Saints Gab

1. Robert Meachem; after missing his rookie season and spending a good part of his 2nd season in Coach Payton’s doghouse Meachem looks to be poised for a breakout year in 2009. Reports are he has been working with a personal trainer all offseason and is in incredible shape. The biggest sign though is that he has learned the playbook and his confidence is soaring now. If all this is true then Meachem could make a push to be the teams #2 receiver giving us a great deep threat to line up across from Colston.

2. Adrian Arrington; After turning heads in camp last year Arrington ended up on IR after having an injury during the preseason. Coaches were impressed by how quickly he picked up the playbook along with his route running and hands. Arrington is a tall physical possession type receiver who could make a big impact if he continues to develop.

3. Herb Donaldson; This is a guy who demolished division I-AA and even put up good numbers against I-A teams such as Arkansas and Wisconsin. Look for Donaldson to not only make the squad but become the 3rd RB in the rotation. Donaldson has a bruising downhill style of running that the team needs. His knock was he didn‘t run good outside and wasn’t a great receiver, but after watching tape of him I find that to be in error, he can run to the outside has good hands to make the catch in the flat, not only that when he gets to the second level he can flat out run over defensive backs.

4. Sedrick Ellis; I know some of you are scratching your heads thinking Ellis, but we saw last year was barely scratching the surface of his potential. Ellis will take the step from solid to dominant this year. Ellis will be bringing up talk of the probowl this year.

5. DeMario Pressley; here is a guy like Arrington who missed his rookie season due to an injury, Pressley has as much ability as Ellis but has been hampered with injuries throughout his college career. None of his injuries were serious enough to cause worry they were just nagging and he was never given the time to completely recover from them. The Saints decided to put him on IR after suffering a fractured foot in camp last year I believe this move was more to let him spend the year finally getting healthy than simply because of the fracture, which would have been a 6-8 weeks recovery. Now that Pressley is 100% healthy look for him to make his presence known, he may even be starting before the season is over.

6. Anthony Waters; this is a no risk-high reward signing the Saints made. Waters missed his rookie season while recovering from an injury and was troubled with it in his 2nd year also, which limited his playing time. Waters has a good mix of size and speed and was dominant before he went down with a knee injury his senior year. Look for him to make a push for the backup spot behind Jonathan Vilma and become a key special teams contributor.

7 .Tracy Porter; like Sedrick Ellis we only got to see a glimpse of the surface of what he is capable of. After suffering a season ending injury in week 5 look for Porter to come out of the gate hard. He will quickly become the shutdown cover cornerback we need.

8. Chip Vaughn; a 4th round pick, Vaughn has the size and athleticism to be dominant in the NFL, he was over shadowed playing with Aaron Curry but he will be given the chance to shine here and I fully expect him to take advantage of it. He was ranked as the 3rd best safety in the draft by the Saints and as high as a 2nd rounder by some scouting services.

Former Saints RB Deuce McAllister is still looking for a new home to continue his NFL career. One place that could be a spot for him is the Gateway City – St.Louis. The long time Saints back that was released this past offseason told WXOS in St.Louis that he wouldn’t have any issues coming in and getting an opportunity to earn a roster spot with the Rams.

“Definitely sounds like a pretty good fit. Just looking at some of the things they’re trying to do in St. Louis, you have to definitely look at it but at the same time there has to be interest not only on the team side but the player side and it’s definitely there on my side.

“One of the things that’s going to happen is everybody’s going to get a fresh chance in St. Louis just because of the new regime that’s in there. Guys are going to go out there and they’re going to play hard and they’re going to play basically for positions. You have to respect it. Everyone’s at a clean slate.”

McAllister last season ran for 418 yards and five scores for the Saints, one season after having a season ending injury that kept him out of 13 of the 16 games. The Rams already have Steven Jackson, but it never hurts to add a quality backup like McAllister.

The Saints have signed receiver Paris Warren, a former seventh-round draft pick by Tampa Bay.
He showed promise with the Buccaneers before dislocating his left ankle while making a game-winning touchdown catch in the last preseason game of 2007.

Prior to the injury, Warren, now 26, appeared to have locked up a roster spot with the Buccaneers. He had seven receptions for 110 yards and two touchdowns in that final preseason game. Warren was drafted out of Utah in 2005. He played in eight games in 2006, catching five passes for 63 yards.

To make room for Warren on the roster, the Saints waived guard Shawn Flanagan.

In this installment we will take a look at the secondary. For the first time it what seems like forever I am excited about the secondary.

