Saints Gab

Linebackers Coleman and Maxwell are long shots to make the team. More than likely they will be lucky to make the practice squad. Pro-bowler Jonathan Vilma is the quarterback of the entire defense, so his middle linebacker spot is solid. Marvin Mitchell and Jo-Lonn Dunbar have been trading off as his backup. So it will probably be Shanle, Ingram, Arnoux, Casillas as the four OLB, with two of them starting and Vilma and either Mitchell or Dunbar as backups, maybe both. Where does that leave the rookies? Nowhere. X mark for both Coleman and Maxwell.

Junior Galette and Brandon Sharpe are long shots at DE, but not without possibilities. Will Smith is the starting right DE. There is no doubt. Charles Grant, who was the starting left DE, is gone. Grant was talented, but un-motivated and injury prone. Grant ended the season on IR and they released him after the season. Because of that, the Saints signed two veterans, Alex Brown and Jimmy Wilkerson in free agency, but let Bobby McCray go to save money.

You can pencil in Alex Brown as the starter. He was only let go by the Chicago Bears to make room for Julius Peppers, who was signed to a huge contract to be the starter there. That doesn’t mean that Brown, nor Wilkerson should not be worried about the rookies Brandon Sharpe and Junior Galette. Galette was singled out by Sean Payton in OTAs as showing promise.

The Saints will probably keep four pure defensive ends at most and may be more interested in speed DEs who can also stand up and play outside linebacker in the 3-4. Gregg Williams likes to mix up formations and played the 3-4 more often than most would have expected in 2009. With that in mind, Junior Galette (258 lbs) and Brandon Sharpe (254 lbs) could be more versatile in those schemes than Jeff Charleston (265 lbs) and Alex Brown (260 lbs). There’s not much difference, but a few pounds and some speed could be the difference between a covered TE or RB and a touchdown by an opponent.

Don’t be surprised if Galette makes the team and plays a lot of snaps. It’s pretty clear that Gregg Williams is looking to get leaner and faster at DE, so that they are able to stand them up for a 3-4. Expect Brown and Smith to make the team, and a free for all at the two or three (one makes it as a linebacker?) remaining spots. Going out on a limb here, check mark for Galette and X for Sharpe.

Clint Gresham will be competing with only Jason Kyle at long snapper. Long Snapper is not a position that teams play around with. Even though Kyle is 38, he could hang on for a few more years. Gresham does have a good shot if he is incredibly consistent and shines bright in camp and pre-season. The Saints will only keep one long snapper, so Gresham will either start or not make the team. If he shows promise but not enough, he’ll be put on the practice squad. The Saints didn’t really want Kyle, but had a debacle off the field with Kevin Houser and needed a trustworthy player in a pinch to carry them through 2009. Question mark for Gresham, with a chance to start.

Chris Ivory is at a position the Saints have shown an aptitude to develop undrafted players at. Last year the Saints rotated Pierre Thomas (originally an UDFA), Mike Bell and Reggie Bush as starting running backs. Lynell Hamilton (another UDFA originally) was the backup 4th RB on the roster. With Mike Bell gone to the Eagles, the Saints have an opening in the rotation. That spot will likely be filled by either Lynell Hamilton or PJ Hill (yet another developing UDFA). Chris Ivory’s best shot to make the team is probably as the backup to the rotation, mostly for short yardage situations. Hamilton is bigger than Ivory, but wasn’t that much more effective than Pierre Thomas on short yardage. If Ivory shows a nose for getting that tough extra yard, he’s got a shot. Unless Ivory blows the doors off though, expect him to end up on the practice squad. X mark for Ivory.

So let’s look at that list again with our best guess at x and check marks:

Check 1st round:  Patrick Robinson – CB
Check 2nd round: Charles Brown – OT
Check 3rd round: Jimmy Graham – TE
? 4th round:  Al Woods – DT
Check 5th round:  Matt Tenant – C
6th round:  Sean Canfield – QB

UDFAs (in Alphebetical Order):

Montez Billings – WR
Brandon Carter – OG
Harry Coleman – LB
? Junior Galette – LB/DE
? Clint Gresham – LS
Chris Ivory – RB
Sam Maxwell – LB
? Jay Ross – DT
Brandon Sharpe – LB/DE
Andy Tanner – WR
Marcell Young – CB

That’s our summary, so bookmark your favorite camp news site, cue up your DVR for pre-season games and watch for these guys in the third and fourth quarters.  They may just surprise you!

(Note:  Since this article was written, Harry Coleman, Sam Maxwell, Brandon Sharpe and Marcell Young have all been waived.  Brandon Sharpe was replaced by Bobby McCray re-signing, making it even harder for Junior Galette.)

The Saints placed starting DE Charles Grant on injured reserve today with a torn triceps tendon. Grant suffered the injury during the second quarter of Sunday’s loss to Carolina.

The DE was having a solid season before the injury, recording 44 tackles and 5.5 sacks on the season. Grant suffered a similar injury last season that caused him to miss the last eight weeks of the season.

Brian McCarthy of the National Football League Public Relations Office is reporting via his Twitter page that New Orleans Saints defensive ends Will Smith and Charles Grant will not be suspended “at this time,” according to commissioner Roger Goodell. “Goodell: Considerations of fairness, uniform application of our policies, and competitive integrity all support deferring the suspensions.”

The Washington Post reports that a ruling may come down soon on the Saints suspensions:

The league is expected to rule in the next day or two whether it will enforce its four-game suspensions against New Orleans Saints defensive ends Charles Grant and Will Smith for testing positive last year for a banned diuretic. The suspensions have been on hold pending a legal challenge involving Minnesota Vikings defensive tackles Pat Williams and Kevin Williams. The Minnesota laws don’t apply to the Saints players, so the league will have to decide whether to suspend the Saints players while being prevented from enforcing its suspensions of the Vikings players.

One area where people seem to think the Saints need help in 2009 is their defensive line. Pro Football Weekly in their recent Audibles section had the following quote from either an NFL scout, coachor front-office personnel about Saints unit as training camp closes in:

“The Saints’ defensive line is a big question. Charles Grant was on I.R. at the end of the year. I don’t know why he didn’t just serve his suspension then. Are he and Will Smith going to come back from a suspension in good enough shape? There are still questions there. The secondary will be better with Jabari Greer, Tracy Porter coming back and Malcolm Jenkins added to the mix, but I don’t know that the front seven got any better.”

One thing seems for sure, this unit needs to get off to a fast start with a good training camp and preseason in 2009.

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 season is over for Saints starting defensive end Charles Grant, who was placed on IR Monday with a triceps injury. The team moved quickly to replace Grant, by re-signing veteran defensive tackle Hollis Thomas.

“Charles has played a key role for our team since we drafted him six years ago,” GM Mickey Loomis said. “This is obviously a loss for our defense, but injuries are a part of our league and it presents an opportunity for other players to step up and answer the call.”

The 30-year-old Grant had led the team with three sacks through the first eight games this season, and he had recorded 33 tackles, 27 solo and six assists. Thomas started 26 games for the Saints during the past two seasons. Thomas tore his right triceps in preseason and was released after reaching an injury settlement with the Saints, making him a free agent.

The New Orleans Saints began their 42nd season with an impressive win against a division rival, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, giving the city and the fans a big lift as they prepare for the possible arrival of Hurricane Ike. New Orleans provided a show which included the long-awaited debut of TE Jeremy Shockey, three offensive touchdowns (two in the second half), and ending the game by intercepting Tampa QB Jeff Garcia with less than a minute to go.

The Saints began the game with a perfect drive down the field from their 24-yard line, a balanced drive of rushing and passing the ball. Drew Brees (23/32, 343 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT) completed all four pass attempts, the longest a 39-yarder to David Patten resulting in their only touchdown of the first half.

