I had a crazy thought this morning, and one I hope will be viewed in hindsight as paranoia. While other teams are scrimmaging this weekend, the Saints and Steelers will be playing with full pads in the Hall of Fame preseason game. Only a week into training camp; I would hate to see early injuries in players going full speed before their bodies are ready. God knows I’m ready for football, but I hope the coaching staff is prudently cautious. The IR list from camps around the league seems to be getting crowded. 

I wasn’t going to do anything on this, but keep reading about it, so I’ll just address my take on it. The Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation has asked to host the Spring-time NFL draft, which is always in New York. They envision a week-long celebration of parties. I always catch part of the draft on the radio as I’m trolling for parking during Jazz Fest. I don’t know if the city can host two major events like that at once, or if they would adjust the dates. New Orleans has proved it can throw the big parties. Pre-Katrina, its police department was studied around the world for its success in major event crowd control. And the city always pulled off a great Superbowl. Since none are on the horizon , it would be a nice bone by the NFL. However, part of draw and humor of the draft are those crazy ass New Yorkers who go nuts (ie boo) over the Giants and Jets draft selections. Would they fly down to the big easy? Probably. But they won’t be happy about it. I guess they can duke it out at the Big Daddys.

ALSO — Get ready for Training camp. It starts a week from Friday in Jackson, Miss. I wish I could go. How has Reggie improved? He’s going to have a sensational year. Or top draft pick this year, Robert Meachem. He’s supposed to be healed from surgery by then.

AND… Check out the revamped website of www.neworleanssaints.com. Looks pretty cool.

I think the Saints could repeat as the NFC South champions on a 10-6 record, which truthfully could range from 9-7 to 12-4.

The first five games will set the tone, starting in Indianapolis. Manning and company are picked to win by the odds makers in Vegas, and I would have to agree. However, a solid fight would pay dividends in confidence for the season.

Game two against Tampa Bay will be tough. The Bucs are expected to be better this year led by Jeff Garcia and a revamped offense. I think the Saints and Bucs split the season 1-1. The Saints will beat Tennessee on Monday night. The Titans finished on a roll last season with the amazing play of rookie quarterback Vince Young, but they will not overcome the losses of corner back Pacman Jones, who will be suspended by the team for his legal woes, and running back Travis Henry who departed for Denver.

I think the Saints enter the bye-week 1-2. They’ll regroup and make a strong push into the meat of the season starting with a home gave against Carolina, a trip out west to Seattle and back home for the Falcons. I pick the Saints to win at least two of those three. They then go on the road to win in San Francisco, and return home to play Jacksonville in a very tough match-up. I see them at 5-3 and take two more wins against the Rams at home and Houston on the road.

The Thanksgiving weekend game against Carolina on the road will be a bruising grudge match. I think the Saints will be looking to even the score against Tampa Bay at home and then dispatch the Falcons in Atlanta on Monday Night Football. Record 9-4.

I think they hand Arizona their asses, and prepare for tough battles with Philadelphia at home and on the road in Chicago. If they lose those two, they go 10-6, and limp into the playoffs. If they beat them, they go 12-4 and get a bye-week with home field advantage and advance to the Superbowl.

None of these predictions matter, however, but it’s always fun to kill time in preseason.

Tank could come cheap

The ESPN Rumor Mill is churning around Tank Johnson, the monstrous Defensive Tackle with drinking issues who was cut by the Bears last month. Johnson would come cheap. He’s scheduled to make $510,000, so a team willing to take a chance on him would get Johnson for around $240,000 for a playoff run, according to ESPN. The Saints could bolster their Defensive Line, but taking a chance on Tank in Sin City could prove to be a monstrous mistake.

I heard one of the analysts on NFL Late Hits talking about the NFC South improving this year. I caught the tail end of what he was saying, but it went something like this:

“It’s not like they were 13-3 last season. And I think Tampa will be better this year. They’re one of those teams that could take a step back. You never know. ”

Then he started comparing the Dome Patrol of Vaughn Johnson, Ricky Jackson and Pat Swilling to this year’s line backing corps which is serviceable but not dominating by any means. Part of the Saints game is its offensive prowess, which gives the defense some breathing room. But we all know offense wins the fans, but defense wins championships. I highly doubt the addition of Dhani Jones will add too much depth for Fajita and Brian Simmons. I hope the rookie cornerback can hold his own against the deep ball. The Saints are an unknown quantity for us fans, but opponents will have a season’s worth of tape to study.

In other matters, the Superdome’s Phase II renovations are nearly complete. Great. Call me if there’s a problem.

Third item:

Calvin Johnson has Reggie Bush to thank for making the second pick a lucrative package to rival the top pick.

Bush, who arguably should have gone number 1, got a guarantee of more than $26 million from the Saints, which raises the bar for second picks ad infinit.

