hagan714

Ok we all want defense and we all want another dome patrol but we all want NOW. Well I did some digging and this is what I found for the saints to build that unit.

1980 Dick Nolan:
LCB Dave Waymer Notre Dame 6-1, 195, Round: 2 / # 41
QB, WR, P, CB Guido Merkens "Jack of all trades; Master of none." from Houston ( had to put him in LOL)
Saints traded RB Chuck Muncie to the San Diego Chargers for their No. 2 pick in 1981,

1981: Bum Phillips:
LB Rickey Jackson PIttsburgh 6-2, 243, Round 2 / # 51
DE/DT Frank Warren Auburn 6-4, 285, Rond 3 / # 57
CB Johnnie Poe Missouri, 6-1, 190, Round: 6 / # 144
NT Jim Wilks San Diego St. 6-5, 266, San Diego State Round: 12 / # 305

1982 Bum Phillips:
LDE Bruce Clark Penn State 6-3, 273, via CFL Toronto Argonauts, WLAF Barcelona Dragons. Drafted by GB round 1 / #4, they get our #12 pick in the 1984 draft for him.
NT Tony Elliott North Texas 6-2, 282, Round: 5 / # 114
K Morten Andersen Michigan State Round 4 / # 86

1983 Bum Phillips:
A wash TE John Tice and OC Steve Korte was it.

1984: Bum Phillips:
RDE James Geathers Wichita State 6-7, 290, Round 2 / # 42 (still one of my all time favorites)
P Brian Hansen Souix Falls Round 9 / # 237
RILB Vaughn Johnson North Carolina State 6-3, 235, round 1 / # 15 supplemental 1984
( had to wait a couple of years but he did come home.)

1985 Bum Phillips / Wade Phillips
SS Brett Maxie texas Southern 6-2, 194 UDFA
LB Jack Del Rio USC 6-4, 246, Round 3 / # 68 ( personality clashes LOL)

1986: Jim Mora:
ROLB Pat Swilling Georgia Tech 6-3, 245, Round 3 pick 60
LILB Sam Mills Montclair State University via USFL Philadelphia/Baltimore Stars
RILB Vaughn Johnson North Carolina State 6-3, 235, via USFL Jacksonville Bulls round 1 / # 15 supplemental 1984 (finally comes home)

1987 Jim Mora:
FS Gene Atkins Florida A&M 5-11, 201, Round 7 / # 179
RCB Toi Cook Stanford 5-11, 188, Round: 8 / # 207

1989 Jim Mora:
LDE Wayne Martin Arkansas 6-5, 275, Round: 1 / # 19
LCB Robert Massey North Carolina Central 5-11, 200, round 2 / #46

1990 Jim Mora:
RDE Renaldo Turnbull West Virgina 6-4, 250, Round 1 / # 14
RET/DB Vince Buck Central State 6-0, 198, Round 2 / # 44
DE Joel Smeenge Western Michigan, 6-6, 262 Round 3 / # 71 ( all time favorite names)


New Orleans fielded fierce defenses in 1991 and 1992, led by one of the best linebacker units in the league. In 1992 linebackers Rickey Jackson, Vaughan Johnson, Sam Mills, and Swilling all played in the Pro Bowl, and the Saints led the league in quarterback sacks. Despite its tenacious defense, the team lost in the first round each time it made the playoffs.

This is the defensive starters in 1992

Defensive Starters
LDE Wayne Martin 27 New Orleans Saints / 1st / 19th pick / 1989
NT Jim Wilks 34 New Orleans Saints / 12th / 305th pick / 1981
RDE Frank Warren 33 New Orleans Saints / 3rd / 57th pick / 1981
LOLB Rickey Jackson 34 New Orleans Saints / 2nd / 51st pick / 1981
LILB Sam Mills 33
RILB Vaughan Johnson 30 New Orleans Saints / 1st / 15th pick / 1984 Supp
ROLB Pat Swilling 28 New Orleans Saints / 3rd / 60th pick / 1986
LCB Toi Cook 28 New Orleans Saints / 8th / 207th pick / 1987
LCB Vince Buck 24 New Orleans Saints / 2nd / 44th pick / 1990
RCB Reggie Jones 23 New Orleans Saints / 5th / 126th pick / 1991
SS Brett Maxie 30
FS Gene Atkins 28 New Orleans Saints / 7th / 179th pick / 1987
Special Teams Starters
K Morten Andersen 32 New Orleans Saints / 4th / 86th pick / 1982
P Tommy Barnhardt 29 Tampa Bay Buccaneers / 9th / 223rd pick / 1986

Then Jim Mora flips out and supports his love for his OC Carl Smith and guts the defense starting in 1993. I can not blame Mora for restarting the rebuild on defense though just look at the ages.

1993 was the beginning of the end. Swilling goes to the Lions (Harsh)
1994 Mills is all that remained of the LBers and the DL starts to fall apart. Jackson to the 49ers
1995 Mills is gone (Carolina) and the DL is almost done. Secondary is also depleted.
1996 Wayne Martin and Renaldo Turnbull are all that remains.

Mora is history 8 games into the 1996 season.

That is 10 years of defensive picks through 2 head coaches to get the dome patrol onto the field as a unit. That is what it takes. TIME!

"We may have lost the game, but you'll be hurting tomorrow." Doug Atkins