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In a move that secured the long-term services of one of the NFL's most productive rushers, the Saints signed star halfback Deuce McAllister to a seven-year contract extension. The deal was announced Thursday general manager Mickey Loomis.

McAllister had one year remaining on the six-year deal he signed as a rookie in 2001; the new contract extends through 2012.

According to New Orleans Times-Picayune beat man Jeff Duncan, the $50.1 million contract makes McAllister is one of the three highest-paid running backs in the NFL.

San Diego awarded LaDainian Tomlinson an eight-year, $60 million deal at this time a year ago. Clinton Portis signed an eight-year, $50.5 million contract with Washington in 2004.

"This basically locks me up in New Orleans, and you have to be pleased and proud about that," said McAllister. "I just have an awesome situation here in New Orleans, being from Mississippi and then having a chance to play in front of the fans. I'm just pleased that we were able to work out an extension and just extremely ecstatic about it."

The new deal includes $12.5 million in bonuses as well as several performance escalators that could sweeten the deal by as much as $3.1 million in the first three years.

The bonus payouts are in three installments: a $7 million signing bonus that he receives up front, a $4 million option bonus in 2006, and a $1.5 million roster bonus in 2006.

McAllister can earn $14.55 million during the first two years of the deal, $18.4 million over the first three, and $23.1 million over the first four.

The total value of the contract is the largest in Saints history, eclipsing the six-year, $42 million deal Joe Horn received in May. Duncan added that Saints owner Tom Benson signed off on the deal earlier in the week.

"Deuce deserves it," Loomis said. "I said to Deuce quite some time ago that we're not going to give you a big deal because you can get 1,200 or 1,400 or 1,600 yards. We're going to get you a big deal because we believe in him as a leader on our team, as a guy who can get us or help get us to the ultimate goal. And we absolutely believe that."

The contract totals $28.2 million in the first five years, the traditional benchmark in deals for running backs because of concerns about their career longevity. That betters the $27.4 million Portis will earn during the same span of his deal. Tomlinson's deal is worth $36 million in the first five years.

"There's been other running backs who have gotten big deals, too," Loomis said. "The guys that have produced and been good running backs in the league have always gotten paid well. And Deuce is absolutely in that category. In our view he's the best; we wouldn't trade Deuce for anybody, for any other running back."

The agreement ended almost two years of negotiations between Saints senior football administrator Russ Ball and McAllister's agent, Ben Dogra.

Talks intensified in recent weeks as the sides worked to complete a deal before training camp.

According to Duncan, word of McAllister's impending deal spread quickly around the team hotel Thursday afternoon as players reported for the opening day of camp. To a man, teammates endorsed the decision to reward the club's leading rusher for the past three seasons.

"Deuce works hard," backup running back Aaron Stecker said. "He does it on the field and doesn't cause any distractions. All you can do as a player is go out there and produce and hopefully you get rewarded. They took care of [Horn] earlier this year, and it's nice to see Deuce reap the benefits of his hard work and the tremendous athletic ability he has shown."

"I applaud it because I think he deserves it," left guard Kendyl Jacox said. "It's nice to see players who work as hard as Deuce and produce like him get rewarded. I think he's going to have a monster year."

None of which comes as a surprise to Times-Picayune columnist Peter Finney, who wrote this morning: "Deuce is one of those no-nonsense warriors, devoid of ego, a valued teammate who is content to go about business contributing more in substance than flash."

Or as head coach Jim Haslett puts it: "On the field and in the locker room, he's a treasure."

Of course, it's not hard to win coaches and teammates over when you're getting the job done. And McAllister has been one of the NFL's top performers since taking over for Ricky Williams as the starter in 2002.

He is the lone player in team history to post three-straight 1,000 yard seasons (2002-04). He ranks second in club record books with 4,194 rushing yards and 31 rushing touchdowns and holds the team mark by having reached the 100-yard milestone in 22 games.

Since the opener in 2002, McAllister has recorded 5,199 yards from scrimmage (4,103 rushing, 1,096 receiving), scored 35 touchdowns and was selected to the Pro Bowl in 2002 and 2003. He was voted an alternate to the postseason all-star game last season.

In addition to getting it done between the tackles, McAllister has proven to be a breakaway threat, the kind who produced long gains of 54, 62, 76 and 71 yards in each of his first four seasons.

No wonder the team was eager to get a deal done.

"Getting Deuce the contract extension he deserves was a top priority before training camp started," said Loomis. "We wanted to make this commitment to him, because he's one of our team leaders and one of our most valuable players.

"With his future secured, Deuce can move forward and have another productive season."

Another productive season? Ahhh. My Fantasy senses suddenly tingle. ...

Last season, McAllister started all 14 games he appeared -- missing two contests with an ankle injury -- and had 1,074 yards rushing with nine touchdowns and added 34 receptions for 228 yards.

The ankle injury -- officially classified as a high sprain -- kept McAllister from using his speed and explosive power the way he had in seasons past. The end result was a solid but still somewhat disappointing encore to 2003, when he turned in perhaps the greatest all-around season for an offensive player in Saints history with 1,641 yards rushing and 516 receiving yards on 69 grabs.

He also became the only Saints player to post over 2,000 yards from scrimmage and rushed for over 100 yards in a club-record nine-straight contests.

In 2002, McAllister led the NFC with 1,388 yards on 325 attempts, hauled in 47 passes for 352 yards and scored 16 touchdowns.

