GumboBC

Help me out here folks. Had a discussion on another Saints board about Courtney Watson vs. Cie Grant. The overwhelming majority thinks Watson should be given the starting job right now and Cie should be moved to WLB.

But why? To me, Watson has proved nothing. Neither has Cie, but Haslett seems quite impressed with Cie. He seems to like Watson also. But Haslett said yesterday if he had to start the season tomorrow that Cie would be the starter.

I guess the thing I don't understand is why so many fans are sold on Courtney Watson. This guy hasn't even played in a preseason game much less a real game.

Never I have seen so many fans jump on a band wagon without having any idea where it's headed.

I think Haslett is doing the right thing by letting them battle it out. One out of two is better than zero out of one to me.

Opinions?

vulture

I think that fans aren\'t so much sold on Watson or Cie Grant ,for that matter, as they are looking for some ray of hope; a sense of urgency put forth by the coaching staff. Fans are looking for the coaches to say \"Hey, last year wasn\'t good enough. This is what we are doing about it.\" and Watson and Grant are the focus of that change

CheramieIII

I agree with you, I think Cie will start at MLB and Watson may have a shot a one of the other positions or backup to Cie.

Sarsippius

I work at a bar. i work daytime at a bar. we talk saints every day! This same question arose in conversation on Monday. One of my customers is a member of the Saints organization whome i cant name, however he assures me that cie grant is a monster. courtney looks great too and is everything they say about him, but barring injury..cie will get the nod and deservedly so.

-Sars

GumboBC

I think no matter who plays MLB they will look better this year due to the improvement by our front 4 (if it is improved, I think it will) For better or worse the future is now for our defense. No excuses this year. I mean NONE.

John Pease just might save everyones job.

D_it_up

I\'ll make this brief. Who would you rather have starting at linebacker in the middle or WLB? Orlando Ruff and Sedrick Hodge? or Cie Grant and Courtney Watson? We know what Ruff and Hodge can do which isn\'t much. Why not test out the young guys that are supposedly loaded with potential and see if it\'s an improvement?

BlackandBlue

Give me Cie in the middle. He\'s had more experience, even if it has been sitting on the sidelines. He should be familiar with how fast the NFL is now. Great athlete, and is a smart guy, just like Watson. Ohio State is not just another college. They\'ve got a pretty good program, and though they may not be as stringent with their acceptance policies as Notre Dame is, they are a very well respected college.

WhoDat

Actually, I\'m a little worried about the MLB position still.

Cie Grant is a great athlete, but he did not come into the league as a prototypical MLB. He was hurt all of last season and now he\'s got a minor injury again. He cannot afford to be missing reps. Even with a year in the league, he didn\'t see the field. Gameday will still shock him some, I bet. The speed and ferocityof it all.

Watson is a more prototypical MLB. I like him b/c he keeps being referred to as smart and a leader. He\'s got the right size and he played the position throughout college. Of course, he too has already been hit with the inury bug (also slight in nature), and it is rare for a rookie, any rookie, especially at such a major position, to stay healthy and play up consistently throughout his first year.

Both of these guys have all of the tools. Both seem physical, athletic, dedicated, and generally smart. I think both WILL BE very good players for the Saints. However, I\'m not so sure that they will be where they need to be one month from now. I hope so, but I\'m not sure.

I agree with D_it_up to an extent. You do know what you\'ve got with Hodge and Ruff. Why not toy with the idea of Grant and Watson on the field at the same time NOW early in camp? I wouldn\'t do it as the season nears though. You have to start building continuity, and if Hodge is going to get the start then you need to see how the UNIT performs as a UNIT when you plug different people in. Try it now. If it looks good having Grant and Watson on the field together, work with it. Either way, the starting group needs lots of reps together.

\"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.\"

no_cloning

First of all: Isn\'t it a good sign that we don\'t hear anything about Ruff anymore? Apparently it will be either Watson or Grant, meaning they are better than Ruff right now and likely better than he was in 2003.
I would like to see Grant earn the starting spot, but I admit it\'s hardly more than a gut feeling. From the information I have now I can\'t make an informed decision. I need to see them play more - and not just a highlight reel.
There are two reasons Saints fans might prefer Watson:
1. MLB is his \"natural\" position - or so we are told as he played offense in high school and OLB early at Notre Dame. So me may be the safer choice.
2. It would be best to have both Grant and Watson on the field at the same time. The chances of this are highest if Watson wins the MLB spot and Grant moves to WLB.

This assumption makes sense only because we know Grant has been moved around a lot in his career so far and was able to adjust to new positions so he should adjust to this new challenge as well.
Do we know how Watson would do if he is moved to the outside? Maybe he\'ll do just as well, he certainly has the tools.
Do I feel comfortable with 2 inexperienced (basically rookies) starting? No, but it probably won\'t get any worse so why not try it.

I disagree with WhoDat and D_it_up. They should battle it out for MLB first and the loser should be moved. Maybe he will become a starter after all.

ScottyRo

I like both Grant and Watson at MLB this season for many of the reasons above. A big issue for me is how many first year starters do we want at the LB position. I\'m not going to be comfortable with more than one.

Rogers has his spot locked up and I would think Hodge does too. I really thought Hodge was turning a corner last year in camp and the first couple of games until he got hurt. He at least still seems to be growing with experience. Ruff looks like he is as good as he\'s going to get.