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Triplette: Why can't Saints develop linebackers?

From your mouths to ESPN's ears....

Many of us have been screaming for a speedy, athletic LB.

Who's more to blame; scouting or coaching? ?

Now that the talent evaluators have been replaced, we should soon find out!

New Orleans Saints mailbag: Why can't Saints develop linebackers? - ESPN

Quote:

My most popular question this week, in various forms. If you've been reading my posts over the past two years, you know I completely agree with the notion that the Saints badly need a young, athletic linebacker who can cover open space from sideline to sideline and cover tight ends. I like Curtis Lofton a lot as a thumper in the middle and think guys such as David Hawthorne, Parys Haralson and Ramon Humber are serviceable. But there's not enough variety there. They all pretty much have the same strengths and weaknesses.

As for why the Saints haven't been good at drafting and developing them, that's tougher to pinpoint. But it's a question they're no doubt asking themselves after getting so little out of mid-round picks Khairi Fortt and Ronald Powell again this past season. General manager Mickey Loomis acknowledged the Saints will look at how they're scouting defensive talent, among other things while going through a detailed critical self-scouting process.

They'll also look at how they're coaching guys and "what they're asking them to do" as Sean Payton often likes to say. But I don't know if you can make any sweeping indictments on how the Saints have coached and developed the position, because they simply haven't drafted many linebackers with high picks during the Payton-Loomis era.

The only three linebackers the Saints have drafted in the first four rounds are Martez Wilson (third round, 2011), Stanley Arnoux (fourth round, 2009) and Fortt (fourth round, 2014) -- all of whom went bust. They had decent success with undrafted guys Jo-Lonn Dunbar and Jonathan Casillas. But it has mostly been a position where they've preferred veterans acquired through free agency or trade (Jonathan Vilma, Scott Fujita, Scott Shanle, Mark Simoneau, Lofton, Hawthorne, Haralson, etc.)

The Saints haven't completely opposed to the idea of using a first-round pick on a linebacker. Brian Cushing was next on their list after Malcolm Jenkins in 2009. They considered A.J. Hawk before Reggie Bush fell in their laps in 2006. But they've never made it a "must" priority high in the draft. Maybe that needs to change.