While the city of New Orleans had been hyperventilating at the thought of the return of professional football, most of Friday night's preseason opener against the San Francisco 49ers was about as anticlimactic as "Watch the Throne." Sloppy play by both offenses early on appeared to drive a significant portion of the Superdome crowd to the French Quarter before halftime.

There were, however, a few under-the-radar Saints whose play went a long way toward strengthening their claim on New Orleans’ final 53-man roster. With an abbreviated training camp and potentially the deepest roster in franchise history, preseason snaps are at an all-time premium for bubble players looking to make an impression.

The star and story of the night was Joe Morgan, an undrafted rookie receiver out of Walsh University, who brought back the first punt of the second quarter 78 yards for a touchdown. Though Morgan wasn’t particularly impressive on his five other punt return opportunities, his touchdown run showed excellent speed and vision.

"I really didn’t think I was going to score at first," Morgan said. "After I got out to the edge, the first thing I saw was the kicker, and they tell you if the kicker tackles you, don’t even go back to the bench."

For Morgan, it was a good thing 49ers kickoff man Andy Lee could have a second career as a matador. The first four spots on New Orleans' receiving depth chart are as solidified as any position on the team, with the names Marquis Colston, Lance Moore, Robert Meachem and Devery Henderson written in at least thick black ink if not carved in stone. Adrian Arrington was probably the favorite for the fifth and likely final receiver roster spot, but the Michigan product does not play special teams and has missed significant time this training camp with a left ankle injury. With Reggie Bush in Miami, the Saints could use a potent punt return threat.

"I think from a return standpoint, he has demonstrated in the early part of practices, I think you guys may have had a chance to see his speed, he runs well,” coach Sean Payton said after the game. "Every year, and I mention this to the group of them, but every year a team has someone who returns a punt or a kick for a touchdown and opens eyes and he did that tonight. He has exceptional speed and balance. He has transitioned well in his first year without any of the off-season."

The other player to gain serious roster traction was defensive tackle Tom Johnson, who had spent the previous two seasons in Canada with the Calgary Stampeders. Johnson was all over the field early on, and despite registering only one solo tackle, was a frequent visitor to the San Francisco backfield, making life difficult for 49ers rookie quarterback Colin Kaepernick. Johnson also saw a number of snaps with the Saints first defensive unit in third-down nickel packages.

“I felt real good out there, just knocking off the jitters for the first time, getting out there on the big stage,” Johnson said. “Once the first play was over with, I was feeling good about things.”

Though other defensive tackles like Shaun Rogers and Aubrayo Franklin made the off-season headlines, Johnson's ability to collapse the pocket was a major contributing factor to the New Orleans defense registering six sacks on the night. Sedrick Ellis, who has been a fixture on the Saints defensive front since being drafted in 2008, was impressed.

"Tom Johnson did really well. He has really good movement," Ellis said. "He comes in on our nickel and really helps us out. I’m excited to play with him. As an extra three-technique lineman, I think we compliment each other in that way. Hopefully everything goes alright with him.”

Unfortunately for Johnson, his night was cut a bit short by a stained calf just before halftime. Though the injury doesn’t appear serious, he probably would have benefited from more snaps against a porous San Francisco offensive line.

"I felt like I was just warming up," Johnson said. "The coaches have seen me in practice, hitting those guys, but in a game it's a totally different thing, having to deal with the pressure and everything. I think my day was shortened and I had a lot more to show."

Both Morgan and Johnson will get another chance to bolster their resume next week when the Saints head to Houston to take on the Texans.

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-- NICK PERUFFO
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By nearly any metric, the New Orleans Saints' interior defensive line was overwhelmingly average in 2010. Though incumbent defensive tackle Sedrick Ellis did lead the team with six sacks, against the run the Saints hovered around the league’s statistical average in terms of both rushing yards (112.3 yards per game) and rushing touchdowns (13) allowed.

