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If you’ve spent any time at all around New Orleans middle linebacker Curtis Lofton, you know he’s a guy with a lot of pride.

That’s why I wasn’t at all surprised as I read through a transcript of Lofton’s quotes from Thursday’s media session. Lofton spent the past four seasons in Atlanta. When he hit the free-agent market, word got out that the Falcons viewed him only as a two-down linebacker going forward.

“When you are a free agent, every weakness you have, they are going to look at,’’ Lofton said. “If you look at my time in Atlanta, my first year I was a first- and second-down linebacker. My second year, I played more than 95 percent of the snaps. The past two years, I played 99 percent of the snaps. I guess, if you play 99 percent of the snaps, you couldn’t say that I was a first- and second-down linebacker.”

Lofton, who is expected to be a three-down linebacker with the Saints, admitted that label bothered him.

“As much as you don’t want it [to], it plays in the money,’’ Lofton said. “That’s what it comes down to. Every team has their makeup of what they think a player can do and what they think he can’t do. A lot of teams may have said that. A lot of teams didn’t. It is on me to prove those guys wrong. I do have that chip on my shoulder. Every day I am going to go out and get better, and work on my weaknesses.”

Lofton also said a few other things that at least look like they were veiled references to (or maybe even direct shots at) the Falcons. The Atlanta defense Lofton played in looked a little like what coordinator Steve Spagnoulo is implementing in New Orleans.

“They are similar, but they are not the same,’’ Lofton said. “Spags, I would say he is more aggressive, and I like that.’’

The Falcons like to preach a “family’’ concept, frequently saying they like to draft players, develop them, and keep them for the long term. They didn’t keep Lofton, even though he was a leader of their defense pretty much from the start of his rookie season.

“When I was going through the process and they said the Saints were interested in me, I only took one visit, and that was here,’’ Lofton said. “Up in Atlanta, I hated these guys. That is the rivalry, you hate each other. Once I got here, hanging around coach (Sean) Payton, (general manager) Mickey (Loomis), (assistant head coach Joe) Vitt, and coach Spags, it felt right,’’ Lofton said. "It was family. Before I made my decision, I called Harp (Roman Harper), I called Will (Smith), and they were very receptive. They talked to me and said 'Hey, we need you. Come be a part of something great.'"

The Falcons haven’t won a playoff game during a four-year streak of winning seasons, which is more than a little bit of a sore spot among Atlanta's front office, coaches, players, and fans. I’m not sure that Lofton was aiming for that spot, but it sure sounded like it.

“The reason why I came here is to win a championship, and that is what everyone’s expectations are,’’ Lofton said.

Sounds to me like the NFC South's best rivalry has become even more heated.

Don’t look for quick rulings on the appeals of the suspensions of New Orleans linebacker Jonathan Vilma and defensive end Will Smith.

Wrapping up an owners meeting in Atlanta, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said he will not rule on the appeals until after grievances filed by the NFL Players Association have been resolved. One grievance previously was heard by an arbitrator, but not ruling has been issued. Another grievance is scheduled to be heard by a system arbitrator May 30. Goodell also said he can foresee a release of evidence in the Saints’ bounty scandal after the appeals process is over.

Goodell declined comment on a defamation lawsuit filed by Vilma.

Goodell said he knows a lot of fans are unhappy with the suspensions he’s handed out to players, coaches and Saints general manager Mickey Loomis. Appeals for Loomis and the coaches already have been heard and their suspensions have been upheld. But Goodell said he’s looking forward to meeting with the players during the appeals process.

“That’s what the appeals process is for,’’ Goodell said. “You want to hear what the players have to say. When we get to the appeals, we’ll be able to talk about it and we’ll be able to hear from one another.’’

The New Orleans Saints officially announced a series of re-structuring moves at the top positions in their organization Sunday afternoon.

Most significantly, Dennis Lauscha, who previously was executive vice president/chief financial officer, has been promoted to team president. Rita Benson LeBlanc, who is the granddaughter of owner Tom Benson and previously held the titles of owner and executive vice president, now becomes the vice chairman of the board. The team said LeBlanc will expand her duties to include enhanced management responsibilities with Zelia, LLC, which includes such properties as Benson Tower, Champions Square and various interests in automotive, real estate, banking and multi-media platforms, including New Orleans television Fox 8 (WVUE).

I don’t think the shakeup has anything to do with the bounty scandal. Instead, it comes after Benson agreed to purchase the New Orleans Hornets and his other businesses continue to grow.

