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Robert in Dallas writes: Can you provide some insight on a rumor that doesn't have a chance of happening? I read that the Redskins are in talks with the Bucs for a possible trade involving DT Albert Haynesworth for receiver Michael Clayton and a player to be named? I doubt this occurs but your insight is very much appreciated!

Pat Yasinskas: I strongly doubt there’s going to be a trade of Albert Haynesworth for Michael Clayton or anyone else. Yes, I know there’s a rumor out there, but I’m not aware of any actual talks between the two clubs. I think this one has sprouted wings of its own and gotten a little out of control. From what I know, the genesis of this “rumor’’ came when The Tampa Tribune’s Roy Cummings was asked in a radio interview if he thought a trade for Haynesworth made sense. Let me make it clear that Roy is a friend, former co-worker (he took my spot on the Bucs’ beat when I left to cover Carolina in 1999) and someone I respect. We have a policy of not criticizing other media here, so I’ll just say Roy’s speculation had some solid logic, but I also see some flaws in the idea of a trade for Haynesworth. Yes, the Bucs made a big play for Haynesworth when he was a free agent last year. But things have changed since then. The Bucs used their first two picks this year to draft defensive tackles Gerald McCoy and Brian Price. Bringing in Haynesworth would take away snaps from them and the Bucs previous interest in Haynesworth came before the Bucs had really wrapped themselves around the idea of a youth movement. It also came before the Bucs truly started emphasizing character and the importance of team chemistry. They’ve been thrilled that their preseason has been so quiet and controversy free. Bringing in Haynesworth would create enormous distractions. Yes, Washington already has absorbed a huge chunk of his contract, but the Bucs still would have to pick up a lot of salary and fans always accuse the team of being cheap. Finally, why does anyone think Michael Clayton has trade value? The guy could be on the waiver wire in the next few weeks. Stranger things have happened in the NFL, but I don’t really see Haynesworth getting traded to Tampa Bay.

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Nate in Witchita writes: I was wondering with the success of Chase Daniel during this preseason will lead to possible smaller big armed QBs who were undrafted (Graham Harrell) will get a chance on NFL franchises in the future?

Pat Yasinskas: Daniel’s success certainly doesn’t hurt. Neither does the continued success of Drew Brees. It shows that shorter quarterbacks can have success, but they do have to make some adjustments and it helps to be in the right offensive system.

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James in Shreveport, La., writes: What have the Atlanta Falcons done since last year to have people picking them to win the NFC South?

Pat Yasinskas: I can’t speak for others in the media and I haven’t made my predictions yet. But I know Atlanta is a trendy pick by a lot of members of the national media. My best guess is they’re trying to be different and they’re basing much of their thinking on the fact Michael Turner is healthy and Dunta Robinson and Sean Weatherspoon should help the defense.

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Niko in Clemson, S.C., writes: I have a question about Jon Beason. I don't understand why the team would move him to the weak-side lb position when he was a Pro Bowl MLB for the past two years... It doesn't make sense to me to force him to change the way he thinks after he performed so well in the middle. Why not just put Dan Connor (who i think was replacing him in the middle... i could be wrong) on the weak side and leave Beason where he was?

Pat Yasinskas: First off, Connor doesn’t have the tools to play the weak side. He’s a natural middle linebacker. Second, the Panthers elected to move Beason after Thomas Davis, who played the weak side, went down with a serious injury. I asked Beason about the move when I spoke with him early in training camp and, when I asked him if he could make as many impact plays from that spot as he did in the middle, he gave what I thought was a very strong answer. Beason said in Ron Meeks’ Tampa Two defense, everything is designed to come toward the weakside linebacker. He then mentioned that a guy named Derrick Brooks used to make a lot of plays from the weak side in the original Tampa Two.

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James in Salem, Ore., writes: I am a little on edge with the injury to Josh Freeman and have been on the watch for rumors/news of them signing a veteran QB. So I'm a bit surprised that the only move they have made so far was to bring back Jevan Snead. Are the Bucs that confident that Freeman will be ready Week 1? Some more experience at QB would certainly help the team regardless if Freeman will be ready, but no wind of bringing on a veteran. What is your take?

Pat Yasinskas: Snead is a guy the Bucs brought back because he knows their offense and can help them get through practices the next few weeks. That’s it. They have no grand plans for Snead, whom they already cut once. There really are no other quarterbacks of consequence available right now. However, I would hope the injury to Freeman opens the Bucs’ eyes to how thin they are at quarterback and, as other teams make roster cuts, they bring in someone with a little NFL experience. And, yes, the Bucs expect Freeman to be ready for the opener.

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Kenneth in Boston writes: Why would the Saints ever cut Troy Evans? He was a special-teams leader and the Saints themselves said the key to this season would be leadership and responsibility. The special teams are already weak, why would the Saints make it weaker?

Pat Yasinskas: At least in the eyes of the Saints, cutting Evans doesn’t make the special teams -- mainly the coverage units -- weaker. Evans was getting older and may not have had the speed he once did. The Saints have added a lot of young guys like Stanley Arnoux and Jonathan Casillas in recent years. Maybe their philosophy is to give the young guys a chance to improve the coverage units. Evans was a special-teams captain last year, but the Saints obviously decided they have a chance to be better without him. Also, this move was not about money. Evans was scheduled to make $755,000 this season, which is the minimum for a player with his experience and there were no hidden bonuses on the horizon.

ESPN.com NFL Power Ranking (pre-camp): 2

METAIRIE, La. -- As the New Orleans Saints finished their first camp practice Friday morning, defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, a man known for holding back nothing on or off the field, unloaded. He wanted to get something off his chest. Heck, out of his body, out of his mouth and out into the open.

Without ever really being asked anything that would prompt the issue, Williams started talking about why the Saints can repeat as Super Bowl champions. He’s tired of hearing the reasons they can’t and the repeated reminders that the follow-up season hasn’t been good to many Super Bowl teams in recent history.

“I keep on hearing you guys talk about this Super Bowl hangover and it’s starting to chafe me a little bit,’’ Williams said. “It really is and I’m being real honest. The reason being is, if you could see behind the scenes of our offseason program from April 19 and to see every single practice we’ve had, I don’t have any qualms about the way our defense is because all they did was show up with more hunger, more fire, wanted me to be a bigger jerk and get on their (butt) more. They begged for me to get on their (butt) more. So far, I’ve seen nothing that would indicate that we can’t make another run at this.’’

Williams may be one of the organization’s more vocal figures, but you quickly get the feeling he’s not alone on this idea. Sure, the Saints spent a good portion of the offseason celebrating the first Super Bowl title in franchise history. Sure, recent history is stacked against them. No team has repeated since the 2004 Patriots.

Confidence -- some even have suggested arrogance -- was a big part of the reason the Saints won the Super Bowl last season. That hasn’t changed. Unlike a lot of recent Super Bowl teams, the Saints really didn’t lose much in free agency and they didn’t have their coaching staff picked apart. There really hasn’t been much turnover of faces or attitude.

“There was a really good locker room here before I got here,’’ Williams said. “There’s a better locker room now. The guys that we brought in this year, they fit into that locker room because Jon Vilma and Drew Brees aren’t going to let the wrong kind of people be in that locker room. They’re just not going to do that.’’

THREE HOT ISSUES

1. Can a defense that was opportunistic but far from dominant become more consistent? Sure, there is some bravado that comes with Williams. That’s part of his nature and it’s part of what makes him a good coach. But what he’s saying isn’t just bluster.

The Saints really should be much better on defense this season. All they really lost was linebacker Scott Fujita and defensive end Charles Grant. They showed Grant the door and probably upgraded the position by signing veterans Alex Brown and Jimmy Wilkerson. They’ll line up on the other side from Will Smith. Brown and Wilkerson aren’t dominant pass-rushers, but they’re consistent in that area and play the run very well. Fujita was a key contributor, but the Saints believe they have a group of promising linebackers (Troy Evans, Jo-Lonn Dunbar and Stanley Arnoux) and believe one of them will rise up.

