iceshack149

This argument is premature, Boog. But what else are we going to argue about until the start of the 2008 season?

I'm with Saintfan on this. There is no question that Roy Williams
would be great in New Orleans but if the Saints did pick him up they'd not only lose a draft pick, they would also spend a lot of dough on the guy. If the Saints spend big money on one player, please, for the love of Bill, spend it on a defensive stud. Offense is really good right now. The defense needs big changes.

Boogro

We have plenty of cap space and you are right, we do need help on the defensive side of the ball. One thing Loomis is good at, is managing the cap. I don't even think we've ever come close to going over. I am sure it's more of Benson's tight (you know what), but he has done well managing it. Receiver is as a need, might not be the biggest, but it is very well a need. I am not satisfied with our group of receivers at all. Patten, Henderson, and Copper are all free agents. Meachem is unproven and Moore is average IMO. We've dropped a lot of balls this year, especially in clutch situations and on 3rd down. Say we got a starting corner, linebacker, defensive tackle and a back-up corner in free agency and still had enough cap space to get Williams, would you do it then? I understand where you guys are coming from with the defensive needs and I think they will be addressed accordingly, which is why I think this would be a good deal for us.

The ironic thing about this if it is true, is that the Lions spent 4 of the last 5 of their first rounders on wide receivers and now they want to get rid of their best.

D24pick

Tell me if I'm wrong, but isn't great players supposed to suck up cash? I mean he deserves it much more than Deuce and Grant right about now. Trade for him, I'd love to see us do that. I would have no problem being the Colts a few years back, at least we'd know we'd have something to look forward every game for, thats NOT like Brees forcing a pass or Bush fumbling. We'd have another weapon, more choices the better. But another thing to look at is, trading for Vilma, who wants to be traded. A conditional 3rd or 4th this year or next would be sexy for J Vil

NarwhalHunter

Last thing we need to do is burn a high pick on another receiver. The depth is fine, Brees will get the ball to anybody wearing the same color, and Roy Williams is a jackass who celebrates after every four yard gain. We should take a big pass on that one.

hagan714

how about this. we swap #1s with Lions. 10 to 15. thats a third round value at 350 points and we throw in Stinch. Shift the line around and let our young guys play.

papz

I kind of feel the same way about your third paragraph. However, I read somewhere that Williams isn't going anywhere anymore and he'll start along side Calvin Johnson next year.

Oh well... it was all hypothetical anyways.

hagan714

Hey if they want to trade up and use him instead of picks I am all for it.

procto

well boys, i suggest it because i thought that was what this board was about....fans talking about their team and possibilities of the future. plus i know that many of you are true geniuses that belong in the nfl coaching so i wanted to measure myself

i was just stating what i thought would be fun to watch next year and my point is our defense cannot get any worse than it already is. allowing gibbs to bring in extra guys thru the draft may do the D some good. gibbs would have some confidence in the guys he picks and he could draft to suit the style of D he wants to play. the cowboys picked up all LB's and D lineman just three years ago and look what they have turned that into.

my point was not to give up on D....it was to trade one defensive player that would make our offense unpredictable!

SaintFanInATLHELL

That's fine. And welcome. Everyone here is going to bring their opinion to the table.

I'm very firm with mine. The Saints need to improve the defense at all costs. There is nothing on the offensive side of the ball that even ranks in the top 10 of team needs this offseason IMHO. We don't need a #2 receiver. We don't need to replace the backup QB. We don't need another TE. We don't need to shuffle the O-line. We don't need yet another running back in the mix.

None of them are needs. Wants maybe, but not needs.

The Saints defense fails in personnel, coaching, scheme, and technique. Each and every one of the team needs of significance this offseason is on the defensive side of the ball. And they can be prioritized too:

1. Cornerbacks (we need 2 starters)

2. Linebackers (we need 2 starters)

3. D-Line (we need a tackle. In addition we need both ends to step up their games)

4. Safety (if all the above improve, then maybe we can get away with KK and Harper).

Frankly I'm no longer interested in fun to watch. I'm interested in going deep into the playoffs, and winning championships. I want the Saints to be the Patriots and Colts of this league: always in the championship mix and a team destined for greatness.

