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Missouri linebacker Sean Weatherspoon likely on New Orleans Saints' radar
By Mike Triplett, The Times-Picayune

Missouri linebacker Sean Weatherspoon wouldn't be a perfect replacement for former New Orleans Saints starter Scott Fujita, who left for Cleveland in free agency. At 6 feet 1, 239 pounds, Weatherspoon likely will play weakside linebacker in the NFL. Fujita played on the strong side.
But from the sound of it, Weatherspoon, a first-round draft prospect, immediately could help fill the vocal void left by Fujita if he were to wind up in New Orleans during next week's draft.

Weatherspoon, who made more than 400 tackles in his college career, apparently has a high motor in his legs and in his mouth.
"That's my thing, always talking, always having a good time, " said Weatherspoon, who gained notice -- for better and for worse -- for his frequent jawing with teammates and opponents during the week of Senior Bowl practices in January.

"Some teams kind of asked me if I put on a front at the Senior Bowl, " Weatherspoon said during the NFL scouting combine a month later. "They were like, 'Is that you all the time?' I was like, 'Yeah, that's me.' That's the way I grew up. I've always been that loud guy. When I was a kid, I would always get those marks on my progress reports that said, 'Talks excessively.' (I'm) very loquacious. That's what I do. I chit-chat and I chatter. ...

"I love football. It's not a right to play football, it's a privilege. The good Lord has blessed me with that privilege to be here today, and I am excited. I'm always out there having a good time, and I stay active, just making sure everyone is on the same page. That's a linebacker's job."
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Surely, Fujita would agree. Anyone who has watched the Saints' Super Bowl DVD, during which Fujita was miked for the championship game, also would consider the former veteran leader as "loquacious, " to say the least.
The Saints have a number of young in-house candidates who will compete to replace Fujita on the field, including Jo-Lonn Dunbar, Jonathan Casillas, Marvin Mitchell, Anthony Waters and Stanley Arnoux.

But the position likely will be a high priority for the Saints in the draft, especially considering that weakside starter Scott Shanle is 30 years old and has just one year remaining on his contract.

There are a number of enticing outside linebacker prospects in this year's draft class, including several hybrid defensive end/linebacker pass rushers such as Michigan's Brandon Graham, Texas' Sergio Kindle, TCU's Jerry Hughes and Clemson's Ricky Sapp. Any one of them could be an interesting tool for defensive coordinator Gregg Williams to work with in the Saints' versatile attacking defense.

Among the more traditional 4-3 outside linebacker prospects, Weatherspoon and TCU's Daryl Washington stand out from the crowd as athletic playmakers who can cover a lot of ground and make a lot of tackles.
Weatherspoon might not be available to the Saints after raising his draft stock throughout offseason workouts, from the Senior Bowl to the combine to individual workouts. He has shed some of the weight that made him appear sluggish at times during his senior year, and some draft projections now have him cracking the top 20.
Weatherspoon's production tailed off slightly in 2009 (111 tackles, 14 1/2 tackles for losses, 4 1/2 sacks, one interception) after a remarkable junior season (155 tackles, 18 1/2 tackles for losses, five sacks and three interceptions).

He said part of the reason was a change in defensive coordinators, which led to him playing both inside and outside as a senior. But he admits that part of it was the 10 to 12 pounds he added with "too many meals in the dining halls."

"Once it was brought to my attention, I went back and watched film from my junior season, and I was moving a lot more fluidly, and that is when I decided to get back to this weight I'm at now, " said Weatherspoon, who said he would be comfortable on the outside of a 4-3 system or the inside of a 3-4.

"Most of the 3-4 systems are saying inside, because the outside 'backers in a 3-4 system are pretty much like freak 6-4 guys with long arms, and they come off the edge and make all those sacks, and that's not my game, " Weatherspoon said. "My game is coming downhill and making plays and fitting in coverage and making plays on the ball."
Wherever he fits, Missouri Coach Gary Pinkel said Weatherspoon can make an instant impact.

"He's the whole package, " said Pinkel, who raved about Weatherspoon during the school's pro day last month. "He's very intelligent. He's got great size, great speed, quickness, explosiveness. He's a good person -- they don't come any better. He's a great leader, an extraordinarily positive person.
"When he walks in that locker room, you're going to be a better team. The minute he walks in, you're a better football team."
Whether or not Weatherspoon is available to the Saints, TCU's Washington could be an excellent option, as well.

He's one of the fastest linebackers in the draft, having run the 40-yard dash in less than 4.6 seconds. ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper described Washington, 6-2, 230 pounds, as a "tackling machine and a physical freak." And NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock described Washington as a "gifted kid" who "makes an awful lot of sense" for the Saints.

Washington, who projects as a weakside linebacker in a 4-3 system, was a starter for only one year in college, when he tallied 109 tackles, 11 tackles for losses, two sacks and three interceptions as a senior. But he played frequently as a backup and special teams standout throughout his career, waiting behind fellow NFL prospects Jason Phillips and Robert Henson.
"Sure, I kind of wanted to be out there every play, " Washington told USA Today. "But sometimes you have to wait your turn, and by doing that, for me, it probably made me a better overall player."

Missouri linebacker Sean Weatherspoon likely on New Orleans Saints' radar | - NOLA.com

saintsfan1976

Of course he's on their radar...

SmashMouth

you sure?

Danno

I don't think Weatherspoon will be there, but Washington looks intriguing.

Cruize

Sadly, he won't make it to the Saints.
1. CB Kareem Jackson - Too good to pass up. Greer missed time last year and is not a big guy. Porter has missed time in each of his first two years. Jenkins looks more like a safety than a CB.
2. OLB Eric Norwood - Instant starter replacing Fujita.
3.(a - Brown traded) NT Torrell Troup - Could easily be the new starter at NT. 3.(b) OG/OT Mike Johnson - Great value for a versatile player. With Nesbit being released, depth is a concern at OG.
4. DE Austen Lane - Very talented small school guy will have time to develop.
5. RB LeGarrette Blount - Short yardage beast. Low risk. High reward.
7. OLB Rico McCoy - Undersized tackling machine. Could be a special teams ace.

darstep

Too many if's for me! The Saints clip board is full. They've probably got a speadsheet with a pivot table on their laptop that will update with every pick and re-tally the points for every remaining player they are interested in. Players will rise and fall and there will be surprises and disappointments. I just hope we get what we need: quality young players that can help us remain a championship caliber team. After this weekend we can start in earnest to nail down our free agent loose ends.

st thomas

IF WEATHERSPOON IS'NT THERE HUGHES MAYBE

strato

I would be more happy with Hughes..

saintfan

As I say every year, I'm not as up to speed on all this draft stuff, but I was thinking the same thing.