Saints coach Sean Payton expects Reggie Bush to be with the team when football is played. Payton said as much during an on-air interview with ESPN2 during Friday night's coverage of the second round of the NFL Draft. "I do," Payton said when asked if he felt Bush would be on the team's roster when the 2011 season begins. "I had a good visit with him this morning. A lot has been talked about, and I get back to looking at his role and it's uniquely different than some of our other players," Payton. "I had a chance to talk with him this morning, much like I met with Deuce McAllister five years ago when we drafted Bush."

Reggie Bush’s days with the New Orleans Saints all but came to an end Thursday night when the team selected running back Mark Ingram with the No. 28 overall pick in the first round of the NFL draft. “It’s been fun New Orleans,” Bush posted on his Twitter page Thursday night.

Saints safety Darren Sharper missed most of the 2010 season because of knee and hamstring injuries, but he says he's not done playing just yet. He told The Times-Picayune in a story for Monday's editions that the knee is now "110 percent" and stronger than it was before. "Oh man, I feel like two different people," Sharper said. "No pain, no swelling. I'm excited about the upcoming season, so I can get back to the level I was at in 2009." Sharper appeared in eight games last season but started only one, netting 16 total tackles.

If the Saints don't like the players available when the 24th overall pick comes up, they could trade down in this week's NFL Draft. "In this instance, the Saints would be wise to trade down, and here's why," writes Jeff Duncan of The Times-Picayune. "They likely can find a defender in the top of the second round that's just as good as the one they'd select at No. 24. The second tier of linebackers and linemen includes a group of nine players that carry very similar grades."

Drew Brees, who has been a member of the NFL Players Association's executive committee since 2008 and who also agreed to become one of 10 named plaintiffs in the players' antitrust lawsuit against the league in March, plans to attend future mediated negotiating sessions. Brees says he has learned more about the union and its history of representing players, he has wanted to take on more responsibility. "And I can't tell you how many retired players, how many guys on my team, guys on other teams have told me how much they appreciate me speaking out on their behalf and representing them," Brees said. "If I didn't believe it before that, I know now deep down that I'm doing the right thing. I'm standing up for what's right and fair."

Saints quarterback Drew Brees felt it was the right thing to do to put his name on an antitrust lawsuit against the NFL. Brees says "this fight was brought to us." "I understand the sacrifices that guys made before me, veteran players, retired players, former players. and I feel that it is my responsibility to represent not only those guys, not only current players, but future players and the future of this league," Brees said. "I can't tell you how many guys have come up to me and say how much they appreciate having a quarterback, having a guy like me, to stand up for them and represent them. That means so much to me because I'm not doing it for any other reason other than I feel like it's right, I feel like it's fair, and I feel like I've been charged with that responsibility. And I'm fine with that."

Saying "this fight was brought to us," Saints QB Drew Brees felt it was the right thing to do to put his name on an antitrust lawsuit against the NFL, according to an ESPN.com report. "I understand the sacrifices that guys made before me, veteran players, retired players, former players. and I feel that it is my responsibility to represent not only those guys, not only current players, but future players and the future of this league," Brees said Wednesday. He doesn't plan to be in court on April 6 for a scheduled hearing on the players' request for a preliminary injunction to block the lockout.