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METAIRIE, La. -- The mere opportunity to drill a tackling dummy with the full force of his 6-foot-2, 305-pound frame represented an invigorating change of pace for New Orleans Saints first-round draft choice Sheldon Rankins.The defensive tackle hopes hell be menacing offensive linemen in games that count in just a couple more weeks.Rankins practiced on Wednesday for the first time since fracturing his fibula in his left leg during training camp. He emerged from practice eager to talk about how good he felt.I definitely was kind of anxious to go through that, Rankins said. Little things like tackling drills and hitting sleds and football movements was fun for me today, just to see how my body would react to it, how my leg would react to it. It was good.Drafted 12th overall out of Louisville in last springs NFL draft, Rankins was a projected starter. Coaches have raved about not only Rankins ability to stuff the run, but also to make quarterbacks uncomfortable on pass plays by destabilizing the front of the pocket.After getting hurt in August, he started the regular season on injured reserve, but coach Sean Payton said Rankins would be the one player this season that the team is permitted to designate for return in midseason. Under NFL rules for players with such a designation, they may start practicing in Week 7 but may not play until Week 9. This season, that means Rankins will return at the earliest when New Orleans travels to San Francisco on Nov. 6.Barring any setbacks, I think were on schedule for that timeframe, Rankins said.Rankins did not appear limited physically in the portion of practice open to reporters. In one drill, he accelerated to his left while keeping his hips low and then drove his shoulder through a large, soft, wheel-shaped tackling target that coaches were rolling across the field. Rankins leveled the target, crashing down upon it. He then sprang to his feet and trotted back to the players in his position group to prepare for the next drill.Still, Rankins said he sees the logic in NFL rules allowing him to practice a couple weeks before he is eligible to play, figuring hell need a couple weeks to get his timing, technique and conditioning as refined as it should be for live action.Timing is everything, Rankins said. And conditioning -- being able to run to the ball, play hard, things like that. I think those are the real things these few weeks are going to allow me to do and be a big help.New Orleans, which ranked second-to-last in the NFL defensively the past two seasons, made bolstering its defense a priority this offseason, and Rankins was a central piece of that.In his last two seasons at Louisville, Rankins registered 14 sacks and 26 + tackles for losses.He was showing so much potential on the interior rush. We were looking forward to having him, Saints defensive end Cam Jordan said. When you have a rookie who is not trying to find himself, thats something that you automatically find special. He came in being a good push in the interior. ... He could get off blocks, great with his hands, great with his feet. He just knew who he was.But Rankins absence has been one of several to regulars on the Saints defense, which continues to rank 31st, allowing with 419.4 yards allowed per game. New Orleans also is allowing a league-worst 33.6 points per game.Thanks to the elite production of quarterback Drew Brees and the Saints passing game, New Orleans has managed to win two straight after a 0-3 start, but Brees predicted Rankins return would be tremendous for the team.Rankins will not only add depth, obviously, but hes an explosive player, Brees said. We got to see three weeks of him with pads on and he was impressive.Game notes Saints top cornerback Delvin Breaux, who also has a broken fibula and has not played since Week 1, stretched with the team before practice but did not participate in drills. ... Other players missing practice on Tuesday included OT Andrus Peat (hamstring), LB Dannell Ellerbe (quadriceps), CB Sterling Moore (abdomen), DE Paul Kruger (back) and DT Nick Fairley (non-injury related).---AP NFL websites: http://pro32.ap.org and http://twitter.com/AP-NFL Swell Bottles On Sale . -- Cam Newton pranced into the end zone, placed his hands over his chest and did his familiar Superman pose. Discount Swell Bottles . The Masters champion and winner of last weeks Australian PGA has a three-round total of 14-under 199 at Royal Melbourne. "Im in a really good position for tomorrow," Scott said. http://www.swellbottlesale.com/swell-travelers-sale.html . How great will be revealed in the next couple of days at the board of governors meeting in Pebble Beach, Calif. Marble Water Bottle Cheap . Booth picked up 65 caps after making her national team debut in 2002 at the age of 17. She most recently played for Sky Blue FC of the National Womens Soccer League. "It just felt like it was my time to move on," she said in a phone interview from her hometown of Burlington, Ont. Swell Bottle Wood Collection . This should be celebrated because it will not always be this way. With the amount of money given to players by their clubs these days, it is a wonder that so many of those teams allow the sport to continue to take away many of their assets so they can play for a different team in the middle of their season. He may have been axed by NSW for game three but Greg Bird isnt giving up on his State of Origin career.The 31-year-old was the biggest casualty from NSWs loss in game two last month which condemned them to a 10th series defeat in the past 11 years.And while it would seem his dumping by selectors brings down the curtain on his 18-Origin career, Bird himself is holding out hope of a recall in 2017.Youve just got to go out and earn your position back, thats all there is to do, Bird told NRL.com.They have said that theyre going to make a change for younger players to come in but if youre good enough youre old enough - or young enough - so hopefully I can let my footy do the talking next year and fight my way back.Birrd can see a silver lining in his dumping however, ensuring hes physically fresh to help Gold Coasts tilt at a first NRL finals berth since 2010.ddddddddddddThe Titans head into this Fridays clash with St George Illawarra just two points behind the eighth-placed Dragons and very much in finals contention.Bird says delivering for his club team is all hes now focused on after his Origin disappointment.Having three matches in 10 days for the first game does knock the body around but having the week off to freshen up, Im really raring to go for the last eight games that are left, he said. 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