Saints sign Veteran Offensive Lineman Tony Hills
 

Re: Saints sign Veteran Offensive Lineman Tony Hills
 

And there's the reason we let Morgan go.

Re: Saints sign Veteran Offensive Lineman Tony Hills
 

Also this

Re: Saints sign Veteran Offensive Lineman Tony Hills
 

Well it didn't post, let me try again

Re: Saints sign Veteran Offensive Lineman Tony Hills
 

Just what we needed, another WR project.

Re: Saints sign Veteran Offensive Lineman Tony Hills
 

No we need O-Line help.

Re: Saints sign Veteran Offensive Lineman Tony Hills
 

Who is tony hill? Is he a guard or tackle?

Re: Saints sign Veteran Offensive Lineman Tony Hills
 

Hills an OT well traveled!

Pittsburgh Steelers (2008−2010)
Denver Broncos (2011)
Indianapolis Colts (2012)
Buffalo Bills (2013)*
Oakland Raiders (2013)*
Miami Dolphins (2014)*
Dallas Cowboys (2014)
Carolina Panthers (2015)*
Baltimore Ravens (2015)*

Re: Saints sign Veteran Offensive Lineman Tony Hills
 

Offensive tackle. Makes me worried about Armsteads status since he got somewhat hurt against the Cowboys.

Re: Saints sign Veteran Offensive Lineman Tony Hills
 

PLAYOFFS BABY!!

Re: Saints sign Veteran Offensive Lineman Tony Hills
 

Desperation baby.

Re: Saints sign Veteran Offensive Lineman Tony Hills
 

And to think, we could have had La'el Collins, tisk, tisk...

Interesting conversations at lunch yesterday...

Bunch of the older guys (60+ years) were saying they never understood why the Saints were always reluctant to draft, sign LSU players...

I mentioned Martin, Henderson, Woods, Hicks (yes, he finished at Regina); but they mentioned several players that were there in the past that the Saints could've used...

Do the Saints avoid LSU players?

Re: Saints sign Veteran Offensive Lineman Tony Hills
 

You know, I used to try not to think about that because I figured I was probably just being a homer. But LSU puts out a lot of good to great players, and the Saints just ignore the crap out of them.

I don't expect them to draft every eligible player from LSU, but there are too many good one's for us to not have any of them.

Re: Saints sign Veteran Offensive Lineman Tony Hills
 

How does it look across the NFL with teams signing players from colleges close to them? Does the Browns and Bengals have more Ohio St players? Does Detroit have more Michigan players?

Re: Saints sign Veteran Offensive Lineman Tony Hills
 

It's not JUST LSU, although LSU is a very visible symptom.

The OVER focus on reaches, projects and small schools, in the draft, is one of the reasons that has left this team in the predicament it's in. They got luck with Colston, and a few others, but where are these guys coming from? Look at the school names next to their names on the roster, it's a real eye-opener.

Where are the bruisers from Michigan or Ohio State, the ballers from Florida, the big SEC guys? Where is the nasty, physical linebacker or solid defensive player from football powerhouses like Texas or Penn State? Who on our team besides Ingram has ever participated in the hooplah and hype of winning a national championship, or a big bowl game, under the bright lights? (I don't actually know the answer, I'd have to look it up).


The no-name, small school, spare parts approach is particularly evident on defense, where the Saints just don't have any elite talent from BIG schools, major schools, which are the programs who know how to produce elite football players. I'm sorry, but so many times these reaches, stretches, projects and little school guys have heart, but they are outclassed on the field, in terms of athleticism, physicality, and "football smarts." How many times have we seen our defensive players "learning on the job" or "developing" out there? A kid coming from a BIG football school, that's known for putting major talent in the NFL, he has most likely already learned that stuff.

It's not just LSU -- I'm tired of Payton and Loomis' "reach" and "project" picks, from John Jay Haircutting College, Saksaktoon Technical & Math Institute, and guys who played one year at the University of Rangoon. We desperately need some more major, boring picks from proven schools (like LSU) to balance it out. Over time it's been a huge over-reach to the small school side of things, with all these crazy reach picks and pet projects -- a lot of times Payton & Loomis are way too clever for their own good.

