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Notebook: Sloan undergoes shoulder surgery


By LES EAST
Special to the Advocate

METAIRIE -- Saints tight end David Sloan was scheduled to undergo arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder Monday night and miss one-to-two weeks.
"He had some pieces floating around, so we wanted to get them out now," coach Jim Haslett said after the team's only practice Monday. "They tell me it will be a week before he can go out and start catching the ball and then another week before he can put on the pads and start playing again."

Sloan had been limited in practice as he works his way back from offseason toe surgery.

BACK ON THE FIELD

Cornerback Dale Carter and defensive tackle Grady Jackson returned to the practice field and rookie defensive end Melvin Williams worked for the first time.

Carter had been sidelined by tendinitis in his right knee, Jackson had gone home to Alabama for the funeral of an aunt, and Williams, a fifth-round draft choice from Kansas State, was cleared to work as he comes back from knee surgery.

KR/WR Michael Lewis went through his first full practice since injuring his neck in practice last Monday.

INJURY REPORT

LB Darrin Smith pulled a groin in practice, but Haslett said he should be OK. DT Henry Ford missed practice after reinjuring his ankle in the Black and Gold Scrimmage on Saturday in Lafayette.

The rest of the list was: G LeCharles Bentley (pectoral muscle), TE Boo Williams (hamstring), LB Cie Grant (hamstring), RB Tavian Banks (hamstring), G Peter Heyer (shoulder), T Scott Sanderson (hernia surgery), and G Chad Setterstrom (hamstring).

SCRIMMAGE REVIEW

Haslett singled out the following players as performing well in the scrimmage: DEs Darren Howard and Charles Grant, former LSU DT Kenderick Allen, CB Keyuo Craver, FS Tebucky Jones, SS Mel Mitchell, CB Michael Hawthorne, G Montrae Holland, WRs Kareem Kelly, Talman Gardner, Donte Stallworth and Jerome Pathon, and OL Jon Stinchcomb.

HASLETT RULE?

NFL officials met with Saints players and coaches in Lafayette to explain new rules. One prohibits coaches and players from going overboard in complaining to officials.

Haslett is one of the more animated NFL coaches and has been known to lace his complaints with profanity.

"If profanity gets out of hand, or you show up an official or you go out on the field to the numbers, then you can get a 15-yard penalty," Haslett said.

When asked if he had ever violated any of those guidelines, Haslett said with a smile, "Not that I recall." He added, though, "I'm fine. It's actually a good rule. You just have to be careful."

Haslett also said the rule wasn't just for him, saying Tampa Bay coach Jon Gruden and former Jacksonville coach Tom Coughlin were also partly responsible.

WEATHER WATCH

A shower hit the Saints with 25 minutes left in practice. The team worked through its final 15 plays, then canceled punt drills when the rain turned into a downpour.

When the team started at 3 p.m., the temperature was 97 and the heat index was 113 but by the time it finished the conditions were 90 and 97.

PRACTICE MOVED

The weather also affected today's schedule as the evening practice planned for Mandeville High School has been moved back to the team's indoor practice facility.

Heavy rains have pounded the Northshore throughout the summer and made the fields unsuitable for the workouts, said Gayle Sloan, Superintendent of the St. Tammany Parish Public School System.

The indoor practice, which runs from 7:30-9:30 p.m. will be closed to the public, as are all indoor practices because of limited space.

The Saints still plan to practice at West Jefferson High School on Friday and at Tad Gormley Stadium on Aug. 19.

PLAY OF THE DAY

In a seven-on-seven drill, quarterback Aaron Brooks hit wide receiver Derrick Lewis with a 60-yard touchdown pass. Lewis ran a seam route and Brooks hit him on the numbers 35 yards downfield and Lewis split cornerback Ashley Ambrose and safety Tebucky Jones on his way to the end zone.



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