--Former Seattle Seahawks running back Shaun Alexander visited with Saints' officials at their Metairie training facility on Wednesday as the former NFL MVP continues to look for a new team.

Alexander, however, returned home without a contract offer, the New Orleans Times-Picayune reported. Before flying to New Orleans, Alexander went to Cincinnati, where he met with the Bengals on Sunday and Monday.

As far as the Saints are concerned, it's unclear how serious the interest is. The Saints have declined comment, but they are looking for insurance in case Deuce McAllister is unable to recover from surgery on both knees. Still, they have Reggie Bush, Aaron Stecker and Pierre Thomas on the roster.

Agent Jim Steiner said Alexander, a three-time Pro Bowl selection, hasn't set a timetable for choosing a team. Steiner said it depends on how he feels about the team, the prospects of his new team winning a championship, and what his role will be.

--The name of troubled wide receiver Chris Henry was linked to the Saints on Wednesday although the team is highly unlikely to sign the former Cincinnati Bengals player. Henry, who was waived by the Bengals in April, has had numerous run-ins with the law. He was suspended for the first eight games of the 2007 season by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell for violating the league's Personal Conduct Policy.

Henry told ESPN.com he'd prefer to join the Saints or the Dallas Cowboys. Henry is a native of Belle Chasse, La., which is just across the Mississippi River from New Orleans. The Saints, however, have tried to avoid players with character issues.

"New Orleans is home for me," Henry said. "That's always been a big dream of mine. Hopefully, I can get in there and sit down with the coaches and maybe have an opportunity to get down there."

--Saints owner Tom Benson announced last week the acquisition of New Orleans FOX network affiliate WVUE-TV for $41 million.

Benson said the purchase of the station could be seen as an indicator that his franchise's future in New Orleans is secure. The team is negotiating with the state on a package of inducements to keep the team in the Superdome beyond the 2010 season.

"Certainly, this shows another commitment on our part," Benson said. "The old saying is, 'We're putting the money where our mouth is.' "

Benson's purchase, which is expected to be approved by the FCC by late summer, makes WVUE the only one of the city's major broadcast network affiliates to be locally owned. He said that's significant for the New Orleans community as it continues to recover from Hurricane Katrina.

"We need to get involved in this because people just aren't coming and investing a lot of money in the New Orleans area," Benson noted. "This community is going to get something from us having ownership of this station. It's going to show outsiders, 'Hey, this is a good place to invest.' "

--The Saints' four-game preseason schedule has been finalized. The NFL last week announced the dates and starting times for all 32 teams after releasing the schedule in late March.

The NFL announced then that the Saints would open the preseason on Thursday, Aug. 7 at the Arizona Cardinals in a game to be televised by ESPN. The team will also play the Houston Texans at the Superdome on Saturday, Aug. 16.

The Saints will visit the Cincinnati Bengals on Saturday, Aug. 23 and wrap up the exhibition slate at home against the Miami Dolphins on Thursday, Aug. 28.

QUOTE TO NOTE
"If the players are in shape, they've taken care of themselves and can practice hard and are on time and focused is the best way to make a positive first impression. They also need to pay attention to the little things, all the specifics to the things that are going to be important to them early on in their careers." -- Saints coach Sean Payton, on what he expected during a rookie minicamp.

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