STARTERS AND BACKUPS AS OF JULY 7
 

UNIT-BY-UNIT ANALYSIS

QUARTERBACKS
Starter -- Aaron Brooks. Backups -- Todd Bouman, Kliff Kingsbury, Adrian McPherson.

RUNNING BACKS
Starters -- HB Deuce McAllister, FB Mike Karney. Backups -- HB Antowain Smith, HB Aaron Stecker, HB Fred McAfee, HB Keith Joseph, FB Jasen Isom, FB Nate Schurman.

TIGHT ENDS
Starter -- Ernie Conwell. Backups -- Boo Williams, Shad Meier, Lamont Hall, Mike Banks, Zach Hilton.

WIDE RECEIVERS
Starters -- Joe Horn, Donte Stallworth. Backups -- Az-Zahir Hakim, Devery Henderson, Nate Poole, Talman Gardner, Michael Lewis, Brian Poli-Dixon, Keron Henry, Tramissian Davis, Chris Vance, Thyron Anderson, Chase Lyman (injured).

OFFENSIVE LINE
Starters -- LT Wayne Gandy, LG Montrae Holland, C LeCharles Bentley, RG Jermane Mayberry, RT Jammal Brown. Backups -- C/G Kendyl Jacox, T Jon Stinchcomb, G Jamar Nesbit, G/T Spencer Folau, T Ben Archibald, G Chad Setterstrom, G Dwayne Ledford, G Augie Hoffmann, G Nick Steitz, G Ikechuku Ndukwe.

DEFENSIVE LINE
Starters -- LE Charles Grant, LT Brian Young, RT Howard Green, RE Darren Howard. Backups -- DE Will Smith, DL Willie Whitehead, DE Tony Bryant, DT Johnathan Sullivan, DT Rodney Leisle, DT Jason Jefferson, DE Jimmy Verdon.

LINEBACKERS
Starters -- SLB James Allen, MLB Courtney Watson, WLB Colby Bockwoldt. Backups -- Derrick Rodgers, Sedrick Hodge, Roger Knight, Alfred Fincher, Levar Fisher, Cie Grant, Terrence Melton, Cabel Rohloff, Jeremiah Garrison, Russel Rabe.

DEFENSIVE BACKS
Starters -- LCB Mike McKenzie, RCB Fred Thomas, SS Jay Bellamy, FS Dwight Smith. Backups -- CB Jason Craft, CB Fakhir Brown, S Josh Bullocks, CB Jimmy Williams, S Mel Mitchell, S Steve Gleason, CB Fred Booker, CB Dwight Ellick, S Brent Hafford, CB Matthew Clark.

SPECIAL TEAMS
PK John Carney, P Mitch Berger, P Rodney Williams, K Nate Fiske, H Todd Bouman, LS Kevin Houser, LS L.P. LaDouceur, PR-KR Michael Lewis.

Copyright (C) 2005 The Sports Xchange. All Rights Reserved


http://www.sportsline.com/nfl/teams/report/NO/8652730

I remember watching Brian Poli-Dixon play at UCLA a few years back. He's 6-5 220 with decent speed. He was on the practice squad last year and I would hear his name every now and then. It makes the Chase Lyman pick all the worse. I think they are very similar in style.




updated February 14, 2005

neworleansprofootball.com


WR Brian Poli-Dixon - Huge, lanky receiver who came out of UCLA in 2002 with much higher expectations than what came to be. 6'5, 210 pound Poli-Dixon has bounced around the league since. The Saints added Poli-Dixon to their practice squad in October 2004, exclusively for the purpose of simulating the size of Randy Moss for the team's game against the Vikings.


That part about simulating Moss is interesting. It seemed to work out for the Saints as well. Now that Moss is gone to the AFC prehaps Poli-Dixon can simulate Chase Lyman.

Also interesting to see Freddie T starting corner and not Craft. We all know that Brown hurt his self by not showing up to workouts or camps for a while. How long do you think Freddie will stay in the starting role? Or do you think he will relinquish it at all?

I think Brown will be the starter when the season begins. Thomas will be the nickel. Craft was a wasted signing, as I doubt he'll ever be much more than a dime back for this team.