Joe Horn lost two of his best friends on the New Orleans Saints on Monday with the trade of receiver Donte Stallworth to Philadelphia and the release of special teams Fred McAfee.

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As usual, he wasn't shy about discussing it.

"I felt a little bad about Donte being traded because I felt it was a little my fault I didn't instill more professionalism in him," Horn said. "If they thought he had more professionalism, he'd still be here now."

Stallworth did not practice much for new coach Sean Payton, missing some offseason work as he recovered from shoulder surgery in January.

During mini-camp in June, Stallworth was sent home for a day for missing a team meeting.

He then missed a number of practices early in training camp while nursing a sore hamstring and usually practiced with the second string receivers from then on.

Stallworth did not appear resentful or upset about the move, Horn said.

"Donte's been in the NFL long enough to understand the business, and for whatever reason he knows in his heart why he got traded, so he has to take that with him to Philadelphia and be a better person, be a better receiver, be better than he was last year," Horn said. "Being a good friend of Donte, I'm pretty sure he will do that. ... I know the kid has talent. Just for some unfortunate reason it didn't happen here in New Orleans."

Horn said he had grown to love Stallworth as a teammate and gave him a pep talk before wishing him well with his new quarterback in Philadelphia, Donovan McNabb, and his new coach, Andy Reid.

"In this league, friends come and go," Horn said. "The most positive things I gave Donte is: 'You go to Philadelphia, you grab McNabb and you tell him you've come to work. In this league you don't have go there to make friends. You go do your job and people have to respect you. That's what you want to do."'

Horn said parting with the 38-year-old McAfee, a longtime special teams leader whose humorous quips, combined with his admired work ethic, endeared him to teammates and enhanced general camaraderie in the locker room.

"He was more than a player in the locker room. He was one of my best friends off the football field," Horn said. "I still think he can play. I think he will be on a football roster in the next couple of days. It was very tearful for me to see him leave."

Horn said McAfee remained composed as he said his goodbyes.

"He's a man ... that won't let the younger guys see him shed tears. He had to leave out of here ... with his head up," Horn said. "He couldn't shed any tears, but I felt them in his heart. And I know once he gets on the road he'll cry, because I'm that close to him and I know him."

McAfee led the Saints kick coverage units last season with a career high 30 special teams tackles. That production was the reason he had decided to come back.

Steve Gleason, another special teams leader in New Orleans for several seasons, had a long talk with McAfee in the player's parking lot.

"I've been together with him for six years and he's someone that I've truly been able to look up to and aspire to be like on the field," Gleason said. "It makes us all realize it's very special to be out here while we're here. At the same time, I'm real proud of him. He was a good running back when he was younger and he realized if he was going to stay in the league he needed to get better at special teams and he transformed himself into one of the greatest of all time. It's just a tough day for me and a lot of guys around that knew him," Gleason said. "He's just a great guy."

McAfee still could be picked up by another club. Jim Haslett, a big McAfee fan, could have some influence over such a decision in St. Louis, as could Green Bay head coach Mike McCarthy, a former Saints assistant.

"I'm confident he's going to playing for someone this year," Gleason said. "But if he never does play again ... he can always look back and say, what a stellar career. He's one of the greatest people I've ever met on and off the field. He's going to be great at whatever he does, and as far as a life career goes, he's just starting."

(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)