Re: Saints sign Veteran Offensive Lineman Tony Hills
 

KV= Texas, Swann is from Georgia, Jenkins from Georgia, (Prob was from Fstate), Anthony is from Clemson, Kikia from Washington, Jordann is from CAL, Ellerbe is Georgia, Hawthorne is TCU, Byrd is actually a duck, Lewis is oregon state, DJ Williams is from fstate

I'd go through the rest but don't want to. So what does that prove....nothing :(

Re: Saints sign Veteran Offensive Lineman Tony Hills
 

SaintsBro, I don't really agree with your assesment.

Of 53 players currently on the roster (I havn't updated for yesterdays moves) 43 played for a FBS school, 4 played for a FCS school, 5 came from D2 and 1 player don't have college experience (Breaux).

The FBS shakes down like this by conference:
SEC 8
B1G 6
PAC12 6
ACC 3
Big12 3
MW 3
AAC 1
C-USA 1
MAC 1
Sun Belt 1

So when you start looking at it, 81% of the players on the roster played for a FBS team and the majority of those players played for a bigger school.

Re: Saints sign Veteran Offensive Lineman Tony Hills
 

Here is a full breakdown by the active roster:

Division Conference College #
FBS PAC12 Oregon State 4
FBS SEC Georgia 4
FBS SEC Clemson 3
FBS PAC12 Oregon 2
FBS PAC12 Washington 2
- - None 1
D2 GLIAC Grand Valley State 1
D2 GLIAC Walsh 1
D2 LSC West Texas A&M 1
D2 MIAA Northwest Missouri State 1
D2 PSAC Bloomsburg 1
FBS AAC Southern Methodist 1
FBS ACC Boston College 1
FBS ACC Miami (Fla.) 1
FBS ACC Pittsburgh 1
FBS B1G Illinois 1
FBS B1G Indiana 1
FBS B1G Northwestern 1
FBS B1G Penn State 1
FBS B1G Purdue 1
FBS B1G Rutgers 1
FBS Big12 Oklahoma State 1
FBS Big12 Texas 1
FBS Big12 Texas Christian 1
FBS C-USA Louisiana Tech 1
FBS MAC Ball State 1
FBS MW Boise State 1
FBS MW Colorado State 1
FBS MW Fresno State 1
FBS PAC12 California 1
FBS PAC12 Colorado 1
FBS PAC12 Stanford 1
FBS SEC Alabama 1
FBS SEC Arkansas 1
FBS SEC Mississippi 1
FBS SEC Mississippi State 1
FBS SEC Missouri 1
FBS SEC Tennessee 1
FBS Sun Belt Arkansas State 1
FCS BSC Idaho State 1
FCS CAA Hofstra 1
FCS MVC North Dakota State 1
FCS SWAC Arkansas-Pine Bluff 1

Re: Saints sign Veteran Offensive Lineman Tony Hills
 

I can only hope Armstead is healthy enough to play, or will quickly recover, and Tony Hills can take over for Striefs bum self.

You think after being the reason for your QB getting hurt, you would step it up the first game he comes back, but nope.

Re: Saints sign Veteran Offensive Lineman Tony Hills
 

Armstead was solid.
If we now have issues on the right and on the left, perhaps we should let McCown take the licks.

Re: Saints sign Veteran Offensive Lineman Tony Hills
 

So Georgia is to blame... :-P

Re: Saints sign Veteran Offensive Lineman Tony Hills
 

Well, that's not entirely fair. The saints actually did go after collins once the draft ended. But he just chose to go to Dallas. It was his decision in the end. Nothing Payton or Loomis could do about that. Payton actually had multiple conversations with him but he could tell Collins wanted to get as far away from the situation as possible.

OL La'el Collins' 'business decision' makes Saints game a homecoming - Dallas Cowboys Blog - ESPN

Re: Saints sign Veteran Offensive Lineman Tony Hills
 

At least the Saints understand we need depth. I look for T and G to be a priority in the draft, high picks. I'm still routing for Kelemete to get better. It would ease some of the pain.They at least looked better with Evans out.

