Pending decisions for the Saints....
 

Vilma;

Vilma was placed on IR with a designation that he can return on September 2. Vilma can return to practice following Week 6 and will be eligible to be activated after Week 8.

If he's healthy enough to return, Vilma could be activated for a Week 9 matchup against the New York Jets, the team he spent the first four years of his career with.

Butler;

Injured on June 11 (tore anterior cruciate ligament)

Butler was placed on PUP and is eligible to return after Week 6 if he is healthy. At that time the Saints will be forced to make room on the roster.

Does either Vilma or Butler return? If so, who do the Saints waive to make room? What say you?

I do not think Vilma nor Butler return this year.

Re: Pending decisions for the Saints....
 

I'm interested in other's comments. I'm not sure I wanna mess with a good thing in either case, but there are a few Xs and Os guys here - Danno, JP, etc - who's opinions I'll be interested to read.

Can either of them play special teams?

:goodidea:

Re: Pending decisions for the Saints....
 

Hope: Hoping Butler returns to see how our d would look with him. Vilma I'm not really caring about.

Reality: Vilma will return but butler won't.

Re: Pending decisions for the Saints....
 

I don't think you play either on ST.

Butler won't be ready IMO. If he is, he'd be the guy to have for the playoffs.

Re: Pending decisions for the Saints....
 

I think its kind of ambitious to say Butler will be ready by week 6 if at all this season. Thats a fairly long rehab process for that injury.
That being said, if he does get healthy enough to play, he will play.
I don't think Vilma will be back.
If they were to bring one or both of them back they will just cut a backup somewhere that we have a little depth to make room. They may even use it as an excuse to IR Ingram if they can. This is under the assumption that we have no more season ending injuries this year.
I would love to see Butler back healthy.

Re: Pending decisions for the Saints....
 

I hope we get Vilma back, even if for a game or two. He was the only one who stood up to Roger when everyone was laughing at us. Not only did he make a stand but he was instrumental in getting the suspensions lifted. He also shed light on how messed up Roger's investigation conjured up evidence out of thin air. Payton should bring him back at least for one game if he can play. He took a lot of heat for the Saints not to mention financially.

Re: Pending decisions for the Saints....
 

Vilma brings some attitude. I hope he returns. Butler is a next year project it seems.

Re: Pending decisions for the Saints....
 

That would be funny Ingram put him on the PUP and he got put on IR for him.

Re: Pending decisions for the Saints....
 

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Re: Pending decisions for the Saints....
 

Exactly my reply.

Re: Pending decisions for the Saints....
 

Attention needs to be paid to Vilma is all I'm saying. Vilma put the spotlight on Roger when nobody else had the balls to do it or they were gagged like Payton. If the man can play he deserves to be on the field even if for only one game or in certain situations, say if we have a commanding lead like last game. I agree, he may not be the best option but he did a lot for the Saints. He earned it IMO.

Re: Pending decisions for the Saints....
 

I would love to see Vilma back with the team for the same reasons Beastmode said, but not sure if there is a role with him. Lofton/Hawthorne are fantastic right now and Humber looks like a really good backup. In theory Vilma could be a good addition to the nickel/dime defense but at this point I don't think you really want to take Lofton off the field. He is IMO the Saints defensive MVP this year.

Kind of the same thing with Butler. We are giving Haralson precious little playing time as it is right now and Galette is pretty much a fixture at that end/rush spot. If they are going to continue playing so many four-man fronts Butler doesn't really have a spot to play.

Re: Pending decisions for the Saints....
 

Imagine this, Roger handing the Lambardi to Vilma and Payton.

Re: Pending decisions for the Saints....
 

I doubt that either one will be able to return. If someone does come back it will most likely be Vilma for the veteran leadership down the road.

Re: Pending decisions for the Saints....
 

This


If it isn't broke, don't fix it. Our D is performing well. Why force a player like Vilma, who is nearing the end of his career, in the game. He can be a backup and provide breathers for Lofton and Hawthorne but thats it.

I don't think Butler is going to come back this year. Just doesn't seem possible but who knows. Haven't heard any reports on either one of these. So I am just speculating.

Re: Pending decisions for the Saints....
 

I think we're pretty good so far in the attitude department.

Re: Pending decisions for the Saints....
 

There's a lot of football to be played before a decision needs to be made on these guys.

A healthy Vilma makes this team better. As long as he isn't just given his starting role back. We still play a lot of 4-3 and Vilma is our best 4-3 MLB and easily our best in coverage, again assuming he's healthy.

Butler also makes this team better based on what we anticipated. Its hard to say how good because he hasn't played yet so we don't have much to go on. Based on expectations going into the season, he was our best OLB.

Even if everyone on our roster remains healthy, these two upgrade our defense. Obviously if they aren't 100% recovered then there's not really a choice to be made.

Re: Pending decisions for the Saints....
 

isn't that a relative response? I mean if we can have a guy like Butler come in off the bench this playoff season, that could be more valuable than an extra WR or RB.

