Howard and Bentley
 

fomr John Clayton's perspective;

Set free: The Saints probably won't franchise or transition defensive end Darren Howard or center LeCharles Bentley, making them available in the free-agent market. Howard was the Saints' franchise player in 2005, but he fell out of favor as the season progressed. Bentley is one of the league's best centers, but the franchise tag for offensive linemen is $6.98 million. The Saints are reluctant to pay a center as much as a tackle, so Bentley might be leaving without draft compensation.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/blog/..._john#20060214

RE: Howard and Bentley
 

Something they should have thought about before coming into last season... good management. And that is why we're a good NFL team.

:bang:

RE: Howard and Bentley
 

I really hope they keep Bentley. He's our one Pro-Bowler. He's young. He's very talented, and he can play more than one position. Move him to OG, and then find a OC; whether that be in FA or in the draft, I don't care. I think it would be a huge blow to this line if we lost him.

RE: Howard and Bentley
 

O, and another thought, any chance we can get anything for Howard? Or is he just going to be released?

RE: Howard and Bentley
 

Okay here i go again.
Howard is gone unless we franchise him then trade him. lol after last year do u know any chumps?
Merryberries is and always will be a zone blocker. trade him. Holland wont let him on the field again.
Gandy is well Gandy and a -10 at LOT so trade him.
Horn is now linked to the loss of another perinal pro bowler on the offensive line. Time to trade him
AB is a smiling fool. Restructure or trade him.
Boo is what? i have to say hype. trade him.
LB are loaded with Hype too trade all you can.
Okay now if 1/3 of the list is done tell me we do not have the $$$ for an perinal pro bowler at C/G. He worth top 10 pay for a year as a transitional player.
Make a list of the top 10 OL players in the league and tell me he does not fall into that group. If you did i think you should keep your opions to yourself. Give me a break' please. You do not know football.
Pay the man. Show him you are building a Winning "TEAM" and a long term contract will come.
Right now we need to focus on Holland and the contract he needs before he becomes a pro bowler and Horn gets on his nerves too.
We blew it last year. Once again the front office does not look at the big picture.

RE: Howard and Bentley
 

Except you're forgetting that they haven't cut anybody yet, and they probably won't end up cutting anybody but Howard and maybe a LB or too.

Horn had some injury problems this year, but I think he's still got it.

Mayberry, IMO, is a good player, and once we get a little stability on the line, I believe he can return to his good form that he was in in Philadelphia. Not to mention Jacox is at the other OG, so I believe that Mayberry will be back on the field next year.

What's so impressive about Holland? Our entire OLine was pretty bad last year, so I don't know what was so promising about him.

RE: Howard and Bentley
 

The problem is Gandy and the loss of speed. The entire OL had to over play to the left. The lack of unity yes hurt the entire offense on blitz pick ups, ect. but i still believe Holland has more upside to him than mayberry.
Unless we go to zone blocking schems he is not worth the money. With Bentley up in the air I would move him and gandy for the $ and picks and Tag Bentley. If we draft say G Max Jean-Gilles, Georgia then i would not sign Holland right away till Max gets out on the field and we see what we got at the pro level.

RE: Howard and Bentley
 

The problem is Gandy and the loss of speed. The entire OL had to over play to the left. The lack of unity yes hurt the entire offense on blitz pick ups, ect. but i still believe Holland has more upside to him than mayberry.
Unless we go to zone blocking schems he is not worth the money. With Bentley up in the air I would move him and gandy for the $ and picks and Tag Bentley. If we draft say G Max Jean-Gilles, Georgia then i would not sign Holland right away till Max gets out on the field and we see what we got at the pro level.

RE: Howard and Bentley
 

we really need to resign bently...i understand the saint's reluctancy(i think i just made that word up) to pay a c as much as a t, but we cannot continue the trend of getting rid of pro-bowlers (see roaf and glover to name a few).

RE: Howard and Bentley
 

Good point jergensl, this guy needs to be a Saint next year.

RE: Howard and Bentley
 

Let Howard go and we get another couple million over the in cap space. I don't think we can franchise him anyway. Haven't we franchised him the last two seasons?

I agree with everyone that we need to keep Bentley, but I would also say that we don't need to keep him for 6 million a year. We can pick up a good FA center for about half that.

Re: RE: Howard and Bentley
 

Howard isn't a part of the discussion anymore. The Saints should have gotten anything they could from Dallas last summer for him. He will be cut.

