By:
Jeremy Kenady
7/28/08
With training camp
underway in Jackson, Mississippi, the Saints are putting the
pads on, gearing up and preparing for a new season. Now, is the
best time to reflect on this past off-season, and what Saints
fans will be looking at, and for, in the 2008 season.
There are some new faces
joining the Saints this year. Among those, stand-out linebacker
Jonathan Vilma from the New York Jets, defensive end Bobby
McCray from the Jacksonville Jaguars, defensive tackle and first
round pick Sedrick Ellis, and the newest player, Jeremy Shockey,
tight end from the New York Giants.
Offensively, Shockey will
help jolt the team with his emotions and competitive play. He
should be the motivation the offense needs that hasn't been
present since offensive tackle Kyle Turley left the team several
years ago. Shockey has worked with head coach Sean Payton
before while in New York and look to rekindle the chemistry they
had together; which ultimately led to Jeremy Shockey being one
of the best young offensive players in the league back in
2002-03. Shockey had come under criticism in New York, as he
became frequent to shouting at teammates and the coaching
staff. "The last thing I wanted is to go back to the Giants"
Shockey said after his first day of training camp, "if I went
back, no matter what, it would have been a circus." Throughout
this drama, though, Shockey looks to better his image while in
New Orleans. Teammates are excited to have him on the team and
rave about his skills and what he brings to the team as a
whole. Other offensive movements include the addition of
veteran quarterback Mark Brunell from the Redskins. He will
play back-up to Drew Brees this season. The rookie to watch is
wide receiver Adrian Arrington from Michigan. Coaches have
mentioned he has shown potential. Arrington could possibly be a
diamond-in-the-rough player, as was star receiver Marques
Colston.
Defensively, the Saints
have made notable improvements to solidify the unit with great
additions, both talented and experienced. The best addition may
be rookie defensive tackle Sedrick Ellis from USC, who brings
raw talent and presence to the defensive line. The other great
addition would be linebacker Jonathan Vilma. The former first
round pick has been hampered by injury, but the Saints still
feel he is valuable enough to deserve a great contract and a
starting position. This move may turn out to be one of the
greatest moves in Saints history. Dan Morgan was an addition,
but retired due to concussions and frequent injuries throughout
his career. New Orleans has other additions, though, that help
heal the quick loss of Morgan. Cornerback Randall Gay, a former
New England Patriot, has been to Super Bowls and has played with
great veteran players; he is a decent addition to the
secondary. Another defensive back added is the very talented
and wise Aaron Glenn, and although he has lost a step, he can
still make plays happen. Bobby McCray will help keep Will Smith
and Charles Grant and the rest of the defensive line fresh as
the Saints rotate lineman to help maintain pressure on
opponents' quarterbacks.
How these players, old and
new, mesh together has yet to be seen. The first action they
will see will be August 7th when they visit the
Cardinals (the game will be broadcasted on ESPN). The first
regular season game will be September 7th when the
Buccaneers come into town.
Note: Training Camp times
and locations can be found at the official New Orleans Saints
website.
5/14/08
The New Orleans Saints knew who they
wanted to get from the beginning. They found a way to get players
who could improve the team and found players who could generally
secure certain areas of doubt on the team. Here is my breakdown of
the Saints' draft.
Round 1 Pick 7 (7th
Overall) (from Patriots)
DT Sedrick Ellis (Southern
California) 6'1" 305 lbs.
The Saints traded up in the first round
to number seven to upgrade their D-line with Ellis rather than
staying at the tenth spot. Ellis is a great disruptive force who
can force plays a different direction. He should be prepared to
start on day 1, as he played for an upper-echelon organization. He
is quick on his feet, smart, and has terrific instincts and
technique. A strong, aggressive student of the game, he should be a
great player down in the bayou for many years.
Round 2 Pick Pick 9 (40th
Overall)
CB Tracy Porter (Indiana) 5'11" 185
lbs.
Tracy Porter was selected to add youth
and security to an aging secondary. Not a great tackler; not
many corners are. A hometown kid from Port Allen, LA, Porter is
known for his ball-hawking skills and was a team captain in
college. A former basketball player, quarterback, running back and
wide receiver, he also possesses terrific speed. He improved his
skills against the run his senior season and should continue to do
so in the pros. Look for Porter to compete heavily for the nickel
job, as he may receive the title early in training camp.
Round 5 Pick 9 (144th
Overall) (from Lions)
DL DeMarrio Pressley (North Carolina
State) 6'3" 301 lbs.
Another defensive lineman with great
potential out of North Carolina State such as Mario Williams and
Manny Lawson, Pressley is a great athlete with speed and quickness
above average for his size (6'1" 301 lbs). He played defensive end
in college but is expected to move inside for New Orleans. Explodes
off the line with tenacity and has a mean-streak. Pressley allows
the Saints to be more flexible with their D-line by providing
quality depth. He shouldn't be starting during any games, but he
should get some reps as the team swaps lineman in-and-out with their
newly found abundance of lineman.
Round 5 Pick 29 (164th
Overall) (from Patriots)
OL Carl Nicks (Nebraska) 6'5" 341
lbs.
