Deuce getting ready
 

The Advocate reports Saints RB Deuce McAllister has added 12 pounds of muscle to his 6-foot, 1-inch frame during the off-season and still showed off the speed this week that coaches and scouts saw when they made him the team's first-round draft pick in 2001. The former Ole Miss star will play at about 230 pounds this season. "I'm proud of what Deuce has accomplished this off-season," Saints HC Jim Haslett said during the three-day mini-camp that ended Saturday. "He's stronger and he looks like an NFL running back. "Even though he put on more than 10 pounds, he looks just as fast," Haslett said. "I'm more proud of what he's done in the weight room than what he's done on the field." In April, McAllister vowed that he would be better prepared to tackle the challenge of being the main man in the Saints running attack after being plagued by injuries in college. "It's not a position I haven't been in before," he said. "I did it in college and I prepared myself to be the No. 1 guy last year even though it didn't happen."