WhoDat!656

Final roster decisions will send Joe Morgan and/or Andy Tanner packing.

This won’t be a popular way to start this article off, but hear me out. The Saints have had a five running back roster for the past couple of years now. Tim Flanders is an undrafted rookie free agent that could actually make the team’s final roster. Here’s where it potentially causes a problem. With the team’s starting rosters last season, there were a lot of times the Saints would dress five running backs and five wide receivers. In a crowded wide receiver battle, it doesn’t mean good things for Nick Toon, Joe Morgan, Andy Tanner, Charles Hawkins, and Robert Meachem. From the looks of it, Nick Toon had a strong minicamp. Meachem’s experience as a veteran should make him stay. So with that final spot, I believe it hinders on how healthy Joe Morgan is. He hasn’t participated in OTAs and minicamp, and will have to shine in training camp and preseason to stay on the roster. It could yield way to Tanner, who has tried to crack the Saints 53-man roster for years.

Derek Dimke will win the starting kicker job.

Despite a contract, Shayne Graham is not a lock to be the Saints kicker in 2014. I’ve been fairly high on Dimke in various articles, and firmly believe that he will challenge Graham for the team’s starting job. The two have been fairly perfect in kick-for-kick matches thus far, and I think it will boil down to the long-range game, something that Graham does not have the advantage in. Further to my point, Graham went 4/9 in 50+ yard field goal tries in 2012 with the Houston Texans. Not having a kicker that could boot a long field goal when needed doesn’t work for the New Orleans Saints offense. I’m saying that Dimke wins the job in the preseason.

The Saints offensive line will surrender less than 20 sacks on Drew Brees this season.

From 2006-2009, Drew Brees was never sacked more than 20 times in a season. Those numbers didn’t have a drastic rise until last season, when Brees was sacked a record 37 times. I don’t believe the sole addition of Jonathan Goodwin makes my case for my statement, but I do believe that the seasoned mix of veterans coupled with the ‘shot in the arm’ of Terron Armstead should make this happen. A lot of the Saints problems were in the middle last year, and it’s not necessarily pointing the blame on Brian de la Puente, but you could see the confusion on reads that allowed Brees to be sacked. I look for this unit to return to form.

The Saints will sweep the NFC South.

In the history of the NFC South, there has never been a sweep of the division. Since 2002, there have been some teams that flirted with a sweep, but finished out 5-1. This is the year where all of that changes. I don’t believe that the NFC South is weak, but I do believe there is some drop off from last season, and the Saints only got better. Do the math. Of course, my claim weighs heavily on how that final game in the Superdome winds up in Week 16. We could see backups in at that point.

The Saints will have three 10+ sack leaders in 2014.

When you think about last year’s sack production, it was the most by a Saints defense since 2001. After the season, I wrote an article about how the defensive turnaround should be praised. The 2000 Saints club, who set a franchise record for most sacks with 66, were led by three key pieces: La’Roi Glover (17), Joe Johnson (12), and Darren Howard (11). We already have Cameron Jordan and Junior Galette coming off of 10+ sack seasons, and my money is on Akiem Hicks (a huge breakout candidate) to potentially become that third player to hit the mark.

Five More Insane (But Not Impossible) Predictions for the 2014 New Orleans Saints

"A Veteran is someone who, at one point in his life, wrote a blank check made payable to "The United States of America" for an amount of "up to and including my life."

Seer1

Blah, blah, blah. It'll all come down to two-threee games and it'll be decided by the OL and the place kicker. The D will be in the top five this season in all categories. Will the OL be able to give Drew the time to throw those winning touchdowns and will the kicker actually be able to kick those winning field goals at the end of those critical games?

hagan714

Last year he took a pounding and we can not have a repeat season. worse hit was not in the San Fran game. that hit was in the Dallas game when he got slammed head first into the turf on a scoring drive close to the goal line. Armstead should be what the doctor order. As for oC we will see and the good news is we have a solid vet ready to step in if needed at either OG or OC. HUGE difference. this maybe the #1 under the radar signing for the saints this year and could be the deciding factor by season end

now this is as ballzie as it gets. sweep the south? that is your number one goal the start ever season. if we do this we are in the drivers seat for home field through out the playoffs IMO. 6-0 division record is dream unto itself.

"We may have lost the game, but you'll be hurting tomorrow." Doug Atkins

foreverfan

Rugby Saint II

I guess it all depends on how well our O-line plays this year. Mostly..........

The Dude

I would take a division sweep over a winning season that doesn't result in a super bowl in a heart beat. We get to stick it to our rivals and get a decent schedule and draft pick.

hagan714

LMAO that is old school thinking my man. i am trying to remember the teams that did sweep the NFC South.

This the one i want to see end more than the sweep

No NFC South team has successfully defended its division championship since the division's creation

I want that crown back to back to back till drew leaves. Then and only then can we stand among the elites. add some tiles in there then i would dare to say dynasty and saints in the same breath. that's is what it is all about now.

Dynasty

Till then we are just another team that got the super bowl monkey off our backs but were never good enough to make it to the dance again. that is a long list.

I think we need a thread on this realization where we are as a team in the history of the NFL. we were good but were not elite. got the monkey off there back but never could return to the super bowl to put up at least another loss. face it teams with multiple visits to the super bowl are remembered in NFL history and the one and dones are nothing more than a foot note.

"We may have lost the game, but you'll be hurting tomorrow." Doug Atkins