New Orleans Saints linebacker Curtis Lofton eager to join forces with Jonathan Vilma
 

The New Orleans Saints' newest linebacker, Curtis Lofton, had the same question as everybody else when the Saints began pursuing him in free agency. What are their plans for Jonathan Vilma?

Although both Lofton and Vilma have excelled at the middle linebacker spot throughout their careers, Saints defensive coordinator told Lofton that he sees both players as versatile - and that the Saints just want to load up their defense with as many good players as they can.

"One thing about me, I don't have an ego. And I know Jonathan doesn't have an ego," said Lofton, who spoke with Vilma on Sunday morning and shared their mutual excitement for the new alliance. "When I was on my visit, they asked, 'Are you just set on playing middle?' And I said, 'No, what I'm set on is winning games and winning championships.'

New Orleans Saints linebacker Curtis Lofton eager to join forces with Jonathan Vilma - New Orleans Saints Football NFL News - NOLA.com

Makes you think we have no plans of getting rid of Vilma.

I particularly LOVED this statement:"I wanted to go to a team that, No. 1, had a chance to win a Super Bowl,had true fans, a great defensive coordinator."

Could we see a combination of Wilson, Lofton, Vilma at times?

Think of the possibilities...

I like the 2nd part of that statement:

"...Then once the Saints called, I was like, 'Wow,'" Lofton said. "When I took my visit there, I loved it. I knew I was going there. I didn't need to visit anywhere else. I told my agent that."

To say if this guy was still playing for the falcons I wouldn't really like him, but he's giving our organisation so much credit and he wants to win, the LB core of lofton Vilma with chamberlain/ martez Wilson mixed in could've great!! Can't wait to see the results under spags tutorage

Yep, maybe shanle now. I would hate to see him go because his cap hit is only 2.9 mil. He could provide depth for cheap. On the note of salary cap hits did anyone see Moore is sch to make 4.6 mil this year? Kinda high for a part time player. I would force a resigning of Ellis and Moore or have them hit the road. That would clear up 12 mil to sign Brees, a wr and a dt.

Shanle is definitely gone now.

wow as a true Atlanta Falcons fan, that actually stung!!!

Maybe the falcAints will continue their tradition of signing Saints releases and waste $$ on Shanle!

Thats funny when your team is clearly the laughing stock of football right now!!!

got a head coach??? hahahaha now thats funny

Pete Carmichael, you know the offensive coordinator that swept the Falcons last year?

You know, I actually have to respect this guy for having the cajones to talk smack despite losing their MLB to us, having him say that, and even after losing our head coach, and potentially half of our defense, and the fact that they hate us right now ESPN still thinks we are better than the Falcons (#11 vs #13)

I will say though that Lofton's comments were clearly not directed at you, but there are not a whole lot of true fans in Atlanta. I lived there for 5 years and it was pretty clear the number of actual sports fans was very slim.

The laughing stock of The NFL as you say demolished your team until they cried and said we were Running up the score

Btw go to the smack talk forum, Curtis lofton says thank you

I would ask you the same question.

Exactly how many playoff wins does Mike Smith have?

hahahaha now that's funny

See what I did there you troll?

Have to agree. I spent a few days in Atlanta a couple of months ago and wore my Saints hat everywhere. A bunch of people told me how much they liked the Saints. The only guy that gave me a hard time...was a Steelers fan.

Saints defensive coordinator told Lofton that he sees both players as versatile - They said the same thing about Reggie.

I mean its a buisness baby, yea he was a very good LB but he wasnt our best so will bounce back!

Its alot of Saint fans here in Atlanta due to Hurricane Katrina and alot of them never returned but im pretty sure you already knew that...

what's funny is apparently we are better at the "business" than the Falcons. We had less cap space, but yet we got him signed...

The Saints do have depth at the LB position - Bussey, Casillas, Herring, Hunter, Wilson, Lofton, Shanle, and Vilma - so Shanle's cap hit of $2.95M, while not that expensive, could be too much to justify with the tight cap.

I guess Humber and Dunbar are not returning, but I would think that the Saints are going to pick at least one LB from the draft, and maybe add another UDFA, so they'll have some depth for the rotation and in case of injuries.


Moore re-signed with the Saints last off-season and his 5-year $20M deal was not an over-payment by the Saints, they were actually very lucky to be able to keep him at that price (i.e. possible hometown discount).

Because the first year of that contract was with a small cap hit, the rest will be closer to $5M/yr (2013: $4.1M; 2014: $4.7M; and 2015: $5.2M), but those are still very affordable hits for what Moore brings to the field.

He is the Saints' #2 WR, and has the best hands out of the whole receiver corps, and with that in mind the Saints are fortunate to only be paying him what they are.




Thanks for finding something negative in an otherwise positive news! ;-)


https://s3.amazonaws.com/imgcache2.t...9_geometry-550

none yet but his shot at winning a playoff game this season is way better then Mr.Peytons hahaha!!!

"Free Sean Peyton" I love it lmao!!!

If you call over paying better at the buisness then so be it...we gave him a set offer due to him not being that good in coverage and he went where he could get more, so if you guys paid him more then 5/6mill "God Bless Ya!!"

how do you know what we paid? Contract terms have not been released :rolleyes:

Keep trying to make yourself feel better...

Did I once say how much you guys paid??

I thought I said if you guys paid him more then 5/6mill didnt I??

^ Assuming we overpaid

Which I rebutted, you have no idea, contract terms have not been released... but since we had less cap space than the Falcons, it can't be that much more than what you offered...

I thought we had an age limit here. Are we letting 14 year olds on our site now?

Ok king me!

lost a hockey team, no one goes to playoff BB games, more away fans come when Braves make the playoffs, and oh yeah, at the Saints game last year there were easily 1500 empty seats, and 4-5000 saints fans there.

Lofton chose a city that loves its team, not this fair weather craphole

I heard something about the Failclowns offering him a number and the Saints offered him the same number...and he picked the Saints....

Now I can see us shifting towards some secondary depth before Brees' extension.

Doing work.

The Buccaneers threw out an offer towards him to, he must have been worried about who gave him the best chance to win?