Saints take Sullivan with 6th pick in Trade
 

Haslett said that Sullivan will play at the nose tackle. Are they going 3-4? He\'s pleased with the corner stuation. I hope that Henderson will be available in round 2.

Saints take Sullivan with 6th pick in Trade
 

This draft is cooky.

Saints take Sullivan with 6th pick in Trade
 

we move up to 37th in the second, plus a 4th, 102 overall.......if he is the savage at pass rushing, i\'ll take the deal.........smitty besides, i don\'t have a choice......

Saints take Sullivan with 6th pick in Trade
 

I\'m really confused by that move. First, why did they feel like they needed to move up that far to get Sullivan? Second, if you\'re moving up for a DT and it\'s not Robertson, wouldn\'t you expect it to be Kennedy out of Penn State? Finally, this is looking like it may end up having been a bad move, in my mind. As I write this we\'re on the 13th pick. It looks very possible that both Bailey and William Joseph will be around at 17 and 18. So will Woolfolk and Polamalu. Wouldn\'t two of those players be better than just Sullivan? I know what I think is irrelevant, BUT... Bailey and Joseph would be better in my mind than just Sullivan.

Saints take Sullivan with 6th pick in Trade
 

i remember them talking about sullivan early on, as a player they had targeted. it seems the case everyone is going after d.l......the 37th overall is\'nt that bad..... with a 3rd and a 4th we still can get some of the players the fans want, or maybe not......smitty

Saints take Sullivan with 6th pick in Trade
 

Trying to explain the deal ... which will be quite hard.
1. Haslett (or Loomis, whoever) apparently ONLY liked Robertson and Sullivan at DT. He didn\'t like Kennedy, Joseph or Williams AT ALL, because one of them would have dropped to #17.
2. He was afraid the Vikings would draft Sullivan. Not that unlikely, they did draft a DT.
3. They think DT is the one position that the Saints desperately needed help in.
4. No one else in the Top 12 would be willing to trade.

Still, I have a hard time liking the deal. I got a DT which I wished for, but is Sullivan worth the number 6 pick. Is he so much better than Joseph? Obviously there were more teams willing to trade. We know have to pay him #6-money although we might have gotten him at 12-14. A real hard time liking this deal.

Saints take Sullivan with 6th pick in Trade
 

This was put up right before the draft, looks like there was a good bit of early intrest in sullivan.
This is a good player glad to see him as a Saint, it just feels like we paid too much for him.

Jets may trade up to snare Georgia tackle
By Darrell Trimble
NFL Insider

Send an Email to Darrell Trimble

With all the misinformation that\'s floated in the weeks leading up to the draft, the truth is difficult to pin down. For instance, New York Jets general manager Terry Bradway has repeatedly downplayed the importance of drafting an impact player and has suggested that trading up is not a viable option.


Apparently, both couldn\'t be further from the truth.

The agent for the Georgia defensive tackle Johnathan Sullivan has informed the New York Times the Jets have called to tell his client they were considering moving up in the draft to select him. No one is sure how far up the Jets are willing to move to get their man, but they shouldn\'t have to give up too much to get him.


The Jets have their sights set on Teyo Johnson.The Jets have the 13th pick and would likely have to move up a few slots to ensure they\'ll be able to secure him. The Jets have been talking with the Minnesota Vikings (No. 7) about swapping picks. However, such a move could cost them their second round pick as well. But the Jets want to keep their second-rounder, because they have an interest in receiver/tight end Teyo Johnson of Stanford.


Johnson told the New York Daily News the Jets called him to let them know they were thinking about taking him in round two. Johnson is 6\'6\", 245 pounds, and has been clocked as fast as 4.53 in the 40. The Jets would love to get a downfield receiving threat at tight end, a role that Anthony Becht hasn\'t been able to provide, and Johnson could become a Shannon Sharpe-type threat. The Jets also have a history with Johnson. Offensive coordinator Paul Hackett recruited Teyo to Stanford as a quarterback.


If the Jets do have Sullivan in their crosshairs, they\'re not alone. Origianlly, Sullivan was projected to last until the 13th pick, but he has moved up the draft board to the point where that\'s not a certainty. According to Rowe, the Seahawks (No. 11), New England (14th and 19th) and New Orleans (17th and 18th) have indicated an interest in moving into position to take Sullivan.

\"They all swear they will grab him if he\'s there when they select,\" Rowe told the Times.

A good trading partner for the Jets could be the Baltimore Ravens. They are considering moving down to draft Cal quarterback Kyle Boller, and if the Jets only moved up three spots they could keep their second round choice and still get Johnson.