Plug in a healthy Sedrick Ellis in the middle of the defensive line and the Saints should have a solid front seven. But the defensive backfield is where the Saints really could be outstanding. They’ve assembled one of the best collections of secondary talent in the league. Jabari Greer and Tracy Porter might be the best cornerbacks no one outside of New Orleans has heard of. When healthy, they both can be shut-down guys. Both were banged up last season, and that’s one of the reasons the Saints drafted cornerback Patrick Robinson. That move also has allowed them to move last year’s first-round pick, Malcolm Jenkins, to free safety, where he might get the chance to beat out Darren Sharper. If you can put Sharper, a possible future Hall of Famer on the bench, that’s a pretty big statement. People talk about New Orleans’ offense being explosive, but the defense has a chance to be every bit as dynamic.

2. Can the offense live up to last year’s standards? Brees remains the quarterback and, as long as that’s the case, this offense is going to be great. Brees clearly is in his prime and his pairing with head coach/offensive genius Sean Payton makes magic possible on every play.

This is an offense that can hit you from every angle -- Brees throwing short or long, Pierre Thomas running inside and Reggie Bush outside and an offensive line filled with Pro Bowlers. Keep in mind that the Saints had some injuries at the skill positions last year, but they still were phenomenal on offense. If they can keep Bush, Thomas, Marques Colston, Heath Evans and Jeremy Shockey healthy, last year’s production could be eclipsed.

3. Is left tackle really that important? The Saints used to have a Pro Bowl left tackle. His name was Jammal Brown and they traded him to Washington in the offseason. That happened after Brown missed all last season with an injury and the Saints got by with Jermon Bushrod quite nicely.

The Saints aren’t touting Bushrod as a franchise left tackle, although he’s the favorite to be the starter. They also drafted Charles Brown, and Zach Strief, who filled in when Bushrod slumped a bit last season, also is in the mix. The Saints gave Bushrod plenty of help last season and they’re prepared to do it again for him -- or for Brown or Streif. But the lesson that came out of last year is, in this offense, it’s not a necessity to have a dominant left tackle.

But that’s partly because the Saints have the league’s best guard tandem (Jahri Evans and Carl Nicks), a Pro Bowl right tackle (Jonathan Stinchcomb) and an excellent center (Jonathan Goodwin). Throw anyone out there at left tackle and the rest of the line and Brees will make him look good.

BIGGEST SURPRISE

Jimmy Graham. The Saints took what seemed like a bit of a leap when they drafted the tight end in the third round. He played basketball at the University of Miami before deciding to switch to football in his final year. The conventional wisdom was that Graham would be a bit of a project and would take a year or two to really have an impact. But there already is a buzz among the coaching staff and other offensive players about Graham. Everyone knew he had great athletic ability coming in, but he’s picked up things faster than anyone expected and he got some first-team work with Brees in June workouts. He might play a bigger role faster than anyone expected.

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT

Clint Ingram. When the Saints signed Ingram, a lot of fans instantly thought he would be the automatic replacement for Fujita. Ingram had been a starter in Jacksonville, so the logic was solid. But Ingram was injured when the Saints signed him and he still hasn’t been on the practice field, except while riding a stationary bike. That has allowed Troy Evans, Dunbar and Arnoux time to make a good impression. Unless Ingram gets healthy very soon and makes a huge impression on the field, he might not even get a roster spot.

