Grant indicted for involuntary manslaughter

Posted by Mike Triplett, The Times-Picayune May 20, 2008 9:25PM

Categories: Saints

Saints defensive end Charles Grant was one of seven men indicted on a charge of involuntary manslaughter, stemming from a February altercation outside of a night club in Blakely, Ga., according to the Early County News.

Early County officials could not be reached for comment. Neither could Grant or his attorney. The Saints said they were aware of the development but had no comment.

According to the report, the men were all charged because of their involvement in a fight that resulted in the death of Korynda Reed, 23, an innocent bystander who was hit by a stray bullet. Grant also received misdemeanor fighting charges.

Back in February, Capt. Will Caudill from the Early County Sheriff’s Office, said that Grant was not considered an instigator or a willing participant in the fight. According to the Early County News report, Woodrow Gray was indicted on a charge of aggravated assault for attacking Grant. Gray was also one of the men charged with involuntary manslaughter.

Competition for Roster Spots To Be Fierce

Doug Miller, NewOrleansSaints.com
Thursday, May 08, 2008 – 10:08 AM

On the eve of the New Orleans Saints’ three-day rookie mini-camp in Metairie, the Black-and-Gold currently has 86 players on their roster.

Or six more players than the team will be able to take training camp in late July.

Competition will be fierce when the 64 players invited to the rookie camp don their uniforms for the first time on Friday morning, as the team’s six 2008 draftees join 16 undrafted free agents that have agreed to terms with the team, as well as 36 non-roster tryout invitees and six other first-year players currently on the roster.

The NFL’s mandated training camp roster size of 80 players under contract means that the team will have to pare down the roster before heading to training camp. So the question that many will have is why the team currently has 86 players under contract.

The answer is that unsigned players do not count against the roster size, and since the draft picks have not yet signed their contracts, the team is able to get to a better look at the rookie free agents that have signed, as well as the tryout players.

Once the draft picks begin signing contracts, the Saints will have to make corresponding roster reductions.

In past seasons, roster sizes were increased during training camp due to the caveat that the NFL granted players exemptions that were allocated by the team to NFL Europe. However, since the league discontinued operations following the 2007 season, those exemptions simply no longer exist.

While there have been some discussions in league circles about expanding the training camp roster to 86 players, the measure wasn’t voted on at the NFL’s annual meetings in April. According to some in the know, the topic could once up at the league’s meetings later this month.

Thus it would hardly be a surprise to see some of the tryout players make a name for themselves and open eyes this weekend and perhaps garner a coveted spot on 86-man roster, but it will almost assuredly mean that a player currently under contract will be subjected to the waiver wire.

Saints Sign Four Free Agents

by Dave Lawrence, NewOrleansSaints.com
Wednesday, May 14, 2008 – 4:00 PM

Following the close of their three-day rookie minicamp, New Orleans Saints Executive Vice President/General Manager Mickey Loomis announced Wednesday the signing of three players that took part in the camp on a tryout basis. Signed by the team were quarterback Travis Lulay, defensive tackle Marcus Pittman and wide receiver Carlos Robinson. Loomis also announced the signing of rookie free agent offensive tackle Carnell Stewart.

Lulay, a 6-2, 216-pound product of Montana State, first signed a professional contract with the Seattle Seahawks as an undrafted rookie free agent in May of 2006. The Aumsville, Ore. native participated in the Seahawks’ training camps in ’06 and ’07 and played for the Berlin Thunder of NFL Europa in the spring of ’07. In college, Lulay passed for 10,746 yards and 58 touchdowns and left Montana State as the school’s all-time leading passer.

Pittman was a two-year starter at defensive tackle at Troy after transferring to the Alabama school from Garden City (Kan.) CC and played in 25 games, amassing 42 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, one sack, an interception, a fumble recovery and a blocked kick. The 6-4, 290-pound defensive lineman proved his ability to play both defensive tackle positions at the collegiate level.

Robinson is a speedy 6-1, 180-pound receiver who last played in 2006 at Grand Rapids Community College in his hometown of Grand Rapids, Mich. The 23-year-old wideout caught 28 passes for 421 yards and was an all-conference selection for the Raiders in ’06.

Stewart, a native of Metairie, played collegiately at LSU and started every game at right tackle for the 2007 National Championship team. The 6-5, 320-pounder switched to offensive line prior to the 2006 season after spending his first three seasons in Baton Rouge as a defensive tackle. The graduate of John Curtis High played in 27 games in his college career with 14 starts, 22 of the games coming after his shift to the offensive side of the ball.

In a corresponding roster move, the Saints waived offensive linemen Nate McManus and Akim Millington as well as receiver Evan Moore and quarterback T.C. Ostrander, each of whom were signed as rookie free agents after last month’s draft.