Saints take Sullivan with 6th pick in Trade
 

Great post!

Saints take Sullivan with 6th pick in Trade
 

Here\'s what I don\'t understand... there were all kinds of options discussed on this board. The two that I most advocated were staying put or doing a double move where we went up five or six spots to snag Trufant (he was taken at 11 so that was right on target) and then trading down with NYG for their first and second. Where we could have gotten Joseph it looks like (assuming something changes in the next couple of picks) or even Bailey, Henderson, Woolfolk, Mathis... etc. We also could have stayed put and grabbed Bailey at 17 and traded down and still snagged Joseph and had two second rounders. I\'m just kind of shocked by this trade. Not because I didn\'t see it coming, but b/c the Saints seem so interested in value. I have a hard time believing that you get more value out of Sullivan than you would out of two guys like Bailey AND Joseph... especially considering that you could probably sign both of those players for about the same price that we\'ll get just Sullivan for. Doesn\'t make sense to me.

Saints take Sullivan with 6th pick in Trade
 

I like Sullivan he is a good fit fot the Saints. I can see why the Saint took him over Kennedy. Kennedy is a great athlete but he has had weight problems and there were some who questioned his work ethic, is more of big run stuffing tackle. The Saints like Sullivan\'s high motor and constant effort. A young quick line would be a real help in dealing with Vick twice a year.
The higher pick in the second round and extra fourth rounder take some of the sting out of only one first round pick, but it still stings.

Here is Sporting News\' evaluation on Sullivan

Round 1, Pick 6


JOHNATHAN SULLIVAN MEASURABLES
Height: 6-3 Weight: 313
40-yard dash: 4.87 10-yard dash: 1.82 ÂÂÂÂ*
20-yard shuttle: 4.84 60-yard shuttle:
Broad jump: 8-3 225 lb. bench: 24
3-cone drill: Vertical jump: 29
Wonderlic: 16 20-yard dash: 2.90
Player evaluation:
Johnathan Sullivan

War Room analysis
New Orleans is expected to cut Norman Hand and defensive tackle is a pressing need as a result. Admittedly the Saints gave up a lot to draft Sullivan and he will be under much pressure to contribute early, but he has the size to stuff the interior run and his explosive burst combined with his above-average athleticism makes him an excellent fit for the Saints\' one-gap scheme. Vs. the run: Has good size, and is an above-average athlete. Plays with leverage, and controls a gap. Can play in both a two-gap and one-gap scheme. Has the size and strength to hold his ground at the point of attack. Shows above-average initial quickness and the speed/athleticism to chase down ball carriers. Grade: 8.2.

Pass rush: Shows good initial quickness. Gets consistent penetration, and rarely gives up on a play. Is a smooth athlete. Changes directions well, and has good closing speed. Must improve repertoire of pass-rush moves. Gets held up too often at the line. Shows enough power to become an effective bull rusher. Grade: 7.8.

Initial quickness: Shows quick footwork and initial burst. Comes out of stance with good pad level, and shows good short-area power. Must anticipate the snap better; too often is a quarter-count behind his teammates and the opponent -- nullifying his natural quickness. Grade: 7.8.

Run/pass recognition: Shows above-average recognition skills. Is consistent, and follows through on assignments. Has a nose for the ball when penetrating the line. Maintains responsibility when assigned to control a gap. Grade: 8.4.

Pursuit/tackling: Pursuit is one of biggest strengths. Is a fluid athlete. Chases down slow-developing running plays from the backside. Never stops hustling. Stops and starts and changes directions better than most his size. Is a powerful tackler with big-play potential, but leaves his feet too often and misses tackles in the backfield. Must be more consistent with tackling technique. Grade: 8.3.

Bottom line: Sullivan is the complete package physically. He has good height, weight, quickness and speed. Sullivan isn\'t the most explosive tackle in this class -- or the biggest -- but he probably is the most complete and consistent. He likely will be one of the top five defensive tackles drafted, somewhere in the latter half of the first round.

Saints take Sullivan with 6th pick in Trade
 

A tackle in round 2? I don\'t get it. With Henderson still around... Mathis, Doss... I just don\'t follow. Damn Lions took Boss three spots too soon. Dang it.

Saints take Sullivan with 6th pick in Trade
 

No kidding! I thought that our defense needed help. DB or LB. There are good players still available!

Saints take Sullivan with 6th pick in Trade
 

I can\'t belive this second round pick, with Henderson on the board!

Maybe Loomis thinks you can only draft players from one school, who else does Georgia have for us to draft later.

