NFL Preseason Preview - New Orleans (0-0) at Arizona (0-0)

All eyes at University of Phoenix Stadium will be on Matt Leinart Thursday night, as the quarterback leads his team into a preseason skirmish against the visiting New Orleans Saints.

Leinart, the No. 10 overall pick in the 2006 NFL Draft, is looking to seize firm control of starting QB duties for the first time in his career during this training camp. The USC product and former Heisman winner was struggling last season when he suffered a season-ending broken collarbone in Week 5. Veteran Kurt Warner, who up to that point had been seeing spot duty, took control of the job and passed for 3,417 yards with 27 touchdowns and 17 interceptions.

Any extended struggles from Leinart during the preseason period could give rise to a quarterback controversy in Arizona, a circumstance head coach Ken Whisenhunt is looking to avoid in his second year on the job.

The Cardinals were 8-8 in their first season under Whisenhunt a year ago, snapping a streak of seven consecutive losing campaigns for the organization.

Also worth watching for Arizona on Thursday will be the first formal appearance of three high-profile draft picks - cornerback Dominique Rodgers- Cromartie (1st Round, Tennessee State), defensive end Calais Campbell (2nd Round, Miami-Florida), and wide receiver Early Doucet (3rd Round, LSU) - all of whom are expected to be contributors for the team this season.

Several of the Saints' high-profile new faces are slated to be in uniform on Thursday night as well.

Tight end Jeremy Shockey (ex-Giants), linebacker Jonathan Vilma (ex-Jets), backup quarterback Mark Brunell (ex-Redskins), and rookie defensive tackle Sedrick Ellis (1st Round, USC) are but a few of the players New Orleans head coach Sean Payton is counting on to help improve from last year's 7-9 finish.

Brunell is expected to relieve starter Drew Brees, who should play sparingly in keeping with first-week-of-preseason tradition.

Running back Deuce McAllister (knees), who missed most of last season due to injury, is among the prominent Saints likely to be held out for precautionary reasons on Thursday.

The Saints have a 3-0 lead in their all-time regular season series with the Cardinals, including a 33-28 road victory in the last such meeting, prior to the 1988 campaign.

New Orleans was also a 31-24 home winner when the clubs squared off in a meaningful contest last Dec. 16th.