Re: 2014 NFL Draft
 

then we lose

Re: 2014 NFL Draft
 

Re: 2014 NFL Draft
 

Not if the defense keeps improving.

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I think you may be giving more or less credit to Flacahoe than he deserves. The team went into the crapper the year after they lost their leader Ray Lewis.

Keep in mind.. Joe Flaccahoe's cap hit for the year they tanked 2013 was a paltry 6.8m down from 2012 by 1.2m. His contract made cap space in 2013.

They didnt have to get rid of players.

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Letting Boldin go was the last nail in that coffin.

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Which didn't happen because of Flacco's contract. Some teams can't get out of their own war.

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Delighted but shocked by the Byrd signing.
I would have expected a tackle or centre signed if anyone was.
With that being said and the limited money available being mostly used(?) im guessing Bryce Harris will be starting at RT or will at least battle it out with a rookie for the spot.


Holes/Depth to fill in the draft
C/OT/CB/WR/RB

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I'm confident in Bryce Harris. He's shown to be a quality player when his name has been called upon. I'm concerned about the center position though.

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Don't be; Everyone should trust that Loomis has a plan... He has done pretty damn well since he's been here

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6.8m cap hit for a QB is a limiting factor? Thats what Bunkley's cap hit was.

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The Flacco contract was just plain bad.But with loosing so many players I guess they had to show the fans they would keep a winning QB.

Lewis is misses more as a locker room presence and level head on the field rather than his action on the turf imo.
Boldin was there only reliable receiver and Kruger was a solid gear in the machine.

The drop off in Suggs, Ngata plus losses of locker room leaders in Lewis/Reed is massive.

Lewis gets the credit but Boldins solid hands won them tbe trophy and won Flacco a payday.

The most overlooked cogg missing is Pollard though. He brought a nastines to the backfield and though a liability against the pass at times when used correctly stopped the run and added what Harper did for us.

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Hopefully*Cyrus Kouandjio is nowhere near our board. Rappaport just retweeted that he is fit but chose not to compete during his pro day.
After that combine you choose not to drill.Sounds like a man either unfit or who doesn't want to damage his stock more.

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get those picks baby. lets start seeing these rumored trades become fact. they have to happen for the cap.

Draft BPA to plug holes but now draft players that will allow you to cut players?

Louis Nix, NT, Notre Dame? cut Bunkley?

1.3 mill year one
2.9 mill year 2
4.5 mill year 3

just kicking it around something has to be done

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Only save $1.3ml cutting Bunkley. I can see a restructure on Bunkley and maybe Evans.

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Rob Ryan at Alabama's pro day today.

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I'll be very interested to get some of his feedback on the visit.

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As I put I hope he isnt watching Kouandjio. I dont like his attitude he had to the combine and proday.

CJ Moseley as a replacement for Hawthorne or Lofton after this year.

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Let's just stay away from Bama players all together. They got da cooties.

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we could use another cornerback even with the signing of Byrd. I wouldn't mind the Keith McGill kid in the 2nd or 3rd. The offense could uses some attention in the first and 2nd rounds its become too predictable. The WR from fla.st Benjamin would look good in a saints uniform IMHO. The oline needs to be addressed too. I think we need a big nasty up front but picking late it will be tough to find

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Now I am thinking receiver in the first. Beckham would be amazing if he falls that far. Then best OL available in the second, CB in the third. Then maybe a big strong-side LB/DE type and look for OL and WR the rest of the draft.

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Highly unlikely but if Zack Martin falls we have to take him.

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Interesting piece on a Sproles replacement and other draft bits

Twitter is a wonderful tool to follow along with all the NFL news going on this week. It's even becoming a resource players around the league are using to find out about ... themselves.

NFL Media insider Ian Rapoport reported Tuesday night that while the Saints originally had intended to release running back Darren Sproles in a salary cap-related move, the team had changed its mind and believed it would be able to trade him instead.

That was a bit of a surprise to Sproles, who tweeted the news was something he was unaware of until seeing it on Twitter.

While we'll avoid discussing how the Saints discuss personnel moves with their players, it does highlight what the team might have to do in the draft to address its needs. After signing free agent Jairus Byrd, franchising tight end Jimmy Graham and re-signing running back Pierre Thomas, there's not a ton of cap room left for New Orleans to make an impact in free agency, so the draft might be the only way to fill some holes on the roster.

