Saints Gab

The Saints today announced that veteran cornerback Mike McKenzie has been released. “Decisions such as these are the hardest to make in this business,” G.M. Mickey Loomis said. “Mike has been a standout performer for the Saints both on and off the field during his career with the Saints. We wish him well in his future and thank him for all of his efforts representing the Saints.”

McKenzie last season had a pick and 22 tackles for the team. He was entering the final year of his contract, at a base salary of $4.45 million. The move, then, frees up $4.45 million in cap space. In 133 career games — 129 starts — between the Saints and Packers, the 32- year-old McKenzie has accumulated 27 interceptions, 141 passes defensed and 516 tackles.

The Saints report that CB Mike McKenzie will have surgery to repair his broken right kneecap and be placed on injured reserve. The Saints have also claimed former Washington Redskins CB Leigh Torrence who was cut last week after the Redskins signed former Oakland CB DeAngelo Hall.

McKenzie has been the starting left cornerback for the Saints since being acquired from the Green Bay Packers in 2004. A 10-year veteran, he has played in 63 games for New Orleans, intercepted 12 passes, made 226 tackles, and forced a fumble. McKenzie will undergo the surgery to repair his kneecap this week. After playing seven games in the 2008 season, McKenzie has 25 tackles, 3 pass defenses, and one interception.

Torrence is in his third year as a pro, having played in 35 regular season games with one start, making 43 tackles on defense and 29 tackles on special teams. So far in the 2008 season, Torrence has played in all nine games, recording 9 tackles as a reserve back and 11 on special teams. Torrence was originally from Stanford University where he was a former sprinter. He went undrafted but was originally signed in 2005 by the Atlanta Falcons and joined Washington in 2006.

Fullback Mike Karney will also be out two to four weeks with a strained medial collateral ligament in his right knee.

Cornerback Mike McKenzie injured his right knee during the Saints’ loss to the Atlanta Falcons and x-rays have shown that his kneecap is fractured. McKenzie plans to visit Birmingham physician, Dr. James Andrews this week to consider his options, which may include surgery to repair the knee. If he chooses surgery, McKenzie would then be put on injured reserve while undergoing rehabilitation.

McKenzie sustained the injury while tackling Atlanta receiver Michael Jenkins, stopping him short of converting a third down and forcing Atlanta to kick a field goal. McKenzie had torn his anterior cruciate ligament in the same knee last year, which may have weakened it.

McKenzie did not come back from the ACL tear until week 3 of the season due to the lengthy rehab process. In seven games, McKenzie has one interception and 25 tackles.

McKenzie would be the 10th Saints player to be put on injured reserve this year. Fellow CB Tracey Porter injured his wrist against Minnesota earlier this season. Options to replace McKenzie in the lineup include Randall Gay, Usama Young, and Jason David.

The Saints will owe McKenzie $4.45 million next year, the final year of his contract.

The New Orleans Saints enter Sundays game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers not knowing if their defense has improved from their dismal performance in 2007, but it will take only 60 minutes to tell Coach Payton, the NFL, and Saints Fans every were the answer.

On paper the Saints have improved in every area but one, the secondary. No one has stepped up and taken CB2 starting position. Mike McKenzie returning from a season ending knee injury in 2007, quietly showed he is ready this preseason, and let every defensive coordinator know not to throw his way!

The other corner back job is still up for grabs, and a regular season audition will continue to take place. Randall Gay, the Saints free agent pick up from the Patriots this off season looks to have the first audition on Sunday. He has shown the same flaws that Jason David has by allowing long completions in all of his preseason appearances, but has the most experience with talent at this point. Rookie Tracy Porter has been good, but still has a lot of learning to do.

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After last week’s poor performance by the Saints’ defense, the team gave its fans reason to hope by holding the Bengals to only 165 yards, 0 touchdowns, 4 sacks, one interception, and one forced fumble. The tradeoff for the team may be the injuries suffered by two major parts of the offense: Marques Colston who was injured in the first half with bruised ribs and Reggie Bush who left with a bruised thigh.

Perhaps the most symbolic of the defense’s efforts was the bloodied nose of Cincinnati’s QB Carson Palmer at the end of the second quarter when he was sacked by safety Kevin Kaesviharn. The Bengals offensive line gave up only 17 sacks last year but the Saints were able to get three in the first half alone.

