BUMPS AND BRUISES
Six Saints did not practice on Wednesday. C Jonathan Goodwin, WR Lance Moore, RB Reggie Bush, CB Jabari Greer, TE David Thomas, and CD Tracy Porter all did not practice.
S Darren Sharper and DT Sedrick Ellis practiced on a limited basis. Its Ellis’s first practice since injuring his knee against Miami, suffering a sprained MCL.
MCALISTER EXCITED TO PLAY AGAIN
New Saints cornerback Chris McAlister went his first day of practice with the team. Head coach Sean Payton bringing in the 32 year old three-time Pro Bowl corner in for insurance following Sunday’s injury to starter Tracy Porter.
” But he’s a veteran player that understands defense and is someone that we think can come in and help us,” Payton said on Wednesday after practice. No official role or amount of playing was given, Payton would only say that the goal was to try and prepare him to get ready to play a game one week at a time.
“I’m just here to contribute. I really don’t know exactly what my role is going to be. I’m just here to be used as the coaches see that they can use me,” McAlister said Wednesday. The former Raven played 11 seasons with Baltimore following the team drafting him with the 10th overall pick in 2009. McAlister was released following last season and still has a bad taste in his mouth from how he was let go. “You know it was a bitter divorce in Baltimore. The way I was no longer a part of that club and for my first time in ten years I didn’t have any place to call home. The offseason took on a new life for me. It was transition period for me to figure out am I going to come back and play football or am I not. It took until the season started before I sat there and realized what it was I was missing. I wasn’t missing anything other than being out there on the field and playing some football.”
McAlister had been suffering from a torn PCL ligament in his knee two years ago, and underwent surgery to repair it twice, once in February and then again in June. Regardless of how he left the Ravens, McAlister is happy to be with the Saints. “Everything here about this organization is team. There’s no one person about the other. Making no comparison, I’ve only played in one place, here is definitely a team situation. It’s a team environment and everybody holds everybody accountable.”
The Saints were the only team McAlister has worked out for, saying that up until last week he didn’t feel he was ready to play football physically at the level he was happy with, and that the desire to strap on the helmet once against was burning inside of him. “The first preseason game started and I got butterflies like I was supposed to be coming out of a locker room somewhere and I was sitting on my couch,” McAlister recollected. “Going back and forth between rehab this day, rehab the next day, just not very consistent as if I was going to play and then like the preseason started and I knew I was supposed to be somewhere else other than on my couch.”
“He’s a guy that’s going to be an experienced player. Has played in this league and been a top elite player in this league for many years playing on some great teams, one with my brother who won the Super Bowl with the 2000 Baltimore Ravens, but he’s a player that can make plays,” said Saints safety Darren Sharper. “Fits our system perfectly because he knows how to play man, play zone, seen all the different coverages that we like to do and it’s a good addition for us.”
McAlister on the field has been knows as a physical, aggressive player and believes his style fits in perfectly with how he played in Baltimore. “They do the same thing. I talked to coach Gregg, he was under Buddy Ryan as well as Rex, so it’s like the defense is very similar,” says McAlister. “There is just terminology difference, other than that there is a lot of carryover from what they did in Baltimore when I was there and what they do here.”
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