As the New Orleans Saints try to reclaim the top spot in the NFC South, they’ll be getting started without their first-round pick and second-round pick in the 2008 draft.

And they might be without both of them for a while.

Asked whether he expects defensive tackle Sedrick Ellis and cornerback Tracey Porter to have long holdouts, G.M. Mickey Loomis said, “Right now I do.”

“There’s been very little progress in the first round period and really at the top of the second round there has been very little progress.  It’s frustrating.  I have to be honest with you.  I feel like it’s about the agents of these guys not wanting to look bad as opposed to any concern for getting the player in here, getting him acclimated and getting him going in the right way in their first year in the league.  It’s frustrating to be truthful.”

Loomis blames the delay on the attempts by agents to get significant increases over what was paid to players in the same slots a year ago.

“They’re all just waiting, not wanting to be first, not wanting to be embarrassed by a deal that gets done after they do their deal and frankly, they’re looking for some huge increases,” Loomis said. “Yes, they’ll do a deal if you want to give them some outrageous increase.  I just don’t know any business where you hand out 20 percent, 30 percent increases every year.  You’re not going to be in business very long if you do that.”