By the Time Picayune

Former New Orleans Saints tight end Jeremy Shockey on Tuesday issued a statement to his fans via his official Twitter account and Facebook page:

“Always will remember my time in New Orleans. What a city, you all welcomed me like one of your own, and we had a great run. Onto the next chapter, the Deep Unknown.”

Shockey, who was released by the team Tuesday, played three seasons in New Orleans, catching 139 passes for 1,460 yards with six touchdowns in 38 regular season games, 34 of them starts.

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By The Times-Picayune

The New Orleans Saints have terminated the contract of tight end Jeremy Shockey, the team released in a statement.

“I’d like to thank Jeremy for the contributions he made to our team during his time in New Orleans,” Saints GM Mickey Loomis said. “These decisions are never easy to make and we wish him the best in the future.”

“Jeremy played an important role in helping our team bring a Super Bowl championship to New Orleans,” said Coach Sean Payton. “He contributed to the success of our offense, both as a pass-catcher and run blocker, and we’re appreciative of his efforts.”

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New Orleans Saints defensive end Will Smith appears to be one step closer to finally serving the four-game suspension that has been looming since 2008, thanks to a court ruling Tuesday in Minnesota.

Smith was one of several players who tested positive for a banned diuretic in the infamous “StarCaps” saga, along with former Saints players Deuce McAllister and Charles Grant and Minnesota Vikings players Kevin Williams and Pat Williams. But their suspensions have been on hold for more than two years while the players have battled the merits of their punishments in the courtroom.

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New Orleans Saints Coach Sean Payton reiterated his commitment to both his team and his family Tuesday night, while discussing his family’s decision to move to the Dallas suburbs with The Times-Picayune.

He stressed that he has no desire to coach anywhere but New Orleans, but he added that he doesn’t envision himself coaching for another “10-12 years.”

“I don’t see myself coaching ’til I’m 60. I have other aspirations, especially as it pertains to my children,” said Payton, whose family has always hoped to one day settle in the Westlake suburb of Dallas, near where they lived from 2003-2005.

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By Mike Triplett, The Times-Picayune

New Orleans Saints General Manager Mickey Loomis said he has no concerns about Coach Sean Payton’s decision to move his family to the Dallas suburbs and stressed that it’s much more common in professional coaching than people think.

“Listen, I know Sean’s commitment and passion for the Saints and coaching this team. So that’s unquestioned,” said Loomis, who understands the arrangement from personal experience. He moved away from his own children when he originally left Seattle to join the Saints’ front office.

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By James Varney

Grapevine, Texas – New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees was awarded Saturday with the 2011 Bart Starr award, a prize given by a vote of his peers to the NFL player, “who best exemplifies outstanding character and leadership in the home, on the field and in the community.”

James Varney/The Times-Picayune
Bart Starr said he couldn’t be more pleased with Drew Brees
as a recipient of his award, calling him an extraordinary man
and example of the sports world at its finest.

Brees received the award at an Athletes in Action breakfast attended by an estimated 2,400 people, and at the end of a ceremony in which several Hall of Famers participated. One highlight of the event, hosted by ESPN commentator Chris Mortensen, was a roundtable recollection of the 1967 NFL Championship, famously known as ‘the Ice Bowl,’ in which the Green Bay Packers defeated the Dallas Cowboys.

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By James Varney

GRAPEVINE, Tx. – Saints quarterback Drew Brees repeated his pick of the Packers for Super Bowl XLV Saturday morning, this time drawing a yelp of joy from former Packers great Bart Starr’s wife, Cherry.

Brees did offer caveats and said both teams deserved it. If Pittsburgh’s powerful running game gets in motion the Steelers could control the clock and the game, he noted, and obviously turnovers could tilt the balance quickly in one team’s favor.

But on the whole he gave the edge to the Packers, “in a clean game.”

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By Jeff Duncan, The Times-Picayune

If necessity is indeed the mother of invention, it also is the father of adjustment and adaptation.

David Grunfeld/The Times-PicayuneNew Orleans Saints running
back Pierre Thomas missed 10 games with an ankle injury.

The 2010 New Orleans Saints were forced to alter their offensive attack because of injuries to the club’s top four running backs. They attacked defenses with different players and out of different formations than they did during their Super Bowl season.

The Saints still moved the ball effectively. With a No. 6 ranking in total offense, The Saints were ranked in the top 10 for the fifth time in Sean Payton’s five-year tenure.

Only Green Bay has done likewise.

But the Saints’ average of 372.5 yards per game was the lowest since

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