OBSERVATION DECK

• James Lang/US PresswireDarren Sharper wore down toward the end of last season and had offseason microfracture surgery.
  I know this might sound like blasphemy to Saints fans because Sharper is very popular and had a huge impact last year. But the fact is he’s 34 and coming off micro-fracture knee surgery. I’ve suggested before I think there’s a good chance Jenkins takes his place in the starting lineup. But I’ll take it one step further here and say -- I’m not promising this will happen -- I can see a scenario where Sharper doesn’t even stay on the active roster. The Saints are high on Jenkins. They also like Usama Young and are hopeful about Chip Vaughn, who missed his rookie year with an injury. Ideally, the Saints would like to keep Sharper around for his leadership. But if his knee doesn’t come along, he could spend part of the season on the physically-unable-to-perform list, the injured-reserve list or maybe even be released or retired. Even with all his credentials, Sharper can’t contribute if his knee isn’t right. The Saints have a lot of other safeties with young legs.
• The Saints used a three-headed backfield with Bush, Thomas and Mike Bell last season. Bell is gone, but the playing time division should be pretty similar this year. Just plug Lynell Hamilton into Bell’s place. The Saints wouldn’t have let Bell go if they didn’t think Hamilton was ready. I don’t want to tease you and say this is the year Bush shows he can run between the tackles. But remember how well he ran in the playoffs and how he was more physical than at any time in his career? That was because he was completely healthy. That seems to still be the case, so don’t be surprised if you see Bush’s numbers go up a bit. This guy can do a little bit of everything.
• Shockey’s always been an easy target and there’s no doubt he’s brought some of that on himself. But he appears to be in very good physical shape. Shockey hasn’t really been a distraction in New Orleans like many thought he was when he was with the Giants. He’s just been banged up for much of his time with the Saints. Maybe –- and I’m just saying maybe -- Shockey might have matured and might be taking better care of himself in an effort to stay on the field.
• It really didn’t get much attention, but the best move the Saints made in the offseason might have been signing Patrick Ramsey to serve as Brees’ backup. Veteran Mark Brunell was a good fit in that role for a couple of years, but the Saints needed to get a little younger. The Saints hope and pray nothing ever happens to Brees. But, if he were to miss some time, the New Orleans offense might not suddenly fall apart. Ramsey’s a guy who has bounced around the league. He got messed up by Steve Spurrier early in his career in Washington, but he still has some talent. This is a quarterback-friendly offense with all sorts of weapons and Ramsey could win games for the Saints -- if that ever becomes necessary.
• For a couple years, special teams were a bit of a question. That has changed. Kicker Garrett Hartley and punter Thomas Morstead were heroes in the Super Bowl. They’re still young and should only continue to get better.
• It’s very early in camp, but one player who has intrigued the coaching staff is defensive end Junior Galette. He’s an undrafted rookie and very undersized at 258 pounds. But this guy is showing great speed and there’s a chance he could land a job as a pass-rush specialist. Yeah, Bobby McCray also is supposed to fit that description. But McCray had 1.5 sacks last season and actually was cut because of a high salary before he basically begged his way back (at a reduced salary). If the Saints cut McCray once, there’s no reason why they couldn’t do it again.

METAIRIE, La. – Time for some observations from the New Orleans Saints’ first practice of camp.

• Rookie cornerback Patrick Robinson got his contract signed, passed his physical and got on the field for a good chunk of practice. I’m not going to anoint him after one practice, but he looked good out there. Extremely athletic, and I can see him immediately being the third corner behind Jabari Greer and Tracy Porter. By the way, Robinson doesn’t seem to have the same problem with hazing as Dallas rookie Dez Bryant. Robinson walked off the field carrying the shoulder pads and helmets of some veteran members of the secondary.
• Jon Gruden was out at practice, and I think this is a repeat of last year. That’s when Gruden spent a few days with his old buddy Sean Payton and sat in on the meetings with the quarterbacks. Coaches are often superstitious, and Payton might view Gruden as a good-luck charm.
• From what I saw, Troy Evans was getting most of the work at Scott Fujita’s old linebacker spot. But I think this one will be a battle throughout camp and the preseason. Jo-Lonn Dunbar and some other young linebackers are in the mix.
• It appeared Alex Brown got the first-team work at Charles Grants’ old defensive end spot. He looked pretty good. With Jimmy Wilkerson and Bobby McCray as backups, I think the Saints are in better shape at that spot than they were a year ago.
• With Robert Meachem and Marques Colston not practicing because of injuries, Lance Moore was shining at wide receiver. I saw him make multiple big plays.
• Perhaps the most eye-turning play of the morning session came when rookie quarterback Sean Canfield hooked up with Larry Beavers on a deep route down the left sideline.
• I listed long-snapper Jason Kyle as a veteran, who possibly could be on the bubble, the other day. So much for that. The Saints created Robinson’s roster spot by releasing Clint Gresham, the guy who was supposed to challenge Kyle.
• Defensive coordinator Gregg Williams brought up the so-called “Super Bowl hangover’’ that the media has touched upon. Williams got pretty emotional and said he resents those implications. He backed up his reasoning extensively and said this season’s team can be better than last season’s. I’ll share all that with you Saturday when we feature the Saints in our Camp Confidential segment.
• Another reminder to any fans that were planning on coming out for Friday's afternoon practice: Don't do it. Because of the extreme heat, the Saints will practice indoors. That will be closed to the public. The same plan is in place for Saturday afternoon's session. I'll be out at this afternoon's practice and will share some more observations with you tonight.