And it doesn't need to be fun at all. I'd be perfectly happy with running the ball 40 times a game and winning 9-3 like the 1985 Bears used to do.

That's why I get frustrated with many of these offseason threads that discuss the offense. Our offense is championship caliber just the way it is. It's championship caliber even in the fact of injuries. I mean we played the last game of the season with out 4th string undrafted rookie running back, and all the guys did was rush for 100+, receive for 100+, and totally shred what was a championship caliber defense. Yet folks are talking about McFadden. We have an offense that was in the top 3 in passing offense in every category, and yet we're talking about getting another receiver.

It drives me nuts. It drives me nuts because our team is sitting at home watching championship caliber defenses go to the championship.

As long as we're talking about defense I'm fine with it. Defense in free agency, defense in the draft, defense off the street (like the CB from Grambling we signed off the Bears practice squad).

I'd even be game to drop down if we can pick up an extra starter on defense.

But I fear that both Payton and Gibbs have fallen into the (I hate to say it) Haslett syndrome of sticking to "their guys" no matter what. I feel that Young, Simineau, Shanlee, David, and Bullocks at the very minimum should not have been on the field for the Saints. We had a stud middle LB last year: Danny Clark. They guy was let go. Simmons and Evans are better than the guys we had on the field. Same for KK and Lake. And yet week after week Gibbs and Payton trotted out guys that made our defense look awful.

So even if we bring on more folks, will it make a difference? Will it make a difference if David continues to screw up out on the island? Or if Bullocks is out of the play? Or of Simeneau is swallowed up at the line of scrimmage?

We don't need to do anything to the offense. Nothing. Nada. In the big scheme of things it will make not one whit of difference.

Then to do that you propose actually trading one of the players that at least has the potential of performing on the defensive side of the ball. Trade David or Bullocks and then you may be talking about something. But Smith?

I want a defense that can win the game if the offense kneels down with 3 and outs for an entire game. That's the goal. A defense that will stop the opposing offense in its tracks and will score enough points that they can win the game by themselves. I want the Dome Patrol, the 2000 Ravens, the Steel Curtain, the 1985 Bears.

There's absolutely no offense required for that to happen.

Help me build that defense. Help me find a way to convince Payton and Gibbs that that's the path to a dynasty. Spend your free agent wad on Haynesworth, Samuel, or Briggs. Spend every draft pick this April on defensive studs. Scour the practice squads, restricted free agent lists, and undrafted free agent pools for guys that fly to ball, create pressure, and generate turnovers. Find the next Antonio Cromartie who was drafted so low because he was injured in college.

Find a way to create a defense that works. A defense that is worthy of the offense that Payton has built over the last two years.

A defense that can finally bring a championship to a fanbase that has starved for a whiff of a Superbowl for over 40 years.

Help me do that.

SFIAH

Super Bowl Championships: New Orleans Saints:1, Carolina:0, Atlanta Chokers: STILL ZERO

Only Atlanta choked in an unchokable situation... Life is definitely good.

procto

i agree with you! who wouldnt want a defense like the ones named above....the problem is that defenses like that are not built every year....not even every decade, they are few and far between. that is why they all have names. we dont even need a defense that strong! (although i would love it). the rams D was not that good in 99-00.....the colts were not THAT good last year (although they played well in the Playoffs)....the Packers in the 90's....the Cowboys in the 90's.....yea they all had good defenses, it just does not take the talent that you are talking about. there are cap issues especially when you have the offensive players that we have already that keep us from having that kind of defense even with the increase in cap room from 2 years ago.

lets dream....but within what is possible, you forget that we brought in an offensive coach