The starting defense created pressure that made it difficult for Cincinnati to get anything going. The Bengals were only able to get 94 yards in the first half, four first downs, and crossed into Saint’s territory once. CBs Mike McKenzie and Tracy Porter were effective, limiting Carson Palmer’s options. McKenzie, who had just come back from a torn ACL, almost intercepted a pass on the Bengal’s first drive but the ball touched the ground. Porter forced a fumble on the Bengals’ first possession that was recovered by Cincinnati but set the tone for the rest of the night. Newly-acquired DE Bobby McCray and Kaesviharn each had 1.5 sacks.

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There have been allot of questions, the last few months on how much injuries will affect the 2008 season for the New Orleans Saints.

Deuce McAllister is by far a big component of the Saints offense, without a big bruising back coming out of the backfield; the Saints will only have a passing game. It will not take long to find a way to defend against Drew Brees, if Deuce is not in the line up. He has looked good so far, with minor swelling, and all reports have him ready to march in come September.

One of the biggest defensive pickups for the Saints this off season was Jonathan Vilma; he also has been questionable coming off from injury. The success of the Defense weighs heavily on him being on the field.. He has been impressive so far, and his limited reps, should not hinder his ability to step in, and provide the tough leadership the Saints need on the defensive side of the ball.

Mike McKenzie has been slow to return, but looks to be close. The big question for him, will be has he lost a step? The only consolation is the depth the Saints have in proven veterans, and young emerging talent at the corner back position.

If there is one thing the Saints are not lacking, is depth at each position. The battle to make the roster as a special team?s player is going to be tough.

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Some would say that the 2008 season for the New Orleans Saints depends on the health of or more specifically, the return of health for key players. Unfortunately, health has been an issue on both offense and defense. Depending on what happens in the next 6 weeks, could be make or break for New Orleans.

OFFENSE

There are several players on this side of the ball that need to be at, or close to 100% for the Saints to be running full speed. Probably the most important person of this group is Deuce McAllister. Noticeably the biggest difference from 2006 to 2007 was the running game (or lack there of). Most believe that without the threat of an inside run game, the Saints became one dimensional. With all the pressure on Drew Brees and the passing game, the offense was not able to sustain drives which put more pressure on an already porous defense. If Deuce can come back healthy from his ACL tear as he did in 2006, the offense will be much better off than they were last year.

McAllister is not the only key player coming back from a set back last year. Both Reggie Bush and newly acquired Jeremy Shockey are getting ready for a better year in 08. Reggie, having to deal with more carries due to the loss of McAllister, eventually went down himself with 4 games left to play. With several competent backs, Payton should have the opportunity to split time between them to keep legs fresh. Shockey has also been working slowly to get back to form after a broken leg late last year. Jeremy has been told to take it slow for precautionary measures but should be ready to go by the start of the season, and hopefully back to Pro Bowl form as well.

DEFENSE

In my opinion, the defense has less room for error but has a few players hoping to be injury free as well this year. Mike McKenzie was one bright spot for the defense last year with two interceptions returned for touchdowns as well as 52 tackles. These numbers could be even better if he had not gone down with an injury himself in week 16 vs. the Eagles. Luckily for us Saints fans, he has been out on the practice field and is expected to start week 1 vs. Tampa Bay.

Jonathan Vilma may be just as big a piece to the puzzle as McKenzie, relative to his play making ability and leadership. Vilma was brought in via a 4th round pick and conditional pick in 2009, but the Saints believe he is worth much more. Those who have watched practices this training camp have been praising him for his play even during “7 on 7” drills. Vilma claims to not be quite at 100% but is very close, and has been moving around well. He should be a very important part of the defenses success this year.

Now, I know I missed a few players and a few minor injuries, but I pointed out the ones that I felt were most important and have the most impact on the team’s success. Overall, all of these players have been doing well in camp and are on pace to play by game 1 in the Superdome. The 2008 season has the potential to be magical, but may be largely dependant on the health of these key contributors. The offense is just as potent as ever and the defense is much improved. But unless the two come together, it could be a long season. In my opinion, the Saints may just make it longer for anyone in their way.

These notes were taken by James Blake and Jean-Paul Bergeaux while personally attending the Saints Training Camp practices. They are raw scribbles and are not meant to be grammatically correct. They may not be perfectly correct and sometimes may not even make sense to the “casual Saints fan”. With that disclaimer, here we go!
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Some notes as the practice started. Henderson, McKenzie, Porter, Bullocks and Blythe were all in shorts on the sidelines as the players warmed up. Deuce did what I think is his normal trainer stretching on the sidelines to warm up.

