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Saints general manager Mickey Loomis acknowledged that problems exist between the team and left tackle Kyle Turley to WWL and NOPF's Kenny Wilkerson on Wednesday night, but did not address any speculation that the intense five-year would be traded this offseason.


"Kyle's a good football player," Loomis told Wilkerson. "We have a couple issues with Kyle, they have to do with basically attitude. We'll address that this offseason. We're not in the business of giving up good football players under contract."


Turley, in the final season of his contract, has his base salary triple to over $3.3 million in 2003. In addition to being a fan favorite for his emotional sideline cheering, Turley has also gained a nation-wide reputation stemming from his 2001 helmet-tossing incident on ESPN Sunday night against the New York Jets. Turley, acting in defense of QB Aaron Brooks, ripped the helmet off of Jets safety Damien Robinson, threw it in the air, and was ejected from the game with two minutes remaining after adding obscene gestures to the ruckus. Turley was fined and sent to anger management sessions afterwards.


Later, the boisterous, tattoo-ridden tackle said on ESPN radio that he would sue the NFL if they did not similarly punish Baltimore Ravens cornerback Chris McAlister for a helmet-tossing incident against the Saints in December. McAllister was penalized 15 yards to ripping off Saints WR Donte Stallworth's helmet and throwing it out of the end zone. McAllister was fined but not sent to anger management classes.


Turley moved to left tackle from right tackle this season with the departure of Willie Roaf. He was originally a first round draft pick of the Saints in 1998, and is currently the only draft pick on the team not selected by current head coach Jim Haslett. He is one of six players who were with the team before Haslett and Randy Mueller were hired in January of 2000