Highlights from New Orleans Saints General Manager Mickey Loomis' press conference

QBREES9 · 03-12-2010, 11:12 PM

New Orleans Saints General Manager Mickey Loomis met the media for a state-of-the-team press conference Friday. Here were some of the highlights:

- He had a great line about Darren Sharper, who said earlier this week that the Saints haven't shown him enough "love" yet in their contract talks. Said Loomis: "Listen, I've got all the love in the world for Darren Sharper. I just don't have all the money in the world for Darren Sharper."

Loomis went on to say that the Saints would like to bring back their All-Pro safety, but he said he's prepared to lose him if he gets the right opportunity elsewhere.

- He said the team hopes to sign long-term contract extension with all 16 of the restricted free agents that were tendered in the last two weeks. That won't be an immediate priority, though, as the Saints concentrate first on adding new free agents.

So far, there has been almost zero activity around the league in the restricted free agent market but Loomis said he expects that to pick up now that the first wave of unrestricted free agency has passed.

Typically it's rare for restricted free agents to sign offer sheets with other teams, and Loomis said he doesn't know if that will change this year or not. "I'm as curious to find out as you are," he said.

- Loomis said it's too early to tell if free agent quarterback Jake Delhomme is willing to come to New Orleans as a backup or if he wants to seek a starting job elsewhere. But he did say, "Obviously Jake wouldn't take the visit here if he didn't have some interest."

Delhomme is scheduled to arrive today, with his visit lasting into Saturday.
- The only other two free agent visits Loomis acknowledged were defensive end James Hall (who is wrapping up in New Orleans today) and defensive end Leonard Little (who is rescheduling for a later date).

He acknowledged that defensive end is a slightly higher priority than outside linebacker in free agency right now because the Saints have a lot more young linebackers waiting in the wings who could possibly compete for a starting job - a list that includes Jo-Lonn Dunbar, Jonathan Casillas, Stanley Arnoux and Marvin Mitchell.

- He definitively confirmed that Saints tailback Reggie Bush isn't going anywhere. "He'll be back, and he'll be back at his current salary," Loomis said.
- He declined to discuss the possibility of working out a contract extension with quarterback Drew Brees, who has two years remaining on his current deal. "Those contracts are business issues for teams, but they're personal issues for the players," Loomis said.

- Loomis also confirmed that training camp will remain at the team's practice facility in Metairie this year, starting some time in late July.

Highlights from New Orleans Saints General Manager Mickey Loomis' press conference | - NOLA.com

03-12-2010, 11:12 PM	#1
QBREES9 Moderator Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: New Haven Ct Posts: 23,989	Highlights from New Orleans Saints General Manager Mickey Loomis' press conference New Orleans Saints General Manager Mickey Loomis met the media for a state-of-the-team press conference Friday. Here were some of the highlights: - He had a great line about Darren Sharper, who said earlier this week that the Saints haven't shown him enough "love" yet in their contract talks. Said Loomis: "Listen, I've got all the love in the world for Darren Sharper. I just don't have all the money in the world for Darren Sharper." Loomis went on to say that the Saints would like to bring back their All-Pro safety, but he said he's prepared to lose him if he gets the right opportunity elsewhere. - He said the team hopes to sign long-term contract extension with all 16 of the restricted free agents that were tendered in the last two weeks. That won't be an immediate priority, though, as the Saints concentrate first on adding new free agents. So far, there has been almost zero activity around the league in the restricted free agent market but Loomis said he expects that to pick up now that the first wave of unrestricted free agency has passed. Typically it's rare for restricted free agents to sign offer sheets with other teams, and Loomis said he doesn't know if that will change this year or not. "I'm as curious to find out as you are," he said. - Loomis said it's too early to tell if free agent quarterback Jake Delhomme is willing to come to New Orleans as a backup or if he wants to seek a starting job elsewhere. But he did say, "Obviously Jake wouldn't take the visit here if he didn't have some interest." Delhomme is scheduled to arrive today, with his visit lasting into Saturday. - The only other two free agent visits Loomis acknowledged were defensive end James Hall (who is wrapping up in New Orleans today) and defensive end Leonard Little (who is rescheduling for a later date). He acknowledged that defensive end is a slightly higher priority than outside linebacker in free agency right now because the Saints have a lot more young linebackers waiting in the wings who could possibly compete for a starting job - a list that includes Jo-Lonn Dunbar, Jonathan Casillas, Stanley Arnoux and Marvin Mitchell. - He definitively confirmed that Saints tailback Reggie Bush isn't going anywhere. "He'll be back, and he'll be back at his current salary," Loomis said. - He declined to discuss the possibility of working out a contract extension with quarterback Drew Brees, who has two years remaining on his current deal. "Those contracts are business issues for teams, but they're personal issues for the players," Loomis said. - Loomis also confirmed that training camp will remain at the team's practice facility in Metairie this year, starting some time in late July. Highlights from New Orleans Saints General Manager Mickey Loomis' press conference \| - NOLA.com Attached Thumbnails
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