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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.

A quick look at the Saturday morning headlines from around the NFC South.

Perhaps the most tragic story of this offseason belongs to Tampa Bay defensive tackle Brian Price. His sister recently died in a car accident. This isn’t the first tragedy for Price. Previously, two of his brothers died at young ages. Price talked extensively about how devastating the latest loss has been. He also said he hopes to adopt his sister’s two young sons and bring them to Tampa.

The Panthers will take to the practice field next week, and are expecting often-injured right tackle Jeff Otah to be working out. But coach Ron Rivera made it clear that the starting job doesn’t automatically belong to Otah. That’s the right approach. Otah’s talented, but he hasn’t really played in this offensive system. More importantly, Otah has to show he can stay on the field. Byron Bell played well at right tackle last season. Otah might have far more natural talent than Bell, but it sure sounds like Rivera is saying Otah has to clearly win the job.

Owner Tom Benson said the goal for the Saints this season is to make history by becoming the first team to ever win the Super Bowl in its own stadium.

Atlanta general manager Thomas Dimitroff successfully completed his 40-mile route on Bike to Work Day.

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.

For a change, there is some positive news on the New Orleans Saints.

Team owner Tom Benson and former running back Deuce McAllister have been selected as the 2012 inductees to the Saints Hall of Fame. They were elected by a media selection committee.

McAllister is one of the most popular players in franchise history. He retired holding almost all of the team’s rushing records. Benson hasn’t always been a popular figure with fans, but that’s changed in recent years as the team has enjoyed a streak of unprecedented success since 2006. The Saints won their first Super Bowl title in the 2009 season. Benson, who bought the Saints in 1987, recently bought the NBA’s New Orleans Hornets.

The induction will take place Sept. 21 as part of Saints Hall of Fame/All Saints weekend.

Saints radio play-by-play man Jim Henderson will receive the Joe Gemelli Fleur De Lis Award for his contributions to the team. Henderson began working as a color analyst for the Saints Radio Network in 1982 and became the play-by-play man in 1986. Henderson also was the sports director at WWL-TV for 34 years, before retiring from that position in January.

The Saints Hall of Fame also has revealed it will include a legacy gallery in the museum to honor former New Orleans special-team standout Steve Gleason.

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

Check out this Insider piece by Mike Tanier of Football Outsiders. No argument that the Falcons are looking for a return man, and the Saints could use some depth at cornerback. But I’m not so sure the Panthers are as much in the market for a No. 2 receiver as a lot of people think. I believe the Panthers are ready to let Brandon LaFell, David Gettis, Joe Adams and Kealoha Pilares compete for the spot opposite Steve Smith, and are hoping one of them will step up. I also think the Tampa Bay coaching staff is intent on going with Jeremy Zuttah at center. But it doesn’t sound like Tanier is a big Zuttah fan.

The sister of Tampa Bay defensive tackle Brian Price reportedly died from injuries she suffered in a car accident.

Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank used the carrot of being a potential Super Bowl and World Cup host while discussing the new open-air stadium he wants with season-ticket holders.

Willie Roaf, who will be inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, reflects on why he left the New Orleans Saints for the Kansas City Chiefs.

Atlanta coach Mike Smith admitted in this radio interview that the Falcons are doing some “soul searching’’ after failing to win a playoff game the past four seasons.

Peter Finney writes that it’s time for Saints owner Tom Benson to get quarterback Drew Brees signed to a long-term deal. I couldn’t agree more. This situation has dragged on way too long. The Saints have dealt with a lot of turmoil this offseason, and getting their team leader signed to a new contract would accelerate the healing process.

Scott Fowler writes that the Panthers’ decision to put rookie Luke Kuechly at outside linebacker and keep Jon Beason in the middle for the moment is best for team chemistry. That’s true. Beason has been the leader of this defense for several years. It makes sense to at least let him open training camp in the middle. If a move needs to be made, it can come later.

Is there any hope after the bounty scandal?

Going an entire season without coach Sean Payton is far from ideal. But, aside from that, the Saints -- by planning, luck or a combination of the two -- didn’t come out of this horrid offseason with nearly as many offseason problems as they could have.

Really, all they're losing as far as personnel is defensive end Will Smith for the first four games of the season. Yeah, I know linebacker Jonathan Vilma has been suspended for the entire season. With all due respect to Vilma, he was a great player a few years ago, but he’s on the downside of his career and the Saints upgraded when they signed free agent Curtis Lofton. Just for insurance, they also signed linebackers David Hawthorne and Chris Chamberlain. Throw the new guys in with Scott Shanle, Martez Wilson, Jonathan Casillas and Will Herring, and the Saints are stronger at linebacker than they were last season.

