LKelley67

detillier's buzz:

(bold mine)

The word out of Saints camp has not given me a good feeling. While there are reports that the team will try to sign a veteran right offensive tackle in the early days of free agency, sources tell me that it is not overly thrilled with the group of veteran free-agent linebackers available.

Sounds strange, right? RIGHT!

Strange indeed when you consider that two quality inside linebackers, Ed Hartwell from the Baltimore Ravens and Kendrell Bell from the Pittsburgh Steelers, will be available.

I hope the team is putting up a smokescreen of sorts to not tip off any other potential suitors for either Hartwell or Bell, but over the years the Saints have never really been a real clever club in this department.

The linebacker situation has been hard for me to understand. Over the past few seasons Saints coach Jim Haslett, a former standout linebacker with the Buffalo Bills, has insisted that linebackers Derrick Rodgers, Orlando Ruff and Sedrick Hodge were quality players, and the media and fans didn’t understand just how talented they really were.

For the past two seasons, it has become obvious these players not got the job done on the field. What was really sad was that, if not for injuries and suspensions, we would have never seen the play of younger linebackers Courtney Watson, James Allen and Colby Bockwoldt down the stretch.

Give those younger players credit. They did play pretty well, but this team really needs a quality inside performer so they can move Watson to the weak side.

Now, the official position is that these three players are the future of the team and that they may add another linebacker through the draft, instead of free agency.

Again, this seems to be another case of just being satisfied with average results and never really wanting to improve your club to the maximum. I hope all this talk is just that -- talk -- and the team will really go after a quality veteran starter at middle linebacker. But what I am hearing, I just don’t like.

If the Saints make an initial splash in free agency, I would put my money on them signing a veteran offensive tackle, not a defensive player. I hope I am wrong and that next week we are talking about the personnel upgrades on defense, but I am not holding my breath.

http://www.houmatoday.com/apps/pbcs..../1103/SPORTS02

aaaaagggggggggghhhhhhhhhhh!