METAIRIE, La. — With New Orleans Saints rookie cornerback Tracy Porter's already out for the season because of a dislocated right wrist, the Saints are an injury-depleted team scrounging for more plugs to fill the voids.

At least the Saints filled one need as rookie kicker Taylor Mehlhaff re-signed with the Saints on Wednesday to replace the struggling Martin Gramatica, who tweaked his hamstring the morning of the San Francisco game two weeks ago and was placed on injured reserve.

The Saints pulled the trigger on their kicking woes much earlier this year than they had last season by bringing back Mehlhaff, the team's sixth-round pick in the 2008 draft, for Week 6.

"He was the one guy as we ranked those available that obviously we've got experience with and that we're very comfortable in signing," Saints coach Sean Payton said.

Gramatica missed crucial field goals that could have given the Saints the lead against Denver and Minnesota inside the two-minute warning in the fourth quarter. The veteran kicker also hasn't kicked off the past two weeks with a groin injury, forcing punter Steve Weatherford to assume those duties.

The veteran Gramatica beat out Mehlhaff during training camp and has gone 6-for-10 on field-goal attempts and perfect on his 16 extra-point tries. During preseason, Mehlhaff went 2-for-3 on field goals and 4-for-4 on extra points. Payton said Gramatica's injury was different than what the kicker had sustained a couple of weeks ago and more like a sports hernia with the injury keeping Gramatica out longer than expected.

The Saints pulled the plug on Olindo Mare's season last year by placing him on IR in mid-December and signed Gramatica, who went a perfect 5-for5 on field-goal attempts. The team re-signed Gramatica in early February and released Mare a couple of weeks later.

Porter's loss adds to the list of injured or missing starters throughout the first five weeks of the regular season is by far the worst rash of ailments Payton has dealt with while in New Orleans. Payton said Porter will certainly be missed.

"He was having a good season, a real good season," Payton said. "Obviously we're disappointed for him and the key is from him to get healthy and to stay in the mix here as far as what we are doing meeting-wise of his position group because he was playing at a high level."

Three other Saints cornerbacks have already missed playing time Mike McKenzie missed the first two weeks trying to return from a torn ACL he sustained last season. Randall Gay (hamstring) missed two games and part of a third, while fellow corner Aaron Glenn (ankle) has been sidelined since the end of the Washington game. Gay and McKenzie will be the starters, with Jason David coming in on nickel on the outside.

It hasn't stopped there for the injury epidemic plaguing both sides of the ball.

Rookie defensive tackle Sedrick Ellis could miss another three weeks with a torn medial meniscus in his knee. Linebacker Scott Fujita sat out two weeks with a knee bruise. Safety Roman Harper missed the Redskins game with a hamstring injury. Defensive tackles Antwan Lake (groin) missed two games and Hollis Thomas (triceps) had to be cut to make room for others.

The Saints' offense may have been more banged up than the defense.

Wide receiver Marques Colston (thumb) has missed the four weeks and will miss Sunday's game with the Oakland Raiders. Tight end Jeremy Shockey (hernia) missed the last two weeks and will be out for at least another week. Wide receiver David Patten (groin) missed the Vikings game and most of the win over the 49ers. Fullback Mike Karney sat out the 49ers game with an ankle injury.

Payton said he's more optimistic with the progress of Colston and Shockey as both players practiced on a limited basis Wednesday. Payton said it's possible both players could play Sunday against Oakland and he wouldn't have said that before practice.

Colston had the cast removed from his surgically repaired thumb last week and Wednesday was the first day Colston caught passes from quarterback Drew Brees.

"I was pleased with what I saw (Wednesday) and I saw more than I expected to see," Payton said. "Both of them took reps and were moving around pretty good. ... Marques looked good."

Left guard Jamar Nesbit is two games into his four-week suspension for testing positive for a banned substance. Tackles Jammal Brown and Jon Stinchcomb (back) have both left games and center Jonathan Goodwin's hamstring has been ailing him the past couple of weeks.

Patten, Stinchcomb, Lake, McKenzie, Ellis, Glenn and safety Kevin Kaesviharn (back) all missed Wednesday's practice. Center Jonathan Goodwin (hamstring) was limited. Payton said McKenzie missed practice to rest him only being two days removed from the Minnesota game.

Other offensive and special teams contributors who have missed time this season were running back Aaron Stecker, tight end Mark Campbell, wide receiver Terrance Copper and linebacker Troy Evans.

The team now has seven players on IR: Porter, Gramatica, Sobomehin, linebacker Mark Simoneau, defensive tackle James Reed, wide receiver Adrian Arrington and defensive tackle DeMario Pressley.

The team also had another slew of transactions as it added fullback Olaniyi Sobomehin (shoulder) to injured reserve. The Saints signed tight end Sean Ryan, defensive end Jeff Charleston and defensive tackle Montavious Stanley and waived tight end Buck Ortega.

Four practice squad transactions also occurred as the Saints signed cornerback Darrell Hunter and linebacker Pago Togafau and waived safety David Roach and linebacker William Kershaw.