Re: TE RB and DB Still an issue for Saints
 

I don't feel your sense of urgency in your remarks. There is a window of opportunity for teams and I don't want it to close before Brees is past his prime.

The time is now and we are nowhere near ready to take on the elite teams, given injuries, lack of depth and mediocre players at key positions.

Re: TE RB and DB Still an issue for Saints
 

Saints had one of the best D's in the league in the 80's, but it wasn't enough.
The Ravens have one of the best D's, but they have not returned to the SB.

Good D is not enough. Teams that consistently get to the playoffs and SB, have excellent running games, as well as good D.

To help your running game, you must have a passing threat, et cetera.

To have a perimeter running game but no bruiser up the middle, lets your opponent, focus on stopping screens and slants.

With no TE threat, DB's can smother the WR's, and so on.

The elite teams get this and configure their teams to be effective at all of the above.

Perimeter runners, between the tackles runners, receiving tight ends, blocking tight ends, all help to keep the opponents D honest.

I don't feel like we have all these bases covered at the moment.

Re: TE RB and DB Still an issue for Saints
 

no team has everything covered.. all teams have weaknesses..
the best way to combat this is to find ways to mask your weaknesses and play to your strengths

that being said...


if you want to talk about a lack of depth.. the only place you really need to look at is the QB position... if brees goes down.. our whole season goes with him..

our only other real weakness right now is the lack of a bruising running back incase deuce goes down.. that doesnt mean that we dont have good depth at the position..

we have several descent TEs and while i would like to have the position upgraded with a better receiving TE.. its still on par with much of the leagues depth at TE and even without that huge threat at TE, defenses still had trouble stopping our offense

another thing i think could use some more help is the secondary.. we have alot of really young players and alot of really old players.. i would have felt better about the position if they would have brought in another young vet corner around the same age as Gay to compete but that didnt happen.. that being said.. i dont think it will be as big of a factor as it was last year based solely on the presence of Ellis and and improved pass rush, which should help mask alot of the problems in our secondary...
its not going to be as bad as everyone thinks it will be...

Re: TE RB and DB Still an issue for Saints
 

Yeah....what pak said

Re: TE RB and DB Still an issue for Saints
 

The 06 Saints and the 07 Saints were very similar personnel-wise. However, the 06 Saints had a much better season.

The difference was the running game. Our O stayed on the field with good third down stats and kept our D and opponent's O on the sideline.

I don't see any 08 solutions to the 07 problems.

RB / TE / DB

Re: TE RB and DB Still an issue for Saints
 

If you have a defense that can shut down opponents, then that strategy is fine. While our defense will be improved, its success will hinge as much on the offense's ability to put up points in a hurry and make the opponent 1 dimensional. I agree that we could use some "meat" in the backfield, but both Stecker and PT are capable of taking carries between the tackles and I think you will see a more patient Reggie this year. Keep in mind that you do not have to be 230-240 lbs to effectively run the ball between the tackles. I think we have the things that you are looking for. Periement runners (Reggie), B/t the tackles (Deuce, PT, Stecker), Recieving TEs (Johnson, Miller), Blocking tight ends (Miller, Campbell). I hear you on the injury concerns but keep in mind that the ball will be spread around for the RBs as will the snaps for the TEs. We arent asking Deuce to pound the ball 25-30 times a game. We arent asking Johnson hold his blocking point of attack on a trick knee for 40 snaps a game. Our offense finished 4th in the league last season. We add some experience to PT and Reggie. We get a even somewhat healthy Deuce back. We get Meachem playing time. If we finished 4th last season, the pieces are in place for us to finish in the Top 5 again this year as we have all what we had last year plus more.

Also, our bad start last year was a result of more than an ineffective, between the tackle run game. Drew was not playing as well. Our defense forced our offense to play from behind, thus limiting our run game. And our schedule was not a cake walk by any means in the first 3 games.

Re: TE RB and DB Still an issue for Saints
 

really.. are u serious?

in 06, we had deuce who came off of surgery just like this year and had one of the better years in his career, reggie.. who was a rookie in 06 and is now poised for a breakout year.. and stecker, who was a descent back up then and still is... and now we also have a good young player in PT..

i think you are undervaluing the presence of reggie.. he takes alot of heat off of the other guys just b/c of the gameplans that defenses put up just to stop him.. and if you think that they arent.. then you are sorely mistaken...


TE, which hasnt been a threat in N.O. for years wasnt really a factor in 06.. we still had the #1 offense in the league.. and in 07, we had the #5 offense.. even with an upgraded TE position from 06...

DB has been improved.. 06 we had fred thomas who was horrible and jay bellamy who was also horrible.... last year we had JD who was also horrible but had been playing in a zone heavy defense for the previous 4 years... i look JD to have a much better year, Harper has taken over for bellamy and has improved the play at the SS position...the addition of Gay will improve the depth at CB and McKenzie is coming off his best year as a DB and should be back to full form by the start of the season.. T. Porter an U. Young should both improve this year and will be fighting for a starting job either next year of the year after...


in addition to that... i think you are lookin at the wrong area of problems.. id say our biggest problem areas in 07 were DT, LB and CB and Oline.. we have improved the oline.. gotten a probowl MLB.. drafted a runstuffing penetrating DT who will take pressure off of w. smith and c. grant.. signed depth at LB and DE which will help our guys from getting worn out... we have signed several CBs which give us depth at the position...

id say our biggest problem in 08, is adding a better backup qb and finding another reciever to compliment colston...

Re: TE RB and DB Still an issue for Saints
 

The 08 schedule is tougher than 07 !

The opponents have upgraded. What have we done.

07 TE's Sucked
07 RB's Sucked ( Not PT )
07 DB's Sucked

08 TE Same
08 RB Same
08 DB Same ( Plus more rookies / old vets )

The only bona fide upgrade has been Ellis and McCray. This will help somewhat. But against elite teams ??

We have to do more. RB / TE / DB still a weakness that teams will exploit.

Re: TE RB and DB Still an issue for Saints
 

I would like a good CB, maybe another good safty... possibly a DT & Shockey would have been niiice...

;)

Re: TE RB and DB Still an issue for Saints
 

You are overrating the TE position so much.

We have had top 5 offenses with out a TE.. TE is definitely not a need. It would be nice, but not a need.

Not to mention we had the 5th overall offense with out a consistent rushing game.. Deuce will be back, and that will help Reggie out as well. Look at 2006 for some examples ;)

DB is also still an issue... but with our newly acquired pass rushing players, it should help out the DB's. they won't be one-on-one with the WR for a day and a half now..

Look at the big picture..