FO? WTF? Part Deux
 

Ok, so I've read a couple of recent and interesting post regarding our near dead stop in what appeared to be a promising FA period.

So, we got Brees, Fujita, and Bennett. All solid in my book.

However, we still need a real LB, a DT, a CB, and an entire OL (except RT).

These guys, when I last checked, are still out there - let's get a couple of them and now:
LB - Arrington
CB - Ahmed Plummer
DT - Sam Adams
C - Mike Flannigan
C - Jeff Mitchell

I'm sure there are many more.

What do you guys think? Why aren't we rebuilding our OL at the very least?

Re: FO? WTF? Part Deux
 

Excellent post, JKool. And I really like every one of the guys on that list. :lol:

RE: FO? WTF? Part Deux
 

We do need a real LB, and I think we'll get one in the draft. We need 1 DT, and I think we can get one in the draft, but I'd like to see us make a run at Brenston Buckner. CB should be a priority in FA, and Plummer is highest on my list.

But about the OLine. Our guards are fine, and so is RT, as you mentioned. We need a center, which can be addressed by signing Trey Teague who is considered one of the better centers in the game. We can also look into Mangold in the draft. And of course, LT seems to be just a matter of time before we draft Brick.

W're not going to get Arrington, it was never even a possibility. Flanagan already signed with the Texans.

Re: FO? WTF? Part Deux
 

Kool, I agree totally on our signings. I also agree on going and getting a couple of the available guys now. I'm getting concerned that we are painting ourselves into a corner on draft day.

I'd like to go get both Arrington, Plummer and Mitchell at this point. If worse came to worse, I'd stay with the defensive line we have (please don't hear me say I think the D-line is fine as is).

I will air a pet peeve of mine at this point. I simply do not understand the anti Arrington bias floating around. There are several things we know about Arrington.
1. He isn't signed.
2. New teams are talking to him almost every day, so I don't see how he a lock for the Giants. Last I read, the Dolphins and Jags are the front runners.
3. He will be expensive, but not cripplingly so. He's not asking for Hutchinson or Manning money.
4. He's only 27, he's an elite player, playing at an elite level.
5. If we were to sign him, he would immediately be our franchise defensive player. I don't see how you overpaying a franchise defensive player who wants in the neighborhood of 6 million a year. If we were talking about Ty Law I would agree on the over paying part. Law, as near as I can tell, wants to be the highest paid player in the game. He's not worth 15% of the cap. At a 6 million price tag, I don't see how Arrington is asking the same thing. We take Arrington and we can be in pretty good position to address the offensive line.
6. With Arrington and Fujita, we have a LOT of competition for the remaining position and should have enough guys to see how they fit there.
7. Unused cap space does us no good. I'd rather spend the 6 mill and have Arrington than have 6 mill in unused cap space. It's like staring at 7 course meal and choosing to starve to death because we "might need it later."

Lastly, I agree that we need to work on the O-line. But perhaps not as dramatically as your comment suggest (I'm not sure I'm reading you right).
RT--Brown is great as it.
RG--Montrae Holland is ok. I'm sure we could find a better player, but maybe next year. Maybe a 2nd day pick from a small school could give us better depth at guard.
C--As of today, we're screwed at this position. I'd really like to sign Mitchell before the draft rather than bet the bank on Mangold being there whenever we use our second pick. I'd like Mangold too, but we're taking a significant risk to just ignore the position until draft day. If we don't sign a vet soon, I don't see how we escape drafting 2 guys at some combination of C/G just to have depth. Critical need that doesn't seem to be addressed at all.
LG--Jon Stinchcomb. He's consistently been projected at guard over his footwork and agility. Let's just move him over there and get something from him? If he were to be the depth behind D'Brick, then I'd be in favor of a guy like Davin Joseph out of Oklahoma. At worst, we play Mayberry for another year.
LT--We're in ideal position to secure D'Brick who should start from week 1. I think we'd be better off cutting Gandy on June 1 and saving 4 million. (Another pet peeve of mine, somehow Arrington is too expensive at 6 million, but Gandy shouldn't be cut at 4?) My thinking is to then draft another rookie on day 2 to play behind D'Brick.

