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James Laurinaitis eager to be Saints' leader after getting 'fired' by Rams

NEW ORLEANS -- One of the first things James Laurinaitis did as the new middle linebacker and “quarterback” of the New Orleans Saints' defense was ask coaches Dennis Allen and Joe Vitt for the phone numbers of some new teammates.

“I wanted to really reach out to a couple players,” Laurinaitis said in a teleconference with the New Orleans media on Thursday. “I wanted to text some of those guys and just let 'em know how excited I was to be joining their defense and to join the organization.”

Laurinaitis, 29, admitted last month that he was “shocked at first” when he was released by the Los Angeles Rams.