*First drill was punt returns with Coach O working the DL on one side and OL and QBs doing snap practice on the other end. Brees was practicing with Goodwin, Brunell with Lehr and Palko with Rob Hunt.

Punt returners were Moore, Green, and Bush with Devery hanging out with them but not dressed, so just listening.

As the players were jogging around, you could hear a coach yelling “Come on David Roach! You ready to be a gunner today?!?!”

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2007 Summary:

Cornerback last year was the most visible position on the Saints defense, in a negative way. After Fred Thomas was burned late in the 2006 season, Jason David came in as the presumptive savoir and the Saints drafted two CBs. One of which, Usama Young, secured a roster on the team. David did indeed start across from Mike McKenzie, but was burned for several highlight reel touchdowns. Young rotated in with Jason Craft and Fred Thomas as the nickel or dime defensive back, but none of the three were spectacular.

2008 Offseason:

During the initial free agency period, the Saints signed two free agents at the cornerback position, neither of which were high-profile signings. Randal Gay was a four year player, but rarely a starter for the New England Patriots. Aaron Glenn is surely on his last legs and is not a savoir at the cornerback position, but has been a great player in the past and has a lot of experience to impart to the Saints younger defensive backs. In the draft, the Saints picked up Tracy Porter in the second round. Fred Thomas was released from the team and is not going to be with the Saints in 2008. Around the time of OTAs, the Saints picked up a couple of other players to compete in training camp as well.

Player summary:

CBs on roster as of today (in the order listed on the Saints website when sorting by position):

Mike McKenzie (34)
Tracy Porter (22)
Jason Craft (21)
Aaron Glenn (31)
Randall Gay (20)
Greg Fassitt (32)
Usama Young (28)
Anwar Phillips (36)
Jason David (42)
Jerametrius Butler (45)

Mike McKenzie:
Jersey Number: 34
School: Memphis
Year: Junior
Drafted: 3rd Round 1999 (Packers)
Experience: 10 years
Height: 6-0
Weight: 194
40-Time: 4.58 (Combine)

There is nothing more you can say about McKenzie except he has been the number one starting CB for the Saints for more than a few years. The prior Saints staff traded for McKenzie in 04’ and it’s been a praised move ever since. McKenzie, however, injured his right knee in week 15 against the Eagles in 07’. He had knee surgery soon after and has been in intense rehab trying to prepare for 08’.

According to McKenzie, he is on schedule to report to training camp at full speed. If so, that is a very fast recovery. Usually a player is not back to the practice field for upwards of 9 or 10 months and really ready to play for at least year. It will be almost exactly 7 months from the injury if he is on the field and playing full speed when training camp starts. It really comes down to how McKenzie has recovered on whether he starts or is on the IR/PUP lists come the beginning of the season.

How that goes will make a large impact on several other players on the team. Certainly the players who would want to fill his starting LCB spot while he is still recovering will be impacted. Also players that would not have been given a chance to play at all will be impacted, because the nickel CB will probably be the LCB.

Look for whether MM is on the practice field with “the 1’s” (starting players), or if he is riding a bike or missing completely from the field. That will tell you what the lay of the land is.

Tracy Porter:
Jersey Number: 22
School: Indiana
Year: Senior
Drafted: 2nd round 2008 (Saints)
Experience: Rookie
Height: 5-11
Weight: 186
40-Time: 4.37 (Combine)

With 24 INTs in his college career and 6 in his final year, Porter was a leader on the Indiana football team. He was a stand out cornerback and considered to be one of the better man-to-man cover corners coming out of the draft. He’s a bit undersized for the “ideal” cornerback, but not for the standard NFL starting cornerback. He has played well in OTAs, but has already shown his inexperience by being beaten by the veteran receivers he has faced.

Cornerback is one of the harder positions to transition from college to the NFL. So don’t expect the world from Porter just yet. Although it has happened before, so it’s not beyond all possibility. Being drafted as a high second round pick means he is probably considered, at this point, to be a future starter for the Saints at CB.

Porter did some kick returning in college and will probably spend some time returning kickoffs in TC. The Saints have suffered quite a bit from average to poor kickoff returns since Michael “Beerman” Lewis departed after 2006.