“With the continued growth of our holdings and various interests, it makes perfect sense at this point in time to announce the growth of our upper management structure,” Benson said. “We have seen the visibility and vastness of our holdings increase and that requires more management responsibilities and I’m confident that the leadership skills of Rita, Dennis and Mickey (Loomis) will continue to flourish given their enhanced responsibilities.”

There had been previous reports that LeBlanc was on administrative leave due to conflict with her grandfather. Benson downplayed those reports, saying LeBlanc had taken a vacation and that her role is expanding, not being reduced.

Loomis will continue to serve in his role as executive vice president and general manager, although he will be suspended for the first eight games of the 2012 season for his role in the bounty program. Since the arrival of coach Sean Payton in 2006, Benson has allowed Payton and Loomis pretty much full control of football operations.

Lauscha make take on some added roles, including helping oversee the Hornets, but he has been instrumental in running the Saints’ business matters for 15 years and that’s expected to contiule. Lauscha will continue in his role on the team’s board of directors and will continue to oversee financial operations of the team. He’ll take on the added duties of overseeing the team’s marketing, ticket operations, legal department and community affairs.

Although Drew Brees said this week that he was frustrated with negotiations for a new contract, New Orleans Saints general manager Mickey Loomis once again said Friday that the quarterback will get a long-term deal.

Brees also said there was a lack of communication with the team. But Loomis said Brees’ comments did not cause any hard feelings.

“Drew loves the Saints and we love Drew,” Loomis said.

Saints owner Tom Benson also said a deal will get done.

The Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints made this list of the NFL’s top-10 front offices.

No big surprise there. The Saints and Falcons have been consistent winners the past few years, and the front offices undoubtedly have played a big role.

But I am a little surprised that the Saints were ranked No. 9 and the Falcons came in at No. 6. New Orleans general manager Mickey Loomis and the people that work for him, and Atlanta general manager Thomas Dimitroff and the people that work with him are very good at what they do. But I think you have to give the Saints the edge here, because they have won a Super Bowl. The Falcons have won a lot of regular-season games since Dimitroff’s arrival, but they have yet to win a playoff game during his tenure.

Until that changes, I can’t justify putting the Falcons ahead of the Saints in this category. But Loomis obviously is at a critical point in his career. He has yet to get franchise quarterback Drew Brees signed to a long-term deal. Brees has admitted he’s frustrated with what he called a lack of communication. But I still think this deal will get done before the July 16 deadline for franchise players to sign long-term contracts.

If things somehow don’t get worked out and Brees sits out the season, then Loomis immediately falls off the top of this list. But Loomis has been creative and completed complicated contracts in the past. If he signs Brees to a long-term deal, then Loomis stays atop the list for the foreseeable future.

Dimitroff is a very solid No. 2 in the division. He’s had some good drafts and acquired guys like Michael Turner and Tony Gonzalez. But Dimitroff needs guys like Ray Edwards, Dunta Robinson and Asante Samuel to step up. He also needs the Falcons to get some postseason wins.

The Panthers and Buccaneers didn’t make the list of the top-10 front offices. Given the recent history of the two franchises, that’s not surprising. But Carolina’s Marty Hurney is the dean of NFC South general managers, and he’s had some success in the past. Hurney took a major step in rebuilding the Panthers by drafting quarterback Cam Newton last year. If Newton can duplicate his rookie performance, Hurney has a chance to crack the top 10.

Tampa Bay general manager Mark Dominik is entering a crucial season. He outlasted former coach Raheem Morris, and Dominik's offseason looks good on paper, but he needs the players he’s drafted to start showing some positive results.

We’re finally reaching the point where there’s some football news out of the New Orleans Saints.

The team had its rookie minicamp over the weekend and assistant head coach Joe Vitt, who is stepping in for suspended coach Sean Payton, and the coordinators met with the New Orleans media Monday afternoon. There was no major news, but I’m looking at the transcripts and seeing several items that are worth discussing.

The veteran Saints have yet to hit the field in their offseason workouts, but that will come next week. With the contract situation of quarterback Drew Brees still very much up in the air, the Saints have to prepare to take the field without their leader. The Brees situation could change with a phone call, but the Saints are preparing to begin their on-field workouts with Chase Daniel and Sean Canfield as their quarterbacks.