This year, with a revamped offensive line and new offensive coordinator Mike Sheppard, the Saints will hit field this fall with a simplified playbook designed to rely more heavily on the run -- a plan tailored for 6-foot-1, 232-pound McAllister.

In case you missed it, the Saints promoted Sheppard from quarterbacks coach to offensive coordinator the first week of February. "Mike is experienced, organized and he has worked with some of the best offensive coaches in the game," Haslett said at the time.

Job No. 1 for Sheppard this year? Simplifying the playbook and improving a rushing attack that ranked 27th in the league last season, the lowest ever under Haslett.

Even though his background is based in the passing game, Sheppard understands the importance of running the football. He's quick to point out that every dominant West Coast offense has featured a strong rushing attack.

"On the best 49ers teams of the '80s, when everybody was talking about Jerry Rice and Steve Young and Joe Montana and Brent Jones and John Taylor," Sheppard said. What nobody talked about was that they were leading the league in running the football.

"We're still going to run the football here."

According to Duncan, Haslett wants his offense to look more like the power attack the team rode to the 2000 NFC West Division title and less like the sometimes explosive, sometimes implosive unit that sputtered through four consecutive non-playoff campaigns.

En route to the 2000 NFC West Division title, the Saints ranked No. 8 in the NFL in rushing with an average of 130.0 yards a game. Over the years those numbers gradually have declined. The Saints ranked 27th in rushing with an average of 100.4 yards a game last season.

This explains why Sheppard will implement a handful of running plays from the early years of the Haslett era. There will be more play-action and screen passes.

Aaron Brooks, McAllister, Horn and Donte' Stallworth will continue to be the primary playmakers.

"We're going to concentrate on getting better in what we want to do," Haslett said. "The things we want to improve on are the ball-handling, the turnovers and more consistency scoring early."

In an interview conducted the last week of May and published in this year's Fantasy Football DraftBook, I asked McAllister whether he was seeing that new focus during initial offseason workouts.

"It definitely is reflected in the workouts," he replied. "But more definitely in the offensive line -- the changes that we made up front. We're going to be a physical downhill team and you don't just say it, you mean it this time.

"We're going to tailor our team to running the ball. I mean, we have to run the ball to make the play action and passing games work. We're going to run the ball."

A bigger, more aggressive offensive line will help.

The team signed Jermane Mayberry in the opening days of free agency, then traded up to select massive right tackle Jammal Brown with the No. 13 overall pick in April's draft. With those additions, the team will average 318 pounds across the front line.

So what are Fantasy owners to make of all the new developments surrounding McAllister?

Well. ... Let's get it directly from the horse's mouth.

According to McAllister, the coaching change and improved offensive line should result in an 1,800-yard season. "If I don't, it's on me," he added. ...

A few other notes of interest out of New Orleans. ...

McAllister isn't the only player who will benefit from the simplified scheme. As impressive as his overall numbers have been, Brooks' touchdown totals have diminished over the last three years and his interceptions doubled from eight in 2003 to 16 last year. The slimmed down playbook should help.

So will a reduction in terminology, less shifting and motion and fewer progressions for Brooks on pass plays. The changes should make it easier for him to find receivers and make plays. ...

For what it's worth. ... Brooks has impressed coaches with his offseason work in both the weight and film rooms. ...

According to the Sporting News, the addition of veteran Az-Zahir Hakim bolsters the depth and experience at the receiver position. It also indicates the club is not sold on second-year speedster Devery Henderson as the No. 3 wideout.

Henderson was enjoying a strong offseason until being sidelined by yet another hamstring injury. That setback concerned team officials, who still believe Henderson has the skills to be a starter.

Pro Football Weekly suggested that coaches are still hopeful that Henderson, who added at least 10 pounds to his frame during the offseason, will win the job. But considering his history of hamstring injuries, signing Hakim as an insurance policy was a wise move.

Hakim was a productive slot receiver in St. Louis and Detroit and is more comfortable in that role than at the two outside receiver spots at this stage of his career. The Saints had planned to use Stallworth as the primary slot receiver before Hakim's acquisition. TSN believes that will change now. ...

And finally. ...

If you're wondering what's up with the Saints' situation at tight end, you might have to get in line. Right now, the only certainty appears to be that veteran Ernie Conwell is the favorite to start.

Sheppard says: "There's not too many guys that play as well in both the run and pass as Ernie. I'd say he's underrated. We tried to spend a little more time getting him the football in the coaching sessions (this offseason). ...

After Conwell, we have a free for all.

When I asked if he had any favorites at the position, McAllister said, "I don't really have any favorites. You are confident in the guys that you have because each one is going to give you some different things. Boo Williams is more of a receiving tight end. Zach Hilton is young, but I think he is primed for a big year.

"With (off-season addition and former Titan) Shad Meier and Conwell, those guys are very good at blocking, but they can also catch for you.

"Each one brings a little different aspect to the game."

But it sounds like Hilton is coming on. As Duncan suggested, if nothing else, his 6-foot-6 frame and leaping ability could make him a red-zone option.

Sheppard has also noticed the youngster.

"I thought Zach had a nice offseason," the coach said. "You've got a real battle going there with he and Shad Meier and Boo Williams. We feel we will improve in that spot either by Zach or Boo improving or Shad, once he's comfortable, becoming more effective."

According to some observers, Williams, once considered a Fantasy star in the making, needs a very strong summer in order to keep his roster spot.