Other Targets???
 

Witherspoon is off the board, which pisses me off because he seemed like the most likely to sign with us, and would also be a HUGE addition. However, there are still some big names out there. Probably won't sign anybody important, because hell, we are the Saints, but here's a list of some names that I hope our FO is looking at:

Akin Ayodele
Ben Leber (apparently wasn't a fit in a 3-4 defense, and with the addition of Merriman, he seems to be on his way out. He's a big guy who hits hard)
Scott Fujita
Charles Woodson (I know we've come close in recenty years to getting him. Now that he's kinda fallen off as a premiere CB, maybe we could get him for less $?)
Deshea Townsend
Grady Jackson
Rocky Bernard
Drew Brees
Trey Teague
Kevin Mawae

I doubt we get any of these guys, but they are all guys that I would like to see in black and gold. Has anybody heard anything on these guys? Any thoughts on them?

RE: Other Targets???
 

I doubt Brees signs now. We obviously offered him the most money and he's still balking. Mawae's a possibility but he's old and the Saints will probably overpay for him. I would like Woodson, but again he will most definitely be asking for much more than he's worth.

RE: Other Targets???
 

I noticed Julian Peterson didn't make your list. In my opinion, when healthy, he is a better linebacker than Witherspoon.

RE: Other Targets???
 

Leber's off the board, signed with the Vikes.

I can't imagine Grady being willing to come back to N.O. after he had a class A hatchet job done on him last time.

RE: Other Targets???
 

He didn't make my list for the same reason Lavar Arrington didn't make my list: he's going to be wanting way more money than what we can afford. I know he's a great player, but if we can't land Witherspoon, how in the hell are we going to land Julian Peterson?

Re: RE: Other Targets???
 

Not to quibble too much with you Deuce, but we really should have a lot of money under the cap. Once we drop Brooks and if we drop Gandy, we should be able to afford anyone we want.

The knock on Peterson is that he can't seem to play 16 games. I'd pull the trigger on Arrington in a heartbeat though. He's worth the money, but I doubt he leaves the east. Getting to play against washington twice a year would really be nice for him.

RE: Re: RE: Other Targets???
 

Understandable opinion, and I recently posted a link from ESPN.com showing that we have about $20 million in cap room with the new agreement. But honestly BMG, when have the Saints ever been willing to dole out big bucks for a guy of Peterson's caliber? How about never. He'd be awesome, even though he is injury prone, but our FO doesn't have the brains or the savvy to get him here.

And about Arrington, the chase is now apparently down to NY Giants and the Dolphins. The Vikes and Browns are also considered players.

Re: RE: Other Targets???
 

Having the cap room and using the cap room wisely are two different things. These guys are the type that don't mind overpaying for the second tier player, just as long as it's less than whatever the Pro Bowler over there wants. I'd tend to agree with Deuce...if the second tier players don't wanna sign with us, then we'd REALLY have to break the bank for an Arrington or Peterson. Say the Rams offer him 5 mil a year....we'd have to offer him 8 mil to get him to consider us. Offer him 6 or 7 mil, we have no shot.

This is the same case with Brees. It's well known that we're offering him the most money, yet he's still hesitating. The Dolphins are probably not far off of our offer, and he's considering taking less to play with them.

Re: RE: Re: RE: Other Targets???
 

I agree entirely about our unwillingness to pay for a high profile free agent.

The wierdest thing about this free agency for me isn't that we aren't doing anything. The strangest part is that we are seriously offering 10 million for Brees.

If we don't get Brees, I almost wonder if the FO will have painted itself into a corner and have to get a big name player? Here's hoping anyway....

RE: Re: RE: Other Targets???
 

One thing that I think might explain the Brees situation is the draft status of the Saints. He might not be willing to come here if hte Saints are going to get Leinart in the draft. I believe that's why he's hesitating right now. If we told him we were going to trade out and go defense, I think he'd have excepted the offer by now.