The Saints hit the halfway point of their training camp at Jackson with a scrimmage without many starters in the action because coach Sean Payton didn't want them in the contact.
Here are some observations at the midway point:
Drew Brees is one of the top three quarterbacks in the NFL and headed to even a better season with tight end Jeremy Shockey stretching the offense. Mark Brunell is a much better backup quarterback than Jamie Martin and could win a game if called upon to. Tyler Palko looks better in preseason games than practice and will see a lot of action in preseason this year. Brees hit 8-of-14 passes for 72 yards and two touchdowns in the scrimmage. Two of his tosses were for touchdowns, a 17-yarder to Lance Moore and a 7-yard dump off throw to Reggie Bush.
Bush's girlfriend, celebrity Kim Kardashian, was at the scrimmage.
Former LSU standout Skyler Green showed bursts of speed when he returned a kickoff 95 yards up the middle for a touchdown and when he hauled in a 47-yard throw from Palko over the middle. Green caught another pass that was ruled out of bounds by the officials, but Green and Coach Sean Payton thought the grab was a good one. Green's best chance of making the final roster are as a kicker returner.
The kicking game should be improved. Veteran Martin Gramactica kicked off twice with both going to or near the end zone. Bother were returned past the 20 yard line. Rookie Taylor Mehlhaff kicked off twice with one going through the ens zone and the other kicked high so it could be returned. Green returned it the distance.
No. 1 draft choice last year Robert Meachem is improved and will play this season. Rookie Adrian Arrington is a quick learner was should make the team. If he is waived, he will claimed by another team and the Saints want to keep him.
Guard Jahi Evans, a future Pro Bowler, appears to be in midseason form.
Rookie Carl Nicks, 350 pounds, is challenging for a starting spot on the offensive line. Center Jonathan Goodwin has having trouble blocking No. 1 draft choice choice Sedrick Ellie and Hollis Thomas in practice. Defensive end Charles Grant, who also is playing defensive tackle now, is beating offensive tackle Jon Stinchcomb in practice.
Bush will not be called on to run between the tackles often this season if Deuce McAllister isn't available. He will not be called on to carry the ball 20 or so times a game because his value is in open space and he can't take the pounding inside. He still is indecisive when looking for the long gainer rather than hitting the hole for a first down.
The Saints will probably carry three tight ends: Jeremy Shockley, a wide receiver in a tight en's body, Mark Campbell, the blocker, and Billy Miller.
The defensive line is probably the most improved in the NFL and the deepest position on the team.
Cornerback Jason David will be picked on again this season. Usama Young, Randall Gay and Aaron Glenn are looking good in practice, but we'll have to see how they do against Arizona on Thursday night in the preseason opener. Mike McKenzie, the best cornerback, needs to get well soon.
The Saints are deeper at wide receiver.
All of the linebackers are playing better and inside linebacker Mark Simoneau had a good scrimmage. Newcomer Jo-Lonn Dunbar is looking better in each practice at linebacker.
Arizona is a three-point favorite over the Saints.
SOME HITHER, OTHERS YON: LSU opens football practice on Monday with 110 players reporting. The Tigers are rated No. 6 in the nation in the coaches' preseason poll. The LSU 2008 football media guide arrived last Friday with the cover celebrating the 2007 national championship with a metallic chrome finish that includes crystal footballs from the coaches trophies of 2003 and 2007. On the back cover are images of the Tigers' three national championship rings of 1958. 2003 and 2007 and coach Les Miles are included. Members of the Geaux Zone of LSUsports.net may purchase the media guide for $15, a 40 per cent discount off the retail price...Bad news for Arena Football is that the final Nielsen rating for Arena Bowl XXII here was just.0.8. The good news is that it was up 28.6 per cent from last year...
Former Saints safety TuBucky Jones has been arrested in Connecticut on a variety of charges: breach of peace, third-degree assault and fourth-degree sexual assault at a casino. Jones allegedly made inappropriate contact with a woman in the lobby of the casino hotel and then punched her boyfriend in the face...Jones was a first-round draft choice for the Patriots and also played for the Dolphins...Baseball on TV can be divided into two parts: the beginning of the game and the middle. I'm never around for the end...From former LSU wide receiver Dwayne Bowe now with the Chiefs: "If I have a great day, I'll be Dwayne Bowe. If I have an awesome day, I'll be D-Bowe. If I have an excellent day, I'll be The Show." The Chiefs' top draft choice, Glenn Dorsey, suffered a sprained knee on Saturday when he collided with a teammate during a scrimmage. He walked off he field and the Chiefs said hey don't believe the injury is serious. It wasn't the same knee Dorsey played on last season...From Jeremy Shockey, now with the Saints: "After being in New York, this is the first time I've ever felt like just one of the guys, not as an animal in a cage that everyone came to see."...
Redshirt freshman Jarrett Lee could emerge as LSU's starting quarterback at some point this season. Lee is competing with Andrew Hatch, who began his career at the JV quarterback at Harvard, for the starting job. Miles hopes to redshirt incoming freshman Jordan Jefferson, a 6-4, 210-pound mobile athletically built quarterback that comes from a winning high school program, Destrehan. He finished his high school career with a perfect 21-0 record in games which he started...Miles has won as many games in the past three years as any coach in the country and won head-to-head matchups last season with many of the biggest names in the business: Nick Saban, Steve Spurrier, Urban Meyer, Tommy Tuberville and Jim Tressel...My time is up. Ed Staton can be reached at edcoachstaton@yahoo.com.
The Saints hit the halfway point of their training camp at 
