CLIFTON, N.J. -- You can have your French Quarter and Cajun cuisine. For Jeff Blake, New Orleans is the place to be for more personal reasons.

	Jeff Blake threw for 2,670 yards in 14 games for the Bengals last season.

"It's nice," Blake said of The Big Easy. "But I just like being the man, you know? It's a lot easier to go out and play."

The 29-year-old quarterback is ecstatic to be out of Cincinnati, where he spent the past six seasons fluctuating between starter and backup. His days were numbered when the Bengals selected Akili Smith with the No. 3 overall pick in the 1999 NFL draft, but Smith's prolonged holdout and eventual season-ending injury enabled Blake to show off his skills to opposing general managers last year.

Blake threw for 2,670 yards and 16 touchdowns in 14 games, including 12 starts. He completed 55.3 percent of his passes (215 of 389) in leading Cincinnati to three victories in its final five games. Like former teammates Corey Dillon and Carl Pickens, Blake longed for a change of scenery.

"Anything new is good, I think," Blake said. "They (the last few seasons in Cincy) were tough, but I still had a chance to play and complete. That's all I asked for."

Blake and the Saints are a perfect fit in that both desperately needed fresh starts.

New general manager Randy Mueller took on the task of cleaning house after the Saints' disappointing 3-13 record in Mike Ditka's final season. Miami and San Francisco showed interest in Blake, but Mueller was the only one ready to make him a starter, according to Blake.

"That's all they had to say," Blake said. "'Frisco and the Dolphins said they were going to see what Steve (Young) was going to do or what (Dan) Marino was going to do. I didn't have time for that."

	“	'Frisco and the Dolphins said they were going to see what Steve (Young) was going to do or what (Dan) Marino was going to do. I didn't have time for that. ”
		— Jeff Blake, Saints quarterback

"They made a big effort to change the whole organization," Blake added. "The only person that's there who's the same person is the owner, Mr. (Tom) Benson. Everybody else is new."

Well, Ricky Williams is still around. The talented yet eccentric running back will work with Blake in trying to rejuvenate a Saints offense that ranked 19th overall and 24th in red-zone efficiency.

Despite Williams' unglamorous comments this offseason about his teammates and New Orleans, Blake contends the former Heisman Trophy winner is a "real good kid."

"I've talked to him," Blake said. "He's a good football kid with a good football mind. He's just had a hard time."

Williams should find more running room with Blake in the backfield. Blake's ability to throw the deep ball should prevent defenses from stacking the line of scrimmage against Williams, who took a beating in gaining 884 yards during an injury-filled rookie season. Says Blake: "I know he feels more secure with me around."

New Saints coach Jim Haslett knows what Blake can do, having spent the past three seasons as Pittsburgh's defensive coordinator. Blake, who calls Haslett "hard-nosed, fair but fun," thinks he'll let him gamble for a big play.

"I think we're just going to shoot from the hip and let it go the first year -- see what happens," Blake said. "It's kind of hard to get chemistry the first year, so you just got to shoot from the hip and let your experience and talent take over."

Joe Lago is the NFL editor for ESPN.com.