New Orleans Saints – TE Billy Miller Is Out For Season on IR, Is Former Arizona Cardinal TE Leonard Pope Now In?

Tight end Billy Miller suffered an Achilles injury during the first quarter of the Saints week 4 pre-season loss to the Dolphins, effectively ending his entire 2009 season.

This all on the heels of the Saints placing veteran TE Dan Campbell on IR with a knee injury in early August, leaving the Saints very thin at the position going into the season.

On top of the two tight ends placed on IR the Saints currently list four on the roster, Jeremy Shockey, Buck Ortega, Darnell Dinkins and Martrez Milner.

Shockey is the obvious starter, Ortega has never been more than a backup, Milner may not even make the practice squad and Dinkins has been bothered by ankle and knee ailments through most of camp.

Pre-season perfection has eluded us and now we have to deal with losing Miller before the season even starts, son of @#$%^!

Not to rant but Payton decided to rest virtually the entire first team defense/offense against Miami which lead to the loss.

I know it was the pre-season but could you at least, for the fans sake, pushed for that fourth win and the first undefeated pre-season is franchise history — COME ON!

Now back to the topic at hand.

With so much injury at the tight end position the Saints are scrambling to find some suitable replacements for Campbell and Miller, interestingly enough a very tantalizing  prospect just hit the market.

Former Cardinal tight end Leonard Pope was released just last night and surely is the best free agent option out there among the sparse group available.

Pope was a former third round pick of Arizona in 2006 and appeared in 29 games for the Cards over the last three years, including starting 16 games his rookie year.

Over that span he has recorded 48 receptions for 476 yards and five TD’s and was, or so I thought, the Cardinal’s top tight end on their depth chart.

His release is somewhat puzzling but none the less a blessing in disguise for New Orleans who if smart will sign him before another team.

Pope is easily better than Dinkins, Milner and Ortega, not to disrespect Ortega at all because I like him, but what I remember of Pope is that he is a better athlete.

Whatever the Saints do they need to do it quickly, time is ticking on this one and there is no way the Saints can get through the season with the talent currently listed at tight end.

Who dat, how about Who next?

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