cnnsi.com mock draft III

WhoDat · 03-28-2003, 11:00 AM

Smitty - thanks for the vote of confidence, sort of, but I think you misunderstand my plan. I\'m not suggesting that the Saints try to \"buy\" a SB. Not at all. Consider. It\'s January and Free Agency has not started. You have to sign Horn, and a tackle (turley or otherwise). However, with cuts and restructuring deals you have the potential to have close to $30 million dollars under the cap and 5 draft picks in the top three rounds.

I wanted to see this team sign three key players. An impact MLB, CB, and S. Use the draft to find a DT, TE, backup RB, and add depth anywhere on the defense. I think the Saints very easily could have signed three players of the Chris Claiborne, Tebucky Jones caliber and still had plenty of money under the cap for draft picks and the June cuts. We could have easily done this without getting ourselves into future cap trouble. Hell, our proposed Jones deal was for $3 mill a year. That\'s what Claiborne got. We could sign both of those guys right now by releasing Hand and still have about the exact same cap position as we do now! Three veteran impact players on defense make a huge difference. Adding a DT through the draft, and free agent MLB and S would toughen up our bery weak middle on defense. A shutdown corner helps the bleeding in the passing game and should help with the pass rush.

My way, the defense gets much better, and we don\'t screw ourselves with the cap. That means that we before a legitimate SB contender THIS year and stay that way for yeas to come. Instead, we\'re not likely to be a legitimate contender this year, but we may be in the future. Look, what I think is irrelevant. I just don\'t think people have understood what I meant. I\'m not in favor of taking our shot right now with total disregard to the future. I think with my plan there may have been some tough decisions to make two or three years down the line about which players to keep, but that\'s going to happen anyway when all of this young talent turns into good or great young EXPERIENCED talent. I can see what the Saints are doing... I just think they could have taken measures to be good right NOW without throwing away money or mortgaging the future. I mean, Haslett is already talking about being patient... about years to come. Does he believe that - I\'m sure he does. But it also sounds like an excuse for a failed season before the season has even begun.

03-28-2003, 11:00 AM	#11
WhoDat 5000 POSTS! + Join Date: Sep 2002 Posts: 5,631	cnnsi.com mock draft III Smitty - thanks for the vote of confidence, sort of, but I think you misunderstand my plan. I\'m not suggesting that the Saints try to \"buy\" a SB. Not at all. Consider. It\'s January and Free Agency has not started. You have to sign Horn, and a tackle (turley or otherwise). However, with cuts and restructuring deals you have the potential to have close to $30 million dollars under the cap and 5 draft picks in the top three rounds. I wanted to see this team sign three key players. An impact MLB, CB, and S. Use the draft to find a DT, TE, backup RB, and add depth anywhere on the defense. I think the Saints very easily could have signed three players of the Chris Claiborne, Tebucky Jones caliber and still had plenty of money under the cap for draft picks and the June cuts. We could have easily done this without getting ourselves into future cap trouble. Hell, our proposed Jones deal was for $3 mill a year. That\'s what Claiborne got. We could sign both of those guys right now by releasing Hand and still have about the exact same cap position as we do now! Three veteran impact players on defense make a huge difference. Adding a DT through the draft, and free agent MLB and S would toughen up our bery weak middle on defense. A shutdown corner helps the bleeding in the passing game and should help with the pass rush. My way, the defense gets much better, and we don\'t screw ourselves with the cap. That means that we before a legitimate SB contender THIS year and stay that way for yeas to come. Instead, we\'re not likely to be a legitimate contender this year, but we may be in the future. Look, what I think is irrelevant. I just don\'t think people have understood what I meant. I\'m not in favor of taking our shot right now with total disregard to the future. I think with my plan there may have been some tough decisions to make two or three years down the line about which players to keep, but that\'s going to happen anyway when all of this young talent turns into good or great young EXPERIENCED talent. I can see what the Saints are doing... I just think they could have taken measures to be good right NOW without throwing away money or mortgaging the future. I mean, Haslett is already talking about being patient... about years to come. Does he believe that - I\'m sure he does. But it also sounds like an excuse for a failed season before the season has even begun.
WhoDat 5000 POSTS! + Join Date: Sep 2002 Posts: 5,631	\"Excuses, excuses, excuses. ThatÃ¢Â€Â™s all anyone ever makes for the New Orleans SaintsÃ¢Â€Â™ organization.\" - Eric Narcisse \"Being a Saints fan is almost like being addicted to crack,\" he said.[i]\"You know you should stop, but you just can\'t.\"