<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>2007 season recap Opening month blues: The 2006 Saints advanced farther than any team in franchise history, losing in the NFC Championship Game to the Bears. In 2007, they were predicted by many to advance deep into the playoffs again and were a chic Super Bowl pick. That was all undone immediately, as they lost, 41-10 to the Colts in the NFL's Kickoff game. They went on to start the season 0-4 and despite rallying to 4-4, were never able to get over the hump and finished a disappointing 7-9. Training camp Location: Millsaps College, Jackson, Miss. Dates: July 24-Aug. 21 Official Site: www.neworleanssaints.com For more: Training camp dates 2008 preseason schedule Date Opponent Time Aug. 7 at Arizona 8 p.m. ET Aug. 16 Houston 8 p.m. ET Aug. 23 at Cincinnati 7:35 p.m. ET Aug. 28 Miami 8 p.m. ET Key comings and goings Veteran additions Mark Brunell, QB Randall Gay, CB Aaron Glenn, CB Matt Lehr, G Bobby McCray, DE Jonathan Vilma, LB Veteran departures Jeff Faine, C Olindo Mare, K Brian Simmons, LB Fred Thomas, CB Renaldo Wynn, DE ยป Free agency tracker | Transactions 2008 NFL Draft class Rd No. Player Pos. Ht. Wt. School 1 7 Sedrick Ellis DT 6-1 305 Southern California 2 40 Tracy Porter CB 5-11 185 Indiana 5 144 DeMario Pressley DT 6-3 301 North Carolina State 5 164 Carl Nicks OT 6-5 341 Nebraska 6 178 Taylor Melhalff K 5-10 185 Wisconsin 7 237 Adrian Arrington WR 6-3 203 Michigan Key camp questions Will all of the defensive additions pan out? The Saints' defense dropped from 11th in 2006 to 26th in 2007 and that was a primary cause for their precipitous drop in the standings. They responded by acquiring several high-profile defensive players in the offseason. They traded for former Pro Bowl middle linebacker Jonathan Vilma of the Jets, they moved up in the draft to grab USC defensive tackle Sedrick Ellis and they signed former Patriots cornerback Randall Gay and ex-Jaguars defensive end Bobby McCray. In order for these veterans to make the impact the franchise is expecting, they need to figure out their roles and learn the system in training camp. Can McAllister return from another torn ACL? Reggie Bush demonstrated last year that he is not necessarily an every down between-the-tackles type runner and backups Pierre Thomas and Aaron Stecker are solid players, but not the caliber of McAllister when he is healthy. McAllister is a big, potentially dominant rusher that can grind out the tough yards, but after his second torn ACL in three years, he may not regain that power. The Saints need him as a complement to the speedy and explosive Reggie Bush. Without McAllister the Saints become more one-dimensional and lack a player who can consistently convert in short-yardage situations. McAllister will have to prove in training camp he can get back to his 2006 form. Who will be the kicker? Last year the Saints picked up Olindo Mare to replace the veteran John Carney at kicker and the results were disastrous. Mare converted only 10-of-17 field goals and had two costly misses that contributed to the Saints' 16-13 home loss to Carolina in Week 4. They replaced him with veteran Martin Grammatica, who made 5-of-5 field goals in the final three games, including a 55-yarder. Still, Grammatica had among the shortest kickoffs in the league and has hit only 66 percent of his field goals since 2002, far below the league average. The Saints drafted rookie Tyler Melhalff to compete with him and they will use training camp to try and pick the right kicker and avoid the problems they had last season. Key position battle DT Sedrick Ellis vs. DT Hollis Thomas: New Orleans did not take Ellis so high in the draft to have him sit for long, but Thomas is coming off a productive season and at 34 still appears to have plenty left in the tank. With Brian Young established at the other tackle position, Ellis and Thomas will wage a fierce competition in training camp to win the starting job. Regardless who wins the spot, however, the Saints are in good position with a solid trio of defensive tackles to rotate in and keep fresh. Rookie spotlight CB Tracy Porter: The Saints have no clear nickleback on the roster and Porter is well positioned to win the job. Mike McKenzie and Gay are the starting cornerbacks, but Jason David is trying to rebound from a poor season and Aaron Glenn and Jason Craft are on the downside of their careers. If Porter can pick up the defense quickly in training camp and display the skills he flashed at Indiana, he could wind up being the team's nickleback and earn significant playing time as a rookie. Player on the spot C Jonathan Goodwin: The Saints chose to let Jeff Faine depart during the offseason, leaving the starting center position to Goodwin. Faine is regarded as one of the best centers in the league, while Goodwin has started more than three games just once in his six-year career. Goodwin did play well when filling in for an injured Faine twice last season and according to a Saints.com report, starting QB Drew Brees said the team did not miss a beat with Goodwin starting. The pressure is on Goodwin to illustrate in training camp that he can be a full-time regular starter for the first time in his career. Fantasy focus RB Reggie Bush: Bush proved last season that he can't handle the duties of a true featured back, but the return of McAllister will lighten the load. The USC product will be drafted as a No. 2 fantasy back and has added value in leagues that reward points for catches.</div> http://www.nfl.com/trainingcamp/story?id=0...mp;confirm=true
