NFL: New Orleans Saints sign veteran TE Travis Beckum

The New Orleans Saints signed veteran tight end Travis Beckum on Wednesday to fill the spot that was vacated when tight end Richard Quinn retired Monday.

Beckum, 27, spent his first four seasons with the New York Giants after being drafted in the third round of Wisconsin in 2009. He has bounced around, unable to find a permanent team, since he tore his ACL during Super Bowl XLVL.

“He just didn’t want to play anymore… And if your heart’s not in it, its awfully hard to keep going.”

Beckum has 26 career receptions for 264 yards and three touchdowns, plus another seven catches for 45 yards in four playoff games. The 6-foot-3, 234- pound TE was with the Seattle Seahawks this past spring before being released in May.

The Saints placed Quinn on the retired list just six days after they signed him to the roster, the reason was not immediately known. The 27 year old was a second round draft pick of the Denver Broncos in 2009, but never panned out. He appeared in 29 games in his first two seasons but caught only one pass for nine yards. He was then waived withed a knee injury in the summer of 2011 before bouncing around with the Washington Redskins twice, the Cincinnati Bengals and Arizona Cardinals.

“He came and saw me and just felt like it was time, that he didn’t want to play,” Saints coach Sean Payton said. “It was a little of a surprise but that happens at time. Its not that unusual at camp. To compete and to play this game there’s obviously a physical element, but just as importantly there’s a mental element. And if your heart’s not in it, its awfully hard to keep going.”