What do we need?
 

OK, I know that this season isn't over and there IS still some hope for playoffs, but it was brought up in another thread and I just want to know what you guys think. What do the Saints need this off-season?

Here's my list:
1. CB
2. LB
3. WR
4. S
5. DT (depth)
6. T (depth) - or a utility player
7. RB (depth - although I like Carter a lot)
8. O-line, O-line, O-line for depth

I'm trying to be as realistic as possible here. Notice, I said it in another post and as I try to play it out here it holds true in my eyes, we are only a few players away. Our problems are not with talent. Drops, turnovers, penalties, missed tackles - those aare all mental/discipline mistakes.

Thus, maybe the most needed move in the offseason is coach and GM. Every year it's something else with Haslett - injuries, bad luck, locker room cancers, the wrong kind of players for the system, mental mistakes, not a good enough practice facility, blah blah blah. I think from a personnel standpoint this team could easily be good enough to compete for a Super Bowl after one more offseason. It's time to be accountable - let's get some coaches and front office personnel that can make us winners. Who's with me?

What do we need?
 

My first pick would be either Teddy Lehman (MLB) or Derrick Strait (CB) out of Oklahoma. As these are perpetual needs for this club that we choose NEVER to address through the draft.

After that, I\'d hope we could get enough out of a Brooks trade to pick up Eli.

What do we need?
 

I\'d love to see a Manning back in Black and Gold. And say what you will, but I think it would be a good move for NO. They wouldn\'t need to rush him into service, and I\'d bet his jersey would immediately be a top seller in the NFL. Manning is already a popular name and with Archie, well, it would be a PR department\'s dream come true. Manning v. Manning would set the NFL on fire. Yeah, we have bigger needs. But if we can address them in free agency, why not take a shot?

What do we need?
 

In order of needs...
CB
LB
CB
DT (nose, would give us a top 5 group)
SS
WR
FS

What we don\'t need
TE
OG
DE
QB (assuming we re-sign Bouman)

What do we need?
 

1. New Head Coach.
2. New O-Coordinator.
3. New D-Coordinator.
4. C.B.
5. L.B.
6. D.L.
7. T.E. Because if things keep going the way they are Boo will sign a great contract with probably one of our division rivals after this season.
8. O.L.

On another note, Atlanta could possibly get the first pick this year and we could probably make a play for Eli, but do we want to give up the picks and or players to a division rival?

What do we need?
 

Is that the LB that runs a 4.3/40? If so, yeah, that would be my first pick. You won\'t find freak speed like that at that position all of the time. If he wasn\'t available, I\'ll take Marlin Jackson (CB) out of Michigan.

What do we need?
 

I think if the Saints did manage to get Eli Manning it would be a big mistake in my opinion. Knowing I\'ll get blasted for this, here is why. I believe it would definitely be a PR dream come true. It would be a fantastic move from a media and recognition stand point. It would sell jersey, sell tickets and sell hope. But...it would, in my opinion, be a re-enactment of the Ricky Williams trade. Suddenly this kid coming out of college is expected to be the single difference in making us a Super Bowl contender. All of the pressure that Williams faced when he was here was too much for someone of that level of maturity. Put Manning here and he faces all of that and more. Too many comparisons to Archie and Peyton. Yes, he\'ll get that anywhere, but moreso here. The local media and fans will make him into a god before he plays a down. He won\'t get that in Arizona or wherever else he goes. Sure he\'ll get the 1st rounder hype but not to the degree he\'d get it here. For his sake, he will have a better chance at being a successful QB with outside pressures that New Orleans brings.

What do we need?
 

From the games I have seen Eli play, he looks like the real deal. He looks better to me than what Peyton did in college. LummOx, I don\'t know that I agree with you on it being too much pressure for Eli. If he did come here I think most knowledgeable fans would know that it would take a while for him to develop. I guess you would have some idiot fans that might expect him to take us to the super bowl in his first year, but for the most part I don\'t see it being that big of a problem. That same arguement was made when Eli chose to go to Ole Miss and he\'s handled it well.

But, I don\'t see QB as anywhere close to being the biggest area of need. There is no way we are going to get ELI and to be drafting to sell tickets would be a BIG mistake.

What do we need?
 

Its sad and amazing our needs on defense are the same as last year. Our inability to stop the rush must be addressed first and start up front. We are one of the worst rush defenses in the league. We need a run stuffing nose tackle and a middle linebacker who can come with the hammer. Add to that two corners who can cover and a free safety and we have a defense that can win.
On offense our line needs stability and reciver help. I would love a more complete and smarter option at QB but don\'t think we should rush to make a change just to make one. I would rather see the Qb position addressed in free agancy than the draft. The pick cost is to high with other more pressing needs and too unsure(way to many top pick QB busts) and even under good circumstances takes too long to pan out,

And formost it is time for a new coaching staff. Haslett has shown that his teams are consistantly slopply and error prone. All the hallmarks of a poorly prepared team are there; presnap penalities, miscommunications between players, missed assignments, missed tackles, turnovers, sloppy play everywhere. These things fall squarely on the head coach and his staff. Good coaches know how to get players to understand what they need to do and if they can\'t they get players who can.

What do we need?
 

