How one player -- Michael Hoomanawanui -- has allowed Sean Payton, Saints to add new wrinkles to offense
 

He had a vision for how his playbook would change if the Saints were able to acquire Michael Hoomanawanui from the New England Patriots. But the trade had to happen before it could come to fruition.

That vision included using more three-tight end sets, which would pair Hoomanwanui with Josh Hill and Ben Watson, and using Hoomanawanui as something of a fullback or blocking back at times in other personnel groupings. That in turn would create more flexibility and help make the Saints more unpredictable, while also helping to dictate some of the action within opposing defenses.

The vision would add another wrinkle to the offense that Payton wanted to explore. The vision finally came into focus last month after the Saints sent defensive end Akiem Hicks to New England in exchange for Hoomanawanui. The New Orleans offense has been in transformation since.

http://theadvocate.com/csp/mediapool...?1446068932880

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Re: How one player -- Michael Hoomanawanui -- has allowed Sean Payton, Saints to add new wrinkles to offense
 

The guy has definitely added some power to our run blocking, he has very good technique when lead blocking.

Re: How one player -- Michael Hoomanawanui -- has allowed Sean Payton, Saints to add new wrinkles to offense
 

Prolly Probowl, bruh.

Re: How one player -- Michael Hoomanawanui -- has allowed Sean Payton, Saints to add new wrinkles to offense
 

Can Grambeaux even carry his jock strap?

Re: How one player -- Michael Hoomanawanui -- has allowed Sean Payton, Saints to add new wrinkles to offense
 

Doubt it!

http://static.fjcdn.com/gifs/No+merc...9b_5395597.gif

Re: How one player -- Michael Hoomanawanui -- has allowed Sean Payton, Saints to add new wrinkles to offense
 

Oh the Hoomana-ty!

Re: How one player -- Michael Hoomanawanui -- has allowed Sean Payton, Saints to add new wrinkles to offense
 

dude, Hicks has 5 tackles this year. That dude is bad, glad he's gone

Re: How one player -- Michael Hoomanawanui -- has allowed Sean Payton, Saints to add new wrinkles to offense
 

what has he brought? A TE that is a solid blocker and allows the saints to flank Watson out wide

Hmmm let me think about this

Homma takes Watson role

Watson takes over Jimmy role

So what is exactly "new" here with this guy and the effect he has on the saints?

faces have changed but the dance remains the same

Re: How one player -- Michael Hoomanawanui -- has allowed Sean Payton, Saints to add new wrinkles to offense
 

That vision included using more three-tight end sets, which would pair Hoomanwanui with Josh Hill and Ben Watson, and using Hoomanawanui as something of a fullback or blocking back at times in other personnel groupings. That in turn would create more flexibility and help make the Saints more unpredictable, while also helping to dictate some of the action within opposing defenses

Re: How one player -- Michael Hoomanawanui -- has allowed Sean Payton, Saints to add new wrinkles to offense
 

Hoo-Dat !

Re: How one player -- Michael Hoomanawanui -- has allowed Sean Payton, Saints to add new wrinkles to offense
 

And F R E E Brandin Cooks!!

Re: How one player -- Michael Hoomanawanui -- has allowed Sean Payton, Saints to add new wrinkles to offense
 

"faces have changed but the dance remains the same"

Darn!! They've won 3 out of the last 4!!

Re: How one player -- Michael Hoomanawanui -- has allowed Sean Payton, Saints to add new wrinkles to offense
 

What's new?
He can block. Jimmy Graham cannot block.
He can catch. At one point Jimmy was leading the Saints last season in drops.

Re: How one player -- Michael Hoomanawanui -- has allowed Sean Payton, Saints to add new wrinkles to offense
 

I'd say its new this year? Couldn't have that old system that they like in place with Hill as the blocking TE.

Re: How one player -- Michael Hoomanawanui -- has allowed Sean Payton, Saints to add new wrinkles to offense
 

I think this is Sean's way of saying; "See Jimmy, this could have been you..."

Don't care what anyone says. The hold out for "WR money" - deserved or not - was what made JG less valuable.

Re: How one player -- Michael Hoomanawanui -- has allowed Sean Payton, Saints to add new wrinkles to offense
 

Hooma looks solid.
Versatile. Seems to do most things well.
My kinda guy.
Just do your job...

Re: How one player -- Michael Hoomanawanui -- has allowed Sean Payton, Saints to add new wrinkles to offense
 

I appreciate Hooma, no doubt.

But we had an entire TWO QUARTERS of football to put points on the board and we could not.

Now, all of a sudden, Payton has new "wrinkles". In practice this week?

If we DOMINATE, offensively, Sunday, then this article may be correct.

Re: How one player -- Michael Hoomanawanui -- has allowed Sean Payton, Saints to add new wrinkles to offense
 

We hosed them in this trade.

Re: How one player -- Michael Hoomanawanui -- has allowed Sean Payton, Saints to add new wrinkles to offense
 

It was freaking 27-0 in the 3rd quarter!

We scored our 4th TD with just under 3 minutes left in the 3rd quarter.

What game did you watch?

Re: How one player -- Michael Hoomanawanui -- has allowed Sean Payton, Saints to add new wrinkles to offense
 

You got me... I didn't check the game summary before posting. I just don't have any memory of Offense in the second half.

I stand corrected.