Word around town is that Porter is rising fast on the Saints depth chart after an impressive performance in shorts and shells at the OTAs. Even if Porter doesn’t make the starting line up, which would be surprising; expect Porter to make the team as a developmental backup, kick returner and maybe a nickel/dime package defensive back.

Jason Craft:
Jersey Number: 21
School: Colorado State
Year: Senior
Drafted: 5th round 1999 (Jaguars)
Experience: 10 years
Height: 5-10
Weight: 187
40-Time: 4.52 (Combine)

Jason Craft has been on the Saints roster since 2004. Craft has been a decent cornerback in that time, but is not the answer long term. Craft started the last four games to the end of 2007 after Mike McKenzie went down, but will have to fight off David, Young, Gay and probably even Porter to keep that position even if MM doesn’t make it back to 100% in time for the first game. He can certainly hold the position down, but is not expected to start unless there is both a surprise performance by Craft and a surprising under-performance by others.

Craft has 36 interceptions in 10 years, giving him an average of 3.6 INTs a year. Last year was his best year ever in total tackles as a Saint (56) and just four behind his career high of 60 in 2001 with the Jaguars. If Craft doesn’t start at the beginning of the year, he may end up competing with Aaron Glenn for the roll of veteran backup. Glenn has been a utility defensive back, playing free safety solidly when called upon.

Aaron Glenn:
Jersey Number: 31
School: Texas A&M
Year: Senior
Drafted: 1st Round 1994 (NY Jets)
Experience: 15 years
Height: 5-9
Weight: 183
40-Time: 4.57 (Combine)

Aaron Glenn was released by the Cowboys late in the last round of cuts in 2007. He was picked up quickly by the Jaguars, but wasn’t activated as a player right away. Glenn started four games for the Jags when Rashean Mathis (CB) and Brian Williams (FS) were injured, playing admirably. Glenn made his lone interception while playing the free safety position in place of Williams in game 8 against the Bucs.

Glenn will probably not figure into the starting competition for cornerback, but his versatility as a backup CB or FS, makes him an interesting player for roster spot competition. That versatility and veteran experience could put any cornerback (or free safety) that lands near the bottom of the depth charts in jeopardy of a job. Sean Payton likes versatile backups, especially ones that have a lot of experience to impart to younger players. Expect Glenn to make the team if he can show he still has some gas in the tank and can stay healthy.

Randall Gay:
Jersey Number: 20
School: LSU
Year: Senior
Drafted: UDFA 2004 (Patriots)
Experience: 5 years
Height: 5-11
Weight: 190
40-Time: 4.38 (Combine)

Randall Gay has been with the New England Patriots for the last four years. He started 9 games in his rookie year and had a decent showing. Unfortunately he hurt his ankle, forcing him to miss 3 months in 2005 and his hamstring in the third game of the 2006 season, putting him out for the rest of the year. In 2007 Gay played injury free, mostly as the nickel cornerback, but getting three starts. He was able to grab 3 interceptions and had 7 pass deflections, even with the limited playing time.

Gay was picked up by the Saints in free agency, probably as an insurance policy, but also with the upside that he could end up starting. If Mike McKenzie does not make it back to the starting line up by game 1, expect Gay to make a serious challenge for a starting cornerback position. If MM does make it back, Jason David and Usama Young will probably have a battle on their hands from Gay. He has been fighting for a starting spot ever since the 2005 and 2006 injury riddled seasons. Gay is back home in Louisiana and wants to prove that he belongs in the starting line up.

Gay is fast and has been coached by one of best defensive teams in the NFL. He has had a lot of experience in both man to man and zone coverage, with decent success, despite being down the depth chart. Expect Gay to make the team even if he doesn’t start. He has excelled as a nickel back and the NFL today has the nickel back on the field upwards of 60% of the time.

Greg Fassitt:
Jersey Number: 32
School: Grambling State
Year: Senior
Drafted: UDFA 2007 (Bears)
Experience: 1 year
Height: 5-11
Weight: 186
40-Time: 4.39 (Combine)

Greg Fassitt was picked up by the Chicago Bears as an UDFA and was put in their practice squad, never being activated through the 2007 season. So Fassitt is a bit of a mystery. He showed some speed at the combine and topped it at Grambling’s Pro Day with a 4.36.

Unless otherwise proven, Fassitt appears to be a camp body. Expect Fassitt to be near the bottom of the depth chart or even the practice squad at best. Maybe he will be a diamond in the rough though, it wouldn’t be the first time that the Saints have found one.