If new defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo can figure out a way to generate a pass rush without Smith (and improve it when he returns), the Saints will be just fine on defense. We already know they’re just fine on offense, assuming quarterback Drew Brees’ contract situation gets worked out. There might be a few more weeks or months of drama on that end, but I don’t see any way the Saints go into the season without Brees' having a long-term deal.

Get Brees back in there, and the Saints could combine marketing campaigns with the NBA’s Hornets, who were just purchased by Saints owner Tom Benson. The Saints truly are a hornet’s nest right now. They (and their fans) are steaming mad at the NFL, the media and pretty much everyone outside of their world. You can see an "us-against-the-world" mentality building. As motivational ploys go, that’s not a bad one. Oh, here's a little more motivation. The Super Bowl is in New Orleans. The Saints and their fans could show up the NFL if they make it to the Super Bowl.

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.

Let’s take a run through the afternoon headlines from around the NFC South.

Here’s an off-beat story. Before the Louisiana House passed a law to continue a tax break for the New Orleans Hornets, one lawmaker proposed an amendment that would have required the Saints to agree to a five-year contract with quarterback Drew Brees. Tom Benson owns both the Saints and the Hornets. The amendment didn’t pass, but I like the lawmaker’s creativity.

New Orleans rookie receiver Nick Toon will wear the same jersey number his father wore in the NFL. The younger Toon wore No. 87 at Wisconsin. But he’s switching to the No. 88 that Al Toon wore while playing for the New York Jets.

Undrafted wide receiver Rico Wallace grew up as a fan of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He could have a chance to face them twice a year if he can make the roster after signing with the Carolina Panthers.

The Falcons have added another name to their list of undrafted rookies. They added California receiver Michael Calvin, who has great speed, but started only 10 college games and had only one career catch for a touchdown.

While pointing out that it’s too early to declare him the next Darren Sproles or Warrick Dunn, Mark Cook writes that Tampa Bay rookie running back Michael Smith has some similarities to those two. He’s small, but he’s got great quickness. If Smith is even a little like Sproles or Dunn, he’ll have a chance to make an impact with the Bucs.

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.’’

Let's take a quick look at the early-Tuesday-morning headlines from around the NFC South. As you might expect, many of them include the New Orleans Saints and their various problems.

• Free-agent defensive tackle Aubrayo Franklin, who spent last season with New Orleans, visited the Falcons on Monday. I’d say this one is just due diligence and, if anything is going to happen, it will come after the draft. Atlanta needs some depth in the middle of the defensive line, but isn't desperate. The Falcons have Corey Peters, Jonathan Babineaux and Peria Jerry. Peters has had a very nice first two seasons. Babineaux had a quiet 2011; Jerry has never come close to his potential since suffering a knee injury early in his rookie season. Franklin has some history with new defensive coordinator Mike Nolan, so he could be an option if the Falcons aren’t satisfied with their situation at defensive tackle after the draft.

• The Saints and general manager Mickey Loomis are denying a report that he had the ability to eavesdrop on opposing coaches from 2002 through 2004. But, John DeShazier writes, the news causes another distraction for a franchise that already has plenty of them as a result of what the NFL says was a three-year bounty program.

• Here’s a statement from Loomis in which he emphatically denies the report.

• Jim Haslett, who coached the Saints during the period in which Loomis allegedly had the ability to listen to opposing coaches, said he had no knowledge of Loomis actually doing so.

• Mike Triplett writes that the news on Loomis probably won’t get the general manager fired. He might be right. Saints owner Tom Benson has stood by Loomis through the Vicodin scandal a couple years ago and through the bounty program that’s dominated the headlines for more than a month. There haven’t been any indications the latest allegations will change Benson’s mind.

• Ron Green Jr. writes that Boston College linebacker Luke Kuechly could make an instant impact if the Panthers take him at No. 9 in the NFL draft. No argument here. Kuechly had a highly productive college career and comes with very few questions. It’s rare that you can say that about a prospect near the end of the top 10. Plus, Carolina owner Jerry Richardson and general manager Marty Hurney really like guys that come with no obvious questions.

• Tampa Bay’s coaching change affected more than the Bucs. It also affected the football team at Tampa’s Plant High School, which has been a state and national power in recent years. With former tight ends coach Alfredo Roberts joining the Colts, his son, Austin Roberts, a top college prospect at tight end, is leaving Plant’s program. But the Panthers are getting receiver/defensive back Tristan Cooper. His father, Ron Cooper, is the new defensive defensive backs coach for the Bucs.

In an offseason that has been filled with controversy for the New Orleans Saints, we now have even more.

This one doesn’t relate to the bounty program, but it could have major implications.

