Saints Rebuild, Reap Reward

Ricky Williams? Gone. Pro Bowl tackle Willie Roaf? Gone.

Pro Bowl defensive tackle La’Roi Glover, Pro Bowl defensive end Joe Johnson, Pro Bowl linebacker Keith Mitchell? Gone, gone, gone.

It isn’t so astounding that the New Orleans Saints are 6-1. What’s astounding is how they got to be 6-1. After an epic collapse at the end of last season, they got rid of several of their best players the way someone would part out a totaled hot rod.

“As players, we were thinking, ‘What the heck is going on?’ ” said center Jerry Fontenot, who has been with the Saints since 1997, longer than anyone else on the roster. “It’s not our job to make any personnel decisions, but we just figured, well, they must have something in mind.”

Turns out, they did. General Manager Randy Mueller, who himself made it only until May, then was fired, and Coach Jim Haslett cleaned house after an embarrassing finish to the 2001 season and did a remarkable job rebuilding the team through free agency and the draft.

The Saints traded Williams to Miami on draft day, promoting second-year running back Deuce McAllister, even though he was largely untested. They drafted scorching-fast receiver Donte Stallworth, who scored touchdowns in his first four games before suffering a hamstring injury. They moved Kyle Turley from right to left tackle and gave him the responsibility of protecting the blind side of Aaron Brooks. They signed defensive tackle Grady Jackson, who has jaw-dropping quickness for a 330-pound man. They kept mercurial receiver Michael Lewis, the former beer truck driver who two weeks ago returned a punt and a kickoff for touchdowns.

But mostly, Haslett & Co. built their team around players with character, crucial for an organization that basically quit in the last three games of last season -- losing to Tampa Bay, Washington and San Francisco by a combined score of 136-21.

“We had guys, in a way, that just quit on the team,” McAllister said. “We had guys that didn’t want to be here, and our main focus was to get the guys out of here who didn’t want to be here.

“Obviously, we felt like we weren’t headed in the right direction as an organization and some changes had to be made.”

So far, following the blueprint has worked beautifully. Not only have the Saints emerged as one of the best teams in the league, they have beaten the Buccaneers, Redskins and 49ers, their three tormentors at the end of last season.

“That bitter taste hasn’t left anyone’s mouth,” Fontenot said. “Don’t think for a second that that’s not a motivating force. No one wants to get back to that feeling we had.”

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Roski Ready and Willing

In the effort to bring the NFL back to Los Angeles, no one has invested more -- emotionally or financially -- than real estate magnate Ed Roski, who spent millions to promote the Coliseum when L.A. was outbid by Houston and was a principal in the South Park coalition.

All the setbacks haven’t soured him on the goal.

The man Forbes magazine lists as the 239th-richest American, with an estimated net worth of $950 million, gets up early each Sunday morning, goes for a run, then, like any regular Joe, plops in front of the TV, grabs the remote and watches football all day.

“I’d like to get back involved with anything that we could do to bring an NFL team back to Los Angeles,” Roski said this week. “It’s a complicated process in California, not just in L.A.”

Roski is quick to point out that L.A. isn’t the only California city that faces major hurdles in getting a football stadium built. Just look at the state’s three NFL franchises -- in San Diego, San Francisco and Oakland -- each of which wants a new stadium or out of its lease.

Roski believes in an L.A. solution that’s unpopular with many league executives and team owners.

“I think the Coliseum is an excellent option,” he said. “I wouldn’t have spent my time and money there if I didn’t. Although I don’t want to think about how much I spent on that now. One of those bad dreams.”

Another South Park coalition member, Casey Wasserman, has made it clear he has no interest in spending a dime to promote the Coliseum. And, besides building a Carson sports complex that will serve as the summer home of the San Diego Chargers, Denver billionaire Philip Anschutz has no interest in stepping back into the NFL quicksand.

But Roski is ready and willing to give it another go. He favors the Coliseum, hasn’t given much thought to the Rose Bowl, and is always open to the thought of a third site -- as long as the city is ready to make one concerted push behind a single project.

“If I could figure a way to do it at my house, I’d do it at my house,” he said. “All of us really want to see a team back here. We have some constraints we have to live with, but let’s just do it. Let’s get going.”

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Cool and Limpid Green (Bay) Eyes

So tattooing “Steelers” across your chest is somehow insufficient? Then NFL Crazy Lenses are for you. Cooper Vision Inc. has a new line of contact lenses that feature the logo and colors of the wearer’s favorite team. So, for $49.96, you can turn your irises Carolina blue, Viking purple, Redskin burgundy, or Raider bloodshot.

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Around the League

AFC EAST -- Cris Carter might have been a prima donna in Minnesota, but he passed his first personality test in Miami. Even though he has worn No. 80 throughout his 15-year pro career, Carter didn’t press Dolphin receiver James McKnight to give up the number. Instead, Carter will wear No. 88 when he makes his debut at Green Bay in eight days.... New England, which has struggled gaining yards on the ground, is facing Denver’s top-ranked rushing defense Sunday. Even after giving up 162 yards rushing in an overtime victory over Kansas City last Sunday, the Broncos have given up an average of 75 yards rushing a game. Then again, that would be an improvement for the Patriots, whose top back, Antowain Smith, is nickel-and-diming teams to the tune of 62 yards a game.

