re: Fujita Signs with Browns * MERGE*
 

dude, calm yourself strato. cleveland? really...? how can he even remotely HONOR a thought of playing in cleveland? they don't really have much going on...he didn't have to go looking. i really liked fujita, but i think he can be replaced, maybe by arnoux. it's not a horrible move, but it's one that needs to be looked at. much love scott, hope all works out for you, but we're gonna kick your ass this year. cheers!

re: Fujita Signs with Browns * MERGE*
 

Ok whatever..this wreaks....Scott should have atleast been offered a deal..

re: Fujita Signs with Browns * MERGE*
 

Not a huge loss IMO. Wish him luck with the Browns. Vilma is our only solid all around Linebacker. Shanle should be next but I think the FO will spare him. Of the 2 Shanle did have the better year barely. We need studs in there at Sam and Will, just like we have at Mike. Again, best of luck to 55.

re: Fujita Signs with Browns * MERGE*
 

Saints fans,

Just curious how Fujita fared last season? Was he a big liability in pass coverage? At age 30 I'm just a little concerned we're getting a guy with too much mileage, but I know he's always played with a high motor regardless.

BTW much congrats on the SB win. The Saints franchise had been eerily similar to the Browns for awhile... Rich tradition, die hard fans, and long periods of hardship. If it couldn't be the Browns we're glad another blue collar team took it.

re: Fujita Signs with Browns * MERGE*
 

Welcome Dawg.

Well, I am sorry to see Scott go. He was one of the first players to sign here after the storm. He has been great in the community and good on the field.

If you guys need a vocal, smart, great character leader on your D. Well you just signed one. That will be his biggest contribution to your organization IMO. He isn't the best on the field at any one thing. Rather, pretty good at a lot of things, especially run support. He is OK in coverage. Don't look for a ton of sacks from him either. Not his forte'. Solid OLB and a great dude in the locker room.

He will be missed here.

I really look forward to watching us play the North this year.
Hope to see you here when we play ya'll. Just don't hate when we sweep your Div!;)

re: Fujita Signs with Browns * MERGE*
 

So all it takes is for one Saint to go to Cleveland for you to show your true colors?

Re: Former New Orleans Saints linebacker Scott Fujita talks about moving on
 

This is how you leave a job without burning your bridges, yet, at the same time, you give people an idea of your real feelings.

I don't know about you guys, but it seems pretty obvious to me that he didn't want to leave, but he's not going to turn down serious cheese just to be "loyal".

I am not sure what will happen next with the Saints, as next year seems to be a little different when it comes to free agency and salary caps and such, but I'm afraid that more people are going to take the same attitude. It's kinda like...

"Yeah...it's been real, but in the end money talks and BS walks", especially when you already have the ring under your belt.

Obviously these are just my opinions.


On an off-topic note...It's great to finally be a glorious beacon of light and not just a really nice guy. Thanks for all who contributed. :)

Re: Former New Orleans Saints linebacker Scott Fujita talks about moving on
 

Noooo... I wanted Scott to be around man.

Re: Fujita Signs with Browns * MERGE*
 

your getting a true pro in scott. While he may not light up players with espn hits he does get the top ten spot at times for being in the right spot at te right time. dude is smart and plays the position perfectly. Always in get shape and he does not come with a long list of injuries. Great signing! You have a leader in the locker room and in the city of Cleveland.

I can not say a bad thing about this man.

Congrats and thanks for the well wishes.

Re: Fujita Signs with Browns * MERGE*
 

I must be in the minority here but I'm happy to see Scott leave. Since 1994 the Saints have needed an upgrade at outside linebacker, finally they get a chance to do it. He was decent in run support and made a few huge plays about once a season. I just don't understand why people are treating this like the Saints lost Lawerance Taylor. He has been an overachiever for most of his career and now he goes to the Browns, a team where career go to die. Enjoy your 5 wins next year Scott

Re: Fujita Signs with Browns * MERGE*
 

He was a solid starter though. I was surprised to see his contract in Cleveland be only a $14m/3yr deal though. If the Saints wanted him around certainly they could have matched that.

