saintz08

HORN TRADE RUMORS MAKE NO SENSE

A couple of national reports this week indicated the New Orleans Saints would seriously think about trading or cutting loose wide receiver Joe Horn in the summer.

To be honest, this makes absolutely no sense.

Yes, I did write after the draft that I felt as though this season would be Horn’s last in New Orleans. But to suggest the Saints would get rid of Horn this year is ridiculous.

First of all, the Saints have no one who could take Horn’s place and duplicate his production. Donté Stallworth has immense talent, but just can’t stay healthy. The same can be said of former Detroit Lions end and recent Saints acquisition Germane Crowell, who has been out of football for the past year.

Veteran Jerome Pathon is an average starter at best, and is more of a possession receiver than someone who can stretch a defense deep. Rookie Devery Henderson has a lot of physical talent and speed, but the ex-LSU Tiger is a work in progress. He isn’t a very refined pass catcher or route runner at this stage of his career.

If you had this group to start the season would you get rid of Horn?

The answer is "NO."

Next year will probably be a different story. The Saints will have more answers to the questions at receiver and Horn will be 33 years old. He will be scheduled to earn $3.8 million in 2005 and a $1 million roster bonus in March 2005.

To be honest, Horn’s age and his salary cap-number don’t seem to fit the Saints’ plans next year, but this season is a different story.

You just wonder why anyone in the Saints organization would float a rumor around to out-of-town reporters that their best receiver is on the trading block. Anyone who has been around this organization since 2000 knows exactly who the individual is.

If that coach is still around in 2005, he may find out replacing a receiver who has caught 343 passes for 4,890 yards and 34 touchdowns over the past four seasons isn’t easy. Then again, he played a big part in jettisoning defensive tackle La’Roi Glover, defensive end Joe Johnson, quarterback Marc Bulger, running back Ricky Williams, offensive tackles Kyle Turley and Willie Roaf, and linebacker Mark Fields.

http://www.houmatoday.com/apps/pbcs....406060326/1103

Euphoria

I think the comments were made but as a compliment to Stallworth and that was it. Benson even squashed the bug saying Horn will not be traded.

WhoDat

I had forgotten about Marc Bulger.... ouch.