SHOCK IT TO 'EM

It has been eight rehabilitation-filled months since free-spirited Saints tight end Jeremy Shockey last played for keeps in the NFL.

And while eager to make his preseason debut Saturday night against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium, he is trying to keep the moment in perspective.

There will be no special arm tattoo to mark the occasion. Each arm currently is covered in body art from shoulder to hand, anyway. He simply wants to leave the stadium with his health intact, get on the team's chartered plane and fly home to New Orleans.

Nothing more, nothing less.

"I feel pretty good about the week," Shockey said Thursday after completing his fourth consecutive uneventful day of practice. "I'm not 100 percent or anything, but there has been progress made."

When told that Saints Coach Sean Payton planned to play him at least one quarter against the Bengals, Shockey replied: "Hey, that's up to him. I'm not the coach. I do what I'm told. Hopefully, I keep getting better and keep getting closer to my goal.

"There are more than two weeks left to the (start of the regular season), and without a doubt I'll be 100 percent when the real games start. I don't want to have a setback. I don't want to do something stupid and hurt something else by pushing it too hard."

Payton said he is encouraged by what he has seen of Shockey in his first series of sustained workouts in training camp since being acquired July 21 from the New York Giants for second- and fifth-round picks in the 2009 draft.

Shockey's 2007 season ended abruptly Dec. 15 when he fractured his left fibula in a 22-10 loss to the Washington Redskins at Giants Stadium. It turned out to be his final play with the Giants, who went on to win the NFC championship and stun the previously undefeated New England Patriots 17-14 in Super Bowl XLII.

Saints officials are hopeful Shockey, who pushed for a trade to New Orleans after a reported rift with the Giants' front office, will flourish in a new environment.

But Payton cautioned Saints fans to be patient. Don't expect too much Saturday night against the Bengals.

"We want to monitor how many snaps he takes," Payton said. "A goal would be a quarter.

"The one thing I want to see is for him to stay healthy. The goal for him is to be ready for Tampa Bay (in the season opener Sept. 7 at the Superdome). For him, this will be an introduction."

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Shockey needed no introduction when he arrived on the eve of training camp in Jackson, Miss. Anyone who had followed the NFL the past six seasons had to know of his flamboyant personality and penchant for attracting the media spotlight in New York, including teammates and team officials in New Orleans.

Thus far, he has kept a low profile and been a model teammate, according to Saints tight end Mark Campbell.

"I only knew about Jeremy as a fiery competitor, a loud guy with a lot of tattoos," Campbell said. "I didn't know what to think. I just knew of that side of him. But getting to know him, he's really is a great guy and really fits well into our locker room. He's funny, a good conversationalist, and a pretty intelligent guy."

Campbell stopped and smiled.
"Maybe, I should think about getting some tattoos and maybe growing my hair out, and then I think it will increase my value as a player," Campbell said. "But on a serious note, he seems to be a great teammate. That's all we can ask for. We kind of pride ourselves here in New Orleans for having a good locker room. We all get along. We hope that carries over to the field, and Jeremy fits into our locker room very well."

Shockey, 28, is expected to fit in much better when he gets on the field full time and starts bringing a return on the Saints' investment. He appears to be champing at the bit to justify his existence.

"It's really critical for me to get out there and practice a lot more and get some preseason time just to see how my leg feels," said Shockey, 6 feet 5, 251 pounds. "You don't want to play the first game and feel like a truck hit you the next day. You want to get that soreness out."

Quarterback Drew Brees said he can't wait to incorporate Shockey into the playbook and get him into single coverage against a linebacker or safety, reminiscent of those days in San Diego when Brees threw to perennial Pro Bowl tight end Antonio Gates.

"I can't wait, but here's the thing," Brees said. "The more that Jeremy and I practice together, the more I get a feel for him and him for me. It's what I call the 'me-to-you factor.'

"When things break down, when it's a look that maybe you're familiar with, when I can tell by his body language what he's going to do. Whether it's a look I give him, the look the defense is giving us, he sees what I see and we're on the same page. I know where I can throw the ball, and he knows where I'm going to throw the ball. The only way you gain the 'me-to-you factor' is with reps. The more live reps we get together, the better."

The Brees-to-Shockey factor kicks into gear Saturday night, if only for a quarter or so.

(nola.saints.com)