Ex-Illini Steve Weatherford/Danny Clark sign with Saints

The New Orleans Saints signed linebacker Danny Clark on Tuesday and terminated the contract of safety Jay Bellamy to make room for Clark on the roster. Clark led the Oakland Raiders in tackles the last two seasons and also contributed three sacks and an interception from the inside linebacker position. "This was another opportunity to improve our roster," said Saints executive vice president/general manager Mickey Loomis. "Danny has been a productive player and has a wealth of starting experience. He`s a veteran who won`t need a lot of time to become a contributor for our team." The veteran Bellamy joined the Saints in 2001 and started all 67 games since coming to the team. "Jay is the consummate professional," said head coach Sean Payton. "He`s been an extremely productive player and a leader both on and off the field. We got caught in a situation where we had several promising players at safety who have to play and gain experience." Bellamy led New Orleans in tackles during the 2003 and 2004 seasons. He also had nine interceptions, 4 1/2 sacks and forced six fumbles during his tenure with the team. In other roster moves, the Saints placed punter Mitch Berger on injured reserve and re-signed punter Steve Weatherford. The club also signed offensive lineman Ben Archibald to the practice squad.