Re: Saints sign Veteran Offensive Lineman Tony Hills
 

It's not so much the FBS but the schools. Personally defensive players from UGA are a reach they are the most offensive in the SEC and are known for that more than defense. If we drafted some LSU, Scar, Tennessee, Missouri, MSU defensive players they would be a difference. Also we have more Pac12 than ACC. ACC has better defensive players than Pac12. I tried saying this so many times. The only school to draft defense in the pac12 is UCLA. Nebraska used to be a legit school turning in defensive NFL talent but that was Suh and then they went to the crappy Big Ten. What has anyone from Wisconsin done in the NFL(aside from transfer Wilson)? Ball, Toon, and now Gordon are all busts. Penn State appears to be the best school in developing offense(Robinson), but defense from those schools is a stretch but with Meyer as HC, OSU might be doing better in that regard.

I would draft defense from
All SEC except UGA, Arkansas, and Auburn
ACC
Only UCLA from Pac 12
Only OSU from Big Ten
Nobody from Big 12(we already learned with Vacarro)

I would draft offense from
QBs
SEC but the ones that stand out except UF
ACC the ones that stand out except Clemson
Pac 12 Oregon and Stanford only
Big Ten PSU and MSU
Big 12 Baylor(this conference has lost its edge since Nebraska moved)

RBs
SEC
ACC
Pac 12 Oregon
Big Ten Nebraska, MSU
Big 12 Oklahoma

WRs
SEC
ACC
Pac 12 nobody(Cooks isn't a true number 1 yet)
Big Ten PSU, MSU
Big 12 Oklahoma, WVU

TEs
Too complicated and the product is dying in college.

Re: Saints sign Veteran Offensive Lineman Tony Hills
 

backed up against the cap? shop at the NFL bargain and scrap heap on sales days only.

This is the effect of bad drafting back to back. Players in the 3rd through 7th rounds should make up most of a teams roster. we live with UDFA thus no name school brands only

Tony Hills is from Texas if that helps. we could have done worse. Hills might just be that veteran back up OT/OG we do not have on the roster and could use. He is a solid run blocker from all reports.

Re: Saints sign Veteran Offensive Lineman Tony Hills
 

Armstead's injury could be worse than what they are saying.

Re: Saints sign Veteran Offensive Lineman Tony Hills
 

It's the fact that we have drafted almost ZERO players from LSU that seems odd. Al Woods is the only player in the Sean Payton era was drafted from LSU. Akiem Hicks never made it to LSU.

I don't expect them to draft a player just because he comes from a home state school. It's the fact that there have been some really good prospects available whom this team really could have used, and the Saints always pass for some dopey project.

There aren't too many programs that put out talent like an LSU or Alabama, Florida (though they have had some ups and downs) and, before recently, Texas. There are good teams around the country that don't have near the number of high draft prospects. Urban Meyer and Jim Hardy har har bauh will be able to recruit unlike most non-SEC schools, so there's a little shift there.

Off the top of my head, I know the Lions drafted Jeff Backus from Michigan, as well as Charlie Rogers and Drew Stanton from Michigan State.

The Jaguars have drafted Blake Bortles from UCF and Dante Fowler from Florida the last two years. The Bucs of course took Jameis Winston from FSU. If the player fills a need and he happens to be from one of your home state schools that shouldn't scare you away. But the Saints have a confusing tendency to avoid LSU players.

I don't know if it is actually a conscious decision, but it's strange enough to look that way.

Re: Saints sign Veteran Offensive Lineman Tony Hills
 

Crusader I'd Love, absolutely Love to give Vanderbilt to the ACC and/or Missouri back to the Big 12 and have Clemson in the SEC- East...

But, alas, Clemson is in the ACC...

I'd take Clemson and Georgia Tech (back) to the SEC and give Vandy and Missouri to their neighboring markets...

Re: Saints sign Veteran Offensive Lineman Tony Hills
 

I am starting to consider Clemson DC, Brent Venablesas, a possible replacement for Rob.

The guy plays straight up defense in a conference were the spread offense does not rule.