A huge offensive lineman, who has the
flexibility to play at tackle or guard. Has had some off-the-field
issues that hurt his stock, but the Saints and coach Payton believe
Nicks can put those days behind him. Uses his size to dominate
smaller defensive lineman and has terrific strength and burst off
the line. He also has quicker feet than most would expect. Look
for Nicks to provide solid depth, or possibly challenge for a
starting spot. He is a great addition here in the fifth round.
Round 6 Pick 12 (178th
Overall)
K Taylor Mehlhaff (Wisconsin) 5'10"
185 lbs.
A left-footed kicker, Mehlhaff has
shown he can be consistent while at Wisconsin. Has decent leg
strength, but hasn't proved he is capable of making the longer kicks
(45+) that is a necessity of an NFL kicker. Despite not having
great leg strength, he was one-half of what experts have called "the
best kicking tandem in college" while a Badger. He is the
second-highest scoring player in Wisconsin history and set an
all-time school record of 145 of 148 extra point attempts throughout
his collegiate career. With Olindo Mare gone, he should compete
with Martin Gramatica for the starting job.
Round 7 Pick 30 (237th
Overall) (from Packers)
WR Adrian Arrington (Michigan) 6'3"
203 lbs.
An outstanding athlete and receiver
that was over-shadowed by Mario Manningham at Michigan. Possesses
great hands but is a step slow in the speed department but is a
dependable receiver. Suffered a hamstring injury that hurt his
stock, which makes him a great bargain here in the seventh round.
Has great size and should make the roster as a fifth or sixth
wideout if he puts his off-season issues behind him.
Final Analysis:
The Saints added players who fit their
system and their organization. Most of their picks weren't
necessarily for need, but to add players who can add depth. The
Saints looked to be a sure bet to be in the playoffs this time last
season, but things fell apart, injuries occurred; it was a mess.
Now the Saints look to add elements to a team that looks very
similar to the team people predicted to go into the playoffs. With
rumors that the Saints may be interested in tight end Jeremy Shockey
from the Giants and running back Shaun Alexander, the former
Seahawk, it only goes to ensure that the team is serious about
rebounding from a dismal season in 2007. They want and need players
who are willing to step up and make things happen. This far into
the off-season, it looks as if they've done just that. My Draft
Grade: A-
4/16/08
As the 2008 NFL Draft is quickly approaching, the New
Orleans Saints are looking to further their off-season glamour by
focusing on this draft and what players could help them rebound from
a season that fell short of expectations.
The main issue needing to be addressed is defense.
In 2007, the Saints were ranked 25th in the league
allowing 24.2 pts per game; a number that the offense failed to
match. Linebacker is the main concern for the defense as they
shuffled through linebackers Scott Fujita, Mark Simoneau, Brian
Simmons, and Scott Shanle; none of which really made a great
impact. This is evident as the team made it a priority to upgrade
the position by adding LB Dan Morgan from the Panthers and LB
Jonathan Vilma from the New York Jets. Both Morgan and Vilma have
been plagued by injuries which still warrants some concern, but are
both terrific talents and former 1st round draft picks.
With a first round pick, the Saints would be more than happy if LB
Keith Rivers of USC were to fall into their hands at No.10, but some
predictions have him off the board by the time the Saints are on the
clock. Rivers is a great physical player who could step into a
starting role and would need minimal time to develop. He would
solidify their linebacking unit, making it the strength of the
defense for the first time in a long while.
The other problem regarding the defense is at
cornerback. Mike McKenzie is a very solid player, but will be
turning 32 on draft day causing some people to wonder how much
longer will he don the Black & Gold. Behind McKenzie is Jason
David. David would be better fit as a nickel back, rather than a
starter, which once again requires the team to think twice about
their options at corner. The backups to McKenzie and David are
fairly suspect; more career backups than potential starters. In the
first round, the Saints may take a corner such as Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie
of Tennessee State. Comartie, the cousin of San Diego Charger
standout Antonio Cromartie, would be a great selection and will most
likely be available at the 10th spot. He is aggressive
and has flashed game-changing potential while in college. Another
player they may take is Leodis McKelvin of Troy, that is, if he is
still available which is not a great possibility.
The defensive line needs to be addressed as well, but
the best talents in the first round, Glenn Dorsey of LSU and Sedrick
Ellis of USC, will both have been selected so a later round pick
will be used to fill this need. In the second round, the Saints
could opt to go with Joseph "Red" Bryant of Texas A&M, Trevor Laws
of Notre Dame, or Dre Moore of Maryland. Any of which could fill
this need.
Tight End is the lone need on offense that stands
out. The team re-signed Eric Johnson and Billy Miller which demotes
this need a little, but still needs to be addressed. I see the
Saints picking TE Jermichael Finley of Texas in the fifth round. He
was skilled and productive at Texas, which may have a team looking
to draft him before the 5th round. Either way, look for
the Saints to draft a tight end in the later rounds.
Here are the top needs going into the draft for the
Saints:
1.) Cornerback
2.) Linebacker
3.) Tight End
4.) Center
5.) Right Guard
The current off-season transactions are as follows:
+CB Aaron Glenn from Jacksonville
+OG Matt Lehr from Tampa Bay
+QB Mark Brunell from Washington
- S Steve Gleason Retired
+LB Dan Morgan from Carolina
+DE Bobby McCray from Jacksonville
+CB Randall Gay from New England
- LB Brian Simmons
- K Olindo Mare
With this said, the Saints are ready to add to a team
that already is starting to look like a playoff-bound team.