I salute Fujita for his off the field contributions as much as on the field.

Our defense will look mighty different without Grant and Fujita.

Re: Fujita Signs with Browns * MERGE*
 

Look for it to improve from last year, lets get some new athletic players that are hungry and see what GW can do with them. If I remember back to the summer wasn't Fujita one of the players that was complaining that they were practicing that hard in camp

Re: Fujita Signs with Browns * MERGE*
 

Much respect to Fujita.. But more speed at the second level is a must!!!
Good move for hm cashing in on Teams sucess and good move on our part letting him go. Best of luck to ya Scott!!! The cookie joke during the super bowl was classic. I love the way he verbally harrassed Manning All Day. Stayed in his head.

Re: Fujita Signs with Browns * MERGE*
 

Back to the drawing board here guys and gals. Looking at the history of the saints since 2006, we will probably sign a free agent instead of throwing a rookie right in. The question is, who is available?

I really thought Fajita was our best OLB. If anything I thought Shanle would have been cut. Im pretty disappointed about this move.

Anyone know of any good free agent LB's on the market right now?

Re: Fujita Signs with Browns * MERGE*
 

[QUOTE=B_Dub_Saint;211968]Back to the drawing board here guys and gals. Looking at the history of the saints since 2006, we will probably sign a free agent instead of throwing a rookie right in. The question is, who is available?

I really thought Fujita was our best OLB. If anything I thought Shanle would have been cut. Im pretty disappointed about this move.

Anyone know of any good free agent LB's on the market right now?[/QUOTE


I think it was a mistake to..he was our best OLB...we saw what a difference he made ..coming back from his injury...I hope we have a plan..but still steamed we didnt offer him something..I think G.W didnt want him

Re: Fujita Signs with Browns * MERGE*
 

Your team picked up one heckova player, he's a great leader, huge contributor to a community, and he's a hybrid player, he can play multiple positions, his last injury most likely was a concern and spelled his fate with the team he won the big prize with, i wish him well and i wish him tons of luck, if any team i'd like him to be a part of it's the browns..
Wish your team luck and take care of our boy Fujita! we love em.

Re: Fujita Signs with Browns * MERGE*
 

.. so you are saying the Saints never had a chance to upgrade a position in 16 years? Was there a rule against it or something?

People are not confusing Fujita with LT, but he was a fan favorite, and as such, people are sad to see him go. He may not be the best LB out there, but he was a solid player for the Saints for 4 years, and very active in his community. You make "overachiever" sound like a bad thing.

He probably is not going to enjoy it much if the Browns indeed win 5 games next season, but I'm sure he'll enjoy the $8 mil. And if the Browns happen to make some noise next year, he'll enjoy knowing he was part yet again of the rebuilding of a franchise.

Re: Fujita Signs with Browns * MERGE*
 

Loomis has stated repeatedly, there will be approximately 20-25% player turnover each year.

Fujita leaving brings to mind...Horn, Karney, and even Duece (just to name a few) leaving or not being offered a contract. All good players, community leaders, and people.

The contract the Browns offered Fujita is not something the Saints could not have matched or offered...they have other plans...pure and simple. The problem we fans struggle with is we have no idea what those plans are at this time!!!

IMHO

Re: Fujita Signs with Browns * MERGE*
 

IMO since Jackson/Swilling left, the Saints have gone with 2nd tier, scab players to fill OLB, this draft is deep at OLB so I have no problem with them dumping Fujita. Now the team has a chance to sign some of the 26 other FAs they have or go sign someone to improve the defense. Fujita just never struck me as a GW guy

Re: Fujita Signs with Browns * MERGE*
 

Yeah its tough to lose one of your favorite players..but life goes on...but i believe we could have kept Scott..as a matter of fact i know we could have...Now if we lose Sharper im really going to be steamed....

Re: Fujita Signs with Browns * MERGE*
 

New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton says Scott Fujita departure was purely business | - NOLA.com

New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton says Scott Fujita departure was purely business...

