Saints' Evans will miss rest of the season

The Saints will have to chase their lofty goals without fullback Heath Evans.

Evans will miss the rest of the season after undergoing surgery in Gulf Breeze, Fla., to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, Saints Coach Sean Payton confirmed Thursday.

Noted orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Andrews performed the reconstructive procedure, which typically requires a rehabilitation period of nine to 12 months.

Evans has been placed on injured reserve and replaced on the 53-man roster by veteran fullback Kyle Eckel, a 5-foot-11, 237-pounder who went to camp with the Eagles and is a former teammate of Evans in New England.

"To date, (Evans) has really played for us, both in the running game and the passing game," Payton said. "You never like to lose a starter. It will be up to the rest of these guys at the tight end position, the fullback position, and potentially one of our halfbacks to take over. But it does change what you've been accustomed to with the starter that's out."

Saints quarterback Drew Brees acknowledged Evans' impact on and off the field since joining the team as a free agent in March.

"Heath was not only a real productive player, but he's an awesome guy," Brees said. "(He's) an awesome locker room guy, great for that running backs room, which (are) really some pretty young players. I think Heath was just a real good influence on everybody; just a solid guy. So you miss him for a lot of reasons.

"He has told me that he wants to be around as much as possible, just like Billy Miller, now that he's out for the season. Hopefully he will be around, and I know he will be."

Evans' spot in the lineup likely will come from a pool of candidates that include tailback Lynell Hamilton, tight end David Thomas and Eckel, who worked out Tuesday for team officials and was signed Wednesday to a one-year contract.

Eckel, 27, saw his most extensive playing time with the Patriots in 2007, appearing in 12 games. He played in five games with the Eagles last season but was released in September.

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