METAIRIE, La. -- I’ll have a lengthy column in the next few days on New Orleans Saints’ Malcolm Jenkins and how he’s making the transition from cornerback to safety, but first we’ve got a bit of news on the first-round pick from 2009.

Jenkins missed Saturday morning’s minicamp practice because of a knee contusion, coach Sean Payton said. Jenkins had worked as the first-team free safety in Friday’s sessions. But Payton said Jenkins bumped knees with a teammate Friday afternoon. Payton also said the injury is minor and he said it was possible Jenkins could practice this afternoon or in Sunday morning’s final minicamp practice.

A few other observations:

• Just overheard former New Orleans quarterback Bobby Hebert, who is sitting right behind me, bring up a good point on his show on WWL Radio. The Saints presently have Chase Daniel working as their holder. It’s been obvious Friday and Saturday that there are some issues there. Daniel, a reserve quarterback, has had trouble handling some snaps. Besides that, Daniel probably is going to be the third quarterback this season and the Saints don’t want to have to use a game-day roster spot on a holder. Backup quarterback Mark Brunell handled the holding duties last year, but has not been re-signed. The Saints may bring in a veteran quarterback at some point and that player could also be a holder. But, ideally, the Saints would like punter Thomas Morstead to handle the holding duties. The Saints didn’t have Morstead do that last season because they wanted to allow him to concentrate on punting. But it makes a lot of sense for a punter to be the holder because he and the kicker have lots of time to work together during practice.
• It’s interesting to see fullback Heath Evans back on the practice field after missing much of last season with an injury. Evans is never going to put up huge stats simply because of the nature of his position. But his presence gives the rest of the offense a lot more flexibility because Evans does so many little things well.
• Rookie tight end Jimmy Graham has been drawing a lot of attention in minicamp. The third-round pick remains a very raw prospect because he played only one season of college football after playing basketball. But it’s obvious Graham has excellent athletic skills and lots of potential.
• Strong-side linebacker isn’t a flashy position, but that’s where the Saints have the best competition going on. I’ve seen Jo-Lonn Dunbar and Troy Evans each getting first-team work at the spot that came open when Scott Fujita left as a free agent. But don’t go writing either of those guys in as a starter just yet. They both are viable candidates, but the Saints also have added Clint Ingram, who previously started in Jacksonville. Two other young players -- Jonathan Casillas and Stanley Arnoux -- also could factor in. Don’t look for this one to be settled until late in the preseason.

New Orleans general manager Mickey Loomis met with the local media Friday morning for a “season wrap-up’’ session. Yes, it came about two months later than the rest of the wrap-ups around the division.

But we’ll give Loomis a pass on this one. The man has been very business because the Super Bowl win kept the Saints playing a month longer than the rest of the teams in the division. Loomis also had to quickly get ready for the combine and free agency.

But he made time to summarize the season and look ahead and the Saints PR department passed along the transcript of his interview. Loomis covered more ground than we can include here, so we’ll touch on the highlights.

The contract talks with free-agent safety Darren Sharper:

“I have all of the love in the world for Darren Sharper. I just don’t have all the money in the world for Darren Sharper. We’d like to have Darren back. We really would and again, no different than any player, if it fits under the salary structure and the resources that we have, then we’ll definitely want to have him back. If it doesn’t and he has an opportunity somewhere else, we understand that.”

The loss of free-agent linebacker Scott Fujita to Cleveland:

“Scott just got an offer that was too good to turn down. He wanted to return to New Orleans. We wanted him to return to New Orleans, but we understand what free agency is. We’re going to miss Scott and [wife] Jaclyn. They were the first to commit to the New Orleans Saints after Hurricane Katrina, after the 2005 season and Scott really exemplified the type of player we want in New Orleans, intelligent, tough, high-character and a great leader for our team. We wish them all the best.”

Who will fill Fujita’s position:

“That remains to be seen. We have some guys in our program right now in Jonathan Casillas and Stanley Arnoux, young players. We have some other candidates, Anthony Waters, Troy Evans, but that will be determined in training camp.”