[Edited on 4/26/2003 by saint5221]

Saints take Sullivan with 6th pick in Trade
 

This has been a terrible draft. I don\'t dislike Sullivan or Stinchcomb. I just dislike when we took them and how we got to where we took them. Blatantly horrible draft. I feel like puking right now......

Saints take Sullivan with 6th pick in Trade
 

Yeah, man. The Saints make moves to draft higher in both rounds to pick up guys who would be available later anyway? An offensive tackle in round two. How silly when E.J. Henderson and Mathis are right there.

Saints take Sullivan with 6th pick in Trade
 

We stayed at 17 & 18 and would have likely had William Joseph and Jeff Faine or Kwame Harris (if we even needed an OT) and then traded up in the 2nd to grab Henderson or Bailey. I\'m bloody ill. Both guys may be good players and may work out fine but this was a lost opportunity with the picks we had. The moves didn\'t yield good value at either spot. Almost every draft board I saw didn\'t have Sullivan below 12 ans Stichcomb better than 45.

Wasted use of our picks by making that trade.

Saints take Sullivan with 6th pick in Trade
 

I agree completely. Had we moved up with 17 and moved down with the 18 we could have picked up Trufant at 11, lost our two, then gained a two back and kept our second one by moving down to around number 25. We could have taken Joseph at 25 or Bailey... then possibly Henderson (if we took Joseph) in round two... or the tackle we ended up drafting anyway in round two. I doubt that he would have been off the board had we waited another 10 or however many picks. If nothing else, unless my math is off, we could have taken Bailey and Joseph at 17 and 18 and then gone after Mathis in round 2. Disappointing... but then again with the exception of TJ and Conwell that\'s been the story of this off-season... for me at least.

Saints take Sullivan with 6th pick in Trade
 

We need to get Bradie James in the 3rd to salvage day one. Linebacker is our weakest area on either side of the ball. I can\'t believe we took an OT with Henderson still on the board in the 2nd. I think I\'m developing a welt from smacking my head of the table!!!

Saints take Sullivan with 6th pick in Trade
 

Hey Iceshack...I saw your post earlier about Haslett mentioning Sullivan playign Nose Tackle. We can barely field 4 linebackers right now let alone 4 competent ones. Sullivan will be a nice player on our D-Line but I sure hope no one gets by our D-line because the middle of the field is a void.

Saints take Sullivan with 6th pick in Trade
 

Nosetackle on nickel packages. Sullivan and Stinchcomb will be fine players in the years to come. This is about as positive as I\'m going to get about this. If you don\'t want to read any *****ing, I would highly suggest you skip the rest of my post.
Mueller, Mueller, Mueller, where for art though, Mueller. It is evident that we miss your knowledge of this sport and your expertise at evaluating young talent. Benson was an arrogant ***** for letting you go, because the drop off has been painfully obvious. Evidently, nobody was able to pick up on your keen eye and even give a half decent effort in this draft, as I will compare this draft to a fart in the wind. It stinks for a moment, and then passes on into time. My dog has taken ****s that have been more appealing than the manuevering that was made in this draft. Best player my ass, Mr. Loomis. I am appalled, as are my mother and girlfriend, both who have abandoned me in this downpoint of my life, because of the rage that I have freely expressed throughout the day. I want to thank you, both Loomis and Haslett, for making this the worst draft since the Ditka era. I am nautious. My head feels as if it will pop at any moment, watching names such as Trufant, Doss, Henderson, and Mathis come and go, while we trip, stumble, fumble, and reach, yes Mr. Loomis, reach for the two selections we have made thus far, while far better players have been sitting there, waiting to be selected. I knew we would trade up into the top 10, but not for the 4th best DT on the boards. I could understand passing up Kennedy, his weight problem plus New Orleans equals another Hand job (I made a funny), but Trufant was there. Who at the University of Georgia is giving away free ****jobs? That would seem to be the only logical reasoning behind such rediculous moves.

Saints take Sullivan with 6th pick in Trade
 

the move to get sullivan i can understand to a point, that was the guy they wanted and the were worried minnesota or someone else (pats) would nab him early, i thought we needed a DT above all else followed by a LB, but our second round pick?
:casstet: :casstet: :casstet: :casstet: :casstet: :casstet: :casstet:
what in the name of god was that, i don\'t understand that pick at all, henderson was there mathis was there battle was there pierce was there
i mean randy mueller\'s brother is head of player personnel, doesn\'t he have some of his brother\'s skill? or are loomis and bensen hijacking the show and running it into the ground?
as a team we are still solid, a playoff team in my mind, but we could have made some good improvements today, there had better be some trading down the road or a serious pickup on june 1st to address our LB corp

my wife and kids abandoned me too b&b

[Edited on 26/4/2003 by rusta]

Saints take Sullivan with 6th pick in Trade
 

I\'m in the same position gents. Abandoned to sit here and b-tch to myself and you guys. I can understand Sullivan... at 17. Look at it this way, would you have traded William Joseph and a first round pick for him though? B/c that\'s basically what they did. Bullsh-t. That was a stupid move... which they followed up with a great one... I mean, hey, we\'ll need another LT next year after they run Gandy out right? A LT a season keeps the Saints from winning... (hey B&B I made a funny too).

