starters in last year’s opener against the Minnesota Vikings were in the lineup for Super Bowl XLIV.

This season team officials have pruned the roster with an eye toward youth and athleticism. Aging veterans like Randall Gay, Jeremy Shockey, Jon Stinchcomb, Jason Kyle, Danny Clark, Heath Evans and Sharper no longer are in sight. The Saints will be younger at right tackle, tight end, running back, fullback and potentially both outside linebacker spots.

Here’s a look at the positions with potential new starters:

Center: Olin Kreutz has been penciled in to replace Jon Goodwin. Second-year man, Matt Tennant, is the heir apparent.

Tight end: Jimmy Graham is a budding star. The Saints thought enough of him to cut ties with Shockey in Febraury.

Fullback: Veteran free agent Korey Hall and former undrafted rookie free agent Jed Collins are neck and neck. The deciding factor could be their play on special teams.

Right tackle: Zach Strief and Charles Brown are the main combatants to replace Stinchcomb. Strief has a huge leg up on the inexperienced Brown.

Running back: This is the marquee competition of camp. Rookie Mark Ingram and veteran Pierre Thomas have alternated reps with the first team throughout camp, and both have had their moments. Darren Sproles will man Reggie Bush’s old role as the satellite back and steal a few carries to keep defenses honest, but Ingram or Thomas will be the primary ball carrier. The running back spot is similar to wide receiver in Payton’s offense. Regardless of who starts, the final number of reps will likely be similar between the two.

On defense, four new starters are possible and three are a virtual certainty. Here’s a quick look:

Right defensive end: By all accounts, Will Smith finally will serve the four-game suspension. That means the Saints will open the season with a new right end for the first time in six years. A host of candidates will compete for the spot. Among them: Turk McBride, Jeff Charleston, Cameron Jordan and Junior Galette. This one is wide open.

Nose tackle: Mammoth Shaun Rogers and Aubrayo Franklin will compete for the defensive tackle spot next to Sedrick Ellis. One of them will replace Remi Ayodele and presumably be an upgrade. The Saints are paying Rogers and Franklin a lot more than they paid Ayodele, so expectations are high. Each will earn about $4 million this season.

Weak-side linebacker: Veteran Scott Shanle and up-and-comer Jonathan Casillas are waged in a heated battle. Casillas led the team in tackles (seven) and tackles for loss (three) against the San Francisco 49ers in an exhibition game Friday night at the Superdome. He’ll be tough to keep out of the lineup if he continues to produce those numbers.

Strong-side linebacker: Veteran journeymen Will Herring and Clint Ingram are the front-runners, but rookie Martez Wilson is also in the hunt. Injuries are concern for Ingram. Shanle also is a consideration here if he loses the weak-side competition.

That’s all the news for today.

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