Usama Young:
Jersey Number: 28 (formerly 38)
School: Kent State
Year: Senior
Drafted: 3rd Round 2007 (Saints)
Experience: 1 year
Height: 6-0
Weight: 200
40-Time: 4.4 (Combine)

Usama Young was an unexpected selection by the Saints in the early third round of the 2007 draft. In camp last year Young showed a lot of athleticism, but also proved that he was a long term project. Young did not start in 2007, but played in all but two games (hamstring) for the Saints. As the season wound down, Young saw more and more playing time and seemed to be improving week to week. He did not have any INTs, and only had two passes defended, unfortunately, for a Saints defensive backfield that sorely needs a game breaker.

Young may be the future of the CB position for the Saints, but that has yet to be proven. After Mike McKenzie went down in the Eagles game, Young was not put in the starting role, even though the playoffs were merely a statistical possibility. One would think that if the Saints had big plans for Young, they would have played him more to give him more game experience. In addition, would they have gotten so many new CBs to compete if Young was the answer? They didn’t just draft Tracy Porter in the second round, they brought in Randall Gay, Aaron Glenn Jerametrius Butler and Fassitt in free agency. That has to make one think.

With that said, Young may still be in the hunt for the starting job at CB if Mike McKenzie is unable to make a full recovery from his knee injury. If MM does make it back, it will be a lot harder for Young to break into the starting role.

Anwar Phillips:
Jersey Number: 36
School: Penn State
Year: Senior
Drafted: UDFA 2006 (Saints)
Experience: 2 years
Height: 6-0
Weight: 187
40-Time: 4.46 (Combine)

Anwar Phillips started out as a wide receiver for the Nittany Lions, but moved to defensive back midway through his college career. Phillips went undrafted in 2006, but has been in the Saints training camp and practice squad for two years now. No doubt the converted receiver was looked at as a long term project by the coaching staff, but after two years, the team probably expects some fruit for their investments soon.

Phillips has never played an NFL regular season down, so there is not much to know about. If Anwar doesn’t make the team this year, he is likely to be looking for a new team to play with in the future.

Expect Phillips to be fighting for a final roster spot, if he makes it that far.

Jason David:
Jersey Number: 42
School: Washington State
Year: Senior
Drafted: 4th Round 2004 (Colts)
Experience: 5 years
Height: 5-8
Weight: 180
40-Time: 4.47 (Combine)

Jason David was brought in from the Super Bowl Champion Indianapolis Colts and was expected to save the day. Unfortunately, he had a hard time transitioning back to a mostly man to man scheme from the Colts mostly Cover-2 zone scheme. David has great instincts and deceptive speed, often showing his skills in one on one drills. He played most of his college years as a man to man specialist at cornerback. His reactions were off, though, after being forced to change his instincts for four years in Indianapolis.

David was severely burned on some high profile plays early in the season. Then he broke his forearm against Tenn in the third game. David returned a month later and did start to show improvement as the season wore on. It wasn’t enough to satisfy the Saints though, as they brought in a host of competition to keep David honest.

David comes in as the returning starter, but with Gay, Glenn, Porter and Young all in camp, David will have to really shine to keep that job in 2008. It would be surprising to see David not make the team as a backup or nickel back if he does loose his job, so expect David to be on the final roster come September.

Jerametrius Butler:
Jersey Number: 45
School: Kent State
Year: Senior
Drafted: 5th Round 2001 (Rams)
Experience: 8 years
Height: 5-10
Weight: 181
40-Time: 4.57 (Combine)

Butler is an interesting pickup for the Saints. After being a developmental project early in his career, he had a breakout year in 2003, starting all but one game, grabbing 4 INTs and getting 71 tackles. Then in 2004, he topped it with 5 INTs, an impressive 14 passes broken up and 79 tackles. Butler appeared to be on the way to a productive career. Then in 2005, Butler had a major injury to his right knee that eventually resulted in him being cut from the Rams after 2006. In 2007, Butler started one game for the Buffalo Bills, but was cut at the end of the year.

Butler appears to be one of those low risk gambles, sort of like David Patten was in 2007. If he is finally fully healed from his knee injury, he may be a starter quality player for the Saints. If he is not, then the Saints don’t have a lot invested in him and can cut him. If Butler performs well and makes it to the later rounds of cuts, he may end up being a nice pick up.

