Saints could keep most of their unrestricted free agents, including Bushrod
 

Unrestricted

Sedrick Ellis
Big Sed was supposed to be a big get for the Saints in the 2008 draft. New Orleans moved up in a draft day trade for Ellis, giving away its No. 10 and No. 78 pick to New England for No. 7 and No. 164. The only thing Ellis ultimately got the Saints was a four-year stint with Carl Nicks, whom New Orleans took at No. 164.

Ellis finished this past season with 36 tackles and no sacks. The Saints ranked No. 32 against the run, giving up 147.6 yards per game. The former Southern California standout was his best in 2010, his third season in the league and he has gone downhill since.

There’s a good chance that Ellis will be seeking a change of scenery after his stint in New Orleans and it’s likely the Saints will let him go without any fight.

Jermon Bushrod
One of the more well-liked players in the locker room, Bushrod is seeking his “big” contract this year. He signed a two-year deal prior to 2011 in an attempt to pump up his stock for this year.

At 28, this is going to be Bushrod’s only shot at landing the contract that could set him up for life.

He’s a better-than-average left tackle and he plays one of the most important positions in the game. But after earning a Pro Bowl berth in 2011, he regressed a little this season, though not as much as some fans would like to think.

Quarterback Drew Brees knows and likes Bushrod and understands how to work with him blocking. Bushrod might test the open market, but when all is said and done, there’s a good chance New Orleans offers him what he desires and he returns.

Devery Henderson
The man that everyone wants to run off but who has returned for every season since being drafted in 2004 is set to face an open market where a receiver with diminishing skills might not get a lot of love. Henderson finished 2012 with 22 catches for 316 yards and a touchdown, his worst season since his sophomore campaign.

Henderson will be 30 when 2013 begins and has lost a step. He also lost control of his hands this season. Pro Football Focus had him rated as the second-worst receiver in the NFL.

That said, the Saints will be hard-pressed to find a receiver who gives New Orleans what Henderson does. He’s still a threat down the sideline and has the ability to open up things for Joe Morgan on the other side and the other receivers underneath. Coaches still consider him one of the better downfield blockers.

More to the point, there’s no one ready to step up for him should he be gone. He could be willing to extend his career for at least one more season for a reduced price and stay in New Orleans.

Full article: Saints could keep most of their unrestricted free agents, including Bushrod | wwltv.com New Orleans

Re: Saints could keep most of their unrestricted free agents, including Bushrod
 

Like I always say in Loomis I trust !

Re: Saints could keep most of their unrestricted free agents, including Bushrod
 

There is not one player on that list that I feel like we have to have.

Re: Saints could keep most of their unrestricted free agents, including Bushrod
 

Only one IMO is Bushrod...but only if he doesn't command too much. Bushrod may not be a probowl talent but he's good enough and LTs are very hard to come by these days.

Re: Saints could keep most of their unrestricted free agents, including Bushrod
 

Is there any way we could sign bushrod, move his bum to right tackle, and get jake long from free agency to play left tackle...

Either that or just get jake long and let bushrod test the open market.

Re: Saints could keep most of their unrestricted free agents, including Bushrod
 

For all of the people who rag on Bushrod all I can say is be careful what you wish for, guys like him aren't as easy to find as you think.

Bushrod is a lot better than he gets credit for on the forums. The guy is a solid LT. I don't get all the criticism he gets. He gives up very few sacks, doesn't get penalties and never gets hurt.

I'm afraid the only way he'll ever be appreciated is if we have to try to replace him.

Re: Saints could keep most of their unrestricted free agents, including Bushrod
 

Never said he wasn't a good lt, the actual whole in our line is strief on the right side, I would like to see bushrod moved to the rt, and signed jake long as the lt.

Re: Saints could keep most of their unrestricted free agents, including Bushrod
 

Who's Better Branden Albert or Jermon Bushrod?

I want the better Tackle protecting the 100 Million Dollar Man!

Re: Saints could keep most of their unrestricted free agents, including Bushrod
 

Albert hands down, but I doubt he'll hit the market, and if he does - the Saints probably can't afford him.

Bushrod is an OK LT, but he will be looking for a bigger salary contract, and he was already borderline being overpaid under the old contract, because he does have some major deficiencies which relegate him from ever being considered elite.

But, Strief is the biggest problem on that O-line at the moment, and I'm hoping that Marcel Jones will take that spot away from him during the OTAs and the preseason.

Re: Saints could keep most of their unrestricted free agents, including Bushrod
 

We can easily replace Ellis and Henderson. Bushrod not so and we need to get him back or find his replacement for a good price, which I doubt is possible.

I would like to see Henderson return though. He's a good 4th receiver and is a character guy.

Re: Saints could keep most of their unrestricted free agents, including Bushrod
 

I also think Strief is better than most seem to think he is. Yeah we could upgrade there but I don't think it should be a big priority. He's adequate. Even if we find some one to beat him out he's definitely an asset as I think our biggest problem on the O'line is depth.

Re: Saints could keep most of their unrestricted free agents, including Bushrod
 

Yeah, I'm not saying they should get rid of Strief altogether, just that he isn't starter caliber and it has shown a lot of time during this past season.

