Who’s left in FA and what positions do we need the most help at now?
 

I think we’re set in the LB department now,I don’t remember having such a good LB corp. Are there any good DTs on the market besides Ayodele? Also I think we need to go after a new strong safety,I’m surprised no one has talked about that yet. What about a defensive end? I like Smith and Jordan but I really wish we had a Umenyiora or Ngata. What do we need and who can we get?

Need some depth at corner and DT. That can be had through the bargain bin of free agency or draft. Other than that, I don't see any glaring need on the team.

What about Safety,you don’t think we need a new strong Safety? Harper will probably be suspended and even if he wasn’t I think he’s slowing down and we really need someone with good hands back there. I love Harper but I think its time for some new talent.

Abdul-Quddus has looked impressive when called upon, and looks to have the skills to play boith SS and FS.

I can't see Harper getting anything more than a couple games, if that.

Any illegal hits have already been reviewed and fines handed out so unless he was one of the ringleaders of the program I don't think he's out long enough to warrant trying to replace him as a starter.

I do hope we bring in some young safeties to push Harper and Jenkins though. Safeties make pretty good special teams players also.

Abdul-Quddus can hit and has good closing speed. I think an upgrade at DT goes a long way.
I'm looking for Jordan to step it up with strength and technique improvements.
If our middle 2 demand attention from 3, both Smith and Jordan should excel.
It would be nice to find yet another DT diamond in the rough 3rd or 4th round.
We've also got some young guys who "should be" coming into their own:
Bussey, Junior, Wilson, Patrick.
Hopefully the defense only has to be average, but I'm definitely hoping for better.

We need another ball hawk in the secondary. Too many dropped int's last season. I believe it was Robinson that missed one in the play off game against the Niners that would have sealed the game. Jenkins had a terrible year last year in my opinion. Was playing out of position ALOT.

Then you must have missed the Dome Patrol years. Best set of LB's I've ever seen. Our current LB's though are starting to look pretty impressive. Still, we need depth and players to push for starting time.

Quddus is definitely got to be moved. I'm thinking FS and move Jenkins to SS which I think is his best position. Still, we need more depth there.

Bunkley was a good pickup but I don't think we're set there yet. I could see a move of Jourdan to DT and Galette moved into the starting LDE spot, he's the best pass rusher on the team from the DE spot. Lets not forget we still have Greg Romeus who we don't know anything about. If he can get back to his Junior level of play we could really have something there.

In the draft, I can see the Saints going WR or TE with our 3rd and then LB and DT the rest of the way. I'd also like to see us do some wheeling and dealing with our picks from the 5th round on down. Make some trade backs and pick up some higher picks for next year.

Yeah,I’m 23 so I don’t remember much of the Saints in the early 90’s. I’d like to see a WR/TE in the 3rd too.

Watch and learn, Brandon :bng:

I don't think Jenkins would work as a SS, I'd much rather see A-Q as the SS replacement for Harper if necessary. Jenkins' background as a CB tends to point to FS being the more natural safety position for him, and his tackling hasn't been that impressing.

I'm hesitant about the suggestions of moving Jordan to be an interior D-lineman, and I'd much rather see him play the DE spot under Spags, because I think that is where he is most likely to succeed.

Let us not forget that Spags likes to use multiple DEs in his front 4 schemes, and he has in the past even lined up 4 DEs at once, so they need all those DEs to allow him to be creative and have sufficient rotation to keep the guys fresh.

If the Saints would be able to pick DT Derek Wolfe with their 3rd or 4th round pick, it might be all that they need at that spot, and it'll be interesting to see what both King and Miller can show during the off-season training.

They definitely need to pick up at least one CB from the draft, and maybe another UDFA to create some depth and competition at that position.

I with the man calling for a safety.

Well, the safety class isn't really impressive in this year's draft, which is why the couple of good ones who are coming out of college are going to be picked very earlier - maybe earlier than their talent level would justify.

There might be some "diamond in the rough" kind of prospects available, but that is a long shot and I'm not sure if the Saints should use their limited picks on long shots this year.

The poor safety draft class has been reflected in the activity towards safeties during the FA period, and teams with serious needs for safeties have already depleted the limited market there was.

Wish we could have gotten Landry..... I think he is alot better than what he showed with the skins....

I personally think that he is a lot like Harper in many ways, and many here have questioned if that is really the type of a safety the Saints need, although I for one am more than content with Harper.

Landry is unquestionably a really impressive athlete, but I'm not sure if it would've been financially sensible to bring him in at $4M/yr with Harper's $6.25M 2012 cap hit - of course the Saints couldn't have outright even afforded it.

I'm not a fan of Landry and his "attitude", plus he gets beat in coverage just as bad if not worse than Harper...

Mark me down for tired of people ragging on Harper... one of the best most consistent players we have on D.

I like Harper,but he has stone hands and he’s not the best at breaking up the pass.

everyone had 'stone hands' last year... Jenkins dropped 4 ints alone

If this is gonna turn into a Jenkins vs Harper convo I'll take Jenkins, but not at any Safety position, I would trade Harper for Osi or Mathius, Move Jenkins to slot corner, get one safety from Free Acency and then Draft a Safety in the late rounds after we sure up the DT spot!!!

And take the $17M cap hit that would go along with it? ... I'll pass.


Harper is a Pro Bowl level safety if he is used in the proper role and when he isn't asked to do what goes beyond what a SS is supposed to do - I believe all of these things will be achieved under Spags.

Jenkins doesn't do "it" for me.....he's always around the ball about the same time Shanle shows up. He's always late with his reads.
Now
Derek Wolfe does interest me.
We should be ok at CB provided everyone stays healthy......:p
Safety is the lesast of our worries I think.