DT Ellis remains no-show

• By SHELDON MICKLES
• Advocate sportswriter
• Published: Jul 27, 2008 - UPDATED: 12:05 a.m.

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JACKSON, Miss. — The New Orleans Saints held their fifth and sixth practices of training camp on Saturday, but there was still no sign of first-round draft pick Sedrick Ellis.

While some movement was expected because the two players picked just before Ellis in the April draft are signed, sealed and delivered, Ellis, a 6-foot-1, 307-pound defensive tackle, continued his holdout.

Former LSU defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey, the fifth overall pick in the draft, signed a five-year, $51 million deal with the Kansas City Chiefs early Saturday with $22 million guaranteed. The sixth pick, defensive end Vernon Gholston, got a five-year, $50 million contract with $21 million guaranteed from the New York Jets.

As a result, Ellis should fall in line just below Gholston’s figure.

“I think it’s getting closer,” Saints coach Sean Payton said Saturday morning. “With Gholston having signed, and it sounds like they’re real close or already done with Dorsey, that’s encouraging.”

The heat is on
The Saints have made it through the first three days of training camp with temperatures in the mid- to upper-90s, but a heat wave is on the way.

The forecast calls for a high of 101 today, with the thermometer expected to reach 100 Monday. A slight “cool down” is expected after that with highs of 98 and 97 on Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively.

“We just try to gauge how practice is going and pay attention to the drills,” Payton said when asked how he plans to combat the soaring temperatures. “If we feel like it’s starting to get sloppy, then we have to be able to take a break and maybe not get quite as many reps in, but work on the quality of the reps. We’ll pay attention to that and try to get through it.”

Roster moves
After terminating the contract of Eric Johnson on Friday, the Saints brought the tight end position up to speed by signing Buck Ortega. He was with the team in the offseason, but was cut last week when Jeremy Shockey was acquired in a trade.

The Saints also signed wide receiver Curtis Hamilton. To make room on the roster for Ortega and Hamilton, the team waived wide receiver Carlos Robinson and long snapper Ryan Senser.

Play of the day
Cornerback Wale Dada anticipated a pass to Hamilton on the last play of team drills in the afternoon practice, jumping the out route to make a diving interception of Tyler Palko’s throw. Dada quickly got up and returned the pick for a touchdown.

Injury report
RB Deuce McAllister missed the first workout after having an MRI on his left knee and DT Brian Young missed both practices Saturday after having fluid removed from his left knee. … TE Jeremy Shockey was limited in the afternoon practice and FS Josh Bullocks was held out of the session as well.

Bullocks back
Bullocks, whose right knee was scoped in January, practiced for the first time Saturday morning. He missed the first four workouts after being put on the physically-unable-to-perform list when he reported to camp Wednesday.