Re: Mortgage the farm?
 

Good grief. We were 13-3 last year and we're the winningest team in the entire league over the last 3 or 4 years.

Mortgaging the farm is exactly what the best teams DO NOT do.

We have a recipe for success, why alter it?

Re: Mortgage the farm?
 

What on our team and that would actually yield us value in a trade?

The players we want to continue to build our team around. The Saints are not a reclamation project.

Re: Mortgage the farm?
 

Agreed we have a recipe for success, but please see my earlier post in this thread regarding the discrepancies between our offensive vs defensive draft/trade acquisitions

and to be honest, the thread title was a cheap ploy to get people to click. Sorry. It's my first thread ever, I'll know better next time

Re: Mortgage the farm?
 

Please see my post earlier regarding trades/using draft picks for more picks, etc...

Re: Mortgage the farm?
 

Bringing in Spags was a good move his success as a HC with the Rams organization doesn't detract from the fact that he was a good DC with the Giants. Some guys never can make the grade as HC's there is a lot of components to run an entire team. I still say without Vilma on the field making on the fly adjustments leaves us at a major disadvantage.

Team Captains
Offense QB Drew Brees, T Zach Strief
Defense S Roman Harper, S Malcolm Jenkins
Special Teams WR Courtney Roby

Re: Mortgage the farm?
 

I still think that this team has enough talent on the defensive side of the ball to be a solid top 15 defense, but that is predicated on them trusting the scheme and playing their positions as they are supposed to be played according to the scheme - no more missed assignments or tackles!

If they can become that type of a defense and find their identity in the next couple of weeks, I think this season is still totally salvageable.

But a lot of the pressure and finger pointing should also be directed at the offense, because they haven't been doing the defense any favors themselves during the first 3 weeks of the season. And while it might seem unfair to some that the offense is demanded to, in a way, protect the defense - when their salaries consist of almost 1.5 times what the defensive players are getting, I think they have to be held accountable for that.

Lastly, to answer the initial question, I don't think the Saints should try and make an impact trade for a defensive superstar, because there probably isn't a trade like that available to be made at this point in the season, and the Saints would in all likelihood end up paying more than what they'd get in return. It's really hard to see how a single player or two could bring about a drastic change in how the defense performs as a whole - all of the defensive players need to step up and play at the level they are all capable of. It's not like the coaches are asking the impossible out of them: just do your job!

Hopefully, they'll be able to get some good defensive rookies in the next draft and sign some impact FAs in the offseason... thankfully, at least Ellis will be gone with his inflated price tag come next season.

:bng:

Re: Mortgage the farm?
 

I've always been an advocate of building from the trenches outward. Of course you need your great athletes at the skill positions, but winning the line of scrimmage to me is what wins games. Our d-line and o-lines need the most help. We don't need to draft another offensive weapon. Given time Drew can make anyone dangerous. We don't need more corners who have to cover for 20 seconds because no one can get to the QB. We need an elite pass rusher. We also need some talent at the OT position. We should have a top 10 pick. Grab the best available lineman on either side and find a good one in FA and we are instantly better. I think our offense and back 7 defense is good enough if we can improve the lines.

Re: Mortgage the farm?
 

Man Jarvis Jones would be just what we need.

Re: Mortgage the farm?
 

With just two components added to the D, we would be extremely successful, just TWO

We need a DE that can consistently get to the QB a type of player that resembles demarcus ware, jared allen, aldon smith, justin tuck

We need a ball hawk, Jenkins aint cutting it, he would make a good SS but not a FS, he doesnt have the instincts for the position and regularly gets caught out of position. We need someone like what earl thomas is for seattle, a dangerous safety that you need to know where he is, because one slip up and its going the other way.

If you imagine we get those two positions filled, Our LB's will eventually find their groove.
Cam Jordan is by far our best defensive player at the minute and looks fast our there, if we got the positions filled it would give martez time to develop as a pass rusher and most importantly put will smith on the bench.

Our DB's would play better because they could trust the safety to be back there, none of our DB's can trust malcolm jenkins because one stutter move and he's trailing the WR immediately.

Re: Mortgage the farm?
 

I know you know football better than most, but I must disagree with your Jenkins assessment.

Its our CBs and LB's that are getting abused in the passing game. Granted Greer has been out and Robinson/Patrick were banged up. White is understandably getting schooled right now, but we've seen enough flashes to know this raw prospect looks like a solid prospect with some more development.

I do agree a stud RDE is a must. But I'd list both OLB spots as being more critical than upgrading Jenkins. I'd even list a stud DT alongside Bunkley as a must have also before FS. Hicks looks like he may just be that guy. He looks beastly.