Calling Scott Fujita one of his favorite players, New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton said Monday the linebacker went to the Cleveland Browns because it was an offer too good to refuse.

Rusty Costanza/The Times-PicayuneNew Orleans Saints Coach Sean Payton said Scott Fujita signing with Cleveland is 'business'."In this profession, you know in the end it's an equation," Payton said. "What are you going to do with Jahri Evans and Darren Sharper and Scott Fujita and other players and all of that comes into play at this time of year. How are you going to allocate your dollars?"

Fujita signed a three year contract with the Browns that will reportedly pay him $14 million, with $8 million guaranteed. With various incentives, the contract could be worth as much as $16 million, according to a league source.

The Saints were never in that ballpark, according to people familiar with the situation. Payton did not provide exact figures Monday and instead made it clear that while Fujita's departure as an unrestricted free agent is a loss it was not one that was entirely unexpected.

"Scott was the first player I brought here and he was with me in Dallas and we go back," Payton said. "We even have the same agent, there are all kinds of connections here. He'll be missed here, but I'm thrilled he has this opportunity in Cleveland."

In an e-mail Sunday night, Fujita, who turns 31 next month, called the occasion "bittersweet" because he and his wife, Jaclyn, are very fond of New Orleans, the city in which the couple's twin daughters were born. Like quarterback Drew Brees, Fujita is a Saint who has given much to the city off the field, and Payton cited him as one of a handful of players who helped redefine the Saints not only as a football team but as franchise deeply rooted in its community.

Re: Fujita Signs with Browns * MERGE*
 

I am sorry to see Scott go (especially to the Browns) but supply and demand rules the roost in free agency. The Saints probably told Fujita the maximum they would resign him for, and when the Browns trumped that, he knew he had to look out for himself and his family first.

Holmgren will have the Browns back competitive in a couple of seasons. They probably need to get rid of Mad Genius first, however.

Re: Fujita Signs with Browns * MERGE*
 

I am moving so I just found this out. I am really shocked.With the need at Dline in the first rd This lets me know they feel a backup cold be ready to step up.

Re: Fujita Signs with Browns * MERGE*
 

I hope since we won the big one ..our front office doesnt go and get all cheap on us...i want a dynasty!!! lol

Re: Fujita Signs with Browns * MERGE*
 

my true colors....

http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g2...heerleader.jpg

but that team already has a super bowl now.....im happy for the browns to pick up a good football player and a true leader....but when we play them next year i hope we **** all over fujitas face

Re: Fujita Signs with Browns * MERGE*
 

Quite frankly, that is why you aren't a GM in the NFL. Loomis doesn't have the luxury to get "steamed" if he loses either Fujita or Sharper. It's a business decision and obviously their are 53 moving parts that have to be taken into account. From a fans perspective, losing a member of your Superbowl team is tough. I think everyone will agree that Scott Fujita is a fantastic person, and was a very solid LB for us. However, he will be 31 when the season starts, and LB's are much like RB's in the fact that they start to wear down as they cross that 30 line. Fujita missed 6 games last year, so I believe the Saints are looking to get younger and more athletic at that position. The Saints were not willing to part with $8MM today and possibly $16MM over the next three years for a LB on the wrong side of 30. I think the decision was sound.

We have young players like Dunbar, Mitchell, Arnoux, Mitchell, Evans, Casillas. With the exception of Arnoux, all of those guys are veterans now. One of them either needs to step up this offseason or we need to look at a stud OLB like Weatherspoon, Jerry Hughes, or Daryl Washington in the draft.

Now we have the ability to sign a free agent for the same money Fujita got from the Browns. It is Loomis' job to find a better player for that money. This guy just brought us a Superbowl. I trust him to walk across water at this point, and therefore have no problem with him letting Fujita walk. He and Payton have done a FANTASTIC job, with the draft, finding undrafted free agent gems, and free agency (Jason David not withstanding). Let's see how our roster looks in September before we judge how the offseason went.

Re: Fujita Signs with Browns * MERGE*
 

Disappointed to see him go, but that money wasn't something we needed to match. Popularity ans ability are 2 different things. Good for him.

