Why not Delhomme?
 

Alright , lets start the bus fare for Cincinatti fund in honor of Jim Mora jr.

Is that alright Billyh ???

Why not Delhomme?
 

OK 08, you\'re being the eternal pessimist that I usually am. Horn isn\'t going anywhere. He\'s a pro bowl receiver and one of the team\'s anchors. If Fontenot options out there are three offensive linemen already on the team that have and/or can play center. That\'s not a free agent signing. The middle of our line is solid. Turley will probably need to be replaced... Riley isn\'t going anywhere, he may not be great, but they\'re not going to upgrade there. So on offense, you\'re talking about one free agent starter and maybe one new starter who is already on the team. Sure you may have a new back up QB and back up running back, but hopefully they won\'t really affect the season. A third receiver might, but that is NOT a make or break for this offense, which should only be better next year.

Defensively, I\'m pretty confident, for whatever that is worth, that you will not see two new DTs or safeties. Jackson played well in the second half of the year and if he can shed some weight he is a quality starting DT. Mel Mitchell will start, which is a new addition to the starting line up, but again, was with the team this past year. You probably will see a new corner and one or two new linebackers. Again, you\'re talking about maybe four or five new free agent starters at most... we had that this year on offense and it worked pretty well, didn\'t it?

Why not Delhomme?
 

Grady Jackson is a question mark . Weight issue and short contract make him questionable , the man almost hit 400 lbs.

Front line is a potential loss at positions , once again it is how it all plays out . Turley and Fontenot are friends if one goes the other might want out . Wally Williams looks like a cap casuality . Either Riley or Falou were short termed contracted , I cannot remember .

Bellamy gets toasted more then croutons , Knight optioned out of his contract .

Offensively , that was a push . Lost depth at runningback which ended up hurting the Saints but the tight end held up . The lineman are the ones that have to gel early or there is havoc .

Still think there are to many players coming in with an unproven coaching staff . Fontenot was the team captain that is a huge loss if he pulls out .

Why not Delhomme?
 

08 don\'t you think it\'d be a better idea to keep l\'il mister Mora in Frisco so he can help their defense suck. Ya know...NFC and well, they are the 9er\'s...wish nutin but the worst for\'em.

Why not Delhomme?
 

c\'mon 08, do you really think that the changes coming in the off-season A) should cause this team to be less than .500 and/or B) WILL cause this team to be OUT of contention for the playoffs?

Why not Delhomme?
 

Well if that is the case Billyh , I say we move him to the dirty turds and give him a raise to make him stay .

Who Dat , I am not sure this coaching staff has the ability to keep the team focused through 16 games . Now add more rookies and free agents all learning to play with each other in a system that puts them out of position .

Kiffin maybe , but we are talking Venturi .

Why not Delhomme?
 

Atl sounds like a good place for the boy...

I do agree with you that this coaching staff as a whole has issues. Same thing happened two years in a row. Around the same time regardless of the circumstances. Once is a mistake. Twice is a coincident. Three times...well there better not be a third time. Either way, none are forgivable.

Why not Delhomme?
 

Thought this was an interesting read , you might too Billyh .

Saints 2002 unit-by-unit analysis: Coaches and front office
Staff and Wire Reports
Posted on January 26, 2003

FRONT OFFICE

Director of player personnel Rick Mueller said he\'s for staying on in New Orleans as he contract nears expiration after the draft.

Despite the ouster of his brother Randy as general manager last offseason, Rick Mueller has talked with new GM Mickey Loomis about returning. That decision may be made easier because Randy Mueller doesn\'t appear close to getting a new job.

COACHES

Heach coach: Jim Haslett; assistant head coach/secondary coach Mike Riley; offensive coordinator Mike McCarthy; defensive coordinator Rick Venturi

After Riley came through the college\'s hiring season without a job, he figures to be back. That\'s probably the only change that was likely despite the team\'s struggles down the stretch.

Haslett can be a seat-of-the-pants kind of coach who relies on his instincts in game situations. He\'s a player\'s coach, and has done well against regular opponents: The Saints are 10-5 against teams that now comprise the NFC South since Haslett took over as coach in 2000.

