tweeky

Hawthorne said he was glad to be out of New Orleans a year sooner than expected -- he would have been a free agent after the season.

``New Orleans seems as though it's a farm league team,'' he said. ``A lot of great athletes there, but nobody ever blossoms there in New Orleans.''

He listed the great players who have left in recent years and enjoyed success elsewhere: William Roaf, La'Roi Glover, Rickey Williams, Marc Bulger and Jake Delhomme to name a few.

``You say, '(Darn), we had all this in one spot,''' Hawthorne said.

Hawthorne also said he never should have been placed on injured reserve last year with a knee injury because he was back in no time.

So, will he be the next reject to make the Saints regret letting him go?

``New Orleans helped me out, put it like that,'' he said.

Despite all his criticism of New Orleans, he insisted he wasn't bitter.

``No ill will because if some things hadn't happened, I wouldn't be here talking to you right now. I'd still be down there going through that mumbo jumbo stuff,'' Hawthorne said.