METAIRIE, La. -- Jairus Byrd was drawn to the Big Easy by New Orleans "winning culture" and an explosive offence, so much that the safety signed a six-year contract with the Saints. New Orleans efforts to make him a Saint began almost as soon as teams were allowed to contact agents of players on the free agent market. Though Byrd said other teams showed interest, it was ultimately up to him to let New Orleans have the first chance to sign him. They brought him in early Tuesday evening and shortly after, announced the two sides had agreed to terms. "The winning culture" put New Orleans over the top, Byrd said. "What coach (Sean) Payton has done and what Drew Brees has done here. Any time you have that explosive offence, it always helps." New Orleans 55 wins since 2009 are second-most in the NFL and the Saints have been to the post-season in four of the past five seasons. The offence, meanwhile, has finished No. 1 four times since 2006 and in the top five seven times. The Saints explosive offence really stood out to Byrd, who has 33 forced turnovers -- including 22 interceptions -- since entering the NFL five seasons ago. "If youre a guy on defence and you know a team is able to get leads on people, . that bodes well for guys like me who want to get turnovers and create turnovers because it makes another team one dimensional," Byrd said. "Thats a really big factor and what allowed me to weigh all my options and think about what the best situation was for myself." Hell get a chance now to play beside Kenny Vaccaro, the Saints first-round pick in 2013 whose hard-hitting style made an immediate impact in the defensive backfield. Vaccaro started 14 games as a rookie and finished with a sack, an interception and a forced fumble to go with 62 tackles. "Im really looking forward to seeing what he does really well," Byrd said. "And when he played against us, I know he made a lot of plays." Byrd saw firsthand just what hes about to join when the Bills, who drafted him in the second-round in 2009, lost in New Orleans 35-17 on Oct. 27. That day, the Saints finished with 386 total yards of offence and went 3-for-5 in the red zone. New Orleans defence, meanwhile, allowed only 299 total yards and just 5 of 13 on third downs. The Saints finished with one interception and had two fumble recoveries on four forced fumbles. It didnt hurt that the Superdome boasted its usual loud, energetic atmosphere. "Playing here last year, I saw how the atmosphere was," Byrd said. "It was electric. Theyre really behind their team. The Dome was rocking when I was here. They feed off that, and I think thats really big." Bill Bates Jersey .com) - Cincinnati Reds pitcher Mat Latos had an arthroscopic procedure performed on his right elbow last week, the teams official site reported Wednesday. Roger Staubach Jersey . His actions are much louder on the Fenway Park mound. De La Rosa had another strong home start, going seven solid innings to lift the Boston Red Sox to a 2-1 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Saturday night. http://www.shoptheofficialcowboys.com/Elite-Emmitt-Smith-Cowboys-Jersey/ .com) - The Hatch Attack is back in the Southern Conference. DeMarcus Ware Jersey . No, the San Antonio star didnt announce retirement plans during an off day at the NBA Finals on Wednesday. Dallas Cowboys Jerseys . -- Washington Redskins linebacker Brian Orakpo is going to the Pro Bowl as a replacement for San Francisco 49ers linebacker Ahmad Brooks.TAMPA, Fla. -- The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have signed free-agent safety Major Wright and wide receiver Lavelle Hawkins. The team also announced Monday that linebacker Marvin Booker has been waived. Wright spent the first four seasons of his career with the Chicago Bears, who drafted him in the third round in 2010. Hes started 42 of 54 career games and returned three of his nine interceptions for touchdowns.dddddddddddd Hawkins was a fourth-round draft pick of the Tennessee Titans in 2008. He spent five seasons with them before moving to the San Diego Chargers in 2013. He has 71 career receptions for 771 yards and one TD. ' ' '