Fullback Heath Evan underwent surgery Thursday afternoon to repair a torn ACL in his right knee, ending his season as the team placed him on injured reserve. Former Patriots fullback Kyle Eckel will replace him on the roster. Dr James Andrews performed the surgery on Evans.
“He’s to date really played well for us both in the running game and in the passing game. You never like to lose a starter.”
“It’s tough. Heath was not only a really productive player, but he’s just an awesome guy. Awesome locker room guy, great for that running back room which has some pretty young players. I think Heath was just such a good influence on everybody, just a solid guy. You miss him for a lot of reasons,” said quarterback Drew Brees after practice Thursday. “He’s told me that he wants to be around as much as possible just like Billy Miller. Player slash scout slash kind of fill in every role that he can now that he’s out for the season.
Payton said the team will look at using a tight end or tailback to fill in at fullback as well. One of those backs will be Lynell Hamilton. “I feel real confident,” Hamilton said Thursday after practice. “I ran fullback my senior in college so I feel real confident at that position too. ”
“The whole thing now is getting into the playbook and go ahead and learning those plays at the fullback role instead of just tailback,” adds Hamilton. “It’s a good thing. I’ll be able to do it, get into the playbook. Especially by Monday I should know everything by then.”
FOCUSING ON GAME AND NOT MEDIA HYPE
Starting the season out 6-0 will create a ton of media attention. The fear is that too much “cheese” as head coach Sean Payton likes to call it, will distract the team. As the Black and Gold continue to win, there is increase talk of deep post season runs and running the table. Payton and quarterback Drew Brees on Thursday showed they will not let that happen.
Earlier in the week, running back Reggie Bush was on a national radio show and during the interview was asked if the Saints could go undefeated. His answer was perhaps taken out of context and posted as Bush says Saints won’t lose. Payton on Thursday wasn’t happy with how the media took it and was quick to point out that he’s had a conversation with his running back. In fact, Payton said that he sat with Reggie and listen to the whole interview which was about 15 minutes long. “I think if you really pay attention to the interview, and sometimes we fail to do that, but if you pay attention to the interview, the comments in context they were taken don’t bother me,” said Payton. “But that’s the nature of how news is made and honestly I think if you listen to any of our players, Reggie included, myself included, each week you have to focus on your next opponent and we’re two weeks away from even being at the halfway point so that’s where we’re at.”
Payton continued, ” I don’t know how many of you listened to the whole interview in its entirety and when you do then all of sudden you realize how this business works sometimes. I kind of take it for what it’s worth.”
When Brees was asked about it, the quarterback was also quick to try and end anything that could end up on the Falcons Bulletin board based on what Bush and fellow running back Pierre Thomas have said this week. “Do you know what the exact quotes were? I think what they both said were that we have the discipline to take it one game at a time, feeling like we can win each game one at a time. If you do that enough times then maybe you go undefeated, but we’re not overlooking anybody. We’re never looking farther ahead than the game that’s the next one,” said Brees. “There is no bigger game, this season as of yet, than Monday Night Football against the Atlanta Falcons at home, in the dome, first divisional game, all those things, I mean the game couldn’t be any bigger.”
BUMPS AND BRUISES
LB Scott Fujita (calf strain), and DT Sedrick Ellis (sprained right knee) did not practice. “The swelling is down. It looks better,” Payton said of Ellis knee Thursday. “Making a lot of progress. I’m optimistic with him,” Payton said of Fujita’s progress.
TE Jeremy Shockey was limited with a bruised shoulder.
Related posts: