Saints Gab

It looks like Joey Harrington is going to have some issues making the Saints roster:

Joey Harrington said he will focus on doing his job and turn a blind eye to the chance that he might be the odd man out if Coach Sean Payton keeps only two quarterbacks going into the regular season — Drew Brees, the reigning NFL Offensive Player of the Year, and Mark Brunell, a proven veteran who turns 39 in two weeks. Teams must pare their rosters to 53 active players by 3 p.m. Saturday, leaving Saints officials with 22 player moves before the league deadline. “That’s not in my control,” Harrington said when asked to handicap his chances of making the final roster. “Somebody else’s decision is completely out of my control. I don’t bother myself with things that I can’t control anymore. I can’t say that it (being waived) hasn’t crossed my mind. But I don’t waste my time thinking about it.”

With the preseason winding down there are some remaining position battles that are really heating up here are the top ones to watch as we gear up for the regular season. As with every offseason some of these battles can be just as entertaining and competitive as the actual games we watch starting in September and this year is no different.

There is always heartbreak for players such as linebackers Stanley Arneaux and Mark Simoneau who are lost for the season due to injury and there is also moments of joy when unexpected players step up and make a name for themselves in camp such as defensive end Anthony Hargrove, and wide receiver Rod Harper after his 87 yard punt return against the Texans.

Joey Harrington vs. Mark Brunnell
This battle could have the most effect on the overall roster depending on who the winner is, if Brunnell wins and remains the #2 I believe the Saints will keep 3 quarterbacks on the roster due to Brunnell’s age. If Harrington wins it I can see the Saints going with just him and Drew Brees on the 53-man roster opening a spot for someone else at different position. Advantage? Mark Brunnell, Brunnell has looked sharp so far and is on his way to securing the #2 spot behind starter Drew Brees.

Lynell Hamilton vs. Herb Donaldson vs. PJ Hill
This to me is the most exciting battle to watch and at one time this was a 4 way battle for 2 spots but after the Texans game Mike Bell has secured himself the #3 spot leaving 3 players vying for the 4th and final spot on the roster. Hamilton who looked to be the 4th RB lost his grip on the 4th spot after fumbling twice in the preseason opener against the Bengals opening the door for rookies Herb Donaldson and PJ Hill. Advantage? Right now I think Donaldson looks to have the advantage in this battle over Hamilton and Hill after averaging 4.2 ypc so far. I believe Hamilton will get another year on the practice squad and PJ Hill will be the odd man out.

Robert Meachem vs. Devery Henderson
This battle is for the #3 receiver spot behind Marques Colston and Lance Moore looks to be the closest of all the position battles. Robert Meachem has finally looked like he “gets it” and this is the first time he came into camp in proper shape and he has appeared to have a grip on the playbook a lot better giving him a much needed confidence boost. Henderson continues to be a solid deep threat and has improved on his concentration and route running allowing him to be more than just a deep threat. Advantage? For right now it’s too close to tell and this may not be settled until after the season has started. I think in the end Meachem will take the #3 spot and at that point will begin to push Moore for the #2 spot he has all the physical tools you could want in a receiver he just needs to keep focused and he will be fine.

Jonathon Casillas vs. Anthony Waters vs. Troy Evans
This could be a battle for 2-3 spots depending on how other positions affect the roster. Casillas has shown the best speed of the three and both him and Waters seem to be around the ball more often than not, while Evans has either disappeared or just looked lost on defense. Advantage? Casillas and Waters are running really close with Casillas having a slight advantage both are players I wrote about early on that could be pleasant surprises during and camp and both are working on living up to my early predictions.

Like every year there is always excitement about a new season and what the new faces can bring to the team this year. This year though stands out with a different feeling to me than in the previous two and feels much more competitive like the 2006 camp and offseason. Competition almost always brings out the best in people and we finally have that competitive atmosphere back. The Saints seem to be finally geared up to return to the playoffs.

There’s lots of talk about the Saints backup QB spot, and Pro Football Weekly reports that it looks as if Mark Brunell is going to end up ahead of Joey Harrington when the battle will finally play out:

Saints head coach Sean Payton recently made a few ears perk up when he said Joey Harrington is pushing Mark Brunell to become Drew Brees’ primary backup, but sources in New Orleans say Brunell is expected to retain his spot at No. 2 on the depth chart.

For the limited amount of time that OTAs and minicamp were open to the media, observers said Harrington was holding on to the ball too long, a problem that has followed him throughout his career, and some say he appeared to be regressing. Brunell, who will turn 39 in September, is an elder statesman but still would be the likely starter if Brees had to miss a game or two.

The New Orleans Saints have one of, if not the best QB in the league in Drew Brees. While that much is fact, who is going to be Brees’ backup for the 2009 season is very much still up in the air. The News Star reports that the battle for the backup job appears to be coming down to two veteran guys – Mark Brunell and Joey Harrington.

“Those two are going to compete for that position, much like most of these jobs,” coach Sean Payton said about Brunell and Harrington. Harrington was the third-string QB most of 2008, but is looking to come in and unseat the veteran Brunell, who has also played with the Packers, Jaguars and Redskins.

“I feel good because we have experience there,” Payton said. “We have a relatively young player in Harrington and I do think we’ll have competition at that (No. 2) spot. With just three on the roster now, that will afford us an opportunity to give those guys plenty of reps in training camp, especially in the preseason games.”

Harrington played with the Falcons in 2007, and the former first-round pick also has played for the Lions and Dolphins.

When it comes to the backup QB spot for the Saints, Pro Football Weekly reports that Mark Brunell is the leader right now for the position over Joey Harrington. Here’s the report:

Sources say Mark Brunell is still ahead of Joey Harrington on the Saints’ depth chart at quarterback. New Orleans re-signed Harrington in late March, but head coach Sean Payton still has more confidence in Brunell, should he need to go to a backup if Drew Brees were to suffer an injury that kept him out for a few games. Word is the Saints view Brunell as a near-perfect fit as a primary backup — he doesn’t have great arm strength, but he is known as a sound decision maker, which is a trait Payton values.

The Saints back and forth game with backup QB Joey Harrington took another turn today, as the team again re-signed him. Harrington had been an unrestricted free agent after serving as New Orleans’ third quarterback for 12 games last season. But the Saints had said all along they wanted Harrington back and were just waiting until there was room under the salary cap. The Saints are set with Drew Brees, who threw for more than 5,000 yards last season, as the starter. But top backup Mark Brunell will turn 39 in September.

The short tenure of Joey Harrington as a QB for the New Orleans Saints is over. Harrington, who joined the team as their third QB just last week, was released on Wednesday. The team released Harrington to sign TE Sean Ryan, who caught nine total passes from 2006-07 with the New York Jets. Ryan was brought in to take the spot of Jeremy Shockey, who is out for the next 3-6 weeks. Ryan did play a game this year with Miami, but didn’t have a catch. Harrington last season for the Falcons threw for 2,215 yards, seven touchdowns and eight interceptions in 12 games, including 10 starts.

The Saints made a roster move today, bringing in QB Joey Harrington to be the teams 3rd QB.  The move means that Drew Brees is the one, Mark Brunell the two, and now Harrington the three.  He appeared in 12 games for the Falcons, completing nearly 62 percent of his passes for 2,215 yards, seven touchdowns and eight interceptions.  The team made room for Harrington by waiving defensive tackle Alvin McKinley.