Count NFL Media analyst Daniel Jeremiah as somebody who thinks that could mean the team goes after a running back at some point in the draft.

"I look at Devonta Freeman out of Florida State. He can catch the ball out of the backfield, you can plug him into some middle routes and put him in that role," Jeremiah said Wednesday on NFL Network.
If the Saints decide to address their defense, Jeremiah sees a prospect that could align with their needs on that side of the ball, as well.

" Demarcus Lawrence from Boise State is a name that people are going to start to learn," Jeremiah said. "He's a perfect fit in this Rob Ryan defense as an edge pass rusher."
New Orleans holds the 27th pick in the first round and mock drafts from NFL Media analysts have them opting for either a defensive lineman or offensive tackle. While they might not be able to do a ton of maneuvering in free agency anymore, they still have plenty of options in a deep draft despite picking late.

"Where they're picking, (Notre Dame offensive tackle) Zack Martin is a great pick down there. There's a couple of other guys, (Virginia tackle Morgan) Moses is a possibility," NFL Network analyst Charley Casserly added. "They do have some options and Davonta Freeman has three votes (among the analysts) at this table."

Freeman, projected to be drafted in the second or third round, might just be a target for the Saints to fill in for the soon-to-be-departed Sproles.

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DEDEMARCUS LAWRENCEBOISE ST. MOUNTAIN WEST
Photo of Demarcus Lawrence

COMBINE RESULTS



6'3" HEIGHT
33 3/4" ARM LENGTH
251LBS. WEIGHT
11" HANDS

OVERVIEW
Two-time first-team All-Mountain West Conference pick (2012-13). Was suspended three different times for violations of team rules. 2013: Played and started in 12 games. Was a two-time Mountain West Defensive Player of the Week pick. 2012: Played in and started 11 games. 2011: Played at Butler Community College, where his 27 tackles for loss and 10 sacks led the team. 2010: Redshirted.

ANALYSIS

STRENGTHS Highly athletic. Fluid, flexible and rangy. Terrific balance and body control. Has quick, coordinated hands and feet to slingshot off blocks. Has natural pass-rush ability -- shows burst, bend and closing speed to hunt down quarterbacks. Dips inside suddenly. Terrific knee and ankle flexion -- flattens efficiently and redirects and accelerates smoothly. Explosive tackler. Made an instant impact at BSU and was productive behind the line of scrimmage -- 34 TFL and 20 sacks from 2012-13. Carries a swagger and plays with attitude.

WEAKNESSES Could stand to get stronger and play with more pop and power in his hands. Lacks ideal bulk to play with his hand in the dirt. Gets knocked around when he exposes his frame. Doesn’t control tight ends. Is weak at the point of attack and gets wiped out by double teams. Can be overaggressive and lose contain or fly by tackles. Can do a better job protecting his legs. Lacks experience playing in reverse. Character and stability need to be looked into.

DRAFT PROJECTION Rounds 1-2

BOTTOM LINE A loose, explosive, long-limbed athlete, Lawrence consistently pressurizes the edge and harasses quarterbacks. His pass-rushing ability rates among the best in this year’s class, and he holds mass appeal. Lacks ideal stoutness at the point of attack, but could thrive as a 4-3 right end or 3-4 rush linebacker, and should contribute readily on passing downs.

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RB DEVONTA FREEMAN FLORIDA ST. ACC

5'8" HEIGHT
29 3/8" ARM LENGTH
206LBS. WEIGHT
9 5/8" HANDS

OVERVIEW
2013: First-team All-ACC pick after becoming first FSU player with 1,000-plus yards rushing since Warrick Dunn in 1996. Started in all 14 games. Scored a touchdown in FSU's win over Auburn in the BCS National Championship. 2012: Finished second on the team wiht 660 rushing yards and eight touchdowns. 2011: Led FSU in rushing attempts (120), yards (579), average per rush (4.8), rushing touchdowns (8) and yards rushing per game (48.2). High school: Won state championship as senior, rushing for 308 yards -– 20 shy of the state championship game record.