One thing I\'ve noticed this year while watching some good teams is that their LBs seem to make many more plays than ours do. I\'ve always been a believer in the madden-ism that \"it all starts up front, \" but I\'m beginning to believe that our front is fairly solid and that it is the LBs not getting off blocks in time to stop the run. The sad fact of the matter is that our D cannot stop a good offense when it counts - and even when it doesn\'t count.

I know we have a huge need at corner, but I\'m gonna have to go with LB for our 1st rd pick in 2004 (assuming there is one worth picking at our spot.) I don\'t keep up with all the college players so I don\'t know who I\'d choose, but even though speed is important, I want someone who can avoid blockers like a RB who is good at avoiding tacklers. The lineman should take up the blockers and the LBs should hit the gaps and make tackles - and that is what we\'re missing. If we could slow down the rush, I believe that\'d help the passing game.

What do we need?
 

I have always beleived and will continue to believe that the offensive and defensive lines are where you start. If you can dominate the line of scrimmage, then role players at the skill positions can thrive. If you have sub-par lines, then running backs and QB\'s will struggle. Sure,there will be exceptions, but for the most part that\'s the way it works.

The sad thing is that as much money and draft picks as the Saints have invested in our offensive line, it still isn\'t that good. I know there are some that want to look at Deuce\'s numbers and say that the offensive line must be good, but they\'re not. Just ask yourself when we need to rush for one yard how confident you feel? Yeah, that\'s what I thought. And the pass blocking at times looks like the worst in the league. I hear some say that the reason Brooks get sacked a lot of times is because he holds the ball too long. Yeah, that happens. But, I\'d hate to count the number of times he would have been sacked if not for his pure athletic ability. Kurt Warner wouldn\'t have lasted 4-games behind this offensive line when he was in his prime!!

The defensive lline may be in pretty good shape, but we still need another quality tackle.

The secondary needs almost a complete overhaul. The secondary players that are playing well are up there in age, and older players are just more injury prone. But, it seems like all of our players are injury prone.

Linebacker -- It would be great if we could find some unknown player and he turns into a superstar, but we\'ve gone that direction enough. To me, this has to be the first area we address.

What do we need?
 

IMHO, we can live with our offense, we just need a coach that can get them to play together. I say go whole hog on defense, go get 2 corners and 3 linebackers. Take T-bucky out behind my barn and skin him,he\'s been a complete dud as far as I can see. This off season, and somewhere on here I posted it earlier, there are a bunch of very good corners available. I really don\'t care where we get them as long as we do.

And oh, by the way Sainta! Could we have a new Defensive C.O. too?

What do we need?
 

Gator that\'s an excellent point. In the past we have surrendered the big play, but in kind we were able to make the big play almost at will. It is no secret that we have lost that explosiveness we had last year and you are bang on when you notice the impact it has on our defensive scheming.

What do we need?
 

I think there is little question that he defensive scheme has changed. But, I don\'t think it has anything to do with the lack of production of offense. Does anyone remember what Venturi said his goals for the defense was in the off-season. The goals Venturi mentioned were to (a) stop the big plays (b) increase speed on defense.

I think this defensive scheme was gonna be the same no matter what the offense did. The reason you don\'t see this defense blitz or take a bunch of chances is they are always playing from behind and opposing offenses can keep them guessing between the run and pass. Defenses always play more agressive when their team has the lead.

What do we need?
 

I thought you were saying that Venturi had decided before the season started that his defensive game plan was based on what he thought the offense could or couldn\'t do. Sorry for the mistake...

Gator, I can talk about other things than Aaron Brooks. I support Brooks but I know he has flaws. I always have known, I just don\'t pin everything on Brooks like some members. And no gator, I\'m not saying you pin everything on Brooks.

What do we need?
 

Here\'s the difference between Eli and Ricky. Eli has always been the third son in a family full of football stars. You think he wasn\'t seen as the savior in Oxford?! That\'s crazy. Eli has been acheiving under pressure from fans, media, history, etc. his whole life. Ricky was a guy that never got a lot of hype until his, what, junior year of college. He had a social anxiety disorder and honestly, played as well in NO as he is playing now. He had one great year (last year), but look at what he\'s doing now. The same thing he did in NO.

Eli just wins. This kid has that spark. I mean, LSU just handed that team it\'s FIRST SEC loss this year, and trust me guys, they\'re NOT that good. Eli finds a way to win. He\'s tough, smart, mobile, good arm. He is the real deal and he has the added benefit of being an immediate fan favorite.

On another note, I\'ve been saying since week 5 or 6 that our needs on D are the same this offseason as they were last offseason. Know why that is? B/c the clowns running the show from Metairie didn\'t use the fifth most money under the cap to sign a single impact player on defense. Not one. This is why we need a regime change, b/c if there isn\'t one, expect to see the same BS in the offseason and the same result next year.

What do we need?
 

I will go with :

An AFC personnel man said that he gave Peyton’s work ethic and intensity the highest grade he has ever given a prospect. Although no one can measure up to that character profile, that same source insisted that Eli has an even better arm than his brother. He lauded Eli’s superior mechanics, smoother throwing motion and stronger arm. Although both would be classified as pure dropback passers, he cited Eli as having slightly better mobility.

What do we need?
 

Thank you 08.