New Orleans struggled the rest of the half and gave Tampa’s defense a touchdown when Brees was intercepted by CB Philip Buchanon who returned the ball 26 yards into the end zone. The Saints had six penalties in the first half for a total of 36 yards, not enough to really cause damage but enough to disrupt the momentum of their drives. DE Charles Grant was able to sack Garcia early in the game, one of the team’s two sacks of the day. The score at the end of the half was Tampa 10, New Orleans 7.

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Charles Grant, who normally lines up as a defensive end, lined up as a defensive tackle in Saints practice yesterday. A formation with Bobby McCray taking his spot at defensive end, rookie first round pick Sedrick Ellis lined up next to Grant at defensive tackle and Will Smith lined up as the other defensive end is the expected line up. The McCray, Grant, Ellis, Smith line up on the d-line would probably be used as a high impact speed rush on passing downs for the Saints.

Grant moving to tackle has been discussed in the media since McCray was acquired, but dance around up until now by the Saints coaching staff. Normally a defensive end weighs around 260 or 270 lbs, but Grant is a rare d-end that can rush the to the quarterback from the edge even at that heavier weight. Grant is one of the heavier ends in the league, weighing closer to 300 lbs.

For the past several years the Saints defense has been the point of most concern…A far cry from the 90’s when the defense was so dominant. For the most part, the offense has carried the team the past two years and was not able to overcome all the big plays the defense allowed throughout the ‘07 season. Some feel this was largely due to the early losses of Deuce McAllister and Mark Campbell (two significant pieces of our run success in 2006). Regardless if this was the case or not, the Defense has to step up in 08.

A lot of speculation has occurred on whether the free agency and draft moves this year were enough to take our defense from the depths. I personally am an optimist, and believe that the defense will be much better this year; and possibly win us some games instead of lose them for us. I compiled a list of things that I think would definitely help our defense out this year.

1. Charles Grant and Will Smith must play up to their contracts.
2. Whoever wins the weakside linebacker spot just needs to keep up with the other studs Fujita and Vilma.
3. Someone needs to step up and play well as a solid number two corner.
4. Josh Bullocks needs to be the centerfielder he was known as at Nebraska in 2004.

Now before you jump to conclusions, let me explain the list.

Charles Grant and Will Smith are great DE’s and I believe they have the skill to be one of the top tandems in the league, if not the best. The only problem is now that they have the fat contracts, will they have the drive to be great. Last year, Grant showed signs of complacency by playing at a heavier weight; however, has come back a little thinner this year. With the addition of top draft pick Sedrick Ellis, I believe they will be hungry and not want to be shown up by the “rookie”.

The player that wins the weakside linebacker spot will not have the spotlight on him, but will need to be a key contributor. As the “Dome Patrol” showed, a superior linebacking corp can really dictate what an offense does. This could give Sean Payton and Gary Gibbs more options to be creative with the play calling, which most people feel is their strong point. So if someone can step up and play well at linebacker, we could be in for a real treat.

Whether it’s Jason David, Tracy Porter, Randall Gay or Usama Young, we need a long term answer for the #2 starting corner. I didn’t forget about Aaron Glen, but he is not a long term answer for our secondary. Aaron should be key in bringing the knowledge and experience it takes to groom young talent at the corner position. Only time will tell who will win the number two spot, but I hope that it’s whoever plays the best. Some say Jason David is currently the starter, but I believe that it will be tough spot for him to hold onto with other talented young corners breathing down his neck. If he does well during camp, Porter is poised to steal the number two spot from David. If Porter can somehow break through as a rookie and if McKenzie can come back 100% from injury, then we will be in great shape at the corner position.

Josh Bullocks came out of Nebraska known for his ability to cover the field. However as a Saint, his strength has been his tackling. Unfortunately, he has been noticeably weak on his play recognition and ability to be in the right place at the right time. It’s not that Bullocks does not have the talent to be a solid Free Safety, the question is if he can learn to be one.

In my opinion, if these four things happen, our defense will be poised to be in the top half of the league if not better. My hope is that with an improved defense, we will have the balance needed to make a run to the playoffs, if not to the Superbowl!