ESPN's "Outside The Lines" just reported that New Orleans general manager Mickey Loomis allegedly had an electronic device in his Superdome suite that had been secretly re-wired to enable him to eavesdrop on visiting coaching staffs for nearly three seasons, from 2002-04. That allegedly took place before coach Sean Payton and quarterback Drew Brees arrived in 2006. Sources told "Outside The Lines" that the listening system was disabled when Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans in 2005 and not restored. (Greg Bensel, Saints vice president of communications, said Monday on behalf of the Saints and Loomis: "This is 1,000 percent false. This is 1,000 percent inaccurate.")

This is significant on several levels. First, the report suggests that state and federal law might have been violated, and the situation has been reported to the U.S. Attorney in New Orleans. There is no indication yet if any charges will be filed. We’ll wait for law enforcement and the lawyers to figure that out. I won't even speculate about what civil liabilities Loomis and the Saints could be exposed to.

But there are huge potential implications elsewhere. Loomis is suspended without pay for the first eight games of the 2012 season for his role in not stopping the Saints’ bounty program. This latest news isn’t going to persuade commissioner Roger Goodell to shorten Loomis’ suspension.

In fact, this has the potential to lead to a longer suspension, or even more punishment for Loomis and the Saints. Although this incident allegedly took place quite a long time ago, it won't sit well with Goodell. He fined the New England Patriots $750,000 and forced them to forfeit a first-round draft pick for Spygate. You can make a case that listening to opposing coaches during a game is worse than videotaping signals on the sidelines and using that information.

Throw in the whole situation surrounding the bounty system, and I don’t see how this can lead to anything positive for Loomis or the Saints.

Saints owner Tom Benson has stood by Loomis and Payton, who is suspended for the entire 2012 season. But you must wonder if news of more alleged wrongdoing by Loomis might prompt Benson to fire his general manager.

I know Benson has other things going on. He recently purchased the NBA’s New Orleans Hornets. Brees hasn’t been able to work out a long-term contract with the Saints, and that’s not a positive for Brees, Benson or the Saints. The team is waiting to see if players will be suspended for their roles in the bounty program. Benson also reportedly has put his granddaughter, Rita Benson LeBlanc, on unofficial administrative leave. LeBlanc had been viewed as the heir apparent to Benson, but it doesn’t sound as if the owner is anywhere near ready to step aside.

That might be a good thing, because the Saints have all sorts of turmoil to deal with. Someone must clean up this mess. It’s Benson’s team, so we’ll wait and see where he goes from here.

This offseason just keeps getting worse for the Saints.

There hasn’t been a great deal of positive news out of the NFC South for the last month or so. Let’s break tradition and start our Friday evening roundup off with something bright and cheery.

If you’ve ever spent much time around the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, you probably know or have heard of Jill Hobbs. That’s largely because she’s been with the team forever -- almost. Hobbs, currently the team’s director of player benefits and alumni programs manager, will celebrate the 35^th anniversary of her hiring on Sunday. The Buccaneers started the celebration Friday by calling all staff members together for a meeting. Then, the Bucs surprised Hobbs, who has worked in a variety of capacities throughout the years, with a celebration and some very nice gifts.

• Updating a story we mentioned previously, it’s now official -- New Orleans Saints owner Tom Benson has agreed to buy the New Orleans Hornets from the NBA. The league took ownership of the team in 2010. Ironically, the announcement of the deal comes on the same day the Hornets host the Utah Jazz, the same franchise that left New Orleans in 1979.
• Carolina quarterback Cam Newton is in the final four of the Madden 13 Cover Vote. Newton said he’s not worried about the so-called “Madden Curse’’ that has seen some players featured on the cover suffer injuries or have bad seasons. Newton said being on the cover is "what you make it."
• Take a look at this Insider post that features three underrated prospects that could be available early in the second round. The Buccaneers have a pick early in the second round and this list features a linebacker and running back -- two positions the Bucs could be considering at that time.
• No surprise here. Safety Tanard Jackson, who was released by the Bucs earlier this week, will join the Washington Redskins. Former Tampa Bay coach Raheem Morris is the defensive backs coach in Washington.
• Another player released by Tampa Bay this offseason is getting interest from the Tennessee Titans. That's center Jeff Faine.
• Jeff Duncan reports the deal linebacker David Hawthorne signed with the Saints is very salary-cap friendly. That’s not surprising. Despite having limited cap room, general manager Mickey Loomis has done a nice job of overhauling the linebacker corps. He also has signed Curtis Lofton and Chris Chamberlain to cap-friendly deals.
• For those tracking pre-draft visits, Memphis defensive tackle Dontari Poe recently visited with the Carolina Panthers.

It appears the contract standoff between the New Orleans Saints and Drew Brees will reach a point few ever expected.