Cornerback looks a lot different than this time last year. Gone is fan favorite Mike McKenzie and Aaron Glenn, they have been replaced by free agent signing Jabari Greer and our first round pick Malcolm Jenkins.

Promising Tracy Porter is also back after missing 11 games last season due to a dislocated wrist, he should be back pushing for a starting job in his second season. Randall Gay and Leigh Torrence who has played for Greg Williams are also back.

The best thing about this group this year appears to be versatility. Porter and Greer are our burners and Jenkins and Gay are the more physical corners, thus giving the Saints and Williams the ability to match up better depending on the opponent.

Tracy Porter showed a lot last season winning the starting job as a rookie and was improving each game until he was lost for the season. Jabari Greer who I expect to be the other starter this year was signed away from the Buffalo Bills, original and undratfed rookie out of Tennessee he won the starting job and was even able to hold off Bills first round pick Leodis McKelvin last year. Like Porter, Greer has blazing speed and the two of them should be able to stay with even the fastest of receivers.

Randall Gay was signed last year from the Patriots and was a solid and steady performer as not only the nickelback but as the starter when he has to take over due to injuries. The LSU product should again go back to his spot as the nickelback and occasional starter depending on the match-up needs.

Malcolm Jenkins whom the Saints drafted in the first round will start off in camp as the number four corner, but he has the ability to move up the depth chart very quickly. Jenkins is a big corner 6-1 202 that plays a more physical style of coverage much like former Saint, Mike McKenzie.

The 5th corner is Leigh Torrence, who was picked up mid season after being cut by the Redskins, Torrence is familiar with Greg Williams, when Williams had a stint in Washington. He is more of a special teams player but can come in when needed at cornerback.

Look for Greer and Porter to be the starters, with Gay and Jenkins being in the rotation and Torrence being the 5th corner; Jason David right now looks to be the odd man out. If the Saints need someone to come in as a 6th corner they always have Usama Young who can fill that role.

Safety is by far a much-improved position over last even if right now it’s only on paper. One major change is there is no longer strong and free safety designations now there are simply safeties. Gone is the horrendous duo of Kevin Kaesviharn and Josh Bullocks.

The replacements are veteran Darren Sharper and Pierson Prioleau, Shaprer is the active NFL leader in interceptions and Williams is familiar with Prioleau with his time in Jacksonville. Payton and Williams didn’t stop here either they moved cornerback Usama Young to safety and drafted Chip Vaughn in the 4th round. Roman Harper should get back on track now that he has some talent around him. Chris Reis is the current backup at safety.

The addition of Sharper was a great move by the staff, while he is past his prime he brings a wealth of experience and leadership to the secondary and will be a coach on the field and unlike his predecessors he is not a liability on the field.

Usama Young looks to be the number 2 guy here once he gets a feel for the position. He has a great size and speed combination plus isn’t afraid to hit and has an aggressiveness needed to succeed at the position.

Pierson Prioleau looks to be more of an insurance signing at this point, but should make the initial 53-man roster as Young continues to develop.

Chip Vaughn our 4th round pick could end up being a steal a big safety 6-2 221, he has the size and athleticism to become and contributor and even make an impact.

The projected lineup at safety looks to be Sharper and Harper as the starters with Prioleau, Young and Vaughn being in the rotation and Chris Reis being the odd man up.

On paper this looks like the best secondary we have had in a long time if not ever, this is a group worthy of getting excited about.

The Times-Picayune reports that the Saints are putting all-time kicking great Morten Anderson into their Hall of Fame. Here is the story:

If the shoes fits, wear it, so on Tuesday the NFL’s pre-eminent kicker, Morten Andersen, was unanimously elected into the Saints Hall of Fame. For Andersen, 48, the Saints Hall is expected to be the first step along the road to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.

In part 3 we will take a look at the linebackers. Next will be the secondary.

Last year we found our defensive leader when the Saints traded for Jonathan Vilma, and the Saints were very smart to sign him to a 4 year deal to keep him around.

Middle Linebacker: Vilma is our unquestioned starter here, and was our team leader in tackles in 2008 and played every defensive snap.

Behind Vilma come the battle, Marvin Mitchell is the incumbent here but he only got to see the field last year on special teams. Mitchell is big, 247 pounds and strong but his detriment is his speed he runs more like a defensive end than a linebacker does. A possibility could be moving over to the strongside if he gets beat out for the backup job at MLB.

