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Usually, when a player on an NFL team gives up his number for another player, money or some other thing of value changes hands. With safety Roman Harper returning to the Saints, he’s getting his number back without giving anything up for it.

Via Mike Triplett of ESPN.com, Alden Darby gave Harper No. 41 — and Darby refused compensation for it.

“I said, ‘You’re Roman Harper,’” Darby said, adding that he would have given Harper the number back even if he hadn’t asked for it.

Darby, who was on the practice squad and frankly may not have been around to wear No. 41 or any other number, will wear No. 42 instead.

Meanwhile, Harper sees symmetry in both his departure and his return.

“When I was out of here, everyone was happy,” Harper said, pointing to the fact that he was criticized for lapses in pass defense. “And now I’m back, and everyone’s happy.”

Everyone will be even happier if the team plays like it did during Harper’s prior stint with the team. Specifically, like it did in 2009, a season that culminated in the photo accompanying this story.