NFL New Orleans

It was exactly a week ago today that I guessed that the Saints would announce a contract extension for defensive end Will Smith before the week ended. I was a few days late on that prediction, but I won't let that stop me from giving myself dap (do the kids still say that?) in noting that the deal was announced today. And Smith is a very rich man.

The extension calls for Smith to earn up to $70 million over six years, with $26 million in guaranteed money. The deal places him third on the list of highest-paid ends behind Jared Allen and Dwight Freeney, but Smith's deal isn't far behind either of those two. It also trumps the seven-year, $63 million deal with $20 million that linemate Charles Grant got a summer ago. So was it worth it?

Well, who knows. Smith was on his way to being a premiere pass-rusher before fattening up and playing poorly last year. New line coach Ed Orgeron is trying to install a scheme much like the Giants' (who isn't?), which relies on lighter, faster linemen, so Smith will have the opportunity to remind everyone that he's got the ability. Whether he takes advantage remains to be seen.

Either way, from a talent, PR, and chemistry standpoint the Saints couldn't afford to see Smith walk after this year, and they had/have plenty of cap room. But with the money tied in its ends, the team will be hearing some deserved scorn from its fanbase if they're not a terror for quarterbacks.

While some find yesterday's announcement that the Saints have fired vice president of player personnel Rick Mueller intriguing because of what it means for Sean Payton's role with the team, there's another aspect of the news that interests me.

After all, anyone who's followed the Saints since Payton has arrived knows that he's been the personnel decision-maker all along; removing Mueller just makes it official. More importantly, the team has hired Khai Harley as vice president of football operations to replace Russ Ball, who left for a similar position in Green Bay.

Harley will manage the salary cap and conduct contract negotiations in New Orleans. What fascinates me about this hire is what he's got on his C.V. Namely, five years as manager of labor operations with the NFL management council, where his main responsibility was making sure contracts were compliant with the CBA and the NFL's constitution and bylaws. He's also got extensive knowledge of where the CBA talks are and where they're going.

As things are beginning to get hectic, teams have to consider contracts with regards not only to the current CBA, but to a potential work stoppage and future CBA as well. That being said, it makes sense for a team to hire a supposed "expert" in that department to handle contracts. It's just another sign, if we needed any more, that we're entering the real muck of the labor dispute.

I noted that Will Smith's attendance at last weekend's minicamp was a good sign that he and the team are close to finalizing a contract extension, or at least negotiating in good faith.

I now am optimistic that a formal announcement will come sometime this week, perhaps even later today. Smith reported on WWL radio last night that he didn't have any good news to report on the contract front but that he might in the near future. Likewise, Sean Payton, in response to a question about whether Smith's contract had been "sorted out," said, "...when the time comes there will be an announcement," indicating it's more about the when than the if.

The subject of the extension is a divisive one. After getting $63 million last offseason, Charles Grant practically disappeared. Smith will surely command even more, especially with big money deals to Dwight Freeney and Jared Allen since. Smith's a very good player, but it remains to be seen whether he deserves the top-tier pay he will surely get.

On the other hand, he is the team's best defensive player and you can't let a guy like that walk when you're close to rebuilding that unit. The Saints are also around $25 million under the cap, which gives them plenty of room to sign all of their rookies and lock up Smith (and Marques Colston). So the money's there.

Either way, whether you're in favor of the extension or not, it's happening. And probably soon.

Now this is what I call harmony. Will Smith and Marques Colston both want new contracts. The New Orleans Saints are aware of this. Rather than miss this weekend's first mandatory action to force the issue with the team's front office, both players are with their team.

"I wanted to be team guy and be here for my teammates," said Smith, who faced fines if he was not present for the minicamp. "My main goal is to win a Super Bowl this year. I wanted to be here and help the team out."

Smith made a minor statement, missing the team's voluntary activities, but at least he's there when it matters. Colston has been present all along. Both are represented by Joel Segal.

Obviously both players have enough faith in the organization that a deal will be made soon, and I'd expect both -- Smith definitely -- to be re-upped before the season begins. Which highlights a misconception casual fans typically have about players wanting new deals.

Not every player is selfish. Not every team is cheap. Not every negotiation is acrimonious. There are instances where both sides are on the same page, and it's simply about taking the time to work it out. While that's going on, at least Smith and Colston are getting set for 2009.

Charles Grant was involved in an altercation that ended with a knife in his neck and a pregnant mother shot to death in February. Though Grant's role in the incident was never defined, investigators practically absolved Grant of any and all blame in the woman's murder. That was three months ago and nothing has been heard of it since. Seemed like that would be that.

But it's not. Early County, GA has charged Grant with involuntary manslaughter and misdemeanor fighting charges. In Georgia, involuntary manslaughter when paired with a misdemeanor automatically becomes a felony, which faces a one- to 10-year prison sentence.

It's still unknown exactly what Grant is being charged for, but the fact that he avoided a felony murder and feticide charge, unlike Laquient Macklin, is significant. It seems like they're charging Grant of simply being in a fight that eventually resulted in a murder. That may seem trivial, but the context of the charge certainly matters. Though I'm no expert and still await the eventual avalanche of details, I'd be surprised if Grant gets any jail time.

Whether the league is as lenient, and how a potential trial would interfere with his season, however, remain to be seen.

