Deuce's wild: after unloading Ricky Williams, the Saints can't wait to unleash Deuce McAllister in a role--but will he hold up? (NFL).

Ricky Williams might be the Dolphins' workhorse/headache now, but his presence seems to inhabit New Orleans like a dreadlocked specter. Take the Saints' recent minicamp, where the two most memorable moments were directly related to Williams' departure.

The first came when rookie Charles Grant--the promising defensive end acquired with the first-round draft choice the Saints gained from Miami for Williams--reportedly body-slammed Goth left tackle Kyle Turley and went upside his head during a closed practice session.

The other attention-grabbing moment came the first time Deuce McAllister, Williams' replacement at halfback, flexed out of the backfield and lined up as a wide receiver, quickly spooking the defense. McAllister spent almost half of his time in that minicamp lined up in the slot or at wideout, where he created mismatches for linebackers. His superior hands and familiarity with the passing game make him a natural receiver.

"As an offensive coordinator, when you talk about any position, you want a guy who's multidimensional," says the Saints' Mike McCarthy. "It gives you the ability to be flexible in your scheme. That helps when you're game-planning a particular opponent."

Does McCarthy have a particular opponent in mind? "Yeah," he says, laughing. "All 16 of them."

The 23rd pick in the 2001 draft, McAllister was expected to spell Williams for significant chunks of action last season, possibly even challenge him for the starting job. It didn't happen. McAllister didn't sign until after the start of training camp and never found his place in the offense. He wound up with 16 carries for 91 yards and 15 receptions. "I'm like a second-year rookie," says McAllister, 23.

His 31 touches might look more like a single-game total this season, because the Saints' offense is going to rise or fall on the back of this unproven player.