The Saints have finally figured out a way to talk longtime tailback and special teams ace Fred McAfee into retirement by talking the 16-year veteran into accepting a position in the club's front office. McAfee, 38, on Friday accepted the position of director of player programs, a role that will take on considerable significance, given the continuing education mandates of the league's revised player conduct policy. In his new position, McAfee will help ease rookies into the league and aid veterans as they transition to life after football. His duties will include organizing life skills training seminars, continuing college education opportunities, internships, financial education classes and family assistance.

Marques Colston was being coy about how majoring in psychology at Hofstra might have given him insight into consoling a struggling teammate. Still, no one had to prod the Saints' second-year receiver to call first-round draft choice Robert Meachem after Colston noticed Meachem struggling through the opening sessions of rookie camp. "That major (psychology) doesn't help with this heat, so I just try to give him some words of encouragement because you can never have too many playmakers on your team," Colston said after an offseason training session.

Tyler Palko sees an upside to being passed over in the NFL draft. The former Pittsburgh Panthers quarterback got to choose the NFL team he would attempt to make as a rookie free agent -- and New Orleans coach Sean Payton made that decision an easy one. "He talked to me and said the things I wanted to hear as far as being honest," Palko said Sunday between practices at the Saints' rookie camp. "He didn't care about how tall I was. He didn't care about all those other things. He felt that I could play football and, I mean, that's all I cared about. ... If you have someone that believes in you, that's really what you're looking for."