darren howard

MeisterS · 02-03-2004, 08:30 AM

are the saints gonna franchise tag him or allow him to hit free agency?

Danno · 02-03-2004, 09:26 AM

are the saints gonna franchise tag him or allow him to hit free agency?

If they can\'t reach agreement I think they franchise him.
No way he hits free-agency.
Unfortunately, most of the free agents we\'re targeting will never hit the market either.
I think the only way to land a big name free agent nowadays in the NFL is to grossly overpay for them.

WhoDat · 02-03-2004, 10:06 AM

Nah - target the ones that hit early and put up some realistic money. Quarles, Spikes, Colvin, Claiborne - those were some good LBs that hit last season and I\'m forgetting about half of them.

It\'s hard to get a Charles Woodson type player, but there are a lot of very good players who hit the market. Of course you have to pay for them, but...

saintz08 · 02-03-2004, 10:38 AM

Depends who you ask :

21.) DE Darren Howard Current Team: Saints Free Agent Status: UFA 2004 Team Projection: Seahawks

http://qisports.com/freeagentprojections.html

WhoDat · 02-03-2004, 09:40 PM

Well, I guess if he goes at least we still have Whitehead. Howard is a freak and maybe the second best football player on our team behind Deuce and I would hate to see him go. However, IF he does, I\'m not too unhappy with Whitehead ASSUMING we pick up another DT to play along side Sullivan. Whitehead\'s gotta have like 5% body fat. The guy is a specimen and he played like a freak for a while early this season before Howard came back. I want Howard, but if he goes I don\'t think we lose as much as we would at other positions if we lost starters. Whitehead could start a lot of places in this league, if you ask me.

JKool · 02-04-2004, 04:11 AM

I agree with Whodat on this one!

I think the Howard is a key to our being dominant both in rushing the passer and stopping the run, but Whitehead is awesome too. I\'m glad we retained him this year.

I also agree that the only way that Howard matters over Whitehead is if we add a fourth quality lineman at DT. If we don\'t, then I think that Howard\'s impact is diminished greatly and we may as well go with Whitehead who will be cheaper and can do well in Howard\'s stead. If we are going to go for a quality DT, then why would we pass up a chance to have a dominant front four (which was clearly a key for the two Superbowl teams this year)? Our chances are only seriously improved with Howard if we get the interior some help to get him some extra time (and free him up) to rush the passer.

BlackandBlue · 02-04-2004, 08:57 AM

Our chances are only seriously improved with Howard if we get the interior some help to get him some extra time (and free him up) to rush the passer.

Are you thinking about Grant? You said the same thing a few times in your post, just scripted differently, but I do not see the logic in this statement, if you are in fact referring to Howard and not Grant. Can you tell me why that we would need a dominant DT next to Sully in order for Howard to be effective? He plays against the run as well as he does against the pass, and especially better against the run than Whitehead. Not trying to be a smartass, I just don\'t understand your statement.
I mean, yeah, having good players next to you will help anyone, that\'s just common sense, but I don\'t see where not having that extra dominant DT would diminish his role any.

[Edited on 4/2/2004 by BlackandBlue]

WhoDat · 02-04-2004, 10:10 AM

I think that question was directed at JKool, no?

I think a better DY next to Howard helps, but my point was simply that if we are going to lose Howard, at least we have Whitehead, who is pretty decent too. Could be worse is what I\'m trying to say.

BlackandBlue · 02-04-2004, 10:34 AM

It was directed at JKool

I also agree that the only way that Howard matters over Whitehead is if we add a fourth quality lineman at DT. If we don\'t, then I think that Howard\'s impact is diminished greatly and we may as well go with Whitehead who will be cheaper and can do well in Howard\'s stead.

I guess this is the quote I found most troubling. Whitehead is good, not to take anything away from him, but he is not Darren Howard- he does not have the stamina that Howard has to play consistently over a full season and does not have the combination of speed and strength to play strong side end as effective as Howard. Howard, when healthy, can be one of the best all around ends in the league, not just pass rush, like Grant, which is the reason I thought he might have meant Grant in the first place.
And stating that having a dominant DT helps the other defensive linemen is like saying that having a dominant fullback makes your running back play better, or having a dominant QB makes your wide receivers play better- common sense.

[Edited on 4/2/2004 by BlackandBlue]

WhoDat · 02-04-2004, 04:49 PM

I agree - although it is interesting that you say that Howard has the stamina to play over a full season - he hasn\'t done that in the last two. The thing that worries me is he will be expensive, he is already good, they have a suitable replacement, and he has been injury prone of recent. I don\'t want to lose this guy, but I can see Haslett giving him the walking papers.

02-03-2004, 08:30 AM	#1
MeisterS Rookie Join Date: Nov 2003 Posts: 18	darren howard are the saints gonna franchise tag him or allow him to hit free agency?
MeisterS Rookie Join Date: Nov 2003 Posts: 18

02-03-2004, 09:26 AM	#2
Danno Truth Addict Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Spanish Fort, AL (via NO and B/R) Posts: 24,723	darren howard are the saints gonna franchise tag him or allow him to hit free agency? If they can\'t reach agreement I think they franchise him. No way he hits free-agency. Unfortunately, most of the free agents we\'re targeting will never hit the market either. I think the only way to land a big name free agent nowadays in the NFL is to grossly overpay for them.

