WWL: Meachem hurt; DT Thomas cut
 

Gus Kattengell Reporting

Call it “the curse of the first rounder”, but, just like rookie mini camp last year, where running back Reggie Bush tweaked a hamstring, this year's Saints top draft pick suffered an injury before the three-day workouts came to an end. Receiver Robert Meachem suffered a left ankle sprain during Sunday’s morning workout that had him wearing a boot style air cast on his ankle Sunday afternoon. For the former Volunteer, it is the latest setback in a weekend that has been less than stellar.

“Yesterday, it didn’t go as well as I wanted it to go as far as fatigue I would say. I’m doing well in spurts. I figure once I get in better shape I can show coaches what I can do.” Meachem, by his own admission, has been hurt in the workouts by how out of shape he is as he has dropped passes and struggled to leave a good impression on head coach Sean Payton.

“He struggled some. He’s had some blister issues with his feet. He’s overweight,” Payton said following Sunday morning’s practice. “He tweaked his ankle in the morning practice, so it hadn’t been all rosy for him. You know he’s been on that first round tour these guys go on where they visit all these teams and eat a lot of fun dinners, and it looks like it. He’s got a ways to go.”

Meachem says he visited as many as nine teams before the draft, and that, without question, hurt his conditioning. “Every visit they give you a big old meal and things of that nature. I tried to workout when I could, but I don’t think I got enough workouts in,” said Meachem. “As for the ankle injury, I took a wrong step. I stuck outside of my body instead of sticking inside of my body.”

A very contrite Meachem felt disappointed that this weekend’s camp will end without him accomplishing his pre-camp goal of leaving Payton happy they selected him in the first round. “They drafted me as a first round draft pick, and I can’t show them why they got a first round pick out of me. You have a lot of people back home wanting to see you do good, and for me to come in and not be in the shape I was supposed to be in,” said Meachem. “For me it’s frustrating because I’m hurting them I think as well.”

Meachem says he has received some words of advice from receiver Marques Colston. “He told me that he probably got in his best shape during OTAs, and, for me, I’m going to try and get in my best shape during OTAs as well.”

The ankle injury shouldn’t keep the Saints first round pick from participating in June’s team mini camp.

BIG DT THOMAS CUT

“He had a brief career,” is how Saints head coach Sean Payton referred to the 6-4, 375 pound mammoth Walt Thomas a day after cutting him early into the team’s first practice on Saturday. Thomas had become a bit of folk hero for Saints fans primarily based on stats like his size, speed and shoe size (16), but when it came down to playing football on the field, he wasn’t worth the time. “From a conditioning standpoint, he had a long way to go. He was 12-13 minutes into practice and struggled,” said Payton. “He went into the training room to get some treatment, and we had just gotten into the second or third period of practice. That’s basically where it was at.”

When asked what was the quickest cut he had ever seen in his career Payton said, “I don’t know. I don’t know, maybe this one is up there.”

http://www.wwl.com/pages/451662.php?...ntentId=495478

Here we go again. No I am not going there and say anything about Tenn. WR Still way to early for that

I'm upset that we picked a Marques Colston last year, and now all of the sudden the Saints think they're diamond miners or somethin.

Did the fact that ESPN, hanging from the coach and general manager's n, shelling out awards somehow inflate heads to the point of picking ALL but a few players from small schools?

Colston is a great catch, no bones about it - however, the fact that he lost his father very young has had something to do with shaping his character and work ethic. Not every small school player has that adversity experience.

I'd feel much more assured if I knew that these draft picks and UDFAs are extremely competitive by nature - like Brees - then the physical attributes and big school experience mean much less.

I don't like to edit but...........