Saints and the draft pick I love.
 

Last year I wasn't too happy with the Saints' draft. In fact ... I was highly upset.

We had two very good DEs in Darren Howard and Charles Grant and we selected DE Will Smith with our 1st pick?!

At the moment when Will Smith's name was announced, I was very upset.

The Saints then selected MLB Courtney Watson in the 2nd round. Again ... I was very upset.

Even though Coutney Watson was a finalist for the the 2002 Bukus Award, I just didn't feel like he had a MIDDLE-LINEBACKER mentality!! To me, Watson seemed to be more of a finesse guy. I don't know about you, but I like my Middle-Linebackers on the mean and nasty side.

Last year there were many folks (not neccesarily on B&G) who tried to convince me that Courtney Watson was going to be a "special" MLB. I wasn't buying any of it !! And still don't!!

I don't really know why I wasn't impressed with Watson at MLB. Just a "gut" feeling, I suppose.

Some of you might think I'm on a rant to bash Courtney Watson? No ... that's not it at all. I think Watson will make a fine OLB. Just not a MLB.

This year we drafted MLB Alfred Fincher. I think Fincher is going to be a "special" MLB!! I have no FACTS to support this with. Just like I didn't have any FACTS to support my opinion of Coutney Watson. It's just a "gut" feeling based on what I've seen and read.

Of all of our draft picks (including Jammal Brown) I am most excited about Alfred Fincher. He reminds me a lot of the late-great Sam Mills. He even looks a bit like him.

I can't wait to see Fincher on the field!!










[Edited on 27/4/2005 by GumboBC]

Saints and the draft pick I love.
 

This feels like wishful thinking. I have no reason to be excited about Fincher.... sorry. :)

Saints and the draft pick I love.
 

Fincher was a key guy in UCONNs defense -- he called the plays and actually was their the top dog. So he can play -- what we do not know is whether he can play at the NFL level -- let\'s face it -- UCONN did not play against the top offenses in college --

My favorite dark horse is McPherson --- and it has nothing to do with any feelings for or against AB. He has a tremendous amount of potential and we got him for only a 5th rounder. COuld be the steal of the draft in my mind.

Saints and the draft pick I love.
 

I don\'t know who UCONN played. But the college some kidplayed in isn\'t much of a concern to me.

Bill Parcells and the Cowboys drafted a guy by the name of Demarcus Ware out of Troy State with the 11th pick. I don\'t think Parcells is concerned about Ware playing for Troy State.

It reamains to be seen how Demarcus and Fincher handles the NFL game. We\'ll see.



[Edited on 27/4/2005 by GumboBC]

Saints and the draft pick I love.
 

I think that the saints are thinking that one of the two of them can play inside and the other can play outside.

my favorite pick: mckenzie...I think he will help us next year more than anyone.

Saints and the draft pick I love.
 

My favorite picks, and why...
1. Jammal Brown-Its like getting two stud linemen in one pick. We can move Mayberry to his probowl position, move Holland to his natural LG position. If Deuce McAllister comes into camp in top shape and stays healthy all year we may have one of the top running games in the league.

2. Adrian McPherson-Low risk/extremely high reward. Were it not for the trouble he had as a teenager this kid may have been the 1st QB selected this year. He\'s already spent a year under Steve DeBerg in a fast paced decision honing league. He\'s got an Elway-esque arm, McNabb like legs, and a self-imposed chip on his shoulder. I\'m mostly pleased that we\'re risking a measley 5th round pick on this kid.

3. Alfred Fincher-We may have found a player. This staff has had trouble turning atheletes into football players. Maybe we\'re better off drafting football players. He\'s got all the measurables plus a great attitude.

4. Josh Bullocks-After hearing the coaches state how they were planning to use him I warmed up to him a bit more. He\'ll contribute immediately on special teams and nickle packages and by seasons end could be a viable replacement for Bellamy (the guy every one of us wanted canned two years ago)

5. Lyman-I don\'t know enough about him really. I hear he\'s a McCaffrey clone only faster, but his injury history reminds me of a Cam Cleeland clone.

6. The rest are typical late round projects that really don\'t fire me up one way or another. They all have the potential to develop into players but have enough deficiencies that\'ll make them longshots to do so. I like the DT, but not as much as Rodney Leisle going into 2005.

Saints and the draft pick I love.
 

Your thing against Watson makes no sense. Would you mail me the scout tape of him that you have? You seem to have reels and reels of footage on this rookie.

I like Watson and the fact that our D looked much better with him and the other youngsters were in there does nothing to support your \"not sold on him\" point of view. I just don\'t get it.

And to turn around and get excited about Fincher seems so random. I don\'t understand it.

I agree, but I did like what I saw in the bowl game tape (allbeit a toledo game.) I thought Fincher moved around and got in the mix alot. He looks like he could be a middle guy. He\'s got the effort and will to succeed, it\'s just a matter of whether he\'s got enough talent to hang with the big boys.

I agree with Gumbo, I like the pick. I don\'t like it as the answer to our LB woes, but I think the guy is a football player. He said something like \"I wanna take ownership of what the D does down there\". That sounds like a guy who could anchor the D, but it could very well be lip service.

The good thing here is the departure from strong and fast track vs. football players. I think Finch will be fun to watch and I\'ll be rooting for him, I just don\'t see why anyone would be higher on him than Court.

Saints and the draft pick I love.
 

I agree. watching his hightlights he seemed to have\"it\". Dont know what \"it\" is, but he has \"it\"

Saints and the draft pick I love.
 

As I said, it\'s nothing more than a \"gut\" feeling about Watson and about Fincher.

Nothing more, nothing less.

A big part of the reason I don\'t like Watson as a MLB is because he\'s just not a big hitter. He looks more like a finesse player to me.

Albert Fincher looks more like a \"thumper\" when he makes a hit. He\'s definately doesn\'t seem afraid to lay the lumber.



[Edited on 27/4/2005 by GumboBC]

Saints and the draft pick I love.
 

Whodat give me some of what your smokin Fincher not going to be a good linebacker. GIVE THAT STUFF TO ME YOUR CUT OFF!!!!!!!! J/K

Saints and the draft pick I love.
 

I am feel much better about Watson than Fincher. While many said he could be a sleeper and suprise alot of people, let\'s not forget that he was projected by nearly every site to be a fifth or sixth round pick. While I am not sold on Watson either, I would feel much better if he started the year at MLB.

Saints and the draft pick I love.
 

Fincher: 3rd Rd Pick, 6\'1\", 241 lbs, 4.76 in the 40. Press ?, 400 Max Press, 545 squat.

Watson: 2nd Rd Pick, 6\'1\", 237 lbs, 4.56 in the 40. Press 225 22 times, 365 Max Press, 500 squat.

Watson is up to 246 lbs, and who knows what a year of NFL weight training has done for him?

I guess, your gut may be right, but I don\'t see a good reason to think that Fincher will be more relaible (better?) than Watson at MLB. In fact, Watson is faster - something you value highly in a MLB.

I like Fincher at SLB instead of Allen, Watson at MLB, and Bockwoldt at WLB. However, I\'d like to see these guy play a few more snaps before I start making substantial judgements.

I like what I hear about Fincher, don\'t get me wrong. I guess I don\'t know what to say about your gut on this one.

Saints and the draft pick I love.
 

You have to admit, whether you like the pick or not, Fincher seems like he is ready to go. I think he wants to come in and be a leader and help the team win. I think he\'s got a lot of heart. It\'ll be interesting to see what he can do.