Roman Harper Signs With Saints
 

Safety Roman Harper, one of the key pieces to the New Orleans Saints' Super Bowl championship team in 2009, will return to the Saints, his agency said in a Twitter message posted Tuesday.

Harper played his first eight NFL seasons with the Saints, before the team released him after the 2013 season. He played the last two seasons with the Carolina Panthers, helping them reach the Super Bowl in 2015.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CkXFcp_WkAEjGsn.jpg

At the time of Harper's release in February 2014, the Saints were $12 million over the projected salary cap and had younger players at his position in Kenny Vaccaro and Rafael Bush.

read more

Re: Roman Harper Signs With Saints
 

Lol really? I liked him whilst he was here but he couldn't run by the end, now he's 3 years older...

Is Payton going to try and get Malcolm Jenkins back next?

Re: Roman Harper Signs With Saints
 

He still has to make the team. Great team mate, but not sure at this point if he's any better than what we already have.

Then again, he may just be here to learn the system in case injuries pile up and we re-sign him during the season.

Re: Roman Harper Signs With Saints
 

Bell|Vaccaro With Harper blitzing off the edge "might" work :doh:

I think we've moved on from Byrd, but can't release him til next year

Re: Roman Harper Signs With Saints
 

I think as long as Vonn Bell stays healthy, then Byrd's days are numbered

Kenny Vac was a rangy safety in college so maybe he drops back into coverage?

Re: Roman Harper Signs With Saints
 

Byrd be gone?

Will Harper spill the beans on the Panties playbook?

Re: Roman Harper Signs With Saints
 

Odd. I wonder if he'll make the team. I think Payton is bringing in vets to help lead the defense.

Re: Roman Harper Signs With Saints
 

Sign & retire?!

Re: Roman Harper Signs With Saints
 

Yes sir. At worst, solid DEPTH & ability to do good things in the box... maybe in a LB/S hybrid role, no?

Re: Roman Harper Signs With Saints
 

I wouldn't be mad if he did.

Re: Roman Harper Signs With Saints
 

Haha me neither to be honest, I feel kind of cheated that Malcolm Jenkins said he only trained on getting better when we didn't re-sign him.

That means he got comfortable and complacent the 5 years he was here.

Re: Roman Harper Signs With Saints
 

His cap hit is higher than his salary. It may mean Byrds injury is worse than they are letting on.

Re: Roman Harper Signs With Saints
 

Doesn't make sense; Harper doesn't play Byrds position. He would play Vaccaros spot if he were to start

Bell and Sanford would play Byrds spot

Re: Roman Harper Signs With Saints
 

Depth signing? or insurance for the oft-injured Vaccaro?

As long as it isn't much over league vet minimum I'm okay

Re: Roman Harper Signs With Saints
 

Leadership.

Familiar with Allen.

You know what you get.

And yes. He must make the team.

Re: Roman Harper Signs With Saints
 

Maybe a the 3rd safety hey were talking about? Thats what KV started out at.

Re: Roman Harper Signs With Saints
 

I don't know; I feel like Harris or Bell would be better as the third safety. This is confusing

Re: Roman Harper Signs With Saints
 

You can count on it. This is one reason why it didn't surprise me at all.

Re: Roman Harper Signs With Saints
 

Agreed. A guy that knows Dennis Allen's scheme well and can assist in teaching it to the younger guys. Add another player/coach (JL) to the secondary ... at least for now :p.

Re: Roman Harper Signs With Saints
 

He's a good guy. Not sure if he has much left in the tank but training camp will get that answer out of him.

Re: Roman Harper Signs With Saints
 

Byrd experiment is over. Harper is familiar with DA and provides a leadership role just like JL.

Re: Roman Harper Signs With Saints
 

I thought Sanford was a SS.

Re: Roman Harper Signs With Saints
 

Re: Roman Harper Signs With Saints
 

Negative; Sanford is a FS... Even listed as Byrds backup on last years last official depth chart

Re: Roman Harper Signs With Saints
 

I'd rather have him here then there. I hated watching him play for the Panthers.

Re: Roman Harper Signs With Saints
 

Re: Roman Harper Signs With Saints
 

Exactly my thought. The only thing that would make me mad was if he was kept around for sentimental reasons.

Re: Roman Harper Signs With Saints
 

Rubber beeskit!

Re: Roman Harper Signs With Saints
 

Probably just a Vaccaro back-up, although Vaccaro was never as good as Harper's prime.

I'd say KV is just slightly better than Harper right now, but its probably close.

Re: Roman Harper Signs With Saints
 

And besides, with Ryan gone we gotta have someone to blame if the defense sucks again. Harper's got a lot of experience. :)

Re: Roman Harper Signs With Saints
 

It feels like the old days again! When I woke up this morning I didn't expect to see Roman Harper debates lol. Get out those rusty pitchforks folks.

Re: Roman Harper Signs With Saints
 

I was just looking through Harpers' twitter and he, PT and Smith were really, really close...

And I found a tweet with a bit of fore-shadowing perhaps... :bng:

Re: Roman Harper Signs With Saints
 

Searching Youtube for some Harper highlights and found a video that brought a tear to my eye :(


Here's another:

Re: Roman Harper Signs With Saints
 

Were probably just a bunch of old sentimental fools. For some reason reading about Harper today made sense