Past few years have been impressive and the bench is something next to amazing.

keep an eye on this guy

I think a big part of the issue may just be our coaching and scouting staffs are a bit removed from their college days and kinda of out of touch? getting long in the tooth and lack that fire in their belly. well a smaller belly

Re: Saints sign Veteran Offensive Lineman Tony Hills
 

Well I just went back and looked at Payton's draft history with the Saints and there are really only a couple of years when a LSU player went right after the Saints picked. 2011 we picked Martez Wilson and Steven Ridley went a couple picks later, 2013 we picked Vaccaro and Eric Reid went a couple picks later. 2014 would be the one I would call a miss and that is where we picked SJB and could have picked Jarvis Landry. The others I would call a wash. We picked a need at the time and some didn't work out.
The other point I would like to make is most of the picks that didn't work out came from larger schools, majority of the smaller school picks have worked out. Evans, Colston, Bushrod was, Robinson and Armstead looks to be a good one.

Re: Saints sign Veteran Offensive Lineman Tony Hills
 

There are a lot of really good O-linemen who come from LSU and all over the south. Some freaking maulers, and they are dispersed throughout the draft, not just the first couple rounds. But we keep going after these small school and/or project guys from crappy teams in crappy conferences hoping to get lucky again. That grinds my gears.

I know Peat is from Stanford, but he's not exactly a mauler. I still hate that pick.

Re: Saints sign Veteran Offensive Lineman Tony Hills
 

I can't say I hate the pick, but I can say I don't understand the pick. He was supposedly the best availible LT on the board, why use that pick when we have Armstead could have used a 4th on a reliable project instead of a 1st. Before we traded for a C I was screaming for a C(we got a good C now) and a C/G or a pure G. I also thought Strief had this year in him(which he might) and next season look for a RT. Problem is the F.O. doesn't see things my way. We could be stacked the O-line with a little preventive maintaince every year but these people don't know how to draft sucessfully. There were a few good C and G in this draft, I really didn't research any T truethfully. I believe Hagen did!!

Re: Saints sign Veteran Offensive Lineman Tony Hills
 

LSU has one coming to the draft I though was coming out last year, your right a freakin' mauler. Wouldn't mind that freak RB. either.

Re: Saints sign Veteran Offensive Lineman Tony Hills
 

"Hills' said he last worked out for New Orleans two years ago, so his primary attraction to the Saints was likely that he was experienced, in shape and a quick learner.

He said he's not worried about the length of his tenure.

"I'll just grind every day, leave it in God's hands and let the chips fall where they may," he said."

New Orleans Saints lineman Tony Hills, on 10th team, not ready to quit NFL journey | NOLA.com

Re: Saints sign Veteran Offensive Lineman Tony Hills
 

Ya'll make sure that Payton gets these notes. Ya'll are soo right.........mostly!:wink:

Re: Saints sign Veteran Offensive Lineman Tony Hills
 

You sir are of course correct. I compiled the list in quite the haste.

Re: Saints sign Veteran Offensive Lineman Tony Hills
 

Okay there may actually be a defense in the Big 12.......Iowa State, that school seems to usually hold the big 12 scoring offenses to lower point totals than anyone else.

Re: Saints sign Veteran Offensive Lineman Tony Hills
 

[QUOTE=ikecomp;673904]Well, that's not entirely fair. The saints actually did go after collins once the draft ended. But he just chose to go to Dallas. It was his decision in the end. Nothing Payton or Loomis could do about that. Payton actually had multiple conversations with him but he could tell Collins wanted to get as far away from the situation as possible.

Yes, but that's why they call it a draft.

Should've drafted him in the 7th then Collins wouldn't have a choice and we'd likely have a new ROT with Streif our swingman.

Yeah, I know Murphy is a good returner and RB but a better ROT is more valuable now and we could've have traded any pick down to grab another 7th and have had both.

Re: Saints sign Veteran Offensive Lineman Tony Hills
 

Yes! Just think if we'd drafted WR Landry as you said instead of bust CB SJB. Our WR corps would be (practically) fixed for quite a while using our 1st two picks last year on WRs if a draft deep in WRs. Would've loved WR Janis who GB took in the 7th, too.

Re: Saints sign Veteran Offensive Lineman Tony Hills
 

We passed on OG Jackson with our 2nd pick in the 3rd (took CB PJ) and he lasted til top of the 4th. Passed on L. Collins in the 5th-7th.