Building Up From Last Year
 

by Scott Shanle, NewOrleansSaints.com


Scott Shanle was one of the three starting linebackers that was new to the Saints in 2006, joining the team midway through the preseason. Along with Scott Fujita and Mark Simoneau, Shanle formed a linebacking corps that helped power the Saints’ defense. With a year under their belts in the system and some more veterans in camp to push them further, Shanle thinks 2007 holds a bright future as he checks in with a journal entry for NewOrleansSaints.com.

Practice went well today – we’re fighting through it right now. We’re a week into camp, so everyone’s legs are kind of getting worn down a little bit. For myself particularly today was a struggle. Today my legs were as dead as they’ve been, but you have no choice, you have to fight through it. That’s part of why teams go to training camp, because you’re going to hit moments during the season that you’re going to have to fight through also. We have a couple of more days and this weekend we have a game so I think that will help refresh everybody.

The linebackers are looking good. We have a couple more veterans on the team – Brian Simmons and Dhani Jones, and they’re coming along well and learning the terminology and the way we do things. As far as Mark, Scott and I having a year of experience together, things are looking better for us.

As a whole, I think the defense is looking very good - last year we came together right before the season started and we progressed throughout the year. Just having everybody back, we expect bigger and better things out of ourselves. What helps our defense is that we get to go against our offense. When you get to practice against the offense that was number one in the NFL last year, that only makes your defense better. They have play-makers over there and Drew knows how to get the ball to the right people in the right situations so those are all good things to compete against for our defense. If we just continue to work hard our defense will be a force to be reckoned with.

Re: Building Up From Last Year
 

Man, I like the way our players are talking. I've never heard our players sound so professional and positive since day one. These guys know they're good but aren't going to sit on their laurals. They are serious about getting better.

Re: Building Up From Last Year
 

This is the one position that scares me. We need a playmaker at linebacker badly. I sure wish we could have gotten Beason in the draft.

Re: Building Up From Last Year
 

The MLB does not scare me as much as the lack of depth at DE. That rotation is a concern IMO. I think The two at MLB will be good together. Last year we had no back up MBL that could rotate in at the middle of the field on 1st and 2nd downs.

Re: Building Up From Last Year
 

Ditto on the DE position, I know the coaching staff have to be worried about this too, at lest I hope they are.