Maybe I was wrong. Will Smith might play linebacker.
 

For the rest.........

http://www.nola.com/saints/t-p/index...5663107450.xml

Maybe I was wrong. Will Smith might play linebacker.
 

Good find, Billy....It\'s funny to call you Bily because I feel like I\'m talking to myself since that\'s my real name, too. Back to the matter at hand, I\'m feeling pretty good about Will Smith. This is totally making me think that the Saints may swith to a 3-4 defense. Let\'s look at the roster for those positions real quick:

Defensive Line: Howard, Grant, Young, Sullivan, Whitehead, Williams, Kenny Smith, and Will Smith (Can play end or linebacker)

Linebacker: Rodgers, Cie Grant, Ruff, Darren Smith, Hodge, Allen, Knight, Watson, and once again Will Smith.

I see Howard, Young, and Charles Grant starting on the line with a speedy corps of linebackers working in and out of the game. This has a potential to be a blitz happy set of linebackers with Rodgers and Will Smith *snap, pshhhhhhh* providing most of the rush. At least this is what I\'m hoping for. I think Haslett has finally realized that the 3-4 is what made his defense successful in Pittsburgh, so he\'ll bring it back to New Orleans and try to have that same success. At least this is what I\'m hoping. I know it\'s a HUGE stretch, but if the Saints can implement this system and be anywhere CLOSE to the days of the Dome Patrol, this defense will be markedly improved.

I\'ll leave this post on this note.

At Ohio State, born and raised, on the football field is where he spent most of his days....Chillin, all maxin, all cool and all playin some football when he wasn\'t in school. When a couple of guys, who thought they were doin some good...brought a contract offer to his neighborhood....He got in one little draft and his mom got scared and said \"Wouldn\'t you rather play with a guy named McNair?\" He went to the Airport and when it flew near....It had a fluer-de-lis on the side and black and gold in the mirror...If anything he thought that the team may not win, but he thought \"Nah, forget it! YO, HOLMES, TO ORLEANS!!!!!!! He....pulled...up to the Dome around 7 or 8 and he yelled to the pilot...YO, HOLMES, SMELL YA LATA!!!! He looked at his kingdom he was finally in...to sit on the throne as the Fresh Prince of New Orleans\".......GIVE ME A BEAT!!!!

[Edited on 25/4/2004 by D_it_up2]

Maybe I was wrong. Will Smith might play linebacker.
 

Now that\'s damn funny!! I can just hear the guys on sportscenter having all kinds of fun with his name. And, he is the \"Man in Black\" and Gold. :P

Maybe I was wrong. Will Smith might play linebacker.
 

LOL...glad ya liked it...I guess I\'m just trying to make light of it all for those who are confused by the pick. If anything, his name will give us all amusement..lol

Maybe I was wrong. Will Smith might play linebacker.
 

Maybe, Will Simth will play DE and Darren Howard will play DT.

Maybe I was wrong. Will Smith might play linebacker.
 

I don\'t think the Saints had a plan when drafting Smith... I think they were shocked he was there and figured go with best player and Smith from the MIB\'s was the pick they ought to take for value. Now they will have to decide what to do with him ect. after the draft.

Maybe I was wrong. Will Smith might play linebacker.
 

I\'m not so sure about that. I think all coaching staffs knows just how unpredictable the draft is and prepares for EVERY scenario that might play out. I\'m sure Haslett and co. entertained the idea that Will Smith MIGHT fall to them. And, I\'m sure they thought about where he would play if he fell in their lap.

I can almost guarantee you that our first round pick will not be sitting on the bench this year. He\'ll play and play a lot. You don\'t let 1st round picks sit on the bench. Especially if your name is Jim Haslett and folks are already screaming for your head.

Maybe I was wrong. Will Smith might play linebacker.
 

I told you I didn\'t like his music! lol
Will he be able to adjust playing in the NFL AND playing linebacker? Try it. Right now I don\'t believe it will work, but it beats trading Howard to make room for him on the defensive line.
D_it_up-2: 3-4 defense? If Smith pans out and Rodgers improves we have adequate OLB. But what we have on the inside is just terrible. Sully is not (yet?) the run stuffer some hoped he would be. It\'s a long shot - and simply not a good idea IMHO.

P.S.: You don\'t even wanna start Sullivan ... Young, the 280-pound nose tackle? Imagine what Kansas City would do to that 3-man front. Happy times for all fantasy owners of Priest Holmes.

Maybe I was wrong. Will Smith might play linebacker.
 