Saints take Sullivan with 6th pick in Trade
 

I agree Rusta, Its hard to understand drafting for depth at tackle with players who could challenge for starting jobs still on the board. June 1st needs to turn up someone at LB and they better be good.

Saints take Sullivan with 6th pick in Trade
 

:casstet: :casstet: :casstet: :casstet: :casstet: :casstet: :casstet: :casstet: :casstet:
that\'s all i can say
:casstet: :casstet: :casstet: :casstet: :casstet: :casstet: :casstet: :casstet: :casstet:
anyone have list of probable june 1st cuts?
:casstet: :casstet: :casstet: :casstet: :casstet: :casstet: :casstet: :casstet: :casstet:
smoot? :(

Saints take Sullivan with 6th pick in Trade
 

teams are getting better players in the third round than we got with the 5th pick in the second round
WTF!!??

Saints take Sullivan with 6th pick in Trade
 

so we wait till the 3rd round to take a LB!!!!!!!!!
does anybody know anything about willie grant?

Saints take Sullivan with 6th pick in Trade
 

His nickname is \"Cie\"

Saints take Sullivan with 6th pick in Trade
 

fabulous
anything esle?

Saints take Sullivan with 6th pick in Trade
 

Sorry man. That\'s all I\'ve got. \"Cie\"

Saints take Sullivan with 6th pick in Trade
 

This is from sporting news


CIE GRANT MEASURABLES
Height: 6-0 Weight: 228
40-yard dash: 4.50 10-yard dash: ÂÂÂÂ*
20-yard shuttle: 60-yard shuttle:
Broad jump: 0-0 225 lb. bench:
3-cone drill: Vertical jump: 0
Wonderlic: 20-yard dash:
Player evaluation:
Cie Grant

War Room analysis
Strengths: Is an exceptional weakside athlete. Shows rare speed and range. Has improved hands and ability to get through traffic. Is a sideline-to-sideline chaser. Is tough and physical. Is a good tackler with some pop at the point of attack. Shows excellent tools vs. the pass. Has rare coverage skills and can excel in that capacity in the NFL.

Weaknesses: Is a ‘tweener; lacks ideal size at weakside linebacker and experience at strong safety. Must bulk up and continue to get stronger. Gets engulfed at the point of attack when reached. Doesn\'t have a strong-enough lower body to take blockers head-on. Still must improve recognition skills. Needs time to polish technique. Lacks great instincts; needs to work on the mental aspect of the game.

Bottom line: Grant is a very intriguing mid-to-late-round prospect because he played safety, cornerback and linebacker at Ohio State. He could play either the weak side or move back to safety in the NFL, but he needs time to develop wherever he plays. He could also contribute right away as a nickel and dime linebacker.
Dan Pompei analysis
Is very athletic and very fast. Makes plays in pursuit. Shows good coverage skills, and has sideline-to-sideline range. Never stops hustling. Hesitates too often, and shows questionable instincts. Is versatile -- played halfback in high school and cornerback and safety at Ohio State. Should be a solid special teams contributor as a rookie.
Pompei\'s OLB ranking: No. 10

Saints take Sullivan with 6th pick in Trade
 

no comment :mad:

Saints take Sullivan with 6th pick in Trade
 

Hey, at least he did\'nt go to Georgia.

Saints take Sullivan with 6th pick in Trade
 

I think we\'re all pretty pissed about the draft. Not so much that Sullivan and Stinkie (Stinchcomb) suck - they don\'t-, but that we didn\'t use the value of our picks as well as we could have, or that they didn\'t address the needs at LB/CB as early as they could have.

But on another note, someone mentioned in the chat room that Stinkie played a bit of center. Perhaps they\'re planning on canning Fontenot? He did make some critical comments about personnel management (Turley trade), didn\'t he? I don\'t think Loomis and crew like things like that very much.

Maybe that would explain why they would consider Stinkie more important than LB/CB. Just an oddball thought......

Saints take Sullivan with 6th pick in Trade
 

who knows what the hell they are thinking?
let\'s just hope they are right or lucky
i don\'t care which as long as it works out

Saints take Sullivan with 6th pick in Trade
 

I bet he has family there (Georgia). Probably a teacher or something. ;)

Stinkiecomb, that is.