Competition Summary:

There are 10 players listed at CB going into camp, for either 5 or 6 positions. If the coaching staff feels very good about the first 5, there may not be a 6th position. That leaves 4 or possibly 5 players out. If McKenzie ends up on the PUP/IR list, it will give a temporary reprieve for one player. It is unlikely though, if McKenzie is rehabbing as fast as he says, that he will not be on the active roster, even if he is not ready to start. The NFL restricts a player from returning for several weeks if he is on the injured lists. The Saints will probably want him to be able to play as soon as he is ready. If he does end up on the IR/PUP list, he is probably out about half of the season.

If Mike McKenzie is healthy, look for Jason David, Randall Gay and Usama Young to compete for the starting role opposite him. That would leave a large contingent vying for the final roster spots. The nickel corner position gets a lot more playing time that most think, so it will be a coveted position and most likely go to the runner up for RCB.

If Mike McKenzie is out and not on the active roster, then expect to see a wide open competition for both LCB and RCB. It’s going to get very interesting with wild card players like Butler that have been brought in.

The most likely locks for the roster include Mike McKenzie, Tracy Porter, Randall Gay and possibly Usama Young. One could make an argument for Jason David as well, but there are no guarantees. David should be competing for a starting role, but if he is completely outperformed by some of the new arrivals, he could be odd man out.

So, most likely, that leaves only one or two roster positions open. Jason Craft has tenure, but Aaron Glenn has more success filling in for both CB and FS. That makes him versatile and possibly able to fill two roles, freeing up a roster spot, which Head Coach Sean Payton likes. Then there are the unknowns with Greg Fassitt and Jerametrius Butler. Even Anwar Phillips could suddenly have the lights turn on in his third year.

Strap on your seatbelts Saints fans, it’s going to be a fun ride!

As Saints training camp approaches, starting on July 24th, there are going to be several very interesting battles for starting positions as well as roster spots. In the next few days we will provide you with some details of what positions to watch and some details about whom you will be watching.

First let’s define what positions we will be giving detailed player by player information on:

CB: Due to Mike McKenzie’s injury, we will probably see a lot more action at both right and left cornerback. Even if MM is completely healthy, Jason David will have a battle on his hands to maintain his starting position at RCB.

WLB: With Jonathan Vilma more than likely locking down the MLB spot and Fujita returning as the SLB, there is going to be a fierce battle for the WLB spot. Mark Simoneau started at the MLB position and Scott Shanle returns after being last years starting WLB. What about Marvin Mitchell and JoLonn Dunbar?

The rest of these position battles we will not be giving player by player breakdowns, but will be giving a summary of the position and competition.

RB: Reggie Bush may be the star and Deuce McAllister may be the work horse, but right now, neither has a lock on the starting position. Can Reggie emerge as a full time starter? Can Deuce recover completely and show that he can carry the rock another year? What about Pierre Thomas?

DT: Last year was a down year for the Saints D-line. The DE weren’t perceived to be the problem, DT was. Young was hurt all year, Hollis Thomas came in overweight and now they have to face two rookies down, DeMario Pressley and Sedrick Ellis to keep their starting jobs.

K: Martin Gramatica came in late last year to hold up the Saints kicking game as Olindo Mare failed to deliver. The Saints drafted a big legged kicker in Taylor Mehlhaff, who will win?

TE: This position is probably the most painful to watch, but it will be a heated competition. The Saints haven’t brought in any big name free agents as some fans had hoped *cough*SHOCKEY*cough*, and didn’t draft any hopefuls at TE either. So the competition against the same TEs will be fierce, but probably not exciting.

OL: This may come as a shock to some Saints fans to be here. The Saints have a very good pass blocking O-line that gave up a league low sack total. However, the run blocking was poor and Drew Brees’ smarts account for some of that low sack total. The Saints have two 2007 draft picks and a 2008 draft pick that have a lot of promise.

FS: Josh Bullocks has the athleticism to be a great FS, but he has not been able to translate that into stellar play. Kevin Kaesviharn figures to challenge Bullocks for the starting spot and don’t forget about UDFA David Roach.

WR: No, we’re not talking about Colston. Marques is more than likely headed to a Pro-Bowl soon. We are, however, talking about the spot next to him. David Patten was a great asset last year, but Robert Meachem and a few others could challenge him for that starting spot across from Colston.

The details of the training camp battles will come out in the following days as they are ready. Keep tabs on this page and get ready for some football!