<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>Saints agree to deals with third-rounders Young, AllemanESPN.com news services The New Orleans Saints' two third-round draft picks -- Usama Young and Andy Alleman -- both agreed to three-year contracts on Monday.They became the first of the Saints' seven draft picks to sign deals."I'm glad we were able to get these deals done quickly," said general manager Mickey Loomis, who did not release financial terms per team policy. "These players have been working hard in our offseason program and it's great to know that we will have them ready to go when training camp opens next month."The Saints did not have a second-round pick, which they traded for additional picks in other rounds, including the third-round pick they used to take Young, a 6-foot, 194-pound cornerback taken 66th overall out of Kent State. The 88th prospect chosen overall, Alleman will sign a three-year, $1.604 million contract. The deal includes a $489,000 signing bonus and league minimum base salaries of $285,000 (2007), $370,000 (2008) and $460,000 (2009).No player above the third round has yet struck a deal, and he is one of only six third-round picks with a contract. Young and Alleman are also some of the few players from among the roughly 30 signed so far to land a three-year contract.Most teams have opted to sign their middle- and late-round choices to four-year contracts, the maximum term permitted for players chosen after the first round. The Saints last year signed all their picks after the second round to three-year deals, which historically was the standard for middle- and late-round selections.Known as a throwback-type player, and a strong drive-blocker, Alleman (6-feet-4, 305 pounds) is a prospect who gained plenty of admirers around the league in the last few weeks leading up to the April draft. Scouts grew enamored of his physical style, in-line blocking skill and all-around toughness.He began his college career as a defensive end at the University of Pittsburgh, and after playing as a reserve and collecting eight tackles in 24 games over two seasons, transferred to Akron, where he moved to right guard. He started in 24 of 25 appearances in his two seasons at Akron and scored high grades from coaches for assignment completion.On the New Orleans roster, Alleman will have a chance to compete for the No. 3 guard job behind starters Jamar Nesbit and Jahri Evans, each of whom started all 16 games in 2006. A fourth-round pick in 2006, Evans figures to be a fixture on the Saints' line for a long time, but Nesbit is 30 years old and Alleman might project as the eventual replacement for the eight-year veteran.ESPN.com's Len Pasquarelli and The Associated Press contributed to this report</div>http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2900739