Then work out that long term deal that equitable for everyone. Make Bentley the highest paid interior lineman in the game. Commit to everything he has contributed to this team. Most of the ProBowl FA we have let go in the past have gone on to continue with outstanding careers (Joe Johnson as a notable exception).

Bentley has proved his worth. It's time to pay him.

So smart money says franchise him and do your best to make the deal.


SFIAH

RE: Re: RE: Howard and Bentley
 

All I'm saying is that I don't think paying Bentley 6 to 7 million is smart money. I don't think he is the best center in the NFL.

IMHO, I don't see Bentley back in New Orleans. It's rumored that Jacksonville is really looking hard at him. If we can slap a franchise tag on him and trade him for Jacksonville's 1st rounder, then I'd be for that. I just have a feeling we're going to lose him with nothing in return. Howard is as good as done after being benched at the end of last season. He will be a FREE AGENT, so there will be no trading him for draft picks. A lot of people need to realize that.

Franchising Bentley is the only way to ensure that we get something for him. If he stays we get his services for year and buy another year to try to negotiate a long term deal. If he leaves we get compensation. Letting him go for nothing is tthe stupid move. It's a no brainer to franchise him, even if we have to pay tackle money to do so.

SFIAH

Re: RE: Re: RE: Howard and Bentley
 

His starting center position in the Pro Bowl last week stands in opposition to that assessment.

He's been both a PB guard and center in this league. Even if the Saints don't keep him, he has value in this league and the Saints needs to recoup some of that value if he leaves.

That means you franchise him. I know that by definition that opens up the possibility of overpaying him (see Howard in 2004 and 2005 as an example). But that's the price of not working out a long term deal when you had the guy under contract.

SFIAH

RE: Re: RE: Re: RE: Howard and Bentley
 

I agree we should resign him but at what price we differ on. Just because he was starting center for the NFC in the Pro Bowl doesn't mean he's the best in football.

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Olin Kreutz of the Bears is the best center in football. If he wants top center money, offer him something close to the money Olin is making. If he wants top guard money, give him Hutchinson type money. As far as franchising the guy, that would be silly. No need to pay top 5 OL money to a ProBowl center or guard. You franchise tackles... not centers and guards who can easily be replaced.

RE: Re: RE: Re: RE: Howard and Bentley
 

i think you franchise a center when he is the best player on your team. the only exception to that would be a kicker or a punter, but they aren't even football players. =)

if we don't franchise him or sign him, he just walks away and we won't get any compensation.

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We have no hope of resigning him without franchising him.

As for best, the PB berth means that he sure must be close.

SFIAH

Re: RE: Re: RE: Re: RE: Howard and Bentley
 

I not saying to franchise him to pay him franchise money. I'm saying to franchise him so that the Saints can get a chance to continue to negotiate that Kreutz/Hutchinson type money.

Who would you consider replacing him with?

SFIAH

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Mike Flanagan, Justin Hartwig, or Jeff Mitchell to name a few... or a draft pick.

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I hope Mitchell brings his steroids with him if he comes.

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Franchise him. So we don't loose him for free.

at the least get the 2 #1 for a perinnial pro bowler. We pay him or at least make another team pay for such a loss. I still say transitition the man and go for the top 10 pay and let him shop his services. we need to learn from the mistake we made with howard

Tag him, then sign him or take the offer on the table. Why get burnt twice. Ya hell be expensive to tag but Howards good as gone so some free monies are there.

Not enough to justify i think. if we loose him we will have to keep alot of wasted $$. gandy, mayberry

I don't feel its worth the extra money to franchise him. He's already sold his house, and if he doesn't want to be here LET HIM GO! The team doesn't need the distraction or potential problem in the locker room. I have Faith that the coaching and front office staff are putting together a good battle plan to get rid of the teams dead weight and upgrade the areas needed. Besides no team is going to give up a first round pick for him, and what exactly did franchising Howard get us (NADA). If they plan on keeping him try to resign him in FA. I'd rather get in a bidding war with J'ville as I feel the price will still be cheaper than tagging him.

we lose Bentley, go ahead and mark that 2nd round pick for Mangold.

i have no idea as to the current cap status of the Saints, so I will refrain from passing judgement on whether or not a player should be franchised or transitioned.

If let Bently go we better be doing something in FA im tired of this shiiiiiiiiit in the offseason time to make some movees go after some good ppl !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AAH! !! !

We get two #1
They get a perinal pro bowler
Charles gives up $$$ and has a cap friendly salary for years to come.
He wants out so there is his out if HE is willing to pay to get out.