xan

The author forgot to include slary cap issues that are preventing the team being able to compete for high quality free agents.

Danno

Yet we're still one of the winningest teams in football over the last nine years

hagan714

All SP and the saints are looking for is a solid middle of the road defense that by season end will be in the plus end of the turn over battle.

If the rumors were true and SP wanted to dump Jr before the contract was signed SP has a huge I Told You So he can milk for years.

So front office has some blame and the DC has some blame to share in that one.

As for the rest it is simple bad cap management and poor personnel moves across the board as soon as Rob walked in the door.

Actually the trades we made this year are paying off pretty good.

Kenny Stills for injury prone Dannell Ellerbe is not so bad considering he has no dead money tied up with him in the final two years of his contract. Plus we still have not seen PJ Williams on the field.

Dannell Ellerbe is a player I would target to replace via the draft if the right player was on the board. No rush cutting him but a replacement in the wings would be high on my needs list. That if the injury bug stays with him which it appears is a safe bet. A player drafted as back up to him would by all odds see plenty of time on the field. If all goes well resigning and/or keeping the 30 year vet would not be an issue. hello 5.9 in additional cap space.

Remember Max Ungers contract is up at the same time as Ellerbe. Granted he will be he will be an old man of 30 years of age he does play a position were another 3 to 5 years can be had at a high level. Stephone Anthonyn looks solid so far. Needs to plug the whole better against the rush but I think that will work out in time.

Ben Grubbs for a Tyeler Davison has shown some promise and looks to be a solid addition to the DL rotation. Not sure he will ever become a 34 NT but that I will leave up to the cooks of New Orleans to solve.

It would appear that the change in the front office was a good one. Now lets hope a change at DC will also add to this groups' improvement

Dennis has a solid draft history but his FA signing need to be watched.

Youth and the key word GEL is the number one thing that is killing this unit. So some time on the field and a few solid drafts like last year and we should be better off in 2017 than we are today. next year baby we break 30!

2017 2017 2017 2017 2017

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

Mardigras9

Well that sure is a feel good article, but truth hurts. We have turned into a slowly sinking ship headed straight for the next chapter in Saints history.

hagan714

See i do not see the ship as sinking. sure the water level is at the gun rails and we are bailing like crazy. I do think we can bounce back from this by 2017.

Just keep drafting solid player that is all. you do not need super star late round diamonds every year to save the draft. draft is all about quality depth and the luck of the gods if you get a starter after round 3.

Mr.Riaton

Galette is. He had no major issues at the time the contract was given and ,at the time, it was earned. Nobody saw the sh!t that was to come....well at least I didn't.

vpheughan

I seem to remember he turned into one after getting the $$$$$$$$$

halloween 65

I agree about drafting solid players, I would love a field of blue collar players on both the O-line and the entire D, but drafting players that fit a scheme should be happening, we try to fit way too many square pegs in round holes, our drafts sux and until we fix that it's only filling in. Davidson should be adding weight instead of losing, if he was able to bulk up I think if he wasn't able to play the nose he would be a mean DE in a 3-4. Ellerbe I would keep. Jordan I would trade for high picks and get a DE and ILB. Need to finish the 3-4 and say so long to the 4-3 blunder we run. Dropping some big contacts now will pay off and Brees price tag needs to be reduced also.

hagan714

love them blue collar, lunch pail toting, snot knockers at the heart of a team.

It just set a hard nose, no non sense mind set through out the rest of a team.

Danno

I agree about the square pegs in round holes, but I disagree about the 3-4 and about Jordan. Cam is one of the best DE's in the NFL and they are very hard to come by. He's equally effective in a 3-4 as he is in 4-3.

To me, Davison looks like a great 3-tech in a 4-3, with the ability to play the NT (4-3) as well.

To me, the future looks like a 4-3 with Jenkins at nose and Davison at the 3 tech, Cam and Richardson on the ends.

Obviously Anthony at MLB, with Kikaha at SLB and Ellerbe at WLB.

I say we stick to a base 4-3 (occasionally mixing in some 3-4) and focus on upgrading OLB and the DE on the other side of Cam.