xan

wow. the totality of the suckitude is spendiferatious.

TheOak

Elementary my dear Watson...

Vrillon82

I think what we need is new scouts on the defensive side.

Scouts who can draft good players, it just aint happening here, our best defensive guys were bought in through FA.

Danno

We certainly hit on more offense than defense in the draft. Our defensive players aren't that bad, but none are elite, or even great.

We have a roster full of average and a few below average, but no difference makers. Jordan and Hicks look like they may turn out to be better than average though.

|Mitch|

I'd be willing to add Corey White in that short list as well... Late in the season he started looking rather decent and then he was injured...

Vrillon82

Well eventually every team sees someone decent on the D-line, for us it was Will Smith, but with Will Smith possibly declining, if anyone takes over for him, its Cam Jordan. Basically back at square one on that.

But some of the most noted players we have had on defense was FA picks, back to 06 I think of:

Greer
Fujita (now with Browns)
Lofton
Vilma
Sharper (retired)
Randall Gay (where is he now? He never started after 09 I think)

The only ones worth wild we drafted since Sean Payton era started:

Tracy Porter (now with Broncos)

Is there really anyone else worth mentioning since 2006? I know some will say Roman Harper or Malcolm Jenkins, but they are proving to be more bust than success in the long run.

Perhaps if Cam Jordan turns that corner into the same production as Will Smith, then he can be added to the list.


As you see Spags system come into play, you then understand Gregg Williams system a little more, as you understand Gregg Williams system and what he did, you then realize our defensive players is just not worth wild to begin with, least not 80% of them, since they cant pick up a new scheme that drastically improves the defense.

Its not on Spags, its on our players, Spags set out the plan, they never executed it.

SmashMouth

So the question then becomes why is it that the front office seems to be able to find hungry above average talent on the offensive side of the ball, but not so much on the defensive side? What kind of goggles are they wearing?

FinSaint

It might be that we've already seen a change for the better in this regard, but it'll definitely take at least this coming draft to see if the change is permanent or at least not just a fluke.

I don't really know how big of an input GW had in who the Saints picked and what the scouts were told to look out for in targeted players, but I remember reading that Spags brought some scouts with him over to the Saints, so maybe we'll see better defensive picks with him evaluating the potential players along with the slightly altered scouting department?!


In any case, I really think they need to look at Bill Johnson as somebody to replace with another guy. I actually voiced my opinion about this last offseason when Minnesota let go Karl Dunbar - who then went to the Jets - and thought that he should've been hired by the Saints to replace Johnson. I think that he could've been a good fit because players (Jared Allen, Pat and Kevin Williams) that have played under him have stated that Dunbar's strength as a D-line coach was in teaching effective pass rushing techniques, and that is definitely something that the Saints' front 4 could've used this past season.

"I'm not bashing people, I'm bashing their opinions because in my opinion their opinion is wrong" - Danno