ANALYSIS

STRENGTHS Well-built with a compact frame. Very good eyes and lateral agility in the hole -- shimmies through small spaces and can create yardage where there is none. Squares his shoulders to the line and runs efficiently. Good lower-body strength, surprising power and superb balance. Tough and runs hard. Catches outside his frame and can make the difficult catch. Strong and nifty after the catch. Reliable in pass protection. Terrific competitor. Extremely durable and never missed a game. Works at his craft and is a student of the game.

WEAKNESSES Lacks ideal size and power for a bellcow back and does not run heavily between the tackles. Does not possess home-run speed. Ran behind one of the most talented offensive lines in college football in an offense stacked with talent. Has been nagged by back injuries.

DRAFT PROJECTION Rounds 2-3

BOTTOM LINE Compactly built, downhill slasher with the agility and balanced skill set to emerge as a workhorse back. Earned the top assignment in a very talented backfield and has a similar build, running style and all-around utility as San Francisco 49ers 2005 third-round pick Frank Gore. Could prove to be a better pro than college player.

Re: 2014 NFL Draft
 

why do the so called experts always pick small quick defensive players for the saints? we got a ton of them now

Freeman? yeah he is solid but a 2-3? pass other issues need to be addressed. Their should be plenty of BPA ahead of him on the board when we pick.

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I don't understand why A lot of you are thinking about drafting a RB in your mocks. IMHO RB is the last position we need to draft. How many do we need? We all ready have too many on the roster. We only have 6 picks at the moment. Call me crazy but OT,C,WR,OLB,ILB,CB in no particular order is where the picks need to be spent

I wouldn't mind a Kicker either not saying we draft one but Shayne Graham isn't the greatest. We can do better than him

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Twitter

Danny Kanell**
Saints HC Sean Payton just walked all the way across practice field to give personal hello to AJ McCarron. Saints could be a good fit IMHO

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now if the saints did go for a QB in the draft i could live with it. there are more solid developmental prospects in this draft than any draft i can remember. 3 first round start out of the gate quality QBs? i am still not buying into that. Bridgewater imo is the only first round quality QB in this draft. after that it is deep. AJ? dam hell of a talent to develop

keepem coming lee

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I think the reason RB keeps popping up is PT is in his 30s and there is not a RB that has stepped up and proven that they are an all around back. Robinson and Ingram are the same type of back. so it is a need and there is a few RB that have the skill set to develop into that third down do everything type of RB.

Then again find a darrin sproiles would be next to impossible but you gotta look.

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Ingram is in the last year of his deal.Robinson has two years and Thomas has either two or three years.

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yep lets see who wins the battle between those two before making a choice. how knows one of them may step up and be the all around back. fingers crossed.

Pierre Thomas will be with saints through 2016. age 32. which works out good. i have not seen the cap numbers but his role should be reduced a bit due to Ingram and Robinson, well i an sure the saints are hoping for this. That would make PT a true third down type of back and add some tread to the tires.

Cadet has yet to truely earn his roster spot. i have hopes for him but they are down to slim to none now. i have almost feel of this band wagon of hope.

So we have room to add one more.

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OT and OC in the draft has taken on a whole new meaning with Byrd signing i would think. but then again i never dreamed the saints would have gone after him.

Could Jimmy be gone here? did some one whisper they would give up two ones on or just before draft day for him and the nfl put a gag order on it to help draft ratings? since i am obviously smoking the pipe or chasing the dragon here lets all play the guessing game. Now close your eyes and repeat after me Hershel Walker trade :p

ok back to reality

Offense heavy draft has to happen. ok just one or two defensive players sprinkled in there.

OT OC WR CB LB

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Dont shoot the messenger.
Just pasding on what I reading elsewhere.

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Saffold failed the Raiders physical. Oakland will be taking an OT in the first round.

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Some are saying that as much as it was the failed physical it was that Davis didn't like the signing (A Davis interfering with football matter, SHOCKED).
They overpaid and now cant sign a good LT in FA.

Raiders being the Raiders I guess.


Cowboys have to be going DE/OLB surely, in the ladt two years they have lost Butler, Ware and Spencer.

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Davis didn't like the deal because he over paid compared to recent FA signings. While Saffold is expected to be ready for the season, overpaying + needs surgery is a deal I would walk away from also.

That said, if I knew Saffold needed surgery before the physical I would honour the agreement. Buyers remorse is my problem and no excuse to renege.