Strief is a good depth guy to hold onto since he can play both T and G, but they should try to find a more permanent and more solid solution to that RT posititon.

I'll give him that he was injured this season, and the decimated OT depth meant that he probably was forced to come back before he was 100%, but I was on his case even last season and didn't think that he should be starting.

Re: Saints could keep most of their unrestricted free agents, including Bushrod
 

Do you know there were only two QBs sacked less this season than Drew Brees? For some odd reason it was Peyton & Eli Manning (conspiracy!), :lol:.

My point is Bushrod, though it may not look like it at times, is getting the job done. He reminds me a lot of Jeff Backus (OT) of the Lions who is constantly maligned by the fans, yet Matthew Stafford is one of the least (#6) sacked QBs in the league also.

If it's only the Jarred Allen's, Julius Pepper's and J.J. Watt's of the league beating these guys, well, they beat every LT out there, regardless. Unless you can replace him with a proven tackle who can block the league's elite defensive ends, you risk the chance of actually downgrading the O/L. Detroit drafted OT Riley Reiff in the first round last season as heir apparent to the LT position, but it's a rare rookie offensive lineman that's going to step in and make an immediate impact. It didn't take long for the Lions to start talking about keeping Backus at LT and have Reiff play RT.

Moral of the story? Don't be the Detroit Lions, :lol:. But really, work on getting some depth in the O/L, but keep Bushrod around if he doesn't want too much, aka Carl Nicks.

Re: Saints could keep most of their unrestricted free agents, including Bushrod
 

SloMo, it's true that Brees has been protected well in regards to sack figures, but IMO that has less to do with the OTs than with the strength of the interior of that O-line and Brees' ability to step into the pocket to avoid edge pressure and get rid of the ball just in time to avoid the sack.

I'd be fine with Bushrod continuing as the LT of the Saints, but I just don't think he is worth the money he'll be asking and even if he is - the Saints probably can't afford that money and would be better off just replacing Bushrod with a slightly less talented LT who'd have a much lower price-tag. One of the reasons why I think this approach would be feasible is that Kromer has shown that he can work with lesser talent and make them even overachieve, and I'm off course banking on him re-signing with the Saints.

The bottom line is that the Saints need to cut costs, and re-signing a good (not great) LT to a big-money contract isn't the way to do it, and I hope Loomis sees it this way also.

I agree with alot of that.
I'd like to see a OT signed in the draft.If Mathews drops to 15 I'd say take him other than that I'd leave it till the later rounds(4th+).

Re: Saints could keep most of their unrestricted free agents, including Bushrod
 

Ellis: Be gone


Bushrod: If Drew is happy with him who am I to debate. Its not my azz out there.


Henderson: I found this troubling "there’s no one ready to step up for him should he be gone"

Have you been introduced to Morgan yet?

Ellis be gone

Sounds like some cheap TV commercial cleaner.



Be interesting who gets tagged.

Re: Saints could keep most of their unrestricted free agents, including Bushrod
 

And I agree with you for the most part, which is why I finished my post with, "keep Bushrod around if he doesn't want too much, aka Carl Nicks". I just think with offensive lineman, it takes you a few years to develop a rookie and the F/A market is bust, with the exception of a few, as by the time those guys reach free agency, they're pretty well beat up as per the job description, so if you got a guy doing the job, hold onto him ... price tag considered, of course. :)

Yep, but unless we can replace Bushrod w someone better, we need to keep him. Drew feels comfortable w what JB can and can't do and knows how to navigate in the pocket w him blocking.

Re: Saints could keep most of their unrestricted free agents, including Bushrod
 

But it was Mr. #9 himself who wanted to become the highest paid player in the league history, so he can't have the cake and eat it too.

And I'm not sold on the notion that Bushrod's replacement should necessarily be an improvement over him, an equally or a slightly less talented guy would be totally acceptable if it means that they can save a couple of million dollars per year in the cap. They already have a lot invested in the interior of that line - meaning of course the guards - and that is where they should continue to invest the money because it is the most important part of that O-line when we're considering Brees' playing style of rather stepping up on the pocket than sidestepping away from pressure.

I hear ya - our interior lineman are set. So that leaves the OT's that need to be upgraded. Bushrod already knows the system, and like I said, Brees is comfortable w him protecting his blind side. Saints probably won't make a change unless Bushrod asks for too much. Right OT really needs to be upgraded though.

Re: Saints could keep most of their unrestricted free agents, including Bushrod
 

I do still think that they already have their future RT in the house in Marcel Jones. I remember reading some really positive scouting reports on him before and after last year's draft, and what most of them basically said was that he has all the physical traits needed to become a top tier RT, but he only needed a year or two of good coaching to get him there. Now, I don't know what this past season did for his development, being put on the IR, but I still hope/believe Kromer can groom him into a top tier RT.

The best solution would be to re-sign Bushrod to an affordable new contract, but a very close second to that would be to pick an OT early in the draft and have him man the LT spot for years to come or at least have him see through Brees' contract.