“We’re going to throw the volume of offense at them that we would in a normal week,’’ offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael Jr. said. “It won’t be any different in that aspect.”

The Saints aren’t ruling out the possibility of adding another quarterback before they hit the field. They had Brian Brohm in for a tryout during the camp and could possibly sign him or someone else in the coming days. But, for the moment, they’re looking at proceeding with the quarterbacks they have under contract.

“This is going to be an opportunity for Chase and Sean to get more reps and get a good look at those guys,’’ Carmichael said.

There have been reports the Saints and Brees have made no progress toward a long-term contract. Vitt said the negotiations are between general manager Mickey Loomis and Brees’ agent, but still remained optimistic that the quarterback will have a contract before training camp.

“I’ve never been a math major and I’m not an accounting major so there’s nothing I could advise Mickey to do that what he already knows how to do,’’ Vitt said. “Those guys are both on the same page and have the same aspirations and same goals. This is going to get done. I don’t (believe) anybody ever thought it was going to be easy. I think they’re both working to the same goal.”

Vitt and the coordinators also addressed several other topics of significance.

The Saints have re-signed veteran kicker John Kasay, who stepped in last year when Garrett Hartley was injured. Special teams coordinator Greg McMahon said neither kicker is guaranteed a roster spot.

“We’re going to make it competitive, absolutely,’’ McMahon said. “All phases of our team are. We re-signed John for a reason. Garrett knows that and it will certainly be good competition. It’s healthy. It’s good for us.”

Uncertainty remains about the status of linebacker Jonathan Vilma and defensive end Will Smith. The NFL has suspended Vilma for the entire 2012 season and Smith is scheduled to be suspended for the first four games of the season for their roles in the bounty program. But those suspensions are on hold because both players have appealed.

“Both of those players were in the building today and we’re moving forward,’’ Vitt said. “We had a great film session with these guys. I think I have to go back to what we said a couple weeks ago. We’re trying to win today. Today, we got a little bit better than yesterday. This weekend we got a little bit better than the previous weekend. We’re going to adjust those challenges when we have to face them.”

Vitt also said the Saints will open training camp at their facility in Metairie, but suggested they will spend some time practicing against one of their preseason opponents. The Saints open the preseason by playing in the Hall of Fame game in Canton, Ohio against the Arizona Cardinals. They follow that with a road game in New England, home games with Jacksonville and Houston and close out the preseason with a game at Tennessee.

“We’ll open up (camp) a little early because we have the Hall of Fame game and then we’ll probably go and practice against one of our upcoming opponents in training camp,’’ Vitt said. “I think Mickey’s ready to talk about it in a week when it gets settled, but we’ll go away, kind of like we did in California (last preseason) for a week. We did it two years before that in Houston. We’ll go away and practice with an opponent that we have in our preseason schedule.”

Vitt also addressed the status of running back Mark Ingram, who recently had arthroscopic knee surgery.

“I think anytime you see a player limping around with a late-season offseason surgery like he had, you’re concerned,’’ Vitt said. “What I’m not concerned about is his dedication to getting better and his accountability to his teammates. He’s shows up to treatment on time every day. He’s not late. He’s taken a good business approach to this thing. The surgery is probably something that he didn’t have to get done, but as an organization we all agreed that he should get it done to make him a stronger player. Mark a dependable guy now. He’s not going to miss his treatment. He gets his work done. You’re concerned obviously with this, but not much with him.”

Vitt said the Saints may proceed cautiously with Ingram at the start of training camp, but have no doubt he’ll be ready for the beginning of the regular season.

Let's take a look at the top Thursday morning headlines from around the division.

There had been some uncertainty as to how the Falcons will deploy their cornerbacks now that Asante Samuel has joined the mix. General manager Thomas Dimitroff cleared that up by saying the plan is to slide Dunta Robinson inside and let him handle slot receivers. Samuel and Brent Grimes will play the outside.

Martin Fennelly writes that Tampa Bay’s signing of Rutgers defensive tackle Eric LeGrand is the best signing in franchise history. I couldn’t agree more, even though LeGrand never will play with the Bucs. This one came from the heart of Greg Schiano, who coached LeGrand at Rutgers, until a 2010 game in which LeGrand was paralyzed. Schiano and LeGrand have remained especially close. This move was all about the relationship between Schiano and LeGrand. But when fans see things like that, the Bucs, who haven’t been easy to embrace in recent years, suddenly become a lot more likeable.

