saints organization making all the right moves

The city of New Orleans has been through a lot over the past few years.

Hurricane Katrina was a true natural disaster, but as with many calamities, the unfortunate happenings presented an opportunity for the good in people to shine.

Getting the city back to normal can be likened to a marathon race, as apposed to a sprint. Small victories have littered the path to restoration for the city so entrenched in tradition. But the steeper the tradition, the harder it is to reproduce.

The city has slowly earned its swagger back through help from people all over the world, and now it’s a pair of Volunteers who are eager to offer their services to help the nonstop progression of one of America’s most famous cultures.

Almost out of nowhere, the city received perhaps its biggest emotional boost in the form of a small, finely tailored piece of leather.

The 2006 New Orleans Saints finished having won three games, and having lost 13. The initial thoughts after the hurricane were to let the team move to a different city.

After another last place finish in the NFC South, the organization’s heads thought it might just be better to go elsewhere and ‘start from scratch. Several cities were brought into discussion, but the place which received most interest was Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

The 2007 Saints however, etched their names in the history books forever as a team that provided hope, courage, and leadership for a city that was literally upside down. The fans got behind the Saints like never before, and the players rode their wave of confidence all the way to the NFC Championship game.

Going from 3-13 one year to only one win away from the Super Bowl the next in light of everything that had happened was one of the nation’s biggest sports stories of the past year. The thoughts of relocating the team were slowly diminished as the Saints’ winning continued.

The city took its latest stride towards recovery just a few months ago when the decision was made to keep the Saints in New Orleans at the recently refinished Superdome.

The new deal will feature the unexpected success of Drew Brees, Deuce McCallister, and Reggie Bush for at least four more years.

With a deal worked out with the city of New Orleans, and the organization firmly in place, the Saints were able to put the recent draft in their sights exclusively.

New Orleans addressed a defensive need just before the draft in acquiring cornerback Jason David from the Indianapolis Colts. As a result, they were able to take the best player available with their first-round selection.

The Saints selected former Tennessee Vol wide receiver Robert Meachem with the 27^th overall pick, making the NFL’s most highly-powered offense stronger, and adding a few fans from ‘Big orange country’ along the way.

Meachem has struggled during the first few minicamps, but hopes to be back in form by the time the season rolls around. Meachem attributes the disappointing start to his professional career to the fact that he came to camp slightly out of shape.

“I took a lot of visits with different teams before the draft, and every place you go they give you a big meal.,” the Oklahoma native explained. “I tried to work out when I could but I don’t think I got enough workouts in.”

If the addition of Meachem isn’t enough to garner some love from Vol fans, the Saints also nabbed linebacker Marvin Mitchell in the second day of the draft.

But the connections between the Volunteer state and New Orleans do not stop there.

The Saints open the season at Indianapolis to face Peyton Manning and the defending Super Bowl Champion Colts. After a stop in Tampa Bay in week two, the Saints will have their second home opener since Katrina against the Tennessee Titans. The game is set for September 24^th, at a primetime television slot, and should feature the elite from the 2006 draft class in Vince Young and Reggie Bush, along with surprise wide-out Marques Colston.

Colston was the seventh round pick out of Hofstra in the 2006 draft. He led the Saints in receiving yards in his first season. Colston was the Saints last selection in the ‘06 draft, just as Mitchell was this year. Mitchell will have big shoes to fill, but he will also have the chance to make an impact if he earns it.

The Saints have seemingly done everything right since hurricane Katrina swallowed the city whole. When the waters receded, the Superdome turned from entertainment venue to public housing, and for many survivors, ones who called the dome home for a small portion of time, the Saints can never leave New Orleans.