I agree that the O-line is a concern, especially now that we have a pocket passer. I'm not sure that the cupboard is totally bare along the line yet. As I see it, a LT and C should allow us to be competative. The key will be to sign D'Brick quickly and get him down here to start working.

RE: Re: FO? WTF? Part Deux
 

I definately agree on everything BrooksMustGo. Cut Gandy, get Arrington with his money, and draft Brick.

RE: Re: FO? WTF? Part Deux
 

I think the key point that BMG made was this: our draft will be telegraphed if we don't pick up at least one OLinemen (since it will be pretty clear that we'll be after Brick and Mangold, 1 and 2). This will lower the trade value of our picks and make it harder for us to get the guys we want later in the draft. That would be bad. Let's get Mitchell at least.

RE: Re: FO? WTF? Part Deux
 

With all the teams dilly-dallying around, trying to low-ball Arrington, all we would have to do is offer him the money he wants & he's ours. Cut Gandy's fat a** & sign the leader of the new era of the Dome Patrol! A great LB like that doesn't float around on the market that long. And just so everybody knows, I'm not with giving up a 1st rounder for Cato June!!!!!

RE: Re: FO? WTF? Part Deux
 

I really want him too but I think his asking price is going to be somewhere near Peterson type money... so I'm a little skeptical on whether or not we should sign him. I've been on some other team forums and there's some talk of him signing with the Jags... man would that defense be sick. It's probably just a rumor though... they just signed Henderson to an extension so I doubt they have the resources to sign him now.

Mitchell and Plummer look like the most realistic options on that list. Two signing that would make my off season... Mitchell/Raymer and Plummer. Heck one of them would make me happy... two would be a bonus and the draft should then add the rest of the missing pieces.

RE: Re: FO? WTF? Part Deux
 

I think Arrington is worth way more than Peterson, so if it's Peterson money he wants I say give it to him. Why not take a chance. I mean hell, we gave Brooks a 6 year $48 million deal after only one decent season. This guy's been great from day one in 2000!

RE: Re: FO? WTF? Part Deux
 

Seriously, if it was that easy, don't you think something would have been resolved by now?????

I agree that Arrington would immediately be our franchise defensive player and would be the player at LB that we haven't had in a long time. However, we need to look at the REALITY of this thing. First of all, he doesn't want to come here. He has said numerous times that he wants to stay on the east coast, and would love to stay in the NFC East so he could play the Redskins twice a year; which is why his most serious suitors have been the Giants, Dolphins, and Jaguars. Second, he's going to be very expensive. I wouldn't mind giving him that money if we didn't have SO MANY other holes to fill. We still need 1/2 centers, a CB, a DT, perhaps another OG/OT, probably a backup QB, and room to sign all of our draft picks. If we want to get some good players at those other positions, I think we can't afford to give all that money to just one player. I really wish Arrington would become a Saint, but I'm just looking at it realistically here, it's not going to happen. He's expensive, injury prone, and doesn't want to leave the east coast.

Re: RE: Re: FO? WTF? Part Deux
 

Yes. The man is saying "Show me the money!" :wink:


So your saying he's not worth it? :? He's supposedly asking less than Julian Peterson did & he got signed. And quite frankly, LaVar Arrington is way better than Peterson. :lol:

RE: Re: RE: Re: FO? WTF? Part Deux
 

Not worth what? Not worth the amount of money? Maybe not. I think Peterson got too much money, and I think Arrington will get too much money. Also, I haven't seen where he's asking for less than Peterson. I also wouldn't go as far as saying that Arrington is "way better" than Peterson, Scouts, Inc. grades Peterson at a 90, and Arrington at an 80. Although I don't think there's that much of a difference between the two of them, I think you could argue Peterson is better. But that's not the point. Like I said, I think Arrington's a heckuva player, but it's just obvious he's not coming here; so we should give it up and stop dwelling on it. We're not going to cough up that much money in the SAME offseason that we coughed up $60 mil to Brees. Just not going to happen. Plus, he doesn't want to come here. Just my opinion.