On free agents who are visiting:

“We’re going to have Jake [Delhomme] visit later today. We have James Hall in here today. We had a visit scheduled with Leonard Little and an emergency came up and he’s had to postpone that, so we’ll see what happens.”

On if running back Reggie Bush will remain with the Saints:

“Yes. He’ll be back and he’ll be back at his current salary.”

The New Orleans Saints have just been hit with their first key loss from their Super Bowl team. The Cleveland Browns announced they have signed free-agent linebacker Scott Fujita.

I don’t know contract details yet, but it’s safe to say the Browns paid more than the Saints were willing to for Fujita. There seemed to be mutual interest in Fujita returning to the Saints, but only at a reasonable price.

Fujita will turn 31 in April and he dealt with some injury problems last season. Although there is no automatic replacement in place, the Saints have some options in young linebackers Marvin Mitchell, Jonathan Casillas and Troy Evans. All got a fair amount of playing time last season.

The Saints also drafted Stanley Arnoux last year, but he was injured in minicamp and missed the entire season. Arnoux is expected to return this year and could be a factor.

But it remains very possible the Saints could use one of their early draft picks to find a potential replacement for Fujita.

METAIRIE, La. – We’ve got another chapter in the Deuce McAllister saga and it’s the next logical step.

The Saints just announced McAllister will serve as the honorary captain for Sunday’s NFC Championship Game. That’s pretty much what he did in the divisional round against Arizona, when the Saints re-signed their all-time leading rusher and let him lead them onto the field.

McAllister, who has been out of football since 2008, was placed on the reserve/retired list Tuesday. But this move will allow him to accompany captains Drew Brees, Jonathan Vilma, Will Smith and Troy Evans to midfield for the coin toss prior to the game.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Just got the changes that the Saints will be making to their starting lineup after declaring so many regulars inactive.

As expected, Mark Brunell will start in place of Drew Brees at quarterback. Chris Reis will start at free safety in place of Darren Sharper. Troy Evans will start in Scott Shanle’s place at weakside linebacker. DeMario Pressley will start in place of Sedrick Ellis at defensive tackle.

LANDOVER, Md. -- The Saints have announced a few lineup changes because of injuries.

Troy Evans will start at strongside linebacker with Scott Fujita out. Mike McKenzie will start at one cornerback spot in place of Jabari Greer. Malcolm Jenkins will start at the other corner in place of Tracy Porter.

Posted by ESPN.com’s Pat Yasinskas

NEW ORLEANS – As expected, injured linebacker Scott Fujita and defensive tackle Sedrick Ellis will be inactive tonight.

Troy Evans will start in Fujita’s place. Anthony Hargrove will start in place of Ellis and the Saints have said Remi Ayodele will start at the other defensive tackle spot in place of Kendrick Clancy.

Other inactives for the Saints are kicker Garrett Hartley, cornerback Leigh Torrence, running back Lynell Hamilton, safety Chris Reis and center Nick Leckey. Chase Daniel will be the third quarterback.

Posted by ESPN.com’s Pat Yasinskas

It’s time for the New Orleans Saints in our tour of team-by-team mailbags.

Marty in Shakopee, Minn. writes: Hi Pat - Thanks for all the great NFC South info. Being a Saints fan, living in Vikings territory & married to a Purple fan has made this season interesting. I try to take it one game at a time, but it's tough not to look ahead, especially since the Saints schedule is very favorable going forward. Where can the Saints improve? At times our LB's are exposed to the short passing game, but GW has given this defense the freedom to make plays and it has been successful. There is balance in the offense now; Sean seems to be pushing all the right buttons.

Pat Yasinskas: Yep, there’s no question Sean Payton and Gregg Williams are doing tremendous jobs. Where can the Saints improve? Hmm, there really aren’t many weaknesses at all. They just have to stay healthy and they’re on course for the playoffs, maybe a run deep into the playoffs.

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Adrien in Miss. writes: Pat, with Fujita out for a while, do you think that Troy Evans will be able to fill in for Scott well enough or struggle? And if he does struggle, do you see the Saints signing another linebacker such as...I dunno...Derrick Brooks?

