METAIRIE – Lance Moore doesn’t shy away from questions about the Saints’ special teams from a year ago.

He knows they weren’t up to par. He knows in a lot of ways, the onus is on him to make them better.

He also knows that if he doesn’t get things going this offseason, his stay in New Orleans could be over.

Rogelio V. Solis / Associated Press

Saints wide receiver Lance Moore sprints past cornerback Anwar Phillips (36) during drills during an afternoon summer practice at Millsaps College during training camp in 2007.

“It’s definitely something I’ve got to put on myself,” Moore said. “Anytime (head coach Sean Payton) talks about the return game, whether it be punt or kickoff, me being a part of it, I’ve got to feel like he’s talking right to me.”

It’s certainly not just Moore, however.

The Saints were 19th in the NFL a year ago in returns, averaging 8.2 yards per return. The league average was 9.1 yards per return. Meanwhile, the team was 23^rd in the league in what it allowed on punt returns, giving up an average of 9.6 yards.

“Clearly, in the kicking game, there are areas we have to improve upon,” Saints head coach Sean Payton said. “We have got to get a return game going. We really haven’t been effective in two years now in that manner, be it kickoff return or punt return.”

They’ve begun to try to find answers.

Reggie Bush will get a shot as a punt returner along with Moore. Tracy Porter – a rookie New Orleans picked in the second round of the NFL Draft – is working in the kickoff return game.

New Orleans brought in former LSU standout Skyler Green, who is getting work with the punt returners.

“He’s someone that’s smart and has picked things up,” Payton said of Green. “He’s going to have to be an asset in the return game. He’ll have opportunities in that aspect.”

Bush, for one, is keen on the idea of getting back as a punt returner, something he did in his rookie season.

“That’s what I want to do,” he said. “They know that.”

Yet, it’s not just the return game that needs work. The kickers missed seven field goals a year ago, poor enough for 22nd in the NFL.

“Any time you finish 7-9 and don’t accomplish goals you want, I think offensively, defensively, special teams we need to improve,” special teams coordinator Greg McMahon said. “There’s certainly no question we have to improve on special teams.”

He added, “It’s no one facet of special teams, just overall as a group, collectively.”

The team started by drafting Taylor Mehlhaff late in April’s draft and keeping Martin Gramatica.

And the team continues to work out its issues during events like this weekend’s minicamp and the club’s OTA program, which has two weeks to go.

“We don’t stop at the end of minicamp or OTAs and quit working,” McMahon said. “We still have a lot of work to do – getting in shape, working on fundamentals. It’ll be a big summer for us coming into training camp.”

That includes Moore.

“I’ve got to make sure I have my mind right this minicamp and the rest of the summer so we can be one of the best return teams in the league, and I don’t think there’s any reason we can’t be that,” Moore said.

Extra points: Defensive tackle Hollis Thomas isn’t known as a svelte man to begin with, but he appears to be a little bigger during minicamp than the team wants. But they’re not quite worried, yet. “He’s not at the weight we need him to be,” head coach Sean Payton said. “I’m going to be more concerned if he’s at this weight in the fall.”

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More than 1,000 fans attended Saturday morning’s minicamp practice, team officials said. Payton said it helped stoke the competitive fires of his players. “That happens naturally,” he said . “It’s a good thing. It gets a little bit more competitive and I think that’s positive.”

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Quarterback Drew Brees is joining a long list of folks impressed with New Orleans’ 7th-round pick, receiver Adrian Arrington. “He’s a young guy so the offense, the head is swimming a little bit,” Brees said. “As far as when he does know what he’s doing, he’s playing confident and getting up the field, making plays after the catch. He’s a pretty good talent.”