Re: How one player -- Michael Hoomanawanui -- has allowed Sean Payton, Saints to add new wrinkles to offense
 

Everyone has really adopted the "team" attitude the last few weeks and look like they want to win for each other.

The one thing I'd improve if I could would be to stop checking down to Brandin Cooks 4 yards short of the first down, he cannot break tackles and he gets hit very quickly on crossing routes.

Re: How one player -- Michael Hoomanawanui -- has allowed Sean Payton, Saints to add new wrinkles to offense
 

No problem Alaska. Your point is still poignant in that we had numerous possessions for the kill shot but we did jack squat.

I think when a team goes up 27-0 in the 3rd quarter, there's a tendency to lose momentum. And we were certainly guilty of that.

It was a couple of freak plays that let them back in to the game, but a team with a killer instinct would probably respond a bit better than we did. We lost momentum and couldn't get it back. That was certainly disappointing.

I think thats what you were trying to convey, am I right?

Re: How one player -- Michael Hoomanawanui -- has allowed Sean Payton, Saints to add new wrinkles to offense
 

See that is my point.

Watson is the best receiving TE we have. so he steps out outside but he is no Jimmy but a he ain't that bad either.

So Watson steps outside and Homma steps inside in Watson place. We do not miss a beat with the blocking. just a bit of drop off in the receiving skill set.

I do not see anything really different here except a slight drop in receiving skill sets.

Hill has not become what we thought he could .... just yet. making the Homma trade needed.

That brings up the the glaring issue of the poor production at WR. To me that is the issue that forced the hand in the trade

Now for those who actually think we got the best in this trade need to slow down a bit.

Akiem is now part of the rotation as a DT not a DE. A swap of roles many here thought was the move to make with him. The Pats are tickled pink with Akiem so far. Just now is he showing an impact in the rotation at DT.

He appears to be the missing cog to interior of DL for the pats. Hicks is not a pass rusher and the Pats are not asking him to that. Clog up the middle and collapse the pocket up the middle. That is what he does best. A bull rush DE was once again a futile attempt at the square peg in a round drill for the saints. As we all know he is a great Bull Rusher.

The Pats are using him according to what he does well. So before people buy into this we got the better of the trade. Use this trade to sit back and judge if the saints once again try to make a player something clearly he was never meant to be.

Plus Homma could have been had for much less according to rumors. So in NE they think they got the better of the trade. They are actually enjoying poking fun at what other players they can steal from the saints.

Re: How one player -- Michael Hoomanawanui -- has allowed Sean Payton, Saints to add new wrinkles to offense
 

I always wanted Hicks to be our DT.

But if we had to lose him to gain some offensive momentum, it was worth it.

Our remaining schedule is light and we need every single win possible.

Re: How one player -- Michael Hoomanawanui -- has allowed Sean Payton, Saints to add new wrinkles to offense
 

So who's our DL coach again that can't seem to get this right? It's not like we could not have used him at DT, right? Still glad to have Hooze-yomama, just not crazy to have given up Hicks.

Re: How one player -- Michael Hoomanawanui -- has allowed Sean Payton, Saints to add new wrinkles to offense
 

I'd say the Pats got the better end---they always seem to do this. Watching last night's game, the Pats D-line is embarrassingly deep with Hicks now. Their offense is embarrassing good even without Hoomanawanui. They are just that good.

But we did do good with this trade in our own right, too. We're learning to use Hooman in the run game, and it showed last game. Going forward as he learns the system, the run offense should only get better. That'll mean the pass action pass game gets better.

We can also look at getting rid of Hicks actually made our defense better, but that's not fair considering we didn't have him in a position to succeed. I always thought he was better when he was in the middle...which is where the Pats have him now.

Re: How one player -- Michael Hoomanawanui -- has allowed Sean Payton, Saints to add new wrinkles to offense
 

We tried hicks at every D-line position while he was here, and he was mediocre at every one of them.

He plays too upright.

Re: How one player -- Michael Hoomanawanui -- has allowed Sean Payton, Saints to add new wrinkles to offense
 

Hoomanawanui's cat.

http://images-cdn.9gag.com/photo/5136338_700b.jpg

Re: How one player -- Michael Hoomanawanui -- has allowed Sean Payton, Saints to add new wrinkles to offense
 

Yep, Danno, and I was on a Third-Quarter of Bulleit Rye / Water/ Tall !!!

Re: How one player -- Michael Hoomanawanui -- has allowed Sean Payton, Saints to add new wrinkles to offense
 

"Rumors & They think........" Sounds like "If's and But's" Good riddance, he was benched and didn't like it. Remember what happened Percy Harvin after his Russell Wilson comment? Poof! You're J E T!

Re: How one player -- Michael Hoomanawanui -- has allowed Sean Payton, Saints to add new wrinkles to offense
 

Didn't think about that angle...great point. Dude lost some money in upcoming contract negotiations, and Sean helped him lose some pride in the process, too. He went from a starting D-lineman one week to getting traded for a back-up TE.

Re: How one player -- Michael Hoomanawanui -- has allowed Sean Payton, Saints to add new wrinkles to offense
 

ROFL. Very dry..

Re: How one player -- Michael Hoomanawanui -- has allowed Sean Payton, Saints to add new wrinkles to offense
 

Interesting. Would like to see Cooks catch some more passes