Re: Pending decisions for the Saints....
 

I think we should wait til next season with Butler; however if the guy is a machine and makes a full recovery then he should play. If Butler does play I think we would start to see more 34 Defense with JR and Butler at OLB. RR changed his scheme when Butler went down (my opinion).

Vilma would be a great coach for our young LBs, and honestly that's all I can see from him in the future but I hope I am wrong.

Re: Pending decisions for the Saints....
 

I don't think we would have signed Keyunta Dawson if Butler were coming back (roster spots). Vilma will be brought in slowly for the push at the end IMO. If we make it to the SB we are likely to face Manning again.

Re: Pending decisions for the Saints....
 

It may not be broke but it's stretched pretty damn tight. I would like to have either one back if they are healthy & can play.

Re: Pending decisions for the Saints....
 

Dawson is a more of a true DE than OLB. so id not see an issue there with kicking the tires and see what the guy can do.

Vilma is our best ILB against the pass. That alone means you got see if he can make a go of it. quick slants and in routes are killing us on defense.

Butler you gotta see if he can play. to much talent not to. major upgrade to the OLB corp as a unit if he can. plus to much money not too

then again i am never happy and always look for areas of improvement

Re: Pending decisions for the Saints....
 

To the Vilma, Butler Question(s) is a complicated response factoring health, chemistry and salary cap projections...

It's easy, folksy to say "if it ain't broke don't fix it" when, in truth, new leaders, role players have stepped up, emerged on the Saints defense in 2013...

But a big concern is that locker rooms have a sensitive, unpredictable psyche when a player like Jon Vilma is shown the side door regardless of obvious cause of the week to week unreliability of his deteriorating knee...

Vilma is generally one of the more disciplined linebackers in pass coverage in the league, something that Lofton, Hawthorne have had their share of breakdowns...

Junior Galette has emerged as a good pass rusher despite uncertainty about his ability to handle a starting role - though his mouth could use a muzzle...

Parys Haralson has proven to be a fortuitous trade opportunity that the front office seized and would get a Best Supporting Role trophy for his play...

Now despite great play, we're still thin at OLB and to get thinner there would be catastrophic...

Butler in a limited role would allow him to ease into the chemistry that is the 2013 New Orleans Saints, provide excellent depth, limit the stress on his knee during recovery, and become familiar with his position for the coming seasons...

But, for me, a balance of competition and having certainty in your role plays a huge part in preparation for the opponent week to week...

And with the coming contracts of Jimmy Graham, Malcolm Jenkins among others, the future is being decided now...

And then there is the question of what to do with Martez Wilson and his role - is he a better fit at inside linebacker or just a physical talent that no one can seem to translate to a role on the football field?!?

Should Butler be healthy, relatively speaking, I make my priority to make room for him so I can assess him for the off-season moves...

Reality, Vilma will not be with this team after next season with his, Will Smith, and likely Roman Harper's salaries to come off the books...

With Vilma, I find a support role for him so that he nor his departure becomes a distraction; but I makes sure to extend every respect, courtesy that man deserves...

If both players are brought back, expect Keyunta Dawson to be relieved of his duties...

Re: Pending decisions for the Saints....
 

I understand the logic behind the if it ain't broke don't fix cliche , but we have to give Vilma his fair shake at a serious role in our defense.

3-4 or not he's easily the best linebacker we have in coverage when healthy , we can get technical and talk about the differences in roles but If every other defender we had in our pathetic 4-3 can come out fine in the transition to the 3-4 and be a top 5 defense Vilma should be way better than just fine as he is easily the smartest defender on the field as well ( he matched wits with Peyton manning for a superbowl ) I've never seen Vilma give up a game breaking score of miss a simple tackle and he is very loyal to our cause ...

With either making an early return I don't see it at all being a negative for us defensively. I'm actually pretty pumped to see what Vilmas got in this defense. Our success this year isn't a testament to our physically being fit for this defense but being very intelligent defensively. Rob Ryan frequently comments on how easy this process was because of the intelligence our defenders have.

Last but not least who has the time to figure out who our weak linebacker is when Jordan of galette is in their face ?

Re: Pending decisions for the Saints....
 

But that's the problem, brother, he's not healthy, his knee is in decline, and the week to week uncertainty we saw last year was as much about his knee as it was the bountygate bullshinski...

His heart, mind, and the rest of him is there, it's just that damnable knee situation that is making retirement a reality...

But if there's anyone I'd want to keep in the organization and community, it is Jon Vilma - he's great for South Louisiana!

Re: Pending decisions for the Saints....
 

Then we shouldn't rest until his knee has gotten the very best care possible ... If it's still a bum knee then bring em in as a assistant coach I don't want to lose Vilma lol

Re: Pending decisions for the Saints....
 

All of these if it aint broke arguments will go out of the window the first time the D allows more than 21 pts.

The sky will be falling for so many here.