Considering that Jonathan Vilma went to the wall for the team and refused the blindfold and the cigarette, and did not give up the fight for one second, even when everything was seemingly stacked impossibly against him, I think he's an extremely viable leadership option for the defense....especially with a so-called "youth movement" of young, inexperienced players underway. He's seen it all, he's also battled his way through injuries and comebacks and never quit fighting, which is a great lesson to younger inexperienced players in their first few seasons.

Another thing: I would absolutely be stoked to have Vilma to be a captain (or preferably, co-captain) of the defense, because: if the Saints defense turns around and votes Vilma team captain, it will SURELY piss off Roger Goodell. It will fly in the face of everything he tried to do to us last year. It's like poking a finger right in his eye. And that's something to cheer about.

It also sends a signal, that the Saints are re-open for business. Will Smith is still there (technically at least), Jonathan Vilma is still there, Sean Payton is still there, Mickey Loomis is still there....Nobody got fired. All that stuff that Goodell tried to do to us, his personal vendettas, trying to get our people fired, or trying to force the team to make staff changes, by punishing the fans....NONE of it really worked.... with Vilma back on the sidelines with a big "C" on his jersey, it's like the team is willfully sticking it to Goodell, from when he tried to teach the Saints a lesson or put us in our place, tried to say this man was a bad man. Because there was never any real evidence and we didn't really do anything wrong in the first place. So stick that in your pipe Roger, and smoke it.