Metairie, La. - The Saints hit the field for training camp in just under two days and there's plenty of excitement, but also cause for concern as the effect of the bounty punishments becomes clearer.
Interim head coach Joe Vitt will fill in for Sean Payton. And while Vitt serves his own six-game suspension, he will have a fill-in, too. Vitt said general manager Mickey Loomis and owner Tom Benson are in the "infantile" stages of deciding who will fill that role.
There is also the season-long suspension of Jonathan Vilma, who, according to safety Roman Harper, just isn't replaceable for a variety of reasons
"We went through OTA's without him," Harper said. "Right now, in our minds, he's not with us. You have to be able to move on like that and anything we can get out of him later on this season if he's allowed to play, then it's all extra. He just makes us that much better, we get our leader back, the captain of our defense, and a main cog in this whole team. Not only is he going to be able to help us on the field but tremendously off the field, too. His eyes and his ears, the way his work ethic is, and his leadership; you just can't really replace that."
Loomis, however, was given the task of trying to replace Vilma and he came up with three free agent signings: Curtis Lofton from Atlanta, David Hawthorne from Seattle, and Chris Chamberlain for St. Louis. Harper believes all three will be formidable replacements.
"Those are big time players," he said. "I didn't know how good Curtis Lofton and David Hawthorne were until I actually saw them in real life. Chris Chamberlain is a big time guy, already knows the defense extremely well so he's already a few steps ahead. I didn't even know David Hawthorne because he was up in Seattle and I'd seen him flash on film a little bit. Now I get to see him and work with these guys. Great guys, great teammates, amazing players, too."
Coach Vitt did say that he will appear in court to support Vilma on Thursday, the same day that the team is scheduled to begin practicing on the field.
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