AFC NORTH -- Cleveland Coach Butch Davis has angered some of his players and lots of Brown fans by repeatedly referring to the franchise as an expansion team. What’s worse, he suggested the Texans are not an expansion team, because of the quality players that were made available to Houston in the expansion draft. Regardless, the excuse is wearing thin.... The Bengals won’t be selling out taxpayer-funded Paul Brown Stadium anytime soon, certainly not for Sunday’s game against Tennessee. The Bengals have played to full houses seven times in 20 home games, and five of those were against either Cleveland or Pittsburgh.... Raven Coach Brian Billick has been pleading with Baltimore fans not to sell their tickets to Steeler fans. He’s sick of seeing all those swirling Terrible Towels at Raven home games.

AFC SOUTH -- Titan running back Eddie George has done some serious damage to the Bengals over the years. He has seven touchdowns in his last six games against Cincinnati, has rushed for a career-best 1,075 yards against the Bengals and has five 100-yard games against them.... Tennessee’s Kevin Carter is tied for the AFC lead with six sacks, this after collecting only two last season. If he keeps up this pace, he has a chance to match or break the Titan/Oiler sack record set by Elvin Bethea in 1973 -- although it’s unclear how accurate that number is, considering an official tabulation of sacks was not kept until years later.

AFC WEST -- Even though he served only a one-week suspension for his helmet-to-helmet hit on Miami receiver Chris Chambers, Denver safety Kenoy Kennedy felt marooned. “I’ve just been chilling, kind of like that Tom Hanks movie when he’s stranded on an island with Wilson,” Kennedy told the Denver Post. “See me -- I haven’t shaved, haven’t cut my hair, haven’t done anything. Now I know what Tom Hanks felt like.” ... Kansas City’s Dick Vermeil says he will not continue coaching when his contract expires after the 2003 season.... So what are they calling the oh-so-leaky Chief defense in Kansas City? The “32” defense, of course, as in 32nd in the league.

NFC EAST -- Dallas quarterback Chad Hutchinson will make his first NFL start Sunday in place of benched Quincy Carter, who is none too pleased about the demotion. Carter was told Hutchinson, a former pro baseball player who has not taken a snap in a football game in five years, would finish the season as the starter because the offense will work better with him at the helm. “It’s hard to entertain that because two or three weeks ago I was delivering the football to nine different receivers and hitting the right targets,” said Carter, who completed 13 of 22 for 202 yards with one touchdown and four interceptions in a loss to Arizona last Sunday.... Former UCLA receiver Freddie Mitchell, Philadelphia’s first-round pick in the 2001 draft, has caught one pass for six yards this season. Nine Eagles have caught more passes this season.... Steve Spurrier has changed quarterbacks three times in four games. “I’m not fiddling,” he said. “You give me an all-pro quarterback and I won’t have to fiddle around.”

NFC NORTH -- The renovations at Lambeau Field have created some headaches for Packer opponents. The visitors’ locker room, for instance, is contained in two modular trailers. The bathroom and shower facilities are cramped and spartan. “There was nothing NFL about it,” Atlanta cornerback Ray Buchanan complained to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. He compared the battleship-gray rooms to something out of “The Shawshank Redemption.” “Real cold -- like Alcatraz,” Buchanan said. “Looking like it was back in the day when Lombardi was there. I might have seen his autograph in some concrete.” ... Who’s the better rookie quarterback, David Carr or Joey Harrington? Going by their passer ratings, the two are in a near dead heat. Carr’s is 66.9, Harrington’s is 66.8.... Brian Urlacher jerseys are the NFL’s No. 1 sellers, and the Chicago linebacker is one of the best players in the league. Why, then, are the Bears so average when it comes to stopping the run? “It’s not just Brian,” defensive coordinator Greg Blache said. “This is not Gladys Knight and the Pips, you know. This is everybody. We’ve got to be like the Temptations; everybody is accountable. It’s not like we have a star and everybody else is just backup players and they go, ‘doo-wop, doo-wop.’ ”

NFC SOUTH -- When the Falcons play the Saints, it will be the first meeting of cousins as quarterbacks. Aaron Brooks and Michael Vick, who grew up in Newport News, Va., and remain close friends. Brooks, who is four years older than Vick, said about 25 relatives would make the trip to New Orleans to catch the game. The Saints, meanwhile, have had a tough time emulating Vick this week for their No. 1 defense. “He’s probably the best talent in the whole league,” New Orleans Coach Haslett said. “He’s probably one of the best running backs in the league if you look at his numbers.... We could give the ball to [running back] Michael Lewis and put it in his left hand and have him run around, but I don’t know how you [simulate Vick].” ... Maybe the Saints should use the fan who eluded security and darted into the 49er huddle last Sunday, looking to sign someone’s jersey. “I thought he was pretty fast,” Haslett said. “I think we ought to work him out.”

NFC WEST -- The 49ers are having a big problem stopping teams on third down. In the last two games, opponents have converted on 20 of 29 third downs. For the season, opponents have converted 42 of 81 third downs (51.9%) -- the worst defensive performance in the league. The 49er offense, though, has converted an NFL-best 52.8% (38 of 72).... More on that fan in the 49er huddle: It turned out to be Otis Henry, 50, of New Roads, La., who was charged with disturbing the peace. Conviction carries up to five months in jail, a $300 fine -- and, apparently, the undying admiration of some of the Saint players. After 49er lineman Jeremy Newberry grabbed the man by the arm and pushed him away, New Orleans defensive end Darren Howard charged into the 49er huddle and warned, “Don’t touch my fan.” The general manager of the Superdome told a Bay Area reporter the fan seemed to be “highly intoxicated.” Highly intoxicated? In New Orleans? Now that would be a first.