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AFC GM on Saints
By Mike Detillier

[SIZE=2]I had an opportunity to talk to an AFC general manager this past week and he was frank about the additions to the New Orleans Saints and the weaknesses still for the Black and Gold.

“I really think the draft pickups of defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins and safety Vonn Bell will help the Saints and very quickly, “ said the AFC general manager. “We had both players rated very highly and they are two very motivated young men. To be honest we had given Bell a first round pick grade. The Bell addition is the sign that it is basically over for Jarius Byrd in New Orleans. The Saints still don’t have a signature pass rusher off the edge and their depth along the defensive line and in the secondary are razor-thin. All those years of not hitting on draft days are catching up with them. Everyone in this league deals with dead money issues and some more than others, but this team really has not drafted well and even the 2015 crop is an up-in-the-air unit.”

“Delvin Breaux was a great pick-up for them at cornerback and he looks like an extra first round pick the way he plays. He has a chance to be a signature player in the NFL. The real key defensively will be the development of Stephone Anthony and Hau’oli Kikaha. Both sort of flashed it last year. The one thing I can say is that (defensive coordinator) Dennis Allen will find the right spots for them in his defense. Allen is a very good coach, but you work it better on the field with better personnel. Both young men are athletic, can run the field and are playmakers. And both really struggled to cover folks downfield last year. The kid I liked was the young man from Georgia (Damien) Swann. If the concussion issues are behind him and that’s serious, he’s a really good “nickel” cornerback.”

“Offensively Drew Brees is still one of the very best players in the game today and he will make those receivers and tight ends look better, but I worry about their running game and the play upfront. Terron (Armstead) is a monster player and one of the best in the business at left tackle and I really like Max Unger. The guards they have are below average, but my main concern would be at right tackle. Zach Strief is getting up in age and has lost some of his quickness and agility to respond to the hard edge pass rushers in the NFL. I was very disappointed in Andrus Peat-who looked as stiff as a board last year in the games I saw. We had him a mid-20’s pick in Round One last year, but everyone’s board is different. He has got to come through for them. And he can’t play guard, Peat is a tackle.”

“I always worry about an older quarterback with major protection issues and a team that has trouble running the ball when they really need to. The Saints problems offensively are upfront along the offensive line and not much added this off-season. That part I don’t get. I think the world of Sean Payton. I truly believe he is one of the top five head coaches in the league today. But his really good teams were the ones with the best offensive lines. I look at 2006 and then the run from 2009 through 2011. The Saints offensive line those years were outstanding. The veteran personnel decisions and financial issues for the club have bogged them down, but nothing like those terrible drafts following the Super Bowl win.”

The knives are out | HoumaToday.com

ChrisXVI

Pretty much spot on.

halloween 65

I agree.

44Champs

Damn... these are some of the same exact things some of us on this board have been saying. Who says we can't be GM's? Payton and Loomis, are you listening?

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jnormand

Wow...

Utah_Saint

Sounds about right.

xan

Well duh. Give any qb a great oline and you can get a Brees. Even scam newton. (Reference to another thread)

Danno

Sounds like he likes a lot more than he dislikes.

His main gripe... OG's

Personally I agree that we didn't address OG with a proven stud, but we do have a couple guys returning who should improve, and we signed about 3 or 4 OG/OT prospects that were rated mid rounders, and we replaced our O-line coach with what appears to be an upgrade.

Some may say that the article was negative, but I disagree.

WhoDatFan26

I especially agree when he mentions Peat. He does us no good at OG, for us to be successful and make The Playoffs, he has to beat out Strief for the starting RT spot. With Armstead and Peat at the OT's, we can manufacture two Guards(I believe one will be Landon Turner). Defensively, we just need to be no worse than 25 and we're in the playoffs.

Danno

And to be honest, the easiest position to address on any NFL offense is probably OG, or perhaps FB.

I'm sure there will be some adequate veterans available if Lelito, Kelemete and every one of our rookies bomb.

If our biggest worry on offense is an OG, we're just fine.