CheramieIII

Saints Team Report
1/22/2006

By Mike Triplett
New Orleans Times-Picayune


TEAM ANALYSIS

Sean Payton was the best choice to become head coach, for two main reasons: First, his specialty is quarterbacks, a position that will be critical for the Saints, especially if they draft Matt Leinart or Vince Young as expected; second, he promises to bring discipline to a team that has annually ranked among the league leaders in penalties and turnovers. Payton spent the past three years under Bill Parcells in Dallas. The Saints would be thrilled if the 42-year-old Payton comes in and runs a tight ship the way Parcells does while coaching his offense the way Jon Gruden, Andy Reid and Mike Holmgren do. Like those other successful head coaches with offensive backgrounds, Payton plans to call his own plays. As an offensive mind, Payton is not a Parcells clone. The two reportedly butted heads at times in Dallas, because Payton wanted to open things up and get creative while Parcells wanted to keep things simpler and straightforward. In his career, Payton has been credited for getting the most out of his quarterbacks, including Drew Bledsoe and Vinny Testaverde in Dallas and most notably, Kerry Collins with the Giants. The Saints might be tempted to keep QB Aaron Brooks to see if Payton can turn his career around. More likely they'll draft a quarterback and sign a veteran who can start until the rookie is ready. Depending on who the starter is, they have enough talent to be one of the top 10 or 15 offenses in the NFL, as they were for most of this decade before collapsing in 2005. And their defense actually improved in 2005, with emerging stars like E Will Smith and S Dwight Smith leading the charge. Of all the teams with job vacancies this year, the Saints stood out as one that could most quickly return to 8-8 or 9-7 and give a coach a chance for early success. But with the expected quarterback change and with many of the key starters pushing 30 and over, the Saints will have to do a great job in the next couple drafts and free-agent periods to avoid a rebuilding project.

PERSONNEL ANALYSIS

This will be a crucial offseason for third-year LB Courtney Watson, who missed the last two months of 2005 with a torn knee ligament. Not only must he rehab from the injury, he also needs to develop into the type of linebacker the Saints thought he'd be when they drafted him in the second round in 2004. They've given him every chance to lock down the job, but he was replaced by veteran Ronald McKinnon last year because of ineffective play. The 6-1, 246-pounder has good speed and skill but isn't consistent. He is better in pass coverage than he is as a tackler. And though he has been learning the difficult role of signal caller and "quarterback of the defense," he has not shown an ability to play at full speed. The Saints could afford to upgrade at all three linebacker spots, and the position will be a top priority in the draft and free-agent market. . . . The team is not planning to send QB Adrian McPherson to NFL Europe. McPherson is a bigger project than most rookie quarterbacks, and the Saints figure it's more important for him to spend his first full offseason with his own coaching staff. McPherson, a fifth-round pick in 2005, started only four games as a sophomore at Florida State in 2002, then played in the Arena Football League in 2004. Eventually, it will be important for him to get some on-field experience, and he might go to Europe next year. But for now, it's most important that he learns the Saints' system, especially since the Saints have changed coaching staffs.

SPECIAL PROJECT

A year ago, it seemed as if the Saints were on the verge of releasing DT Johnathan Sullivan, as soon as they could afford to absorb his massive salary cap figure. But the 2003 first-round draft choice finally showed some promise in his third season. Not only does he figure to stay on the roster, but now the Saints must decide whether he can be a full-time starter. Veteran DT Willie Whitehead, who started last year, is an unrestricted free agent. The Saints could re-sign Whitehead and continue with a rotation that includes Sullivan and starter Brian Young. Or they could make defensive tackle a top priority in the free-agent period, figuring Sullivan is maxed out as a second-stringer. More than anything else, the Saints were pleased with Sullivan's attitude last year. He finally cared about football and showed a willingness to work. Teammates and coaches embraced him. And the 6-3, 315-pounder kept his weight down all year, something that had been a tremendous struggle for him in his first two seasons. Sullivan made a half-dozen athletic and agile highlight-type moves that turned heads and showed why the Saints traded up to the sixth overall to draft him.

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