Mark Simoneau who was our starter in 2006-07 is returning off the IR but don’t look for him to have an easy road for a roster spot. He is a good locker room guy and leader but only a marginal player and being on the wrong side of 30 means there is no upside for him. Barring an injury he will most likely be a pre season cut because of the upside of the younger linebackers we have.

Anthony Waters was also signed and is one of those low risk high-reward type of guys. He is the 2nd most physically talented MLB behind Vilma and is only entering his 3rd year. Originally a 3rd round pick by San Diego, Waters missed his rookie season while rehabbing an injury that he struggled with into his 2nd year. He has the talent but the biggest question is can he stay healthy? If he can make the coaching staff confident he is and can stay healthy he should win the job as the #2 behind Vilma

Weakside Linebacker has been an area of some debate, we have returning 3 year starter in Scott Shanle and while he is a smart, heady overachieving player he lacks the pure athleticism need to cover tight ends and running backs. If you are one of those guys who wants to see him replaced you may be in luck this year.

Dan Morgan is the guy I believe will be our starter when the season begins, a former 1st round pick and prowler with the Carolina Panthers, Morgan has been beset by numerous concussions over his career but when healthy he is one of the best in the league. He has spent his career playing the middle but will be moved to the weakside here which should benefit both him and the team. He will no longer been taking on tackles and blockers head on but will be doing it more in pursuit, he will be ok so rest assured Saints fans.

JoLonn Dunbar is an undrafted rookie who impressed last year with his special teams play and hard hits, Dunbar played both outside spots last year as a reserve but should be focused more on the weakside this year. He is an under-sized player who makes up for it with his aggressiveness and intelligence.

The one guy not to overlook here is undrafted rookie Jonathon Casillas, a very athletic linebacker out of Wisconsin. Casillas was projected as high as a 4th round prospect but slid and didn’t get drafted mostly because he was rehabbing surgery to correct an MCL sprain he played his senior year. He was unable to participate in the combine or Wisconsin’s proday, which is a huge benefit to the Saints being able to get him. Casillas is undersized at 6-2 226 but makes up for it with his speed and agility. He has been reported to run an unofficial 4.41 at Wisconsin and he has the agility to cover tight ends and running backs very effectively the other thing going for him is a lot of scouts and personnel men believe he could make the transition to strong safety as well.

Strongside Linebacker could also see some changes. Scott Fujita is the starter and one of the team leaders but don’t expect to see his backup Troy Evans make the final 53 man roster this year since he only provides depth on special teams. Instead look for Scott Shanle or Marvin Mitchell to be tried out here and maybe even both. If this happens I will give the edge to Shanle because of his experience and a platoon of Shanle and Fujita would help keep them both fresh down the stretch when we are fighting for a playoff spot.

While the Saints were unable to bring in another impact linebacker they have brought in competition and it could spawn our next impact player, which looks to be Dan Morgan at WLB.

Here is how I think the LB depth could look come season start

SLB Scott Fujita, Scott Shanle
MLB Jonathon Vilma, Anthony Waters
WLB Dan Morgan, JoLonn Dunbar, Jonathan Casillas (if the Saints carry a 7th LB)

Over this and the next 2 installments I will break down my thoughts on the defense, area by area starting with the defensive line then I will follow up with the linebackers and secondary over the next 2 articles.

Last year our defensive line came under a lot of criticism and still is because of the lack of a pass rush, but the ones who are saying these things are taking a narrow view of the subject. So let’s take a broader view of the defensive line here.

Defensive Ends: This group was disappointing last year but there were a few factors that attributed to this. First were injuries, Will Smith played the year with a sports hernia and this was a major hindrance for him, but look for him to be back 100% as he had this corrected and is almost fully recovered from it. I expect Smith to end up somewhere around 10-12 sacks this year pending him and Grant win their appeal over the star caps debacle.

Charles Grant was actually having a solid season before he went down mid season with a triceps tear look for him to be back to 100% also. Looks for Grant to be in the neighborhood of 6-8 sacks this year and continue to be strong against the run.

Now throw in our sack specialist Bobby McCray who had 6 sacks last year and Jeff Charleston who was a very pleasant surprise totaling 4 sacks as our 4th DE. McCray a very athletic and fast DE should benefit from the changes this year and look for him to be in that 8-10 sack range. Charleston may actually have a battle for a roster spot on his hands with a few new comers.