Astute Saints fans weren't counting on Dan Morgan to start at weakside linebacker, or even be on the opening day roster. And now that we know his five-plus concussions haven't inhibited him from making the smart choice about retirement, those of us are vindicated. It's also clear to everyone now that the Saints haven't upgraded that spot in the front seven at all, and that's the fault of a flawed Saints philosophy.

The team hasn't had a good set of linebackers since the early '90s. The best linebacker they've had since, Jonathan Vilma, hasn't even gone through a day of training camp. In the past, bad linebacking could be attributed to bad drafting, but Sean Payton has gone in the opposite direction.

In over two years since Payton has taken over, he's preferred veteran, unspectacular linebackers at the expense sometimes of age, health, and ability. Vilma and, arguably, Scott Fujita are exceptions. But aside from those two, we've seen Scott Shanle, Mark Simoneau, Brian Simmons, Anthony Simmons, Dhani Jones, and now Morgan brought in with decidedly average results, if any at all -- Jones didn't last a preseason, and Anthony Simmons retired in the offseason just as Morgan has. Even Vilma, with his knee, is a gamble.

Which means you'll see Shanle and Simoneau fight for the weakside job, with maybe another listless vet thrown in for "competition." But for once at this position the Saints should target upside -- perhaps a deal with Dallas for Bobby Carpenter, the former first-rounder who seems lost outside of his native 4-3. The team has gambled on plenty of linebackers lately, this is just a different sort of gamble.

New Orleans Saints linebacker Dan Morgan retired on Monday, ending a productive, albeit oft-injured career. Morgan played his entire seven-year career with the Carolina Panthers before signing with the Saints this offseason.

"When we signed Dan, he was committed to making a fresh start, and he was making every effort to rehabilitate the leg injury that he suffered last year," said Coach Sean Payton in a statement. "But it wasn't responding as well as he had hoped it would. We wish him well in his continued recovery, and he will be remembered for the excellent player he was during his career."

Indeed. Morgan was one of those guys who was a great leader on the field ... but he just couldn't stay there. He was the Panthers #11 overall choice in the 2001 NFL Draft and quickly became a huge part of the team's eventual run to Super Bowl XXXVIII. He would become a Pro Bowler in 2004.

But injuries kept him from continuing to perform at a high level. He had an estimated five concussions that sidelined him at various times and nearly ended his career. An partian tear in his Achilles tendon forced him to miss Carolina's final 13 games last year. He never played a full season ... and played in just four games over the past two seasons.

Morgan won the Butkus, Nagurski and Bednarik Awards in college at Miami, becoming the first player to win all three awards during his career (and he did so in just one season).

New Orleans city officials would love to host the Super Bowl. Saints officials would love to see the Super Bowl played in their home stadium. The NFL would love to award a Super Bowl to New Orleans as a gesture toward a downtrodden city. Past Super Bowls in New Orleans have gone over well. Everyone agrees that New Orleans should get a Super Bowl.

So that would seem to indicate that the Super Bowl should go to New Orleans soon. But it won't until 2013 at the earliest, and even then it's looking like a long shot, as the Saints' lease with the Superdome would first need to get worked out. Jimmy Smith of the Times Picayune has the Saints' explanation:

"New Orleans intends to bid on the 2013 Super Bowl," Vice President of Communications Greg Bensel wrote in the e-mail. "Per NFL Super Bowl bid policy, there must exist a lease for the host team. We did explore extending our lease with the intent to bid for the 2012 Super Bowl."

Right now the Saints' lease with the State of Louisiana, which operates the Superdome, expires in 2010. If a new agreement can't be reached to extend that lease soon, New Orleans won't get the Super Bowl, even if everyone thinks it should.

Since Hurricane Katrina, the Saints have been rumored to be on the outs from New Orleans. Los Angeles, San Antonio, Berlin in the NFL Europa 2.0 league -- most people have been placing the future of the team in cities that aren't New Orleans (maybe that last one was made up).

Those rumors, in Katrina's wake, were justified -- and if insiders are to be believed, Tom Benson's plan to upheave the Saints to San Antonio was far more reality than rumor. Just google "New Orleans' crumbling economy can't meet the financial demands of a pro football team," and you'll get plenty of results arguing for relocation.

But those rumors haven't died even though the NFL, from the waaaay back days of Paul Tagliabue, has committed over and over to keeping the Saints in New Orleans for the long haul. When the specs were unveiled last month for the beautiful new stadium potentially coming to Los Angeles, some media reports had the Saints as potential tenants despite two consecutive season ticket sell-outs.

But the team isn't going anywhere.

The news that Shaun Alexander (pictured right) is visiting the Saints has been met with concern and the overwhelming sound of an entire city groaning at the same time.

The concern stems from the fact that people seem to believe that the news that the Saints are "interested" means that the good vibrations from Deuce McAllister's restructuring are over, that this is the beginning of Deuce's demise. The groaning because, well, Shaun Alexander?

But let's not overreact. This is just a (flat) tire kicking. Alexander is making visits, the Saints might need a back at some point. The two sides are familiarizing. That doesn't mean either will like what they find.

For Alexander, it doesn't make sense to sign with any team right now; his value is at its lowest. He'll wait until camp to capitalize on injuries, when he'll command more money. And if the Saints really had an interest in replacing Deuce, they would have surely been better off addressing the need in the draft or with a rookie free agent. They didn't bring a single back into the fold. Though I highly, highly doubt that this pairing will happen, it certainly could. But that would be the aftermath of McAllister's release (because of the health of his knee), not the cause of it.