Stephen Holder has a list of several undrafted players who have a chance to start the process of earning roster spots in Tampa Bay’s upcoming rookie camp.

New Orleans defensive end Will Smith has said he’ll appeal his four-game suspension and linebacker Jonathan Vilma has implied he’ll do the same with his season-long suspension. But a legal expert says they’ll face an uphill battle because they’re appealing to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, the same man who handed down the punishments. Goodell already upheld appeals of suspensions by coach Sean Payton, assistant head coach Joe Vitt and general manager Mickey Loomis.

Carolina undrafted receiver Jared Green has good speed and bloodlines. He’s the son of Pro Football Hall of Famer Darrell Green. But he’s raw after a college career that included stops at Virginia and Southern.

This obviously isn’t one of the better days in the history of the New Orleans Saints. In addition to the suspensions of Will Smith and Jonathan Vilma, there’s another piece of discouraging news.

Citing a source close to the situation, Adam Schefter reports that quarterback Drew Brees and the Saints have made little progress on a long-term deal. The Saints placed the exclusive-rights franchise tag on Brees, but the quarterback has not signed his tender. Team owner Tom Benson previously said the sides were “close’’ to a deal and general manager Mickey Loomis recently said getting Brees signed is his most important order of business.

But it doesn’t appear as if any new deal is imminent. The only thing close to a bright side in all this is that Vilma’s yearlong suspension frees up almost $5 million in salary-cap space and that could be used to make room for a new deal for Brees.

We all have seen how negotiations can drag on and this one could continue for a while. Although the Saints have started their offseason program without Brees, there is not a huge sense of urgency for him to be with the team right now. I see several time frames where the sense of urgency could become greater and that could help spark a deal.

The Saints don’t begin their on-field organized team activities until later in May and that’s one possibility where either or both sides could feel more of a sense of urgency. The Saints begin their veteran minicamp June 5 and that could be another key time.

The Saints are scheduled to open training camp July 26 and, if a deal isn’t done by then, both sides could be in crisis mode.

Say this much about NFL commissioner Roger Goodell -- he’s consistent.

Goodell was harsh when he issued punishment for the New Orleans Saints organization, coaching staff and front office for roles in a three-year bounty program. Saints coach Sean Payton was suspended for the entire 2012 season, former defensive coordinator Gregg Williams was suspended indefinitely, assistant head coach Joe Vitt will be suspended for the first six games of the season and general manager Mickey Loomis was suspended for the first eight games of the season. The Saints also were fined $500,000 and had to forfeit a second-round draft pick in 2012 and 2013.

When the NFL announced player discipline Wednesday, Goodell was just as harsh. He suspended New Orleans linebacker Jonathan Vilma for the entire season and Vilma no longer can take part in offseason workouts. New Orleans defensive end Will Smith will be suspended for the first four games. Former New Orleans defensive lineman Anthony Hargrove, now with Green Bay, will be suspended for the first eight games and former New Orleans linebacker Scott Fujita, now with Cleveland, will be suspended for the first three games.

Smith, Fujita and Hargrove can continue taking part in offseason programs and will start their suspensions just before the regular season.

As it did with the announcement of discipline for the coaches, Loomis and the Saints, the NFL sent out a detailed release about why the players were suspended.

Here is the explanation from the league on what each of the four players did to earn the punishment:

Vilma: “The investigation concluded that while a captain of the defensive unit Vilma assisted Coach Williams in establishing and funding the program. Multiple independent sources also confirmed that Vilma offered a specific bounty -- $10,000 in cash – to any player who knocked Arizona quarterback Kurt Warner out of the 2009 Divisional playoff game and later pledged the same amount to anyone who knocked Minnesota quarterback Brett Favre out of the 2009 NFC Championship Game the following week (played on Jan. 24, 2010). Vilma is eligible to be reinstated after the Super Bowl in 2013.’’

Smith: “Smith, a defensive end, assisted Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams in establishing and funding the program during a period in which he was a captain and leader of the defensive unit. Multiple independent sources also confirmed that Smith pledged significant sums to the program pool for 'cart-offs' and 'knockouts' of opposing players.”

Hargrove: “Actively participated in the program while a member of the Saints. Hargrove submitted a signed declaration to the league that established not only the existence of the program at the Saints, but also that he knew about and participated in it. The evidence showed that Hargrove told at least one player on another team that Vikings quarterback Brett Favre was a target of a large bounty during the NFC Championship Game in January of 2010. Hargrove also actively obstructed the league’s 2010 investigation into the program by being untruthful to investigators.’’

