METAIRIE, La. -- Max Unger isn’t going to generate the same kind of buzz this summer with the New Orleans Saints that tight end Jimmy Graham has already been generating with the Seattle Seahawks.

Mainly because, well, Unger is a center. And the Saints aren’t even practicing in full pads yet.

But the two-time Pro Bowler who came to New Orleans in that blockbuster Graham trade said it’s been “so far, so good” in his transition to a new team.

“Everything’s kind of coming together,” said Unger, who spent his first six seasons in Seattle.

“The concepts are similar, but I’m being asked to do some little changes here and there,” Unger said. “You know, you’ve been doing something for a little while, and then changing little steps here, a hand placement there, stuff like that … just kind of adjusting to that.”

Unger also has to adapt to an offense that’s a lot more pass-happy than his former one. He laughed when someone pointed out Saints quarterback Drew Brees completed more passes last year (456) than Seattle’s Russell Wilson even attempted (452).

And while Wilson made his share of audibles and adjustments at the line of scrimmage, Unger has already noted that, “Drew does a lot out there. He talks a lot, gets a lot of people on the same page ... changes stuff on the line of scrimmage, and you’ve just got to be able to adjust to that.”

Unger’s overall adjustment to the Saints will be awfully important to their fortunes in 2015 and beyond.

No one is suggesting that Unger has to be better than Graham to validate the trade that also sent a first-round draft pick to New Orleans and a fourth-rounder to Seattle.

But Unger can’t be an afterthought, either.

The Saints are counting on the 6-foot-5, 305-pounder to help shore up an interior offensive line that has been slipping for the past two years. Brees was sacked 29 times last year and 37 times in 2013 -- the two highest totals of his career -- and he was under pressure during many of his 20 turnovers last season.

The Saints are betting big that an improved offensive line and defense will help Brees even more than a superstar tight end could have.

“He’s someone that obviously learns quickly and has played a lot,” Saints coach Sean Payton said of his early impressions of Unger, who didn’t join the Saints’ OTA practices until last week for very good reason.

Unger and his wife, Leah, had their first child last week, a daughter named Cameron.

“My wife was a champ. She did really well. It was pretty amazing,” Unger said, though he added, “It’s pretty difficult not being with my wife right now. She’s a single mom in Seattle, and it’s a pretty tall order.”

The trade has come with some big adjustments, too.

Unger, a Hawaii native, is moving east for the first time in his life after going to college in Oregon and playing for the Seahawks. And he admitted in March that he was “bummed” at first when the trade call came “out of left field,” because he had invested so much in one place for so long.

But already last month at a charity golf tournament, Unger insisted, “I’m over all that. It’s done with, I’m here, I’m very happy about it. … Obviously it hit two players, me and Jimmy, by surprise. But we’re in good places. I think I’m going to have a great time down here. I like my teammates. I like the direction we’re going in on offense. And I think we’ve got a heck of an opportunity to throw a lot of points up on the board.”

Unger said more of the same after his first week spent working with his new teammates on the practice field.

“It’s awesome,” Unger said. “Obviously on the offense it’s a pretty veteran group, a lot of success and awesome offense. And it’s cool being a part of it.”