New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees officially will be announced Thursday as the cover boy for EA Sports' Madden 11 video game, having "won" a fan vote over Indianapolis Colts receiver Reggie Wayne and Minnesota Vikings defensive end Jared Allen. As has been well-documented over the past decade, the Madden cover is both an honor and a curse. A number of high-profile athletes have either abruptly retired (Barry Sanders in 1999), suffered significant injuries (Michael Vick in 2003, Donovan McNabb in 2005, Shaun Alexander in 2006 and Troy Polamalu last year) or suffered a drop in production

The Saints will host the Vikings in the first game of the 2010 regular season. It will be a rematch of last season's NFC Championship Game, which was decided in overtime. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell confirmed the Vikings-Saints matchup for Thursday night, Sept. 9 on Tuesday.

The Saints have reached a one-year, $2 million deal with defensive end Jimmy Wilkerson. Wilkerson, a restricted free agent, had been in talks with the Buccaneers, Seahawks and Rams as well.

The Saints would still like to re-sign safety Darren Sharper, but they want him at their price. New Orleans general manager Mickey Loomis told the Times-Picayune that the two sides have remained in touch. "We have a specific idea of what we want to pay Darren," Loomis said. "But if another team offers a big contract, I'll be happy for him, just like I was happy for Scott Fujita (when he signed with the Browns). (Sharper) has expressed pretty clearly that he'd prefer to be back with the Saints. But I understand he wants to maximize his earnings."

Free agent defensive end Jimmy Wilkerson is scheduled to meet with the Saints next week, according to a league source. The Saints agreed to a two-year contract with defensive end Alex Brown on Wednesday, giving the team four defensive ends on the roster.

The Saints have had veteran quarterbacks Josh McCown and Patrick Ramsey in for workouts. Mark Brunell, who backed up Drew Brees last year, is a free agent.

Free-agent defensive end Alex Brown has agreed to two-year deal with the Saints worth roughly $6 million, according to league sources. The Bears cut Brown last week.

Former Bears defensive end Alex Brown will visit the Saints on Tuesday, according to a report in the Chicago Tribune. New Orleans is seeking a replacement for left defensive end Charles Grant, who was released earlier this offseason.

As expected, the Saints have signed defensive tackle Anthony Hargrove to an offer sheet. The agreement gives Hargrove the opportunity to resurrect his career after a yearlong suspension for substance abuse. New Orleans tendered Hargrove an offer of about $1.2 million, meaning the Saints would have been compensated with a third-round draft choice if he left to take a more generous offer elsewhere.

Saints restricted free agent Anthony Hargrove is expected to sign his tender with the team on Monday, according to WWL-TV in New Orleans. Hargrove, a defensive tackle, was extended a third-round tender by the Saints worth $1.226 million in 2010. The Lions have shown serious interest in Hargrove, bringing him in for a visit in mid-March.