Fujita: “The record established that Fujita, a linebacker, pledged a significant amount of money to the prohibited pay-for-performance/bounty pool during the 2009 NFL playoffs when he played for the Saints. The pool to which he pledged paid large cash rewards for 'cart-offs' and 'knockouts,' plays during which an opposing player was injured.’’

The league went on to say that all the players are suspended without pay for “detrimental conduct."

“In assessing player discipline,” Goodell said, “I focused on players who were in leadership positions at the Saints; contributed a particularly large sum of money toward the program; specifically contributed to a bounty on an opposing player; demonstrated a clear intent to participate in a program that potentially injured opposing players; sought rewards for doing so; and/or obstructed the 2010 investigation.”

The players can appeal the suspensions, but Goodell already is indicating that a defense saying they were just following the orders of coaches will not fly.

“No bounty program can exist without active player participation,” Goodell said. “The evidence clearly showed that the players being held accountable today willingly and enthusiastically embraced the bounty program. Players put the vast majority of the money into this program and they share responsibility for playing by the rules and protecting each other within those rules.”

This is the time of year when you hear a lot about offseason workouts. This is when teams can begin conditioning drills and get out onto the field to start working on football and that continues through minicamps and organized team activities.

It’s a great time to build chemistry. You’ll also hear a lot of coaches bragging about how almost all their players are participating in the workouts, which is great. But, in some cases, there’s a lot of money to be earned just for showing up and working out in the offseason.

I just got a look at all the offseason workout bonuses scheduled to be earned (if the players take part in a majority of the workouts) by NFC South players this year and there were some eye openers. Tampa Bay general manager Mark Dominik doesn’t use a lot of workout bonuses in the contracts he negotiates. But, when he does use them, they’re significant. Tight end Kellen Winslow and cornerback Eric Wright have the largest workout bonuses in the division for 2012 at $500,000 each. Offensive tackle Donald Penn is right behind them at $400,000 and defensive tackle Gerald McCoy is scheduled to collect $300,000. Linebacker Quincy Black has a $250,000 bonus and defensive tackle Amobi Okoye is slated to make $200,000. Those six are the only Buccaneers with workout bonuses this year, but they come to a total of $2.15 million.

Carolina general manager Marty Hurney and New Orleans general manager Mickey Loomis are much more liberal in their use of workout bonuses. The Saints and Panthers each have 21 players scheduled to earn workout bonuses this year.

Carolina’s scheduled workout bonuses add up to $2.055 million. I won’t list anyone under six figures. But here are the guys who can earn big money. Charles Johnson, Jon Beason, DeAngelo Williams, Ryan Kalil and Ron Edwards each are scheduled to make $250,000. Charles Godfrey, James Anderson, Olindo Mare and Garry Williams each can earn $100,000.

If all the New Orleans players take part in enough workouts, the Saints will have to pay out $2.381 million. Sedrick Ellis leads the Saints with a $250,000 workout bonus. Jahri Evans, Lance Moore and Scott Shanle each are scheduled to make $200,000 and Will Smith is slated to make $150,000. Marques Colston, Roman Harper, Jabari Greer, Jermon Bushrod, Jonathan Vilma, Malcolm Jenkins, Devery Henderson, Pierre Thomas, David Thomas, Korey Hall and Will Herring each are scheduled to make $100,000.

Apparently, Atlanta’s Thomas Dimitroff, who probably works out more (he rides a bike religiously) than any NFC South general manager, doesn’t believe in workout bonuses. Dimitroff has used them very sparingly in the past. This year, there’s not a single Atlanta player schedule to earn a workout bonus.

Let's take a look at the Tuesday morning headlines from around the NFC South.

The Atlanta Falcons reportedly got a salary-cap credit of around $3 million for money former quarterback Michael Vick owed the franchise before filing bankruptcy following a conviction on dogfighting charges. After signing with the Philadelphia Eagles, Vick and the Falcons reached a settlement in which he would repay some of the $130 million contract he signed with Atlanta. The Falcons now are about $4 million under the salary cap.