Will Smith HAS played linebacker in college. How much, I don\'t know. But, at least he has some eperience at the position. I don\'t know how difficult the transition would be, but with all the physical tool Smith has, he can play the position.

I am troubled about him coming to the NFL and having to play a postion that is not his natural position.

Maybe I was wrong. Will Smith might play linebacker.
 

At 275 lbs. he is going to have to lose some weight .

Not exactly a Saints players strong suit .

Deuce - over weight
Sullivan - Way over weight
Craver - over weight

Jenny Craig is going to have to get a room on Airline Dr. ..... :P

Maybe I was wrong. Will Smith might play linebacker.
 

50 Mike Vrabel OLB
Height: 6-4 Weight: 261
Year: 7 Yrs/Pat: 3
Acquired: UFA-01 (Pit)
School: Ohio State
Major: Pre-Med
Born: 14 Aug 75 Akron OH

08 -- Lose weight? Why? This guy is fast enough to play LB and not lose weight. Mike Vrabel is one example of big linebackers who play well. Will Smith is MUCH faster than Vrabel.

Maybe I was wrong. Will Smith might play linebacker.
 

I don\'t know...in my opinion this has to be one of the best draft in years for us. If you look at it, just about every pick fufilled a need. I am confident Will Smith WILL play LB for us in the mold of Suggs and Vrabel. His athleticism is outstanding, plus he is an intelligent individual. If you look at his documented weaknesses, they are listed with the DE position in mind. He doesn\'t need to bulk up at ALL if he\'s going to play LB for us, which is obviously what he\'s going to be brought in for. Devery Henderson was a great pickup in round 2. I was itching for them to pick up Keary Colbert, because I think he should\'ve been in the mix with the other top recievers. I actually was hoping for Clayton, because I think we need a possesion reciever, but Clayton wasn\'t even available. I\'ve known about Watson for some time now....I even drafted him from NCAA 2004 onto Madden 2004.....very instinctive and intelligent. I think the common characteristic from all of the top 4 players we drafted is INSTINCTIVE! That is arguably the most important thing to have in the NFL, besides athleticism. AND we just picked up the best blocking fullback in the DRAFT???? I think the Saints did about as well as they could have given what players were already off the board at their positions.

[Edited on 25/4/2004 by GoldenTomb]

Maybe I was wrong. Will Smith might play linebacker.
 

At first I wasn\'t sure about the Will Smith pick, but the more I think about it, he should be an impact player for us. On running downs, he can shift to SLB, and should be able to play better in traffic than Hodge has. On passing downs, Sullivan or Young will likely come off the field, our nickleback will come on, Howard will moved to DT, and Smith can shft back to DE.

Maybe I was wrong. Will Smith might play linebacker.
 

Smith at 275 , trying to blanket the likes of Gonzalez would be ugly .

He is going to have to get his weight down for the OLB position .

Try to remember his draft position , he is a number 1 pick and will take up the cap space for it .

Just cause you can smoke next to an open gas line , does not mean you should .... ;)

Maybe I was wrong. Will Smith might play linebacker.
 

08- Will Smith has been clocked in the 40 @ 4.55. What difference does weight have to do with it? Hell, at 4.55 he can outrun a lot of receivers. He\'ll be ok.

Tell us something positive 08. Suprise us........ :P

On another note. You sure have been silent on Eli. Are you a Giants fan now. Now you have 3- teams to keep up with. Carolina, N.Y. Giaints, and then your 3rd team -- The Saints. ;)

[Edited on 25/4/2004 by SaintsReporter]

Maybe I was wrong. Will Smith might play linebacker.
 

howard was franchised but i never saw anything about him signing a deal

i wouldn\'t be surprised to see him traded, even if we keep him as often as he is injured we could use the depth

i just don\'t see smith playing LB

Maybe I was wrong. Will Smith might play linebacker.
 

Billy, Good to see you haven\'t lost your touch. ;)

Maybe I was wrong. Will Smith might play linebacker.
 

Smith will put in some time at LB, I guarantee it.

Also I don\'t think Howard is going anywhere...or at least we don\'t NEED him to go anywhere. We need to get out of the old Saints way of operating...you know....build up a player for him to star somewhere else.

Maybe I was wrong. Will Smith might play linebacker.
 

its called cap... he could be a cap casualty but... I don\'t see us unloading him except maybe to GB they got CB\'s. But Smith is a player and he will contribute to a team no matter where he is needed.

Maybe I was wrong. Will Smith might play linebacker.
 

