You are what you are?
 

Last night I was thinking about the Saints and about our offseason improvements. Let me restate that! "Potential" improvements.

After much thinking I came to one conclusion. And the conclusion I came to was: Bill Parcells is right.

Bill Parcells has a saying !! The saying is ....

You are what you are!!

And here's the way I see it ...

The New England Patriots are the best team in the NFL. Anyone disagree with that?

The Eagles are the best team in the NFC. Anyone disagree with that?

The Colts' offense is the best in the NFL. Does anyone disagree with that?

I think there is little to no disagreement with any of those statements?!

Now let's carry that kind of logical reasoning over to the New Orleans Saints.

The Saints have the worst defense in then NFL.

The Saints have one of the worst running attacks in the NFL. (26th)

The Saints have a QB (Aaron Brooks) who has yet to establish himself as one of the better QBs in the league.

We have no proven LBs on our team.

Jonathan Sullivan is our staring DT and is totally unproven.

So, in conclusion ... We are what we are. And that's an 8-8 team.

I'd like to think we're going to improve our 26th ranked rushing attack.

I'd like to think Brooks is going to establish himself as one of the better QBs in the NFL.

I'd like to think to think our defense is going to hold most of our opponents to under 20-pts. per game.

All of the those things need to happen.

The question(s) is ... which of those are more likely to happen? How much as our offseason paid off for us?







[Edited on 25/4/2005 by GumboBC]

You are what you are?
 

that\'s not really fair-mccalister is one of the top backs in the league..and if healthy the running game will be better.

he\'s not even in the top ten...and mark my words-if we do to AM what we\'ve done to brooks and have this attitude-that no matter what he does it\'s someone else\'s fault (and go ahead admit it.. ost brooks supporters base their arguements on this) then AM will suck just as bad as AB has...no accountability=unprofessional and inconsistent player...hopefully with AM to spur him, brooks will actually study the playbook instead of free lancing and throwing passes to Offensive lineman....

he\'s proven-proven that he sucks...

that might or might not change..I think that we definitly brought in some good players, but we need a new coach to really make it better, smith, watson and colby are just going to be better....mckenzie for a full year will help and smith will be a heckuva an upgrade on jones....

You are what you are?
 

Well --- it is hard to say -- Our offensive line is better this year than last -- that should improve the running game as well as the passing game

We have upgraded our defense -- Smith is definitely an upgrade over Jones --- other than that I\'d say we are the same old defense. At the same time the defense has played together for a year now --

The question here is whether the imrpovements translate into a win. I think it does -- 9-7

You are what you are?
 

..I actually disagree with the Patriots being the best team in the NFL, or the Eagles being the best team in the NFC..

... the Colts would\'ve beaten the Patriots in the RCA dome...
... the Panthers at full force I think are better than the Eagles...

You are what you are?
 

You are what you are. Ahh, what a truism. Wherever you go Bill, there you are!

We made several successful changes along that dismal path to the #32 ranked defense that bode extremely well for what we will be next year.

We are not what we were.

1. McKenzie (basically our 2nd 2005 2nd round draft pick) learned the system, replacing Thomas.
2. Brown settled in, finally and thankfully replacing Ambrose.
3. Will Smith officially announced his arrival with a few \"upside the heads\"
4. Bockwoldt replaced Rodgers, and is bulking up as we speak.
5. Allen appeared to grasp the mental part of the game, even if it did take 3 years.
6. Smith will replace Tebuckey Jones. No one thinks this is a downgrade.
7. Watson has a valuable year under his belt.
8. Venturi was replaced, err, I mean an \"assistant to the assistant DC\" was brought in to help coordinate the defense.

So when Bill says \"you are what you are\", it really doesn\'t apply to our team in 2005.
Because we ARE the team that ranked top 10 over the last 4 games. After all the majority of that specific unit is returning, and they are what they are right now, right?

Or does Mr. Bill mean you are what you are, even if you\'ve not what you were?

He\'s got me confused now. Is this a question on the Wonderlic?

You are what you are?
 

Danno --

Actually I made this post just so we\'d look at things a little differently.

Many fans (and it\'s hard to argue with) aren\'t going to believe we\'re anthing more than an 8-8 team until they prove otherwise.

Hence: You are what you are!!

But, that\'s not totally true.

We\'re not the 26th ranked rushing team going into next season. Even though we were last year. And I\'ll bet ANYone on that?!

And I don\'t think we\'ll give up 46 sacks next season.

And I don\'t think we\'re anywhere close to the 32nd ranked defense next season. Maybe only middle of the pack. But nowhere close to the 32nd ranked defense.

We are what we are?

Well ... until I see us win more than 8-games. Then we are what we are. I have no predictions before I see us play. And our record isn\'t soley dependent on how much we\'ve improved. Other teams have gotten better and worse since last year.

You are what you are?
 

Where are you getting your info that AB dosen\'t study the playbook? I wish people would simply cease that statement. Ive heard for three years straight by the brass and all other accounts, about how AB is a good student. None of you are attending camp with him.

AB has beeen rated 7th in the league with a good line and running game. He is practically ALWAYS in the top ten, in terms of production. To state that he isn\'t a top ten QB means to me....

a) Some simply want him to fail

b) No matter what he does, some will never be pleased
Why do his supporters blame everyone else? Simple. His detractors blame everything on him.

You are what you are?
 

This is false. Can you go back and find a why didn\'t we take Aaron Rodgers thread from draft day? If Brooks was getting ALL the blame, surely there would be at least one huh?

You are what you are?
 

I see a comment about how lame AB is in every thread. 80% of the time, AB wasn\'t even the topic. How many times do you see anyone mention that AB is in the top ten every year in production, or that he has rated 7th in the league before, with a good line? When I bring it up.

People are already proclaming A-Mac to be starting next season. Since he hasn\'t even received his uniform, I can only assume that this is wishful thing on the part of the AB bashers.

You are what you are?
 

So you must not watch sportscenter or anything cause they certainly AB bash on that show. Trey Wingo, Golic and Salisbury recently had a roundtable about the NFC South and their question for Brooks was will he finally show he is ready to step up MENTALLY and play like the QB the Saints thought he could be. they showed the backwards pass and the pass to Mobley repeatedly during that clip. They said AB has regressed. ESPN must be AB bashers too. AB brings it on himself. Great on a struggling team. False love. Give me a break. You are defending an ego maniac who has done nothing to back up that ego. Have at it. AB has never completed 60% of his passes in any season. You wanna talk about that? AB had the most lost fumbles in 2003 to go with his best QB rating ever of 88.1(Still nto over 60% completions), wanna talk about that? Ab committs the most bone-headed plays as a 4th year starter you ever wanna see. Wanna talk about that. Any QB who is in this offense should have good numbers, that\'s not impressive at all. How about he hasn\'t gotten this team to the playoffs since Blake\'s 7-4 head start. Wanna talk about that? Come on man with this whoa is AB stuff. Everything he has gotten he has deserved. If he would just shut his smiling face he wouldn\'t get half the grief he is getting. Until he shows the maturity a 5th year starter should, every boo he gets is well deserved. Oh, and he led the league in red zone turnovers this year, you know, points OFF the board, wanna talk about that? Come on zulu, just cause everyone isn\'t locign on AB is no reason to defend him, but have at it.

[Edited on 25/4/2005 by saintswhodi]