Experienced wide receiver Hakim visits with Saints
Haslett says team is planning to release veteran linebacker Ruff
Wednesday, June 01, 2005
By Mike Triplett
Staff writer
The Saints brought in free-agent receiver Az-Zahir Hakim for a visit Tuesday as they continue to search for veteran help at wide receiver.

"He's a good player, so we're just kind of exploring it and he's exploring us, and we'll just see where it leads," Saints general manager Mickey Loomis said.


Hakim is a seven-year veteran who has been mostly a third receiver and return specialist for the Detroit Lions and St. Louis Rams.

Loomis said Hakim has not been offered a contract.

Meanwhile, the Saints are planning to release linebacker Orlando Ruff, according to Coach Jim Haslett.

Ruff, a six-year veteran, would have earned $1.1 million in the final year of his three-year contract this season. After he is released, he will count $125,000 against the Saints' salary cap -- one-third of the signing bonus he received in 2003.

Ruff started 17 games in the past two seasons but did not win the job outright. He became expendable when the Saints drafted middle linebackers Courtney Watson and Alfred Fincher in the past two drafts.

Although Ruff's situation is unrelated, Loomis said, many NFL veterans with more than one year left on their contract will be released after today deadline for salary-cap reasons.

Loomis said the Saints aren't planning to release any such veterans