I knew they weren't great but DAMN!
 

Roman Harper and Malcolm Jenkins, safeties, Saints. Congratulations are due to Harper. He now has gone more than two years since his last interception. That came on Sept. 20, 2010. His fellow starter, Jenkins, also is closing in on the two-year anniversary of his last interception. That came Dec. 12, 2010.

Stock Watch: NFC South - NFC South Blog - ESPN

I am really in awe. I shouldn't be but I am. 2 years??? 2 years!!!!
Call the authorities because he is straight robbing us!

Re: I knew they weren't great but DAMN!
 

A bucket could do better than that.

Re: I knew they weren't great but DAMN!
 

HA that was funny

Re: I knew they weren't great but DAMN!
 

We need a ball hawk in the draft, what you see is what you get with Harper, very good tackler and plays with a lot of heart, just can't catch a cold in Alaska

Jenkins on the other hand, I'm just not impressed, constantly out of position, drops picks when he has them

Harper makes more plays Jenkins, we need a ball hawk to replace jenkins

Re: I knew they weren't great but DAMN!
 

In all honesty I'd be totally on board with both of the safety spots being manned by different starters come next season, but the reality is that it won't happen because of the current contracts Harper and Jenkins have.

While Harper is under contract through the 2014 season, the Saints might release him after next season. The reason for this being that Harper was guaranteed $16M in his contract from which he will have already earned $10M after this current season. So, it would be logical for the Saints to keep him around for the 2013 season even with the $7.1M cap hit because they couldn't get a similar caliber player with the savings they would make by releasing him. I doubt very much they'll keep him around for the $7.9M cap hit in 2014, but, naturally, they could (and should) renegotiate and restructure his contract before that time.

Jenkins, on the other hand, isn't nearly as expensive as Harper is. His cap hit this season is $2.635M and it'll be $3.81M next season, so it's not like he is braking the bank as a starter. I guess the Saints might be able to arrange a trade with Jenkins, but if his performances don't improve drastically, I doubt there'll be a lot of suitors for his services. Also, if his performances improve drastically, there'll be no reason for the Saints to get rid of him.

I think Harper is a good SS, but his skill-set is fairly limited and while he does what he does best very well, he is being payed like a top tier safety. Jenkins' development has been a very big disappointment, because I honestly thought a couple of years back that he'd develop into a top tier safety himself - I wonder if GW broke him?!

Re: I knew they weren't great but DAMN!
 

And over the last 2 years Adrian Wilson, considered by many the best SS in the NFL, has a whopping 2 picks. Does he suck?

Re: I knew they weren't great but DAMN!
 

Thank you Danno.

Re: I knew they weren't great but DAMN!
 

Try and temper that with an understanding of our d-backs not tackling but trying to spear receivers over the last few years. I remember a few of our d-backs laying on the ground after a play because they got a thigh to the side of their helmet trying to tackle (spear).

Williams did NOT have them playing the ball.

Sharper did his own thing because he was damn good at it.

Re: I knew they weren't great but DAMN!
 

LOL..true but to even put them together in the same ball park is a joke. If Harper was half the safety Wilson was/is, we wouldn't be having this conversation.

Wilson(age 32) has been in the league 12 years. He has 845 tackles:13 FF: 27 INT

Harper(age 29) has been in league 7 years. He has 524 tackles: 14 FF: 4 INT

Apples and Oranges. Not a good reference.

Re: I knew they weren't great but DAMN!
 

Wasn't comparing the players, only pointing out that you don't judge how good or bad a SS is based on interceptions.

He's a perfect example of a great SS that has only two picks over the last two years.

Re: I knew they weren't great but DAMN!
 

I think Jenkins CAN make big plays and CAN change the outcome of a game. The famous Dallas strip being a really good example. He CAN do it. The problem is, he hasn't made enough of them. Talent to do it? Yes -- proven. Actually doing it? Well, like a lot of our defenders, we could always use more out of them than we feel like we're getting.

But he's made some big plays -- his 4th quarter tackle of Chris Johnson short of the first down, against the Titans last year, being another really big one. It just didn't LOOK LIKE a big exciting Sportscenter-type play, which is what some people want to see all the time. But that stop on that drive influenced the outcome of the game, which clinched us a playoff berth that day -- no question about that. He has others like that.

Re: I knew they weren't great but DAMN!
 

Is it too late to move Malcolm back to CB?

edit: And I know we have no one to take his place since we released Amaya, just wondering if he would be better there since it was his original position in college. Draft/trade for/outright purchase from another team somebody who has a better nose for the ball and where its going to be

Like The Great One said, he doesn't go where the puck has been, he goes where its going to be. And Malcolm certainly does not do that. Just a thought.

Re: I knew they weren't great but DAMN!
 

Abdul-Quddus is his back-up.

Jenkins and Harper are not the problem with this defense, by a long shot.

Re: I knew they weren't great but DAMN!
 

True, but they are the topic of this particular thread. ;-)

And for the record, I do think Harper is a good SS especially against the run, but at the same time I do think the Saints are overpaying him.

With the money he is getting he should be a difference maker on the field, but he has been that very rarely since he got his new contract last offseason.

Since you brought up Adrian Wilson as an example of a top tier SS in the league Danno, I'll use his salary as a comparison to what the Saints are paying Harper.

2012 Cap Hits: Harper $6.35M; Wilson $3.45M (Harper gets 1.8 times what Wilson gets)
2013 Cap Hits: Harper $7.1M; Wilson $4.625M (Harper gets 1.5 times what Wilson gets)
2014 Cap Hits: Harper $7.9M; Wilson $4.625M (Harper gets 1.7 times what Wilson gets)
2015 Cap Hits: Harper UFA; Wilson $4.625M

In that light either the Cardinals are paying Wilson less than he deserves or the Saints are way overpaying Harper for his services.