RE: Re: RE: Re: FO? WTF? Part Deux
 

Arrington skip we got rid of haz and his style of coaching also. I hope.
Plummer (The Toast) would a change do him good? It just might with good safety help which we have.
Sam Adams alot of meat for the middle.
Jeff Mitchell would be a step up from our last signing Dwayne Ledford
Wait to the draft and keep the cap room then see what cuts are made after the draft.

RE: Re: RE: Re: FO? WTF? Part Deux
 

I would love to see us sign Arrington, Plummer, Adams, and Mitchell. Not too many holes left after those signings with the exception of the offensive line, which we could trade down get the best OT and OG after trading with the Jets or Broncos.

RE: Re: RE: Re: FO? WTF? Part Deux
 

Oh yeah? Well I'd like to see us sign Julian Peterson, Nate Clements, Steve Hutchinson, Lavar Arrington, and Ty Law. Problem is, it's one thing to like to sign all of those guys, it's another thing to have the right cap situation to do it. Please :roll:

Re: RE: Re: RE: Re: FO? WTF? Part Deux
 

Of Plummer, Adams and Mitchell--none of these guys will command top dollar. Adams hasn't really gotten a major deal since he left the Ravens. We might be able to get Mitchell for near the league minimum. Plummer isn't a top tier CB and should be quite afforadable if we were to sign him. Arrington wants big money, but not crazy money. We could easily afford a Julian Peterson type deal for him.

As for our cap situation, maybe the Redskins and Cowboys have a magical cap friendly contract signing pen that makes them able to go and get top free agents year after year. :roll:

The overall point isn't whether or not these guys will sign with us, they might tell us no. The point is why aren't we asking or having them down for visits?

And on the Arrington subject. I'd be perfectly satisfied if we just invited him down to talk to us. If he says "no", then fine, the FO has done all they can. Until we ask some of these guys down, it looks like we're sitting on our hands and having the "all O-line draft".

RE: Re: RE: Re: RE: Re: FO? WTF? Part Deux
 

I think TheDeuce is right. We should accept the fact that certain high profile athletes don't want anything to do with New Orleans. I'm sure our team has inquired about him and what it would take to aquire his services. The mere fact that we haven't been mentioned as possible suitors is enough to assume that we aren't in the running for him. It'll be Jacksonville, Miami, or New York.

I think we'd have to offer him some ridiculously expensive offer to even raise his eyebrow. A competitive offer wouldn't do squat. The guy won't be wasting his time and visiting with us just to be a nice guy. He'd want at least some indication that a ridiculously expensive offer is on the agenda.

Re: RE: Re: RE: Re: FO? WTF? Part Deux
 

My sentiments exactly. It's time for Loomis to play the roll of GM & not Benson's b**ch! :shock:

RE: Re: RE: Re: FO? WTF? Part Deux
 

You know D I said I would love to see it, not that I was going to make it happen and why does it seem that a few other teams can go out and sign every big name under the sun and don't have a problem doing it! There is obviously a way to do it or no one else would do it.
Pretty Please. :airguitar:

Re: RE: Re: RE: Re: FO? WTF? Part Deux
 

I just went on a rant about this in another post....in a nutshell...Tom Benson is not Dan Snyder and never will be. That being said, I think we've done a much better job in FA than in years past. Brees, Bennett, Fujita, Stoutmire....these are great to solid pickups. IS BREES NOT A TOP NOTCH FREE AGENT? Are people forgetting this soon that AARON BROOKS was our QB last season???? I think we should recognize that we've already made huge strides with the Brees signing, because it opens up the opportunity to pick up a franchise o-lineman and possibly a late first rounder if we can trade with the Jets. I'm very pleased with our progress thus far.

RE: Re: RE: Re: RE: Re: FO? WTF? Part Deux
 

Here, Here but it never hurts to dream, cuz if your'e a Saints fan sometimes that's all we have, dreams!

RE: Re: RE: Re: FO? WTF? Part Deux
 

Something isn't right. If Arrington wants to stay on the East Coast to play the Skins twice a year....why would the Dolphins and Jags be front runners? If he joins either team he will end up playing the Skins once every 4 years.

As much as I would like to have him on our team...I think there are other LB's out there that can get the job done practically as good as Arrington with not so much of a cap hit.