A six-year, $336M, multiphase transformation of the Louisiana Superdome is nearly complete, enough so that spectators will get to see the latest changes in person when the dome reopens this weekend, for the first time since last football season, to host the Essence music festival, according to an ESPN.com report.

The next contract of Saints quarterback Drew Brees is expected to become a prominent issue soon. Brees isn't likely to get a new deal until the Colts set some sort of market price by making Peyton Manning the game's highest-paid player. Manning and Brees are both represented by agent Tom Condon. Brees isn't expected to receive as much as Manning, but the more Manning gets the better for the New Orleans quarterback.

Saints running back Reggie Bush has refuted a report that the team allowed him and his agent to shop around for a trade earlier this offseason. WWL.com in New Orleans asked Bush via text if the reports were accurate, and the running back responded: "Lol! Absolutely not!" Asked again, Bush reiterated "for the second time no." The Yahoo! Sports report states that Bush and his agent, Joel Segal, were informed that multiple teams would consider paying the five-year veteran more than the Saints. The report, citing a source, stated that the Dolphins, Steelers, Seahawks and Giants were among the most likely landing spots. Bush and Segal cannot negotiate with any club right now because of the NFL lockout, but the running back said last month that he would like to retire with the Saints.

The Saints gave permission to Reggie Bush back in February to talk to other teams and gauge his value, according to three NFL sources. Bush and agent Joel Segal were told that a number of teams would be interested in paying him well, or at least more than New Orleans is apparently willing to hand out. That is one of the reasons that Bush has made contradictory statements about his future in New Orleans and didn't participate in offseason workouts with Saints players. According to sources, Bush expects to play for another team next season.

Saints quarterback Drew Brees is among those pleased with the progress that has reportedly been made in the NFL's labor talks. With talks completed for the week, the owners and players are looking forward to next week's talks in Chicago. A person with knowledge of the negotiations told The Associated Press that the two sides have been making progress at several such meetings in the last three weeks. "I know that we've been talking pretty extensively over the last few weeks," said Brees, one of 10 players whose names are on an antitrust lawsuit against the league. "It seems like things are moving in the right direction, which is very positive. It's what we always hoped for as players because obviously we're getting to crunch time here."

Safety Darren Sharper hasn't ruled out a return to the Saints, but he's also in search of a starting job. He still believes he has the goods to be a full-time player and isn't sure if he'd accept a part-time role. "Everyone knows I would love to come back and play for New Orleans, a city that's been great to me an organization that's been great to me," Sharper, 35, said. "The only thing about that situation (is) if I feel like I'm as healthy as I was during our Super Bowl year (2009), I want to go back and have a lot of opportunities to play. "We all know that Malcolm Jenkins is that guy, that he's going to be the future there. It's up to me to decide if I want to come into a role where I'm a spot duty guy that just fills in at times or do I want to be a starter again? How I feel right now, I know I'm capable of being a starter and playing at a Pro Bowl level. It's up to me to decide if I want to go back and accept a role or go somewhere else and be the guy again."

A San Diego museum has confirmed that Reggie Bush's Heisman Trophy is in its possession. USC returned its copy of the 2005 award won by Bush following allegations of favorable treatment while he played for the school. The Heisman is not yet on display as the museum undergoes some repairs.

Veteran safety Darren Sharper, who will be a free agent once the NFL lockout ends, says he'll be ready to play once the season begins. Sharper underwent microfracture surgery on his left knee last offseason and was limited to eight games, meaning the lockout has given him time to heal. Sharper, approaching his 15th season, subtly suggested this is the first time he's felt completely healthy. "It definitely helps, no doubt," Sharper said of the lockout. "I think having the time off helps your body recover and heal. I feel refreshed. The body feels good, like (it did) pre-surgery when I was healthy. (The lockout) benefits me a lot. ... It's going to help me have a very productive season."

Mark Ingram figures there no use dwelling on whether the lockout will stunt his growth as a player, and he downplays the apparent tension that the Saints' decision to draft him has caused with Reggie Bush. If anything, Alabama's 2009 Heisman Trophy winner sounds pleased with the way his pro career has begun, according to an ESPN.com report on Thursday.

Saints running back Reggie Bush is spending the week in eastern Illinois taking part in a reality-TV show, according to an Associated Press report on Thursday. I