Well I think it\'s a little too soon to talk cap casualty. Let\'s wait and see what transpires this season with the defense. Maybe a Darren Howard playing with a threatening, younger, more athletic DE(Smith) on a upper echelon defense will be more cooperative towards negotiating a new contract.

Maybe I was wrong. Will Smith might play linebacker.
 

Hey SaintsReporter, what a difference a day makes, huh? You were ready to string up the entire Saints\' front office yesterday because they didn\'t draft a linebacker (whom you never named) at 18th. Not only that but you complained that they should have picked Chris Gamble with this pick even though he had dropped on almost every board because of his poor showing at the combine.

I suppose they could have moved up but they made that mistake last year. I couldn\'t see them making it again. No, they did the right thing.

You\'re looking at a future All-Pro here in Will Smith and the Saints\' management would have deserved a fate worse than death had they not taken him with their pick. Couple that with drafting Courtney Watson from Notre Dame and this defense just made a huge leap forward.

Trust me (even though my mom always told me, \"Never trust anybody that says, \'Trust me\' \"), Watson will be excellent at the Mike LB position. This defense has to play Atlanta twice and with the speed N.O. just aquired in this draft, Michael Vick isn\'t nearly as scary as he once was. Watson has a nose for the ball. Ya can\'t tackle who ya can\'t catch. Watson can catch \'em.

This defense now has depth. Do they still need help at corner? Sure, but the front seven can make the secondary look pretty good if it\'s got the speed to make plays. And there\'s still time to make a deal for another CB, perhaps Ty Law...although if he can\'t outrun the cops on foot, I\'m not sure he\'d be much help. Sounds like he\'s lost a step or two.

Maybe I was wrong. Will Smith might play linebacker.
 

blake6900 --

I don\'t mind telling you, I was more than just a little upset yesterday. I just couldn\'t understand why they didn\'t address the cornerback position.

Quite honestly, I didn\'t know that much about Will Smith or Watson. I just had some preconceived idea of who I thought they should take.

Now, I\'m extremely happy with this years draft.

I\'d like to see us pick up another corner though.


[Edited on 25/4/2004 by SaintsReporter]

Maybe I was wrong. Will Smith might play linebacker.
 

And so am I.

We probably will...but it doesn\'t make much sense to draft one just to be drafting one. A good defensive line can make bad corners look good but good corners can\'t help a bad defensive line...unless they blitz. I don\'t think we want that...at least not on every play!

Maybe I was wrong. Will Smith might play linebacker.
 

Not to upset anyone\'s sunshine applecart here....

I\'m not terribly upset about this draft, but I do have a question.

How is it that every year of the Haslett regime, we have made a priority of fixing the D-Line? If the D-Line is the priority every year, how is it that the D-Line never gets fixed? It seems like we are putting disproportionate annual effort into the D-Line and not getting any better at stopping the run.

Maybe Pease will finally fix this, but I won\'t be surprised to see Haslett draft some more DT\'s and DE\'s next spring.

Maybe I was wrong. Will Smith might play linebacker.
 

I agree. While I am pleased with the Saints draft. Realistically I know that there are still a lot of \"if\'s\" there. Our entire linebacker corp is unproven as well as our entire secondary. The draft might help, but, it ain\'t going to sure up everything.

All of these guys are young that we drafted and we didn\'t do a lot in free agency to address BIG areas of needs.

Maybe I was wrong. Will Smith might play linebacker.
 

Smith is listed at the 40 in variable ranges .

ESPN has him at 4.58
Sporting News has him at 4.70

Lehman - 4.55
Boulware - 4.55
Dansby - 4.58

Natural players at the position , not converted too . Converting a player takes time and practice .

Go out to the forum choice page and notice under General Discussion Board , the Saintz08 it previously appeared on another board . Now it is under this one . The positive is , Banning is so much easier ..... ;)

Maybe I was wrong. Will Smith might play linebacker.
 

Banning? Wut chew tawkin\' \'bout 08? How did you get to be a moderator anyway? :P

Let\'s talk Eli? I hear he had a rough day. ;)

Maybe I was wrong. Will Smith might play linebacker.
 

Chosen for my interesting way of looking at things and my shoot first ask questions later approach . Dead men tell no tales

Have been busy , what is up with Eli that has you so amused Billy ??





[Edited on 26/4/2004 by saintz08]

Maybe I was wrong. Will Smith might play linebacker.
 

Interesting indeed. That\'s one word for it anyway 08. I have another word for it, but that moderator status kinda makes me gun shy. And I have plenty of tales to tell. :P

I just found it amusing all the hell Eli and the Mannings went though. You just haven\'t made metion of Eli and I found that odd, considering all the Eli threads you started dating back to his jr. high days. ;)

Maybe I was wrong. Will Smith might play linebacker.
 