02-03-2004, 10:06 AM	#3
WhoDat 5000 POSTS! + Join Date: Sep 2002 Posts: 5,631	darren howard Nah - target the ones that hit early and put up some realistic money. Quarles, Spikes, Colvin, Claiborne - those were some good LBs that hit last season and I\'m forgetting about half of them. It\'s hard to get a Charles Woodson type player, but there are a lot of very good players who hit the market. Of course you have to pay for them, but...
WhoDat 5000 POSTS! + Join Date: Sep 2002 Posts: 5,631

02-03-2004, 10:38 AM	#4
saintz08 1000 Posts + Join Date: Jul 2002 Posts: 3,020	darren howard Depends who you ask : 21.) DE Darren Howard Current Team: Saints Free Agent Status: UFA 2004 Team Projection: Seahawks http://qisports.com/freeagentprojections.html
saintz08 1000 Posts + Join Date: Jul 2002 Posts: 3,020

02-03-2004, 09:40 PM	#5
WhoDat 5000 POSTS! + Join Date: Sep 2002 Posts: 5,631	darren howard Well, I guess if he goes at least we still have Whitehead. Howard is a freak and maybe the second best football player on our team behind Deuce and I would hate to see him go. However, IF he does, I\'m not too unhappy with Whitehead ASSUMING we pick up another DT to play along side Sullivan. Whitehead\'s gotta have like 5% body fat. The guy is a specimen and he played like a freak for a while early this season before Howard came back. I want Howard, but if he goes I don\'t think we lose as much as we would at other positions if we lost starters. Whitehead could start a lot of places in this league, if you ask me.
WhoDat 5000 POSTS! + Join Date: Sep 2002 Posts: 5,631	\"Excuses, excuses, excuses. ThatÃ¢Â€Â™s all anyone ever makes for the New Orleans SaintsÃ¢Â€Â™ 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.\"

Latest Blogs
2023 New Orleans Saints: Training Camp Last Blog: 08-01-2023 By: MarchingOn Puck the Fro Browl! Last Blog: 02-05-2023 By: neugey CFP: "Just Keep Doing What You're Doing" Last Blog: 12-08-2022 By: neugey

02-04-2004, 04:11 AM	#6
JKool 1000 Posts + Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Madison, WI Posts: 2,423	darren howard I agree with Whodat on this one! I think the Howard is a key to our being dominant both in rushing the passer and stopping the run, but Whitehead is awesome too. I\'m glad we retained him this year. I also agree that the only way that Howard matters over Whitehead is if we add a fourth quality lineman at DT. If we don\'t, then I think that Howard\'s impact is diminished greatly and we may as well go with Whitehead who will be cheaper and can do well in Howard\'s stead. If we are going to go for a quality DT, then why would we pass up a chance to have a dominant front four (which was clearly a key for the two Superbowl teams this year)? Our chances are only seriously improved with Howard if we get the interior some help to get him some extra time (and free him up) to rush the passer.
	"... I was beating them with my eyes the whole game..." - Aaron Brooks

02-04-2004, 08:57 AM	#7
BlackandBlue Kinder, gentler Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: dirty south Posts: 3,889	darren howard Our chances are only seriously improved with Howard if we get the interior some help to get him some extra time (and free him up) to rush the passer. Are you thinking about Grant? You said the same thing a few times in your post, just scripted differently, but I do not see the logic in this statement, if you are in fact referring to Howard and not Grant. Can you tell me why that we would need a dominant DT next to Sully in order for Howard to be effective? He plays against the run as well as he does against the pass, and especially better against the run than Whitehead. Not trying to be a smartass, I just don\'t understand your statement. I mean, yeah, having good players next to you will help anyone, that\'s just common sense, but I don\'t see where not having that extra dominant DT would diminish his role any. [Edited on 4/2/2004 by BlackandBlue]
	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?

02-04-2004, 10:10 AM	#8
WhoDat 5000 POSTS! + Join Date: Sep 2002 Posts: 5,631	darren howard I think that question was directed at JKool, no? I think a better DY next to Howard helps, but my point was simply that if we are going to lose Howard, at least we have Whitehead, who is pretty decent too. Could be worse is what I\'m trying to say.
WhoDat 5000 POSTS! + Join Date: Sep 2002 Posts: 5,631

02-04-2004, 10:34 AM	#9
BlackandBlue Kinder, gentler Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: dirty south Posts: 3,889	darren howard It was directed at JKool I also agree that the only way that Howard matters over Whitehead is if we add a fourth quality lineman at DT. If we don\'t, then I think that Howard\'s impact is diminished greatly and we may as well go with Whitehead who will be cheaper and can do well in Howard\'s stead. I guess this is the quote I found most troubling. Whitehead is good, not to take anything away from him, but he is not Darren Howard- he does not have the stamina that Howard has to play consistently over a full season and does not have the combination of speed and strength to play strong side end as effective as Howard. Howard, when healthy, can be one of the best all around ends in the league, not just pass rush, like Grant, which is the reason I thought he might have meant Grant in the first place. And stating that having a dominant DT helps the other defensive linemen is like saying that having a dominant fullback makes your running back play better, or having a dominant QB makes your wide receivers play better- common sense. [Edited on 4/2/2004 by BlackandBlue]
	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?

02-04-2004, 04:49 PM	#10
WhoDat 5000 POSTS! + Join Date: Sep 2002 Posts: 5,631	darren howard I agree - although it is interesting that you say that Howard has the stamina to play over a full season - he hasn\'t done that in the last two. The thing that worries me is he will be expensive, he is already good, they have a suitable replacement, and he has been injury prone of recent. I don\'t want to lose this guy, but I can see Haslett giving him the walking papers.
WhoDat 5000 POSTS! + Join Date: Sep 2002 Posts: 5,631