Hopefully we are now in a position to sign a DE or LB, or lock down Sharper. I am not panicking yet, but I'd prefer not to lose 3 starters on D in one year.

Re: Fujita Signs with Browns * MERGE*
 

Another word on Sharper. I think the Saints made an incredibly wise choice in not franchising him. The fact that he hasn't visited any other teams, and no one has really even sniffed him tells you all you need to know. A 35 year old safety isn't worth $6MM next year and is not really even worth a 2 year deal at this point in his career. I think if he sees this eventually he will sign a 1 year deal in the $3MM range with us, but he had to go test the market to understand that he is better off taking it year by year with us in a system that has Jabari Greer and Tracy Porter protecting his backside than he is signing with an also ran and going back to a Cover 2 where his weaknesses are exposed.

One last thing on Sharper. I love the guy, but let's take a look at who he got is 9 picks on last year.

2 INT's against Matthew Stafford, making his first career NFL start
1 INT against Kevin Kolb, making his first career NFL start
2 INT's against Mark Sanchez, making his 4th career NFL start
1 INT against Matt Ryan, in his second NFL season
1 INT against Tom Brady, when the Patriots where in full pass come from behind mode
1 INT against Josh Freeman, making his 15th career NFL start.

With the exception of Ryan and Brady, who I classify as excellent competition, Sharper feasted on Rookies and Second year QB's and I would say was pedestrian at best against quality QB's in the playoffs. I would actually classify his play in the playoffs as poor. 10 solo tackles and 1 Pass Defensed total against Arizona, Minny, and Indy combined.

Like I said, I love the guy and believe he brings a lot to the Defense in leadership skills, but we need to improve at the position of FS next year IMHO.

Re: Fujita Signs with Browns * MERGE*
 

Oh such wisdom...i can be steamed if want buddy..

Re: Fujita Signs with Browns * MERGE*
 

I never said you couldn't chief. I said I'm glad your not the GM of the Saints.

Re: Fujita Signs with Browns * MERGE*
 

I wouldnt let Sharper walk thats for sure...

Re: Fujita Signs with Browns * MERGE*
 

Really? You wouldn't? What is some team comes in and offers him $7MM guaranteed and $16MM over the next three years? You'd match that?

Did you read my previous post on his age and performance against good competition?

Re: Fujita Signs with Browns * MERGE*
 

What have you done for me lately you ask?



SPLIT TOT SOLO AST SACK STF STFY FF BK INT YDS AVG LNG TD PD
2009 71 51 20 0.5 1 1 0 0 9 376 41.8 99 3 15

Re: Fujita Signs with Browns * MERGE*
 

Seriously dude, do you read my posts? I want to know. Or do you just go pull some stats off the internet. Do you do any research whatsoever on anything?

Does anyone else have anything else intelligent to say?

Re: Fujita Signs with Browns * MERGE*
 

... dude, the Dome Patrol, you are talking 99 percentile LB corps all-time (Swilling stinking it up in Detroit notwithstanding) if not the best all time, so your disappointment is probably going to last a long time. The odds of finding a Rickey Jackson to play OLB next season are slim, to say the least. There isn't one LB playing the game today better than Jackson played, and the draft, who knows...

Re: Fujita Signs with Browns * MERGE*
 

Aint that the truth..that D was once in a lifetime..

Re: Fujita Signs with Browns * MERGE*
 

Yes i read your post...why do you think i respond to them??...You dont have the key to all Saints knowledge my friend..

Re: Fujita Signs with Browns * MERGE*
 

Just because you respond to a post doesn't mean you read or understood what it said.

Maybe not, but I'm much more informed than you obviously. No offense.

Re: Fujita Signs with Browns * MERGE*
 

I doubt that..but keep on thinking that way..if it makes you feel better..

Re: Fujita Signs with Browns * MERGE*
 

The quality and information in my posts makes everyone think that. It doesn't make me feel any better actually. I'd prefer to have intelligent conversations about the Saints. I'd prefer if people would think before they typed. Obviously on a forum of this size, that preference is probably not going to be fulfilled in 100% of the cases.