Re: Jonathan Vilma returns to practice for Saints
 

Vilma and Lofton were both leaders and worked together last year, I recall them both saying they enjoyed and fed off each other. I don't see how a coaching change upsets anything

Re: Jonathan Vilma returns to practice for Saints
 

If he still has any mobility left he can't help but be an asset. You can never have to many smart players.

Re: Jonathan Vilma returns to practice for Saints
 

Not to be ugly, but I havent really missed Vilma. I just think his best days are wayyy behind him, and I don't think he's starter material anymore.

Re: Jonathan Vilma returns to practice for Saints
 

If you don't understand the dynamic and how it has changed from last year, then I can't help.

Re: Jonathan Vilma returns to practice for Saints
 

It's not like Vilma hasn't been around all this year, I very seriously doubt that the new teammates have any respect for Vilma [/sarcasm] :rolleyes:

Re: Jonathan Vilma returns to practice for Saints
 

If 100% healthy, he's a great addition.

If he's still a half-step slow and constantly dinged up, he's not gonna be much help.

The coaches will know.

Re: Jonathan Vilma returns to practice for Saints
 

No more than one play per series until he proves himself up to speed with the rest of this defense.

I just can't see how this much time off could have made him a better, faster, more productive linebacker. Although his leadership skills go unchallenged, we ARE who we ARE now, and NOT who we WERE... Make sense? Me neither...

Alaska

Re: Jonathan Vilma returns to practice for Saints
 

Welcome back Jon.

Re: Jonathan Vilma returns to practice for Saints
 

I am sure you have heard the phrase "if it isn't broken... don't fix it".

2012 was a season where the DC was Spagnuolo... For what ever reason the team didn't gel and from the anonymous comments after the season lead me to believe there was nearly a mutiny. So obviously there was no leadership in the coaching dept. For a player to come out like that tells me there was no CLEAR leadership period, but that could be just a product of rotating HCs, new DC, Vets being out the first half of the season etc....

Vilma only played in 11 games with 1 sack and 20 tackles, thats less than two tackles a game. So as far as what is left in the tank, I would say last year was a good data set.

2013 bring in Rob Ryan which I would say is a polar opposite to Spags in the leadership and team building department.

On leadership, there can be only 1 on the field leader. Any more than 1 leader will cause confusion, we are a younger defense and there needs to be no misunderstanding about who the on the field leader is. Now there can be an argument for two leaders as in 1 leader for the front 7 and one leader for the D-backs, but the front 7 is already covered with Lofton being that guy for all 16 games last season and all 6 games this season.

I no longer see Vilma as a leader of our defense, he is more of a mentor now just like Harrolson... But mentors only have a place if they are producing, we are limited to 53 and have a Galveston Ferry load of injuries.


A squad in the football trenches is much like a squad in the military trenches, when you have a good thing going, you don't tinker with the leadership.. It seldom works out better.