John DeShazier writes that it’s time for the NFL to announce whatever player penalties are coming for the Saints’ bounty program. I couldn’t agree more. This thing has dragged on way too long. Wednesday will be two months since the NFL announced its first report on the bounty program. Penalties for the organization, coaches and general manager Mickey Loomis were announced more than a month ago. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said last week that the investigation was in its final stages and I understand if the league didn’t want to make an announcement that would overshadow all the good publicity that comes with its college draft. But the draft is over. It’s time to let the Saints -- and potentially other teams -- know if they need to prepare to play without suspended players this season.

The Falcons announced Monday that tight end Ryan Winterswyk, who spent part of last season on the practice squad, has been placed on the reserve/retired list. If Winterswyk decides to return to football, the Falcons still hold his rights.

Undrafted free-agent receiver Brenton Bersin might have had a little advantage when he was signed by the Carolina Panthers. Bersin grew up two doors away from Panthers owner Jerry Richardson. Bersin also attended Wofford College. That’s where the Panthers have held training camp since coming into the league in 1995. Wofford also is Richardson’s alma mater and where team president Danny Morrison once worked as athletic director. But don’t accuse the Panthers of showing favoritism for a neighborhood kid. Bersin earned the right for a shot at the NFL. He had a great career at Wofford and also drew interest from several other NFL teams.

The arrival of rookies Mark Barron and Lavonte David could mean possible position switches for cornerback Ronde Barber and middle linebacker Mason Foster aren’t coming. There had been some talk of Barber moving to safety and Foster to outside linebacker. Barron should start immediately at strong safety and the Bucs have Cody Grimm at free safety. That could allow Barber to stay at cornerback. David projects as an instant starter at outside linebacker and the Bucs should be able to keep Foster at middle linebacker.

Now that the NFL draft has been completed, it seems likely the next step in what has been a crazy offseason for the New Orleans Saints will come soon.

ESPN’s Chris Mortensen reported several times during the draft that the NFL is expected to announce player discipline for the Saints bounty program this week. No firm date for the announcement has been mentioned, but it’s possible it could come as soon as Monday.

The league first revealed its investigation of the bounty program on March 2 and announced more than a month ago that coach Sean Payton would serve a season-long suspension, general manager Mickey Loomis will be suspended for the first eight games of the season and assistant head coach Joe Vitt would be suspended for the first six games of the 2012 season.

The Saints also were fined $500,000 and were stripped of second-round draft picks this year and next. The Saints appealed all of their punishments, but NFL commissioner Roger Goodell upheld them. Former New Orleans defensive coordinator Gregg Williams also was suspended indefinitely and did not appeal.

Goodell said last week the league was in the final stages of its investigation of the players involved. He also said players embraced the bounty program. I think that was Goodell’s way of anticipating players saying they were simply following the orders of their coaches and a hint that the punishments will be harsh.

But it’s difficult to speculate how severe the punishments will be. When announcing the previous punishments, the league gave detailed accounts of the involvement of Payton, Loomis, Vitt and Williams. But that report did not go into much detail about player involvement.

The league said 22 to 27 players were involved over a three-year period. Obviously, that could include some players who now are with other teams and some players who are out of the league. The NFL also has implied that players who took leadership roles in the bounty program could draw the stiffest penalties.

Some players may draw fines, but Goodell’s statements are a pretty good indication that at least some suspensions are coming.

We’ll find out for sure soon.

New Orleans Saints general manager Mickey Loomis held a pre-draft meeting with the media Thursday, but the session wasn’t all about the draft.

The Saints don’t have a pick until the third round and they’re dealing with the bounty scandal. They also currently are trying to get quarterback Drew Brees signed to a long-term contract, but nothing has happened on that front. Loomis wouldn’t talk about the negotiations, but he did address the situation in general terms.

“I get that this is the most important contract I’ve ever negotiated,’’ Loomis said.

Loomis said Brees has earned the right to a big contract and said he respects that. Although there have been reports that little or no progress has come in the negotiations, Loomis didn’t sound like the situation his hostile.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. This deal will get done. Both sides are simply going through the negotiating process. There’s not a huge sense of urgency right now. That will come when the Saints have a minicamp in late May or when they report to training camp in late July. Brees is trying to get the best deal he can. The Saints are trying to structure a deal that will fit with their salary cap. Right now, you can’t blame either side for trying to get the best deal possible.

If training camp rolls around and this is still hanging out there, then Brees and the Saints will have a real problem.

Joe Vitt referred to himself as a “substitute teacher’’, but he sure sounded like a football coach.

