SF: So what happened?
NJ: One of the Saints' more productive pass-catching tight ends [Billy Miller] was injured last Thursday, so they were looking for a comparable replacement. [Starting quarterback] Drew Brees threw to us during the workout and most of the Saints coaches, including [head coach] Sean Payton, watched. All four of us did well. The coaches were complimentary. They were good dudes. But none of us was signed. An hour later, we were all back at the airport.
SF: It turned out that while you were auditioning, the Saints were trading a draft pick to the New England Patriots for David Thomas, a similarly sized tight end with similar career stats who's a few years younger.
NJ: Yeah, that was a little disappointing, but an organization never knows which deals will work out and which deals will fall through. They have to cover all of their bases. Even though we were flown out there as a back-up plan to a back-up plan, I still felt we were treated with respect. That goes a long way.