Re: Joe Vitt: Saints put more work than ever into this draft class
 

Drinking buddies? Paid to tell stories? Link?

Ridiculous.

Re: Joe Vitt: Saints put more work than ever into this draft class
 

We don't suck at developing LB's

We suck at drafting LB's.

Hopefully that's changed this year.

Joe Vitt is just a scapegoat for the woefully uninformed.

Re: Joe Vitt: Saints put more work than ever into this draft class
 

LB Draft in Payton Era. Purposely left off FA and DE. May add that next.

2006 - 0
2007 - 7th Marvin Mitchell
2008 - 0
2009 - Stanley Arnoux
2010 - 0
2011 - 3rd Martez Wilson, 7th Nate Bussey
2012 - 0
2013 - 6th Rufus Johnson
2014 - 4th Khairi Fortt, 5th Ronald Powell

Re: Joe Vitt: Saints put more work than ever into this draft class
 

Bingo... Except Rufus Johnson played DE in college so he doesn't even count; making the list even more pathetic. I don't see how Vitt had any chance to develop LB's with that list.

Re: Joe Vitt: Saints put more work than ever into this draft class
 

I was going to add UD and true FA's to the list but damn that's some hard seraching and I am hungry.

Quickly off the top of my head ones that at least I remember. Probably forgetting 20 that came and went.

Fujita
Shanle
Simeneaux
Vilma
Lofton
Harlson

Re: Joe Vitt: Saints put more work than ever into this draft class
 

Should the same be said of Bill Johnson - maybe to a higher degree since the Saints have spent higher draft picks on D-linemen without much success in developing them to be "the best they could be?!"

Granted there are some success stories there, but the effort and money spent on the D-line hasn't really produced significant returns on the field.

I've read some articles which claim that BJ is considered one of the better D-line coaches in the league by his peers, but I don't see why. Are the D-coordinators making it impossible for him to get the most out of the players in forcing schemes upon him that are not conducive to success?! There were some good times with GW and the season before last was a good one too, but there's just no real consistency in development or on-the-field success.

Re: Joe Vitt: Saints put more work than ever into this draft class
 

Felt this about Junior most of last season

Re: Joe Vitt: Saints put more work than ever into this draft class
 

Interesting point FinSaint... I hadn't thought about that. I was fed up with Vitt before I realized that we haven't given him a single young LB worth a damn. Bill Johnson though, I don't know... Interesting to think about that.

Re: Joe Vitt: Saints put more work than ever into this draft class
 

Junior was one of our only defensive players trying last season. Hate on his use of social media and his struggles against the run, but the guy was one of the few who showed up last year.

Re: Joe Vitt: Saints put more work than ever into this draft class
 

You mean the same Junior who got dominated by a 3rd string LT week 1? Or the Junior who more than once just stood there instead of rushing the QB?

Everyone played like hot garbage last year on defense, no one gets a pass