Mike Triplett reports that Brees will not join his teammates when their offseason program begins Monday. A source close to Brees told Triplett that the quarterback is disappointed about the situation and wishes he could join his teammates to help fill the leadership void that will come when coach Sean Payton begins his season-long suspension Monday. Saints owner Tom Benson said Friday that the sides were close to a long-term extension.

I’d stay tuned on this one. In contract negotiations, things can change with one phone call. Although it’s looking like Brees won’t be joining the Saints on Monday, that possibility still can’t be ruled out. We’ll monitor the situation over the weekend and see if anything changes.

Brees currently is carrying the franchise tag, but wants a long-term deal. He could join the offseason program at any time, if he chooses to sign a waiver. But, at least for now, it appears Brees will stay away until he has a long-term deal.

Give New Orleans Saints owner Tom Benson credit for one thing. He’s not letting the whole saga of the bounty program keep him from moving on.

Benson reportedly has reached an agreement with the NBA to buy the New Orleans Hornets.

Benson has owned the Saints since 1985, and wasn’t always viewed favorably by fans. He reportedly wanted to move the Saints permanently to San Antonio after Hurricane Katrina. But former NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue urged Benson to keep the team in New Orleans.

Benson did, and eventually worked out a long-term deal that included major upgrades to the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Until the bounty program was exposed, the Saints have enjoyed an unprecedented era of success since 2006.

Maybe Benson can make a similar story out of the Hornets. But he also might want to get Saints quarterback Drew Brees signed to a long-term contract before the team’s offseason program starts Monday.

As expected, the New Orleans Saints have announced that assistant head coach/linebackers coach Joe Vitt will take over the day-to-day duties of coach Sean Payton when he starts his season-long suspension Monday.

“It is important that we keep Sean Payton’s philosophy front and center during this season,’’ general manager Mickey Loomis said. “Sean has been the driving force behind the tremendous success our team has enjoyed during the past six years, his leadership will be missed.

"But we need to set a course of action that gives us the best chance to win this season without our head coach, and that is why I am announcing today that Joe Vitt will assume Sean’s duties," Loomis said. "We considered a number of great options to handle Payton's duties both internally and externally, but believe this will provide the most seamless transition for our players and our coaching staff, allowing our offensive and defensive staffs to remain intact with the fewest changes. This is the same structure we used last season during Sean's knee injury."

The Saints also issued a statement from owner Tom Benson. This is the first statement directly attributed to Benson since news of the Saints’ bounty program broke.

“This is about our program, and the continued success of our program,” Benson said. “Joe has been part of building our success along with our head coach Sean Payton and our general manager Mickey Loomis. We are looking forward to the start of the offseason program, the NFL draft, our minicamps and training camp. We are looking forward to the start of our season, as I know that all of our fans are and we are looking forward to competing and winning a championship right here in our own city, in our own stadium this year.”

As I’ve said before, promoting Vitt makes sense on many levels. He has been Payton’s right-hand man since the two came to the Saints in 2006. Vitt knows Payton’s system and philosophy better than anyone (and that includes Bill Parcells, who decided to stay retired). The offseason program and training camp should be seamless under Vitt, who served briefly as acting head coach last season when Payton had his leg and knee injured in a sideline collision. Vitt also previously served as the interim head coach for the St. Louis Rams.

Vitt is known for his old-school style and he knows the Saints’ personnel and other assistants well. The move makes complete sense in terms of continuity, but there’s one huge catch.

Vitt will be suspended for the first six games of the season for his role in the bounty program. Vitt’s suspension won’t begin until just before the start of the regular season. That’s the same time that Loomis will begin his eight-game suspension.

Loomis didn’t lay out any plan for what the Saints will do as far as filling the roles of head coach and general manager at the start of the season. For now, Loomis said, the Saints will take things one step at a time.

“We will work through the offseason under this plan and when we get to training camp we will decide on a course of action for the first six weeks of the season, while Joe Vitt is unavailable,’’ Loomis said. “We are fortunate to have a great veteran coaching staff well equipped to handle this challenge. Joe and Sean have worked closely together to build our program, one of the most successful in the NFL in the past six years, and I have the fullest confidence that Joe will continue that success that Sean has brought us.”

It’s likely the Saints will go through the preseason and then choose another of their current assistants to open the season as the head coach. Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo and offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael would seem the likely candidates. Spagnuolo has head-coaching experience, but is new to the Saints. The team could elect to go with Carmichael and let Spagnoulo focus solely on the defense. The Saints also could decide to keep Carmichael in his current role and let both coordinators focus on their side of the ball. In that scenario, offensive line coach Aaron Kromer could be the logical choice to step into a supervisory role.