Pat Yasinskas: Payton and Williams seem ready to go with Evans until Scott Fujita comes back. I’ve only seen a little bit of Evans as a linebacker, but I’ve seen a lot of him on special teams and been impressed. He’s a good athlete. Payton and Williams know a lot more than I do and they seem comfortable going with Evans. If they were going to sign Derrick Brooks, I think it would have happened months ago.

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Jeff in Charleston, S.C. writes: Hey Pat. My question is, who have the Saints beaten this year, really? Detroit with a Rookie QB, a rapidly declining Jets team with Rookie QB, a horribly-coached (I'm sorry, Reid is clueless at times) Philly team with practically a Rookie QB, a horribly bad Buffalo team, and a NYG team that is plagued with injuries all over the field at critical positions and in my mind is way overrated. No question the Saints have made major strides since last year, especially on Defense and I know that its all about getting W's, but honestly, who have they REALLY beaten? Just take a look at the current status of all those afore mentioned teams, would you say they are in good shape, with the exception of the NYG, who have some serious questions to answer and major injuries to deal with.

Pat Yasinskas: I’ve got to disagree with you. First off, the Jets were undefeated at the time they played the Saints. I’d argue strongly that you’re wrong in calling Andy Reid clueless. He’s one of the best coaches in the league. And going into Philadelphia, which is always one of the toughest places to play, and winning is a major accomplishment. Even the Buffalo game was a nice win because it was on the road and any road win is a good win. The victory against the Giants speaks for itself. Now, I will give you the Detroit game. But other than that, I don’t think you can take any of the shine off what the Saints have done by talking about who they’ve played.

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Matt in Miami writes: Why do the Saints not use Lance Moore on trick plays? He is the team's emergency third QB on game day, so why not use him on a reverse play and let him throw the ball? I know they don't want to take the ball out of Brees' hands, and I understand that, but once or twice a game could work. And it would give opposing defenses so much more to prepare for, and make our offense that much more potent. Thanks.

Pat Yasinskas: No question Lance Moore is a great athlete. In general, I’d say the Saints don’t need trick plays and they don’t need to take the ball out of Drew Brees’ hands. However, I wouldn’t be surprised if there are a couple of trick plays in the playbook and Payton may pull them out as time goes on, especially now that Moore seems healthy.

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Morris in Colorado Springs writes: Pat let’s not forget how great Jermon Bushrod played against one of the top pass rushers in the game in Osi Umenyiora. He’s played great with replacing Jamaal Brown and i really think if he keeps this up we may have just replaced a Pro Bowl LT with another Pro Bowl LT what do you think Pat?

Pat Yasinskas: Kudos to Bushrod, who I think has played very well in stepping in for the injured Brown. He’s been more than adequate. But I wouldn’t go calling Bushrod a Pro Bowler just yet. He’s got to keep proving himself every week.

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John in Oak Harbor, Wash. writes: I am a die-hard Saints fan, and I appreciate everything Drew Brees has done for the team and the city, but I wanted to point out that even though he is the corner stone of the offense, the Saints are better off when he passes less. THAT'S RIGHT, I SAID IT!!! He led the team to an 8-8 record last year while leading the league in attempts (635.) In 2009, the Saints are 5-0, and he is ranked 20th in the league in attempts (159.) I know that his ridiculous amount of passing didn't lead to the eight losses, but it seems that his passer rating is soaring because he no longer has to shoulder the burden. Also, I just wanted to say thanks for the good work. Even when you had the Saints ranked third in your pre-season rankings, you had a way of making it not sound that bad.

Pat Yasinskas: Well, I had the Saints third, but I did mention they could be better if their defense got better. The defense is markedly better and the Saints have answered all my questions. As for your theory on Brees, I tend to agree. When you’re passing for 5,000 yards, that’s probably a sign that your team is behind a lot. The Saints recognized a need to improve the running game to balance out the offense and they went out and made it happen and it’s working out nicely.

Posted by ESPN.com’s Pat Yasinskas

Time for a quick update on the most significant injuries around the NFC South.

Atlanta running back Jerious Norwood (hip) is doubtful and fullback Ovie Mughelli (calf) is questionable. I’m thinking they both will be out and Jason Snelling will have to swing back and forth between being the backup to Michael Turner at running back and Verron Haynes at fullback.