One of these is a returning face to the team in Rob Ninckovich who was originally drafted by us in the 5th round of 2006 but spent the past 2 years with the Dolphins after being claimed off waivers in 2007. The staff really likes his potential as another pass rushing specialist who is extremely aggressive and quick.. Another is 10 year veteran Paul Spicer with whom Greg Williams has some experience with; Spicer is a versatile player who can play either defensive or defensive tackle. Look for Spicer’s versatility to keep him around as the 9th defensive lineman.

Others on the roster are Josh Savage who has spent most of his career as a practice squad player and undrafted free agent Jeremy Parnell who played 4 years of basketball but only 1 year of football at the collegiate level.

Defensive Tackles: This is an area of some concern, not because of lack of talent but lack of depth. Back are returning starters Sedrick Ellis who had a very solid rookie season and the underrated Kendrick Clancy. Look for these two to start the season and have very productive years. Expect Ellis to have 4-6 sacks and Clancy will be the primary run stuffer.

Behind them in depth we have acquired free agent Rod Coleman who under Johnson in Atlanta was the NFL’s sack leader at the defensive tackle position. Coleman who spent 2008 off the field rehabbing an injury now comes into camp at a 100% recovered. The biggest question mark will be how fast he can shake off the rust and will he stay healthy, if he does he will provide a quality backup plus be a mentor to our younger tackles.

DeMario Pressley is our 4th defensive tackle after spending his rookie season on the IR list, looks to make an impact this year. Once a top recruit out of high school he struggled in college with injuries, while none were major they were nagging and he had trouble shaking them. I believe part of the reason the Saints placed him on IR for a fractured foot (which was a 6 week injury) was not to only recover from the foot injury but to finally get to 100% health and they got their wish Pressley is 100% and we will finally see how talented this kid really is. Look for him to become a solid rotational guy right away.

Remi Ayodele who is our biggest tackle split time last season between the active roster and the practice squad, look for him to return to the practice squad for 2009 and undrafted rookie Earl Heyman looks to be a project at best but most likely will end up being a camp body.

Beyond all this we need to look at the most important factor for 2009 are our new defensive coordinator Greg Williams and defensive line coach Paul Johnson. Gone are Gary Gibbs and his Read and React and Containment Blitz schemes, both of which should go the way of the Prevent Defense and become extinct. Under Gibbs the opposing offenses were allowed to control the tempo but not anymore, Greg Williams will run and aggressive blitzing scheme that controls the tempo of the offense.

The biggest benefit we will have from Williams and Johnson may not even be the new scheme but a new attitude. The defensive players will be motivated better than at anytime under Gibbs and that my fellow Saints fans will make a huge difference.

Here is a look at opening day depth for the defensive line. (this is assuming Smith and Grant win their appeal over the Star Caps suspension)

LDE Charles Grant, Bobby McCray, Paul Spicer
LDT Kendrick Clancy, DeMario Pressley
RDT Sedrick Ellis, Rod Coleman
RDE Will Smith, Jeff Charleston

The Saints have a fan when it comes to expectations for 2009, as SI.com writer Don Banks has thrown it out there that the Saints are headed for…(gulp!) the postseason!

Yes, Banks wrote recently that the Saints will make it to the dance, somewhat based on their very solid offense. Read what he has to say about the Saints below

• New Orleans — When I project the last-place Saints to make the jump to the 2009 playoffs, I’m counting on more than the NFC South’s penchant to reshuffle itself almost each and every season. The defensive improvement I foresaw for New Orleans last season never materialized, as a wave of injuries and the same old propensity to allow the big play doomed Sean Payton’s club to the fate of losing a series of high-scoring games.

But the Saints offense is special (a league-high 463 points), and with six of its eight losses by a combined 18 points, New Orleans was tantalizingly close to winning and winning big. Can’t win big if your defense gives up 24.6 points per game, you say? Tell that to Arizona, which won the NFC despite a defense that allowed 26.6 per game. The Saints hired veteran defensive coordinator Gregg Williams to fix the problem, and I think it’ll be remembered as one of the most pivotal moves of the NFL’s offseason.

The Saints were impressed with a couple players from their weekend minicamp, as today they announced the signing of three of the players. The team officially signed wide receiver Matthew Simon (Northern Illinois), offensive guard Shawn Flanagan (Sioux Falls) and defensive tackle Earl Heyman (Louisville). Along with the additions, the Saints made two subtractions from the roster. Undrafted rookie signees Cedric Dockery, an offensive guard, and Sam McNaulty, an offensive tackle, were cut from the team after the minicamp.