It’s not Saints news, but still hil-ar-i-ous. Louisiana’s US Senator, David Vitter, has admitted that his phone number was on the records of the escort service run by D.C. Madam Deborah Jeane Palfrey. Sorry for the soap box, but Jesus. No sh–t shirlock. Reminds me of Bob Livingston’s resignation from Speaker of the House amidst the Monica Lewinsky scandal because of some supposed dirt that Larry Flint had on him. Which was apparently a bluff. So much for family values.

Here’s part of the story:

WASHINGTON (AP) — Louisiana Sen. David Vitter, whose telephone number was disclosed by the so-called “D.C. Madam” accused of running a prostitution ring, says he is sorry for a “serious sin” and that he has already made peace with his wife. “This was a very serious sin in my past for which I am, of course, completely responsible,” Vitter said Monday in a printed statement.

Anyone that follows the old Axiom that doing something is better than doing nothing, might take a pause at Tom Benson’s providence.

The owner of the Saints ascended from persona non grata to something akin to an obnoxious relative that you have to keep around when he was forced by the NFL commissioner to keep the Saints in New Orleans and hired offensive coordinator Sean Payton. Benson rose from the worst owner in the National Football League to 31st by Sports Illustrated. Benson should be happy to be there, especially after he started arguing with drunken fans in Baton Rouge during the Katrina season when the Saints were playing at LSU stadium. That was amidst his less than discreet effort to relocate the team to San Antonio, where he is from. Benson that year reminded me of Coach Mike Ditka’s crotch-grabbing gesture at his own fans during his disastrous tenure in New Orleans.

This by Michael Silver with Sports Illustrated.

“31. Tom Benson, Saints

Last year, with the arrival of marvelous rookie coach Sean Payton, Benson was luckier than a guy who stumbles out of Pat O’Brien’s, hops aboard a Mardi Gras float full of buxom coeds and gets dropped off at Harrah’s, where he slips on a slot-machine handle and hits the jackpot.

I believe Benson would have gladly moved the Saints to San Antonio or L.A. both before and after Hurricane Katrina, which makes it even harder for me to stomach all the healing-the-city propaganda that he and members of his family spewed during last year’s stunning run to the NFC Championship game. Still, I’ll make Benson a deal: I’ll stop ripping him if he gives Payton a huge contract extension immediately and promises to stop doing that insufferable dance.”

This is what Silver wrote last year:

“Last and least is Benson, the car salesman who both mismanages his franchise and doesn’t appear all that stressed about adding to the misery of a suffering region. Before Tagliabue stepped in and decreed that the Saints would return to New Orleans — at least for now — Benson seemed content to remain in San Antonio, where he coincidentally has a home, while casting a wistful eye toward the L.A. market. So for the time being Benson will be bringing his ridiculous “Boogie” back to the Superdome and hoping that karma doesn’t actually exist.”

One concern for me is the higher expectations of the team this year. The Saints surprised a lot of teams in 2006 after finishing 3-13 the year before.

We know this is a new team. This is Drew Brees’ team now. This is the Sean Payton era. But opponents will have a lot of tape to study, and they’ll be ready. The Saints open against the Colts. The rest of the non-divisional schedule is almost as bruising with Tennessee, Seattle, Jacksonville, Philadelphia and Chicago on Dec. 30.

You don’t hear alot of noise from Saints camp, which is a good sign. No off-season hiccups or gun charges from its players. The Saints in New Orleans are taking their role model moniker seriously.

Three publications — Lindy’s, Pro Football Weekly and Street & Smith’s — predict that the Saints will reach the Super Bowl XLII. Although Lindy’s has the Saints falling to the Baltimore Ravens, while Pro Football Weekly and Street & Smith’s call for the New England Patriots to top the Saints.

In a survey of those three magazines, as well as those published by The Sporting News and Athlon Sports, the Saints are tabbed as a unanimous pick to become the first NFC South member to claim back-to-back titles since the division was created in 2002.

The Saints are one of five teams seen as unanimous division winners along with — big surprise — the Patriots (AFC East), the defending Super Bowl champion Indianapolis Colts (AFC South), San Diego Chargers (AFC West) and Chicago Bears (NFC North).

Lindy’s ranks the Saints as the top team in the NFC and third in the 32-team league in its overall ratings .In a section entitled NFL’s Best, where it ranks individuals at several positions as well as specific units, Lindy’s is especially high on the Saints offense — which topped the NFL in total yards a year ago.

Lindy’s ranks the Saints passing game, led by Brees, as the third-best in the league behind the Patriots and Colts.

“Drew Brees has finally etched his name among the elite,” the magazine says. “The addition of (wide receiver) Robert Meachem and (tight end) Eric Johnson provide additional weapons, while Reggie Bush proves a tough matchup for any player on the other side of the ball.”

Lindy’s ranks Brees as the fourth-best quarterback behind Peyton Manning, Tom Brady and Carson Palmer, and young Marques Colston as the sixth-best wide receiver in the league — ahead of Chad Johnson and Steve Smith.

Of course, Reggie Bush, is arguably the best receiver and running back on the club.