Posted by Mike Triplett, The Times-Picayune March 05, 2009 4:51PM
The Saints have released fullback Mike Karney and signed Heath Evans.
The Saints just confirmed that they have agreed to a deal with free agent fullback Heath Evans and will release fullback Mike Karney.
I just spoke to Karney about the decision, which won’t be officially announced until tomorrow.
Obviously he said it’s sad to leave New Orleans after spending his entire five-year career here. But he said he also looks at this as a “new beginning” for him, and he said he appreciates that the Saints let him enter the free agent market sooner than later.
“My first reaction is that the writing’s been on the wall (since the Saints started looking at other fullbacks in free agency),” said Karney, who ironically also happens to be getting married tomorrow in California. “So I wasn’t surprised or caught off guard. And I respect the decision that Sean (Payton) and Mickey (Loomis) made collectively. I have no hard feelings, and I’m happy that they didn’t string it out.”
Karney, 27, has plenty of friends and family around for support right now – including former Saints backfield mates Deuce McAllister and Aaron Stecker, both of whom are free agents themselves right now, and former Saints fullback Lorenzo Neal, who has played for seven different teams in his 16-year career.
“I have great memories of being a New Orleans Saint,” Karney said. “I had some great games. I felt I stood tall through the victories and the losses and I was part of taking an organization to the NFC Championship Game, which had never been done in the history of the organization, and I met a lot of great people, established a lot of great relationships. The fans have been outstanding. Their support for me has been out of this world. It’s sad in that respect, but it’s time to move on, it’s time for a new life.
“Now it’s a new ballgame, and we’ll see who’s interested.”
The Saints obviously decided to go for a more versatile, athletic fullback in Evans, who has served as a backup tailback, backup tight end and special teams specialist, in addition to traditional fullback duties in his eight-year career with the Patriots, Dolphins and Seahawks.
During a stretch as a replacement tailback in 2005, he ran for 74 yards on 16 carries against the Saints and caught two passes for 21 yards in New England’s 24-17 victory.
The 6-foot, 250-pounder has remained durable, too, appearing in every game with the Patriots over the past three years.
Terms of Evans’ deal were not disclosed, but financially it’s probably close to a wash for the Saints. Karney had two years remaining on his contract with the Saints at a little more than $1 million per year in salary and bonuses.
“Heath is a tireless worker and someone we were very impressed with after spending time with him,” Saints Coach Sean Payton said in a statement. “He’s very excited about the various things we do from an offensive perspective and is a well-rounded and versatile player. In addition he has played quite a bit on various special teams units throughout his career and been a reliable and dependable player in many different situations.”
“Heath is a versatile and fundamentally sound fullback who can help our offense in a variety of roles, whether it be as a lead blocker, as a runner or receiving option out of the backfield as well as on special teams,” Saints General Manager Mickey Loomis said in the statement. “He has played in a few different offensive systems and has adapted quickly and been a contributor to all of them.”
Neither Payton nor Loomis addressed Karney’s release since it has not been made official yet.
Karney, a fifth-round draft pick out of Arizona State in 2004, is a traditional power-blocking fullback, though he did score seven touchdowns in his career – including his unforgettable three-touchdown performance in a 42-17 victory at Dallas in 2006. He was named a second-team All Pro that year.
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