So you're saying we DON'T need a 346lb man anchoring the center of a 3-4 defense??

Rufus Johnson wasn't ranked because there are just too many College players to evaluate and rank all of them. Most of the players in the draft were truly scouted by 1-2 people and the rest of the media, and experts, just evaluated someone elses scouting report.

Why else does everyone go off of the combine and not true on the field play.. its just too much. So you get someone like Chase Thomas that didnt put up an expected 40 yd time and now he is ours. The people that truely scouted his on the field play saw him going somewhere between the 3rd and the 6th .

That's why I question the Saints Scouting department...



You mean to tell me this many people can't get the talent accurately scouted?!?

That is exactly what I am telling you. There are a combined 238 College football teams in 1-A and 1-AA.. I am not going to count all of the smaller Colleges like Hofstra that produced Colston.

So you have 18 people covering 250+ Colleges, that what... 100 players per team ? Thats 18 people to scout 25,000 players, 6,000 Seniors players. There is no way it can be done accurately and thoroughly. One would have to assume that at least 1,000 of them are being miss-used, or poorly coached. So Scouts have to watch tape and look for natural ability...

Payton has the Scouts scout the obvious and it seems he watches College ball looking for the sleepers that no one is looking at to find the diamond in the ruff... because he has a great eye for natural ability.

I'm glad that you brought this up. I've been under the assumption that our scouts suck. Although, I still think we could follow the 49ers scouts around for a while. They seem to know what they are doing.

These UDFA LBs has me really excited. If just one of them can be a solid contributer it would be great.

That is exactly what I am telling you. There are a combined 238 College football teams in 1-A and 1-AA.. I am not going to count all of the smaller Colleges like Hofstra that produced Colston.

So you have 18 people covering 250+ Colleges, that what... 100 players per team ? That's 18 people to scout 25,000 players, 6,000 Seniors players. There is no way it can be done accurately and thoroughly. One would have to assume that at least 1,000 of them are being miss-used, or poorly coached. So Scouts have to watch tape and look for natural ability...

Payton has the Scouts scout the obvious and it seems he watches College ball looking for the sleepers that no one is looking at to find the diamond in the ruff... because he has a great eye for natural ability.

Okay, math...

If you watch one game, that's two teams - right?!? You just halved the work...

The team should have established relationships with schools including complementary, forwarded game film promoting their players (part of the recruiting process)...

I just can't see how a staff can't get it done; now this staff leaves, not so much...

Oak, I've seen staffs with less do way more; as an ER Clerk, then a transplant coordinator, seen those staffs go through the boards with some pretty heavy schtuff while I was in school in New Orleans...

Ask the military guys, if anyone has been asked to do more with less (especially in the last 20 years) - I've seen that first hand!

The new military - smaller, efficient; more like understaffed, underpaid, underappreciated...

And Oak, I don't want the tone of my response to denigrate your point; but there are all kind of ways to apply efficiency to the scouting process; and you can move numbers to make the job sound easier or harder...

I'm just not going to cry a river for their difficult challenge...

Let me take this conversation this way - how come teams like the Steelers, Ravens, Broncos, Giants, Patriots, 49ers always seem to have solid drafts year in, year out? They obviously are doing something better?

Start with these Saints scouts - I'd like to see a few more guys that have actually played the game, coached at a professional/collegiate level, paid there dues...

have you seen some of the names on the list?!?

read there bios?!?

I'm not saying a nerd, MBA candidate, or nepotistic relation can't appreciate and scout football, but damn, where's diversity and real game, life experience among our scouts?!?

And less I offend, nerd myself - Library Club, Science/Physics Club, Literature Club (okay that was for the girls) - I just was able to bust bullies in the mouth when they'd try to give my friends' heads an Ole Mississippi Muddy Cocktail...

Now, the Saints did a much better job with the quantity and quality of the players from this draft and Rookie UDFA Rush - but it could have been better...

Again, they do have good players identified - look at some of the UDFAs we've found in the last ten years...

My two problems that I present are...

first, Draft Management, like Game Management - the Saints FO doesn't seem to value draft picks as much as other teams; I'd just like to see them get more value when they trade...

and second, Rating/Value/Ranking of the Talent Pool or Board; just have seen us leave players that had more value and even need...

Look I Love the Saints, just tired of the insanity of making same mistakes when the potential for this team to blow it out of the @$$ has been there for five years...