This seems suspisious. When Benson let Randy Mueller go a few years back it took us a few years to recover. I hope this is actually a football decision and not another of his cost savings whims.

Will that mighty organization be putting Rita in his place?? I bet that Tom Benson would like to have her doing everything from General Manager to cutting the grass.

I agree with Ray... it looks suspicious. Big Ben (Tom)got rid of his brother Randy which meant it was only a matter of time before Rick was gone.

You know Benson's motto, "if it ain't broke, fix it"!

Why is everyone stunned by this move? Mueller was a middle of the road talent evaluator in my way of thinking. Have the Saints advanced to the point that you can say the talent is spectacular on the club? To the opposite, the Saints have invested picks on players such as Bush, Meachem, Young & Bullocks, all high picks in recent years and marginal so far in their NFL careers. Meachem doesn't even have a pro reception yet. Maybe each will finally shine this year or next, but the NFL is a right now sport and we need better production out of these high picks. I say let's trust the team and support the new approach.

RE: Meachem
He doesn't have a reception!! He didn't put on a uniform for a season game last year!! One could accurately wonder if he even HAS a uniform!! I would question if that is the first time in the history of the league draft that a first round draft choice, not injured, has not played in a single play his entire first year?? That is a serious issue. Either they missed badly or Payton just doesn't like the kid. Devery Henderson can hardly catch a cold and this first round draft pick doesn't even have a uniform!!
Here is an opinion, and it's worth what it costs. I think that they ran Mueller off, 3 days after the mini camp because it has become more obvious that he was a mistake. They missed badly on Sullivan 4 yrs ago. Bullocks isn't NFL caliber. Just about the whole draft in 07 is a bust.
It doesn't look good for talent evaluation for this organization.

For the record, Meachem had a knee injury that required surgery. Do your research before you make such a stupid statement. The saints knew he had the injury when they drafted him, so give the kid a break. If you think Bush is a bust, you're sadly mistaken again sir. There was a guy that once played with the Giants by the name of Tiki Barber. Everyone thought he was a bust and wasn't a every down back. He too proved his critics wrong, and i know in time Bush will to prove you idiots wrong as well!!

Charles:
Before you bring on that tone, you should do YOUR research and get YOUR facts straight. I will relay them to you accurately:
Meachem's knee surgery was successful and he was ready to play by the opener. He played in the preseason and performed respectably. He was READY TO PLAY in the opener. However, he was listed as INACTIVE for all 16 games. He WAS NOT listed as "physically unable to perform" as he would have been if injured. He could have played. He just didn't merit a uniform the ENTIRE first season.
True, the Saints declared that they "knew" that he needed surgery when they drafted him. However, I have read from other sources inside the league, that they DID NOT! Mueller's staff missed it! It was a complete shock to them, which makes sense. Why would a team use their first selection to draft a receiver knowing that he needed arthroscopic knee surgery? I'm not sure that even you would make that move. I've also read that after Meachem's injury was disclosed, that Mueller and Loomis had a very heated discussion in Loomis' office at which Mueller then was almost fired. Thus, the relationship has been strained ever since. They thought that they were getting a Colston clone. At this point, what would you argue??
Now, since you are such the researcher, I would ask you to find out if is this is the first time that a first round draft choice has been listed as INACTIVE his entire first season!! I would question whether or not he even has a uniform. Would you call that a good pick at number 28 in the draft??
Secondly, I didn't say that Bush was a bust. What I did imply was that, at this point, he wasn't worth the 2nd selection in the draft. True, he played out of position most of 07, but his vision and hole selection hasn't been the best either. To be fair, everybody on the planet thought that he was another Barry Sanders. It wasn't only the Saints who guessed wrongly. It may turn out differently in the future, but right now, a number 2, he ain't.
My point: Other than the 06 draft, this scouting dept has had many more high round misses than hits, including free agency. They've signed some seriously deficient high dollar talent in free agency. They've thrown away piles of Benson's money. That's a failure of the scouting dept my friend, and it's a recipe to get you fired.
Lastly, I thought that Ricky Williams was going to be another Earl Campbell too. But that didn't work out either. But I remember Randy Mueller saying that before it was all over, Ricky Williams was going to make some unbelievably stupid mistakes. On that point, he was right.

For your record: Meachem, by the Saints own admission, was healthy for the opener. He played respectably in the preseason. And he was not listed as "physically unable to perform" or IR, which would indicate an injury and thus allow someone else to be activated. He was listed as INACTIVE, as in, he ain't playing, for his entire rookie season!! I dare you to post another first round draft choice, in the history of the draft, who has been INACTIVE, each game, his entire rookie season.
Now, as to the other claim, if you researched as you stipulate, you would know that inside league sources disputed the claim that the Saints knew of the injury before the draft. Those sources stated that the team DID NOT know of the injury before the draft, were stunned to hear that he needed surgery, and that Loomis and Mueller had a heated discussion in Loomis' office where Mueller was almost fired then! Which makes sense, do you know of anybody,except you, who would use a first round draft choice to draft a receiver who needed arthro surgery??
I said nothing about Bush being a bust. My implication was that the scouting dept had far more busts than successes in drafts and free agency and that they should be replaced.