Saints brace themselves for more punishments, sign MLB Lofton
New Orleans Saints fans have had very little to cheer about recently, as the ramifications of ‘Bountygate’ have begun to take their toll.
Head coach Sean Payton has been suspended without pay next season, General Manager Mickey Loomis for the first eight and linebackers/assistant head coach Joe Vitt for the first six. Not only that, the Saints have had second-round draft picks in 2012 (meaning they will have no picks until the THIRD round in the upcoming draft) and 2013 taken away, along with a fine of $500,000.
More punishments are expected in the direction of the players who were involved in the scandal. But now, here’s something for the ‘Who Dat’ Nation to smile about.
The Saints have agreed to a five-year deal with middle linebacker Curtis Lofton, formerly of their divisional rivals, the Atlanta Falcons.
Lofton was a major player last year for the Dirty Birds, registering a team-high 147 tackles and coming up with two interceptions, one being for a touchdown.
“Curtis is a versatile, hard-working player that has displayed a knack for being around the football, and more importantly, making plays on the ball,” Loomis said in a statement released by the Saints website.
“He has the ability to play all three linebacker positions and we feel that he’s just entering the prime of his career. We think he can come to New Orleans and fit in well and provide us with a significant contribution to our defense.”
With the likelihood that their incumbent middle linebacker, Jonathan Vilma, will be suspended for his part in the bounty scandal, this is a great coup; not only are they getting a great player, they’ve taken one from their divisional rival.
Sooner or later, the Saints will have to address the important issue of who is going to take charge of their team next year, with Payton having to stay at home.
Two names unsurprisingly linked with the post are OC Pete Carmichael Jr., who was interviewed for the Indianapolis Colts job this offseason, and DC Steve Spagnuolo, former St. Louis Rams head coach who replaced the ‘mastermind’ of the bounty scandal, Gregg Williams.
