Some love for our D!

buzwa · 09-26-2006, 11:10 AM

Redemption for Saints
Peter King, SI.com

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slu...nnsi&type=lgns
I'll tell you the one thing I noticed about the football side of it: The Saints were smart to deal Donte' Stallworth to Philadelphia. Not that Stallworth isn't good; he is. But in getting a fourth-round pick for a guy they weren't going to re-sign (which turns into a third if the Eagles sign Stallworth to a contract extension this year), the Saints also added a very useful piece, middle linebacker Mark Simoneau.

He was a backup in Philly, but he has all the value of Harry Carson to these Saints. Add two rough-and-tumble, gap-plugging overachievers acquired from Dallas, Scott Shanle (for a seventh-round pick in August) and Scott Fujita (in free agency this offseason), and the linebacking corps has gone from one of the worst in the league to respectable. The evidence: Atlanta's Mike Vick and Warrick Dunn came in averaging 221 rushing yards combined. They had 101 on Monday as Simoneau, Shanle and Fujita combined for 17 tackles, two sacks, a forced fumble and four or five quarterback pressures of Vick.

Passion and a defensive backbone won that game.

09-26-2006, 11:10 AM	#1
buzwa Registered Join Date: Jul 2002 Posts: 94	Some love for our D! Redemption for Saints Peter King, SI.com http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slu...nnsi&type=lgns I'll tell you the one thing I noticed about the football side of it: The Saints were smart to deal Donte' Stallworth to Philadelphia. Not that Stallworth isn't good; he is. But in getting a fourth-round pick for a guy they weren't going to re-sign (which turns into a third if the Eagles sign Stallworth to a contract extension this year), the Saints also added a very useful piece, middle linebacker Mark Simoneau. He was a backup in Philly, but he has all the value of Harry Carson to these Saints. Add two rough-and-tumble, gap-plugging overachievers acquired from Dallas, Scott Shanle (for a seventh-round pick in August) and Scott Fujita (in free agency this offseason), and the linebacking corps has gone from one of the worst in the league to respectable. The evidence: Atlanta's Mike Vick and Warrick Dunn came in averaging 221 rushing yards combined. They had 101 on Monday as Simoneau, Shanle and Fujita combined for 17 tackles, two sacks, a forced fumble and four or five quarterback pressures of Vick. Passion and a defensive backbone won that game.
buzwa Registered Join Date: Jul 2002 Posts: 94	\"Not one shred of evidence supports the notion that life is serious.\"