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 return to practice Wednesday morning in preparation for Sunday’s NFC Championship game. Coach Sean Payton decided to give his players extra time to rest and recover from Saturday’s game, hoping the team will return fresher and energized going into Sunday’s matchup against the Minnesota Vikings.

Afterwards, catch the post practice press conference live on NFL Network as part of five hours of continuous coverage of Conference Championship Week. The Saints segment will start around 1:45 PM Central Time from the Saints’ practice facility in Metairie. Coach Payton, Drew Brees, Jonathan Vilma and Will Smith will be available to the media for interviews.

(For anyone interested, the Colts press conference starts at 11 AM CT, followed by the Vikings at 11:45 AM, then the Saints and finally the Jets at 2:45 PM)

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.”

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 the last few years we have had to watch while our beloved Saints D struggled and played inconsistent, they got run or passed on all while making us grimace, cuss at the TV and need an extra amount alcohol and pepto.

That day has passed and 2009 will be a dawn of the new D. The most important move was the first to happen Gary Gibbs was let go and we got Greg Williams. Williams brings an aggressiveness that we haven’t seen since the Dome Patrol days. Williams will also bring a swagger and attitude to the D we haven’t seen in a long time along with defensive packages to keep opposing offenses on their heels.

The Saints didn’t stop at the defensive coordinator; Williams came in and with Payton started the overhaul. On the defensive line we brought back Rob Ninckovich and signed vets Paul Spicer and Rod Coleman. Gone are Antwaan Lake, the oft-injured Brian Young and the oft-overweight Hollis Thomas.

Look for Defensive Ends Will Smith and Charles Grant to get back to their pre Gibbs form under Williams and with Bobby McCray as our pass rush specialist, Paul Spicer who reminds me a lot of former Saints Willie Whitehead, Jeff Charleston and Ninckovich, we have good depth.

Defensive Tackle will be manned by Sedrick Ellis and Kendrick Clancy and the backups will be veteran Rod Coleman and the promising DeMario Pressley. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Saints look for a big space eating NT if one becomes available with the June cuts coming up.

The linebacking corp has seen an infusion of new blood too, but the most important thing happened when the Saints locked Jonathan Vilma to a long-term deal. Dan Morgan is back from retirement and 100% healthy and looks to be the starter at WLB, the Saints have also signed a young promising LB in Anthony Waters who has struggled with injuries his first two years in the league, if Morgan and Waters can stay healthy they will provide a significant upgrade for us.

Then in the draft the Saints picked up Stanley Arneaux in the 4th round and Jonathan Casillas who was rated as high as a 4th round prospect as an undrafted rookie. JoLonn Dunbar is developing into a solid backup and is already a special teams star. Throw into to the mix returning starters Scott Fujita and Scott Shanle along with returning vets Mark Simoneau, Marvin Mitchell and Troy Evans, gives a lot of competition which brings out the best in most people.

Now to the most maligned part of our defense the past few years the secondary, watching them get burned game after game was the most frustrating part of watching them. Amazing how things can change rather quickly, gone are Kevin Kaesviharn and Josh Bullocks at free safety and in is Darren Sharper the NFL active leader in interceptions, Pierson Piroleau along with our 4th round pick Chip Vaughn and Usama Young who is being converted switched from cornerback.

Now add in two new cornerbacks Jabari Greer who is a free agent signed away from Buffalo and 1st round pick Malcolm Jenkins to go along with Tracy Porter, Randall Gay and Leigh Torrence. The Saints finally appear to have a solid secondary.

Sharper was brought in to provide leadership and help mentor the younger guys along with bring a playmaker to the free safety spot. Piroleau looks to be more of an insurance signing and could become expendable with Vaughn and Young also manning the FS spot.

Roman Harper is still holding down the strong safety spot and we should see his play take a huge step forward and his backup is Chris Reis. The wildcard could be Jonathan Casillas he could be moved to strong safety because of his athleticism and make Reis expendable.

The 2009 defense looks to be the best we have seen since the dome patrol days. Saints fans rejoice the old D is gone and a new D is on the horizon.

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!

From: Pro Football Weekly

Now that DE Will Smith is locked up with the six-year, $70 million contract extension he signed this week, the Saints will next turn their attention to negotiations with WR Marques Colston, who is also looking for a long-term deal. Colston, who caught a single-season team-record 98 passes in ’07, will make $445,000 in base salary this year and become a restricted free agent after the season. He skipped a voluntary workout on June 9.

Will Smith has been pushing the New Orleans Saints for a new deal, and today defensive end got his wish.  Reports are coming out that Smith has signed a new six-year deal with the Saints that will include $26 million in guarantees. The deal is worth $70 million according to the AP.  It makes him the third highest paid defensive end in the league, behind the Vikings Jared Allen and the Colts Dwight Freeney.

Smith was the Saints first-round pick out of Ohio State back in 2004, and made the Pro Bowl in 2006 and his seven sacks in 2007 led the Saints. He also was among team leaders in tackles with 66.  “The Saints really stepped up,” said Smith’s agent, Joel Segal. “It was a long negotiation and a great deal for both Will and the Saints.”

The DE was in the process of skipping most of the teams OTA’s, but now that he is a VERY rich player, most of the hard feelings will be put aside as the Saints get ready for training camp in July.  “He’ll be able to show up for training camp now with nothing on his mind but getting ready for the season and the Super Bowl,” Segal said.

Now it will be up to Smith to step it up, last season his sack numbers dropped from 10.5 in 2006 to 7.  While his tackle numbers were up, the team will count on him even more to be the team leader on the D-line, as well as to make plays and cause havoc in the opponents backfield.

DE Will Smith wants a new deal, but that didn’t stop him from being at the teams OTA on Tuesday.  Smith didn’t do much at the practice, that due to a sore toe, but being there is a good sign for a player that has been vocal about wanting a lot more money in a new deal.  Saints general manager Mickey Loomis and Smith’s agent Joel Segal “are working through the contract and trying to sort things out,” coach Sean Payton said.  Smith was a Pro Bowl selection in 2006, but fell off the mark last season and had seven sacks.  He has one-year left on his deal that will get him about $1.8 million with incentives.