But with two season-ending slides in the last two seasons, there are questions about his effectiveness over the course of a 17-week season. Many also argue with his decision not to use Delhomme when Brooks\' health was in question.

McCarthy can be innovative at times, but his offense showed poor attention to details down the stretch. They masked some of those problems during the first half of the season by generating big plays.

The Saints had 108 offensive plays of 15 or more yards in 2002, with WR Joe Horn\'s 34 receptions and RB Deuce McAllister\'s 15 runs leading the team.

Venturi is tied to Haslett at the hip and is in no danger of losing his job. The defense was suspect from the start and they held together a shaky unit with bailing wire and chewing gum for much of the season.

There are some young stars to watch for, chief among them DE Charles Grant - who had seven sacks, fourth among NFL rookies and fourth best by a Saints rookie.

They are going to re-think their system as opponents seem to have caught up with their scheme.

The good news: Venturi has already gotten started, arriving early at the Senior Bowl last week.

\"Normally, it\'s the re-entry for us. It really begins the search for procurement of talent,\" he said. \"We begin this week on the college aspect as well as the free agent aspect, which we\'ll work hard on next week when we get back in the office. This is the restart for 2003.\"

Haslett\'s new deal came with an honest assessment from the coach: He pointed toward 2003 as a breakout season all last year. But a fast start in 2002 built up expectations that were dashed by the final slide.

If Haslett can\'t close the deal in 2003, then the drums will bang louder for him

Why not Delhomme?
 

Alright Who Dat , here comes the Horn issue .

Saints | Horn Expects Raise - posted at KFFL (http://nfl.kffl.com)
7:14 PT: Darrell Williams, of The Times-Picayuue, reports WR Joe Horn expects to receive a new, more lucrative contract from the New Orleans Saints this offseason. Horn made $2 million this season, but ranks well below the other Pro Bowl WRs in salary. Horn, who is at his third Pro Bowl, doesn\'t have a Pro Bowl incentive clause either. \"We haven\'t discussed (a new contract), yet,\" he said. \"But I feel the Saints will do what\'s necessary to take care of me because I\'ve played my tail off on Sundays ever since I got here, and I\'m a professional off the field, too.\"

Why not Delhomme?
 

This is one of the strangest coaching situations I\'ve ever seen in my life. i.e. Mike Riley??
What the hell is his purpose? It\'s to have a paycheck while waiting for a head coaching job. Huh? What? I\'ve never understood that one from the get-go.

And coaches who have anyone \"tied to the hip\" of them end up fired. The way a Head coach makes a team good is to be an \"I\" man not an \"I hope everyone likes me\" man. It\'s cut-throat baby....like it or not.

We\'ll see how professional Horn is off the field when it\'s either yah or nay on a contract. AB sure didn\'t handle it like a professional.

Why not Delhomme?
 

Here is one for you billyh .

Seahawks | Could They Pursue Mora Jr.? - posted at KFFL (http://nfl.kffl.com)
9:53 PT: Updating an ongoing story, Matt Maiocco reports for the Press Democrat if San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Jim Mora Jr. does not land the team\'s head coaching job he will most likely end up as defensive coordinator in Carolina or Detroit. However, Seattle Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren would also be interested in Mora, if Holmgren is unable to sign Ray Rhodes to run his defense.

Why not Delhomme?
 

Whatever it takes to keep JM Jr away from the Saints. Does anyone here think he\'s a good coach? Seriously? I think he bites.

Why not Delhomme?
 

JM JR. would be a step in the wrong direction in my opinion.

RE: The Joe Horn situation. Remember at the start of camp last year the Saints gave Joe every indication that, if he had another productive year (and I think we\'d all agree he did), they would address his contract this year. Let\'s see if the Saints were blowin\' smoke or if they really meant it.

Why not Delhomme?
 

JM Sr. should\'ve been pulling for the 9\'ers & JM Jr. The same way Archie should be pulling for the Colts & Peyton when they play us. To not support your children and hope they succeed is to hope they fail.

Why not Delhomme?
 

coaches salaries have no effect on the cap

Why not Delhomme?
 

I agree with ya Gator. It was disrespectful, but then Mora never had any real class anyway. We should have seen it coming.