While these stats don’t necessarily jump out of a spreadsheet the same way the 2010 Saints’ dramatic drop-offs in turnovers and offensive rushing yards do, they don’t inspire confidence in a team with legitimate Super Bowl aspirations. The lasting image of the season, unfortunately and unquestionably, is Marshawn Lynch’s 67-yard “beastmode” run that registered on Seattle’s ritcher scales and sent the Black and Gold home early.

This off-season, Sean Payton and Mickey Loomis appear to have made a concerted effort to bolster the Saints' rushing defense. Though defensive tackle Remi Ayodele is now a Minnesota Viking, New Orleans added two run-stopping specialists, Aubrayo Franklin and Shaun Rogers, via free agency to fill the void in the interior, both on one-year deals. By adding Franklin and Rogers to a unit that already includes former first round pick Ellis, the Saints are as now as talented against the run as at any time in recent memory.

Rogers, who signed with New Orleans before the lockout began, has made three Pro Bowls in his 10-year career. At 6-4 and 350 pounds, he is also significantly more imposing than the 6-2, 320-pound Ayodele. Having spent the entirety of his career on bad teams in Detroit and Cleveland, the Saints provide a welcome opportunity to compete for a championship.

"I'm just excited to be a part of a franchise with that kind of tradition, that kind of history, and those kinds of guys,” Rogers said. “I hopefully will be able to bring something to the table and contribute to a situation like that again.”

So far Payton likes what he sees in the veteran.

"He's strong, he's physical at the point of attack, he's a load when you watch him just get into stance," Payton said. "He has a big body. He's smart, that’s one thing I noticed when you listen to him talk and you listen to him talk about football. I also think he is hungry to be on a winning team and have a chance to do something. It’s something you take for granted after playing in the postseason and playing in the Super Bowl, but that comes with our game that so many players that never get that chance. I think that’s one thing that burns with him a little bit.”

With Rogers already on board, many were surprised when the Saints also managed to land Franklin, who was generally considered, along with Philadelphia’s Cullen Jenkins, to be the top interior lineman on the free agent market. Instead of seeking a longer contract, Franklin settled on a one-year deal to come to New Orleans.

"He's someone that we have a ton of respect for,” Payton said. “He’s been a real consistent player and extremely difficult against the run. Having gone against him last year and having spent a lot of time looking at tape on him and a lot of these defensive tackles, he was one that was a little bit of a surprise and a pleasant surprise.”

Like Rogers, winning was one of Franklin’s main motivations for coming to New Orleans.

“I was just trying to wait, to find out the best situation for me,” Franklin said. “I felt like when Coach Payton called, that I could get a spot in the rotation here with Sedrick (Ellis) and Shaun (Rogers). These guys have proven that they can win a Super Bowl, and I want to help contribute and see if we can win another one."

These additions have caused an unexpected but welcome problem at Saints camp. For the first time during his tenure in New Orleans, Payton has had to find snaps for all his quality linemen. In addition to Rogers, Franklin and Ellis, rookie defensive end Cameron Jordan appears to have the versatility to play inside, and former CFL All-Star Tom Johnson has been impressive during training camp. It is a problem Payton certainly loves to have.

“With any good front, you never see the tackles playing 60 snaps,” Payton said. “With Rogers, I see a guy who can play nose tackle and the three. Sedrick Ellis is a guy that can play the three and nose tackle. Aubrayo Franklin is a guy that plays nose tackle. I see those guys handling a ton of work inside. Those are plenty of snaps. Many would argue that you need a fourth, and we have some guys out here that we are looking at right now. I think they all understand that and their flexibility with it is paramount.” Though the Saints revamped interior line looks much better getting off the team bus, the real test will be to see if they can adjust to defensive coordinator Gregg Williams’ frenetic pace. Though both Rogers and Franklin are big, physical presences, Williams has always valued tenacity over sheer size and strength. If he can get his new additions to play with the same non-stop motor with which he coaches, expect New Orleans to fair much better against the run in 2011.

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-- NICK PERUFFO
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