tweeky

Saints Team Report - Jeff Duncan /

Hail Holland

Rookie Montrae Holland has played well in place of injured LG Kendyl Jacox, giving the staff confidence Holland can be a full-time starter next season. He is not extremely agile or mobile, but he can overpower linemen at the point of attack with his natural strength and leverage.

CB Dale Carter, 34, has worn out his welcome and is turning into a major bust. He has been ineffective and unreliable, missing most of five games because of injuries to his eye socket and his thigh. Carter's salary escalates next season, so the Saints could cut their ties with him if his attitude and production don't improve. The team plans to address the cornerback position in the draft and probably will draft a corner in one of the first two rounds.

Stretch run

On offense, the Saints will continue to ride the running of Deuce McAllister to set up the play-action passing game. The defense is getting good pressure on the quarterback from RE Darren Howard and LE Charles Grant, and that could produce more turnovers. The key will be how well the defense stops the run, a major weakness in recent weeks. Fortunately, none of the final four opponents features a dominant rushing attack.

Focal point

QB Aaron Brooks has improved in several areas this season, including completion percentage and decision making. But he needs to raise his level of play down the stretch and become a more dynamic force on and off the field. His easy-going personality can be a liability for an offense that often lacks direction and focus. Brooks also must overcome his troubling tendency to make mistakes, especially early in games, which have put the Saints in early holes in recent weeks.

WhoDat

Typical. God forbid we go out and get an established guy in free agency. So a rookie, Fred Thomas, and Ashley Ambrose... (or maybe the Ambrose clone we pick up in free agency instead of going after a marquee guy). Sounds great to me. Why use free agency to fill the couple of major holes we have and transform this team into a real contender? Nope, let\'s keep using the draft to bring in players that we\'ll churn out of here within the next four or five years right when they hit their prime. Free agency is just to find marginal talent that can wear a jersey and stand on the field, right?

PLEASE - a new GM - PLEASE!!!

\"Excuses, excuses, excuses. That’s all anyone ever makes for the New Orleans Saints’ organization.\" - Eric Narcisse


\"Being a Saints fan is almost like being addicted to crack,\" he said.[i]\"You know you should stop, but you just can\'t.\"

tweeky

I don\'t think this means we aren\'t planning to address the CB issue via free-agency.
I know this is taboo here, but I think they might just do the right thing.

FA positions I\'d like to see signed...
IDT-good run stuffer.
ILB-Move Cie to OLB
CB-sign a top 5 FA
RB-Aging but capable vet to back up Deuce
WR-Dependable possession type (Like Willie Jackson but with better speed)

Draft positions I\'d like to see selected...
LB-Best one there, inside or out, I don\'t care. Draft two!
CB-No Duh! Draft two!
SS-Jay is aging and no guarantee Mitchell will be back to 100%
LT-if a true stud is available.

Whether we agree or disagree; its all for Him.

saint5221

Hey Tweeky, i\'ve noticed you\'ve talked about Cie Grant a few times you seem to believe he has something. I\'m courious why. I have not seem him play he has been injured most of his time here and I was totally unaware of him till we drafted him. All I know is a draft report and analysis I read and what I have heard the staff say about him and I rarely trust there evaluations of players they have brought in. I\'d like to hear your take on this kid.

tweeky

I saw him in the NCAA championship game. He\'s fast and furious. He played CB, DB, and LB in college and needs some more polishing at LB. He has a good motor and hits hard.

Most of what I know about him was pre-draft scouting reports. Most had him listed as an OLB with good upside. He was as high as 4th on some lists and as low as about 7th on some others. Don\'t hold me to those #\'s but I think thats pretty accurate. The Saints had him listed 3rd best overall. I was surprised that we had him slated as a MLB.

When drafted, various experts said he\'d probably start by mid to late season, but alas injuries put him off schedule. I expect he\'ll compete for a starting job next year. But I also thought the same thing about James Allen so what do I know?

Whether we agree or disagree; its all for Him.

BlackandBlue

First I heard of Cie Grant was on a radio program about a month before the draft, and the talk show host was pointing out who he thought were the sleepers in the draft. The guy was extremely high on Grant, so I started doing some investigating, and liked what I saw. I could not find a single article that had anything negative to say. All I did find was how he has tremendous upside, that he is an incredible athlete (the talk show host had him as the 2nd best athlete in the draft behind Woolfolk), and how he had a true passion for the game. So I was very excited to see the Saints pick this guy up, and I can\'t wait to see what he is capable of in the next several years.

The waiting drove me mad....
I don't want to hear from those that know...
Everything has changed, absolutely nothing's changed

Eddie is a....draftnik?

saint5221

Thanks for the input Tweeky and BnB ,I just had a big question mark about this kid and am glad to hear you both think there is something to him. I went back and did some research this is what I found. Pretty much echo\'s both your assessments.


CIE GRANT MEASURABLES
Height: 6-0 Weight: 228
40-yard dash: 4.50 10-yard dash: ÂÂÂÂ*
20-yard shuttle: 60-yard shuttle:
Broad jump: 0-0 225 lb. bench:
3-cone drill: Vertical jump: 0
Wonderlic: 20-yard dash:
Player evaluation:
Cie Grant

War Room analysis
Strengths: Is an exceptional weakside athlete. Shows rare speed and range. Has improved hands and ability to get through traffic. Is a sideline-to-sideline chaser. Is tough and physical. Is a good tackler with some pop at the point of attack. Shows excellent tools vs. the pass. Has rare coverage skills and can excel in that capacity in the NFL.

Weaknesses: Is a ‘tweener; lacks ideal size at weakside linebacker and experience at strong safety. Must bulk up and continue to get stronger. Gets engulfed at the point of attack when reached. Doesn\'t have a strong-enough lower body to take blockers head-on. Still must improve recognition skills. Needs time to polish technique. Lacks great instincts; needs to work on the mental aspect of the game.

Bottom line: Grant is a very intriguing mid-to-late-round prospect because he played safety, cornerback and linebacker at Ohio State. He could play either the weak side or move back to safety in the NFL, but he needs time to develop wherever he plays. He could also contribute right away as a nickel and dime linebacker.
Dan Pompei analysis
Is very athletic and very fast. Makes plays in pursuit. Shows good coverage skills, and has sideline-to-sideline range. Never stops hustling. Hesitates too often, and shows questionable instincts. Is versatile -- played halfback in high school and cornerback and safety at Ohio State. Should be a solid special teams contributor as a rookie.
Pompei\'s OLB ranking: No. 10