ssmitty

from pfw........

Saints' courtship of RB Alexander could be a drawn-out process


The Saints scheduled a visit with free-agent RB Shaun Alexander, who was recently cut by the Seahawks, this week, but we hear it's unlikely that a deal between New Orleans and the former league MVP is imminent. Alexander is looking for a team that will give him significant playing time, and the Saints' situation will not allow for any guarantees. If Deuce McAllister is able to return from a torn ACL and microfracture surgery, Alexander likely wouldn't be higher than third on the squad's depth chart, which isn't the role he's pursuing. New Orleans already has one of the deepest backfields in the league, with Reggie Bush, Aaron Stecker and Pierre Thomas also in the mix. However, the team is in wait-and-see mode with McAllister and does not want to get stuck in a similar situation to last season, when Bush struggled after he became the every-down back. If the Saints are able to determine early in training camp that McAllister will be unable to perform at the necessary level, a move to sign Alexander might make sense for both parties. Until then, Alexander will continue to explore other options.