biloxi-indian

Somewhat ironic is the Saints continue to collect draft picks (2005) when as an organization they fail to use them properly(2004). What is the sense in this!

Euphoria

they had a good draft in 2004... got great value with the picks.

biloxi-indian

By all accounts of individuals who study the draft for a living...the Saints were graded at best a C. That would be \"average\". Management not drafting for need and using the excuse \"best player available\" is a cop out. IMO.

Euphoria

well there is your first problem... you shouldn\'t think inside the box and draft just on needs. The players the Saints wanted were simply not there so you go best available or trade back... Will Smith can play LB and is a great person all-around. 18th pick he was a steal. The second problem you have is listening to all the people who study the draft... hell I studied the draft also... I would have done somethings different but I don\'t let that interfere with me grading the Saints draft picks. What the Saints have done was grab 3 studs in the first 2 rounds and another second rounder for next year. You can get studs in the first 2 rounds to come in and play day one. Usually harder to find players who can contribute day one in the later rounds. Best FB in the draft HELLO...

The only position they didn\'t draft that everyone wanted them to draft was CB and you can argue all you like but the saints are loaded at CB. They are fine... they need to stop the run and put pressure on the QB first and formost. You can have the best CB in the league but give the qb a day and a half and he will connect. I also do feel the Saints will be bringing in a cb including resigning Carter is still an option.

[Edited on 27/4/2004 by Euphoria]

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biloxi-indian

Being on a Saints site I would judge that you are not by any stretch of the imigination impartial. Those individuals who do this for a living have nothing to gain to pronounce one teams draft over another better. Heck, I am a Saints fan, and I am NOT impartial when it comes to evaluating the Saints. However, I do have an opinion.

Please spare me with the \"studs\" reference as they have yet to play a down in the NFL. As you are accutely aware, what faces these draft choices will not be like college. A stud in college can often be referred to as a \"project\" in the NFL. I am not saying anything you already do not realize.

The FB you refer to has not picked up a blitizing LB in the NFL...forget the best of the best! He does appear to have good hands, but is not the swiftest in the lot.

Insanity is defined as doing the same thing over, over, and over again...and expecting a different outcome!

saintz08

This is the classic arguement , value of a pick or need for the team .

Here is the breakdown :

Value of the pick : If you are drafting for the New England Patriots and a player falls to you , the value of the pick is a great reason to pick him . A talented core of players all ready in tact with no exposed needs . A GM can take a player and work with him and have the luxury to say he was great value and we could not pass him up even if the position is talent loaded .

Need for the team : If you are drafting for the New Orleans Saints and have just come off an 8-8 season , with holes the size of the Hindenberg in your defense , the value of the pick scenario should not apply here because back loading a position means you still have these huge holes . It really does not matter how much depth you have at a certain position if the offense has the ability to work around it .The example of this is if the defensive line is getting in too fast and a team has a weak secondary or clueless linebacker core , the offense just runs a no huddle or shifts into shot gun formation and works around the defensive pressure .

Saints play the Falcons twice , if Vick is healthy and the Saints are able to shut down a run game initially , Vick will shot gun formation and throw all day long . Are the Saints current secondary ready to stop Vick on a Pass Fest ????

If the answer turns out to be no , how much value was that pick ???....

\"Americans play to win at all times. I wouldn\'t give a hoot in hell for a man who lost and laughed.\" - George S. Patton
On another note, I\'ll take a bite of that crow 08. - Saintfan
Brooks is a moron!! - Halo

Euphoria

I am not giving the Saints an A for the draft... but they did the best they could do with what was happening. Everyone you had an eye on is gone, would you take 3-4 rated player at there position at 18? (players who need developing maybe) Trade down, get extra picks but that isn\'t fixing holes... Ahhhh, but here is a stud and a steal at 18 who we could use at LB or rotate in on DE for breathers and injuries, special teams. So you give the Saints C or D for not getting a need fixed... but you also have to give them an a or b for getting a top 10 at 18. And it hasn\'t come full circle yet... its still being played out, trades are possible its not a done deal yet. Nor have they won or lost a game yet. The Patriots had all kinds of needs at the beginning of the year all of a sudden they don\'t have a one? because they won a SB... sure. They have needs and things to address just as well as other teams... they want another SB and they have to counter what other teams or doing... they also get max use out of there players though coaching.

Sure give the Saints a C for the draft but if this plays out like it could they end up in the playoffs or better and the draft looks like an A... with 3 picks in the first 2 rounds in 2005

[Edited on 27/4/2004 by Euphoria]

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BlackandBlue

2004 draft class > 2003 draft class.

Smith will be starting at end by mid season. He\'s the best defensive end coming out of college we\'ve ever had.
EDIT: and no, I don\'t mean best defensive end on the team, that goes to Howard...for now. I think that Smith is good enough to take over for grant no later than midseason.

[Edited on 27/4/2004 by BlackandBlue]

saintsfan1313

ok, ok i have to get involved....
i was at work when this all went down, but i still saw everything...
now i know the guys we were lookin for got grabbed before we got there...
but, we still could have traded up to get them, or traded down to get more picks....
we still passed good cb\'s in round 2....
i know smith is a good value pick, but how much of a value do you get if he plays 10 downs every game......
now we are in the same situation for next years draft as this years draft.....
3 picks in 2 rounds, but hey, what did we do with it this year?????


mods note: sentences help!!

[Edited on 4/27/2004 by pakowitz]

is this all really happening????

Euphoria

Sure I\'ll give ya... we could have traded down, that was my first thinking going into the draft thinking all the players we were keeping an eye on would be gone. But then Smith was there... a top 10 bonifide prospect looking at us in the face and you have to take it... trading down is the wrong move at that point. Smith is an every down backer... you don\'t play a guy with his athletisim 10 plays... you play him every chance you get. You look for ways to get him in on the play. We got a play-maker WR and a top 3 LB in the draft at 60 which is great value and a need... If you can fill a need and get great value ok... but if not then look at value... if that isn\'t there you trade back. We got a 2nd rounder for next year for it.

2nd round cbs were projects in the making... we needed to draft a shut down cb... it wasn\'t there plain and simple... we do not need a back up cb so why draft one.



[Edited on 27/4/2004 by Euphoria]

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