Yeah all 2 days of it .

The endorsement rights alone after that stunt in New York are probably worth more then Archie made in his entire career .

Archie kept his son within a Saints connected organization .

Eli showed just enough class and rebellion of the system to keep it amusing . Peyton showed up for support in the matter .

The Chargers are a joke of an organization , one step ahead of the Bungles and Cardinals . Eli is the winner hands down ......

2 years from now , posters will be posting if only the Saints had traded up to get Eli ....Eli has a great support group and will most likely make his share of mistakes , but will eclipse the other quarterbacks in the draft .

Want some more ???

Maybe I was wrong. Will Smith might play linebacker.
 

Manning was the target of a loud chorus of boos from the crowd packing The Theater at Madison Square Garden. That certainly isn\'t unusual for the usually rowdy folks who attend the NFL draft.

But the booing won\'t fade from his memory any time soon. How could it? How could Manning ever forget all of those imitations of babies crying and whining that he heard from the jersey-wearing, game-faced fans as he was ushered through the audience on his way to a press conference? How could he ever forget the general hostility that has been directed his way ever since it became public that he wanted no part of San Diego?

OK, you thought you were too good for the Chargers? Show us you were good enough for the Giants in a year from now, or whenever, the Kerry Collins era officially ends. Show us what that Manning pedigree is all about, that you have something in common with your older brother and reining NFL co-MVP, Peyton Manning, other than the same parents. Show us you were worth all of those draft picks that Giants gave up and all of the commotion you caused.


I got plenty, thank ya!!

Maybe I was wrong. Will Smith might play linebacker.
 

I am glad Eli got what he asked for. He\'s nothing but a spoiled little brat and a cry baby. I hope the N.Y. fans run him and his family out of town and he\'s winds up sitting on the couch next to Cooper. I hope Jevon Kevon Kearse, Corey Simon, LaRoi Glover, and anyone else in that whole division gives him more concussions than Steve Young and Troy Aikman combined.

Him along with his family challenged the system and won. Be carefull what you ask for is all I am saying. I never wanted Eli to suit up for the Saints anyways, but I would love to hear his name in the same sentence as Ryan Leaf. Eli sucks, the Mannings suck, Newman definately sucks and anyone associated with that little punk sucks.

[Edited on 26/4/2004 by Boogro]

Maybe I was wrong. Will Smith might play linebacker.
 

Sounds like a typical game for Brooks in the Superdome and he still smiles .... :P

Elway did it to the Colts .

A while back Brees was the answer in San Diego , now he is just another name on the list of could have beens . Collins was a spoiled alcoholic misfit in the league , then he went to New York and managed to take them to the play offs .

Eli wanted to be apart of a better organization , not die on the road to nowhere .

Maybe I was wrong. Will Smith might play linebacker.
 

Eli could take a lesson from his father...........

Archie came to a team that sucked more than the Chargers. The Saints!! Did Archie refuse to play for them? NOPE!! Instead, he played his heart out on a team and never complained.

That\'s why so many folks in New Orleans love Archie. He was never a whiner like Eli. His daddy never helped him to go to another team. Just think, if Archie had of done that, the Saints would have never had him to begin with.

Eli (with the help of Archie) has tarnashed the Manning name. Folks all across the country now despise the Mannings and that\'s not likely to change soon. Sure John Elway overcame simular circumstances. But, Eli isn\'t John Elway and I doubt he ever will be. I highly doubt Eli will ever live up to what Peyton has done either. Just remember fans in Colt land had about had enough of Peyton chocking in those playoff games.

New York ain\'t Indy.

New York - New York. If you can make it there -- You can make it A-N-Y-W-H-E-R-E...
:D



[Edited on 26/4/2004 by SaintsReporter]

Maybe I was wrong. Will Smith might play linebacker.
 

So what you are saying is that what Archie learned in the league , should be of no value to his children ???

Eli is well suited to take the pressure on and off the field .

As soon as Rivers goes down , he will be considered a genius .... ;)

Maybe I was wrong. Will Smith might play linebacker.
 

http://www.foxsports.com/content/view?contentId=2349814

The winds are changing already ........

Maybe I was wrong. Will Smith might play linebacker.
 

Yeah, he\'s \"low-key\" alright. When you let your Pop take all the hits for you and allow him to speak your opinion \'cause you\'re a little Wendy Whiner then you can afford to be \"low-key\". Low-Class is more like it. He\'s a Punk Punk Punk! ;)