[Edited on 27/4/2003 by LordOfEntropy]

Saints take Sullivan with 6th pick in Trade
 

The complete and utter fall of Bailey is what really phreaked me out. I mean, from 12 to 34?!? It\'s not like his knee injuries weren\'t known commodities a week ago. It\'s not like he\'s put on 300 pounds since the last mock drafts.

Man, that really baffles me.

I -know- he was a risk, but I\'m CONVINCED he was worth as shot at just a -slight- trade up from our #37 pick.

Oh man.

Saints take Sullivan with 6th pick in Trade
 

I could not be more upset right now unless the Saints announced they were trading Duece to the Bucs or Falcons for a third round pick next year. To pass on Trufant, Henderson, and Brady James in the first three rounds respectively is an act of complete lunacy. I can only assume that this organization is trying to make all Saints fans commit mass suicide before they move the team to L.A. in 2007.

P.S.
Does anyone else think that Jim Haslett has the I.Q. of a grapefruit. When he speaks I just hear other teams laughing at us.

Saints take Sullivan with 6th pick in Trade
 

Well lads, I\'m still not too sure about this draft. I have to agree with ya\'ll about the time we picked who we picked. I\'m sure Sullivan and Stinchcomb are going to be very good players but this guy Grant?

Take a look at what is said about him.


Willie \"cie\" Grant
SELECTED BY NEW ORLEANS , ROUND 3, PICK 22, OVERALL PICK 86
OLB | (6-0, 228, 4.55) | OHIO STATE
By Pro Football Weekly

Notes: Redshirted in 1998. Played in every game in \'99 with most of his action coming on special teams and a little at safety. Moved to outside linebacker in 2000 and played in Games 3-12 as a backup. Shocked everyone by shifting to cornerback in \'01 and starting 10-of-12 games. Had six tackles in 1999; 13 in 2000; and 56 tackles, five passes broken up and three interceptions in \'01. Finished as the runner-up to former Wisconsin WR Chris Chambers in the 200 meters at the Big Ten meet. Moved back to outside linebacker in \'02. Started all 13 games, making 71 tackles with 50 solos and 21 assists, 10 tackles for loss, four sacks, one interception for 23 yards and one forced fumble. Fine all-around athlete who has not found a position. Was probably better suited to be a strong safety, but Ohio State had an All-American, Mike Doss, at that spot and a very good free safety, Donnie Nickey.

Positives: Runs and hits and flies all over the field. Has good size and speed for a defensive back. Durable and versatile with the ability to play safety, cornerback and outside linebacker. Good character with enthusiastic personality who knows how to compete. Hard worker who learned new positions. Good quickness, agility and balance and responds well to coaching. Strength is as a blitzer.

Negatives: Very average hands and ball skills. Late reacting. Avoids mistakes, but not instinctive or intelligent. Lacks awareness. Questionable mental capacity. Straight-line player who shows hesitation. Slow in reading, reacting and locating the ball, which may stem partially from his lack of size. Size and position skills are questionable for a linebacker.

Summary: Developmental-type who has great speed and will excel in a simple scheme.

Don\'t you love it? We take a guy that is fast but can\'t spell cat given the c and the t. He\'ll fit in good with me, hell I can\'t do it either just ask Pak.LOL
This pick makes no sense to me at all no matter when he was picked. At least we know that Brady James can spell C A T. :casstet:

[Edited on 27/4/2003 by JOESAM2002]

Saints take Sullivan with 6th pick in Trade
 

So Rickie gave us a great season and a good 1st round position....and we wasted it. A fitting end to the Ditka Debacle. I\'m still with Haslett, but he\'s only got one more year to deliver. I\'m beginning to wonder if he can spell kat.

Saints take Sullivan with 6th pick in Trade
 

I can understand the *****ing about the trade , that we payed too much to get Sullivan. But blasting them for taking Sullivan over Trufant? DT was THE position of need, I\'ll repeat it again and again. Our CB corps may not be the best in the league, but with the addition of Ambrose it\'s quite alright - regarding starters and depth. Furthermore I\'m quite sceptical Trufant will be a big success in the NFL. Certainly not in his first season. Even with the \"best player available\"-approach taking Sullivan over Trufant is alright with me.
Have to admit I fell for the chant \"The Saints need a young CB\" and expected them to draft Mathis in round 2. Not thrilled with the selection of Stinchcomb, but I\'m not ready to offer a reward for Loomis\' head for the pick.
\'Cie\' - no comment.