The Bucs are listing return man Clifton Smith (concussion) and receiver Michael Clayton (hamstring) as questionable. Look for rookie Sammie Stroughter to handle return duties if Smith doesn’t play. Stroughter and Maurice Stovall will be in the mix for more playing time if Clayton can’t go.

The Panthers list linebacker Thomas Davis (hamstring) as questionable. If he can’t play, either Landon Johnson or James Anderson will get the start.

New Orleans linebacker Scott Fujita (calf) is questionable. It looks like Troy Evans probably will start in his place.

Posted by ESPN.com’s Pat Yasinskas

With New Orleans linebacker Scott Fujita missing his second straight day of practice Thursday, it’s looking like there’s a good chance backup Troy Evans may get the start Sunday in Miami.

Coach Sean Payton was asked for a scouting report on Evans after Thursday’s practice.

“He’s a player that we initially look at as a core special teams player, he’s a special teams captain,’’ Payton said. "He’s an experienced player who’s played a number of snaps, more of them have come in the kicking game than at linebacker, yet he did a good job stepping in and he gives you that depth and experience. I think he’s athletic and physical. Those are the attributes if you point to a couple things. Generally, to play in this league as long as he has in the kicking game, you have to be able to run and tackle and those are a couple things that he’s done pretty well.’’

Posted by ESPN.com’s Pat Yasinskas

Time for a checkup on the most important injuries in the NFC South.

Get ready to see a lot of Jason Snelling in the Atlanta backfield on Sunday. Fullback Ovie Mughelli and running back Jerious Norwood each missed their second straight day of practice and it doesn’t look promising that either will play against the Cowboys. Also, starting running back Michael Turner was limited again in practice by a chest injury. Turner should be all right to play, but Snelling probably will be his primary backup and also be the backup fullback if Verron Haynes has to start in Mughelli’s place.

The Panthers had what could be a significant injury pop up Thursday. Linebacker Thomas Davis, who practiced Wednesday, sat out Thursday with a hamstring injury. Naturally, coach John Fox wouldn’t give any indication of how serious the injury is. But Davis is Carolina’s leading tackler and there would be a drop-off if he can’t play. It’s likely the Panthers would turn to either James Anderson or Dan Connor.

New Orleans linebacker Scott Fujita sat out a second straight day of practice with a calf injury. It’s looking more and more like Troy Evans, who filled in after Fujita was injured against the Giants, could get a start against the Dolphins.

Return man Clifton Smith returned to practice on a limited basis after sitting out Wednesday. Smith had a concussion when he was hit by Carolina’s Dante Wesley on Sunday.

Posted by ESPN.com’s Pat Yasinskas

Time for a quick run through the most significant injuries in the NFC South. Surprisingly, as we approach midseason, there aren’t that many of note.

As expected Tampa Bay return man/running back Clifton Smith was out after suffering a concussion during Sunday’s big hit by Carolina’s Dante Wesley. Look for Smith to be out at least one game and look for rookie Sammie Stroughter to handle return duties. The other injury of note is that defensive tackle Chris Hovan sat out with an ankle injury. Not sure how significant the injury is and Hovan’s nearing the end of the road, but the possibility of being without a starter is not good news as the Bucs get ready for the Patriots.

The Falcons may have to do some shuffling in the backfield as they prepare for Dallas. Jerious Norwood (hip) and Ovie Mughelli (calf) sat out practice and starting running back Michael Turner (chest) was limited. We’ll assume Turner will be ready to go, but the Falcons may have to start Verron Haynes at fullback and let Jason Snelling be the top backup at both running back and fullback.

No surprise that New Orleans linebacker Scott Fujita (calf) sat out. The injury looked somewhat serious when it happened Sunday. Troy Evans filled in for Fujita on Sunday and it looks like he’ll get the start against Miami on Sunday. Tight end Jeremy Shockey (shoulder) was limited, but the veteran might have been just getting a little rest.

Carolina remained relatively healthy, but kickoff specialist Rhys Lloyd (ankle) did not practice. If he can’t kick, punter Jason Baker or field goal kicker John Kasay would have to handle kickoffs.