Speaking to the New Orleans media Tuesday afternoon, Vitt sounded like he was giving a pep talk. Yeah, he started off the session by saying he’s on board with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell’s concerns for player safety, but he then tried to move forward, which is something that’s been difficult for the Saints since news of their bounty program first broke in early March. Suspensions have been issued, allegations have been made, and there could be suspensions coming for players.

But Vitt, a man who has spent his adult life coaching football, sounded like he was trying to rally a football team -- and a region.

“Understand one thing: We ain’t down,’’ Vitt said. “We are not down. We’ve got 41 wins over the last three years and we’ve got a great building full of players. We’ve got a great scouting staff. We’ve got a great administration. We’ve got a great owner. And we are looking forward to starting the season. Again, the excuses are out there for us not to perform. But we are all held accountable for our jobs, and that’s just the truth. And we will be held accountable.’’

Vitt is in charge with coach Sean Payton suspended for the entire season. He’s been running the team’s offseason program, but he made it very clear everything he does will be done in a manner similar to how Payton has run the team in the past.

“Understand this -- I’m not taking Sean Payton’s place,’’ Vitt said. “I’m like a substitute teacher here. I’m not going to try to take his place. Our program, our beliefs will stay in place. Our calendar is made out all the way out until the coaches’ vacation. You can ask a coach on a particular date and a particular time what he’s going to be doing and it’s all mapped out. I’m just here to service our team and our organization.’’

The Saints are in good hands with Vitt, who has been Payton’s assistant head coach since 2006, running things right now. But there is a catch to all this. Vitt will be suspended for the first six games of the regular season. Vitt can work right up until the start of the regular season, but he then will have to step aside. There have been reports that offensive line coach Aaron Kromer will take over then, but the Saints have said no decision has been made. Vitt said that decision will be made by owner Tom Benson and general manager Mickey Loomis.

There’s another cloud hanging over the Saints. Quarterback Drew Brees has been hit with the franchise tag. He hasn’t signed his tender and Brees and the Saints, so far, have not worked out a long-term deal.

“Drew has earned the right to negotiate this contract,’’ Vitt said. “And he’s negotiating this contract with one of the best guys in the National Football League in Mickey Loomis. Mickey has got to have vision and try to protect our football (team) down the road money-wise. This is going to get worked out. There’s two highly competent people that have great respect for one another that have a common goal. This will get worked out.’’

That should provide some encouragement for Saints fans. Oh, and here’s a little bit more from a the football coach that should raise spirits a bit.

“I know what this football team means to our fans,’’ Vitt said. “I want to assure our fans: we are going full bore ahead.’’

New Orleans interim head coach Joe Vitt is meeting with the local media right now. It sounds like he’s addressing the bounty situation, the offseason program and lots of other things. We’ll have more on that after Vitt wraps up.

Meantime, let’s take a quick run through some headlines around the NFC South.

• Louisiana state police and the FBI are conducting a joint investigation into allegations that New Orleans general manager Mickey Loomis had the ability to listen to opposing coaches during home games from 2002 through 2004. Loomis and the team have strongly denied the allegations.

• Bradley Handwerger writes that the Saints have a public-perception problem on their hands, and they now are viewed as guilty before having a chance to prove their innocence. How do they start getting people to view them in a more positive light? Well, I think that’s going to be a process. But one good way to start that process would be to get quarterback Drew Brees signed to a long-term contract.

• I’m not a big believer in the alleged “Madden Curse’’. But, apparently, a lot of people are. Here’s a very thorough story on the economic impact of the curse. Keep this in mind, because the Madden 13 Cover Vote ends Wednesday and all indications are that the voting is very close between Carolina quarterback Cam Newton and Detroit receiver Calvin Johnson.

• Carolina general manager Marty Hurney and coach Ron Rivera reportedly traveled to Chapel Hill on Monday to meet with North Carolina defensive end Quinton Coples. I’m not sure exactly what to read into this, and I’m not ready to go ahead and say Coples will be Carolina’s pick at No. 9. But I do think it’s important to note that Hurney is not the type to play games and send out smokescreens. If he took the time to have this meeting, I’d guess there’s a very real chance Coples could be the pick, if he’s available at No. 9.

• Here’s an overview of Mark Dominik’s draft classes since taking over as general manager of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. I guess it’s fair to say the jury is still out. But I also think it’s fair to say the upcoming season is a crucial one for Dominik picks such as Josh Freeman, Gerald McCoy and Brian Price. If they play well, Dominik’s draft history suddenly will look a lot better.