Anyone recall Billy Miller? Where has the Saints tight end disappeared to?

Training camp opens today for the New Orleans Saints and there is going to be a lot of buzz in the air. Most of the starters are already in place, but there are a few positions (especially as backups) that will see some battles.

One position that may not see a big competition but will merit a lot of attention is that of tight end. Chances are there are going to be three tight ends on the final roster of 53 and we kind of have an idea who those three will be.

My guesses? Jeremy Shockey, David Thomas, and rookie Jimmy Graham. I doubt that comes as much of a surprise to anyone, though, considering the next two in line are Tory Humphrey and Tyler Lorenzen.

But ... anyone notice a name in particular missing from the list? A name that has been mentioned around New Orleans for the past four years and belongs to a player who contributed quite a bit? A player who suffered an unfortunate injury last year before really helping the Saints win the Super Bowl?

After getting my 2010 Saints' media guide this afternoon, I saw one missing, and that name is Billy Miller.

His name has been thrown about on some Saints' forums the past couple weeks and it never really dawned on me until today that he truly has totally disappeared. Miller had been a member of the Saints since 2006 with decent numbers, but his biggest season come in 2008 for the black and gold. He had 45 receptions for 579 yards and a touchdown. Not bad.

Sadly, he was injured in the last preseason game of 2009 and forced to miss the entire season while on injured reserve. Miller tore his Achilles tendon, had surgery, and got put on the shelf. It was a real shame, too, because I felt as last year might have been a break-out season for the 10-year veteran.

Back in March, NOLA.com had posted a story about Miller's plans after football. Miller has opened up a training facility in Los Angeles called Elite Athletics. It has been open around two and a half years and is what Miller planned on doing when he retired from the NFL.

Another article on NOLA.com in April detailed the USO tour that Miller went on along with Drew Brees and some other NFL stars. They visited with troops, gave talks, and got to find out firsthand how the men and women on tour are living. Miller was so moved by the entire trip that he and his wife Rachel designed a gold-plated fleur-de-lis pendant with a U.S. Armed Forces emblem that had 20% of the proceeds heading toward the USO.

Ever since then, though, we have not heard a single word about the unrestricted free agent. Miller was one of three tight ends on that unrestricted free agent list and not a single one of them got offers to return to the Saints. Darnell Dinkins and Dan Campbell are also still looking around for work. It appears as if we have seen the last of Billy Miller in a Saints uniform and possibly in the NFL completely.

It really is a bit of a shame because Miller was a firecracker when out on the field and always one of the guys out there congratulating others on a good play. That even happened when he wasn't on the field at the time. He also had some good talent that was getting better with each season he spent in New Orleans, which makes me believe 2009 could have been his year. Then the injury occurred. He sat on the sidelines and ran a Saints-related blog all season. Became a free agent at season's end and remained unsigned.

There is also the problem of the Saints having a wealth of talent at the tight end position. Well, that is if you want to call something such as that a problem. Shockey is well entrenched as the starter while Thomas is sure to be out there as a main backup and occasional starter too. The rookie Graham looks like he could get some good playing time too with a decent training camp. If you're not one of those top three tight ends on a team, though, you might as well start looking elsewhere for work.

Considering Miller has contemplated retirement once already before signing with the Saints, it wouldn't surprise me to see him pack it up and head back out to L.A. if no one comes calling soon. By now he may have already even made that decision, since just about every training camp is going to be open within the next couple days.

Miller will most certainly be missed for his hands, ability to get open, and his energy when out on the field. As much as it kills me seeing former Saints in other uniforms, it would do me a bit of good to see Miller out there performing well in another city.

The big-name players always get a decent retirement with a press conference and speech. Sometimes they even have two or three or four of those. Sorry, Brett Favre. Those considered mid-level players by the "experts" will get a small article when they sign with a team for one day to retire in a uniform they love. Joe Horn did that earlier this year by retiring a Saint. If Miller doesn't end up being signed by another team then this will be considered his retirement, and sadly not a word will really be said about it.

Well, I'll take that responsibility upon my own shoulders. Billy Miller, I sincerely hope you do sign with another team or even return to the Saints for some reason and have continued success. But if your last playing time in the NFL was during the 2009 preseason, then I'll wish you well in whatever you may do in your life after football. You will be remembered down here in New Orleans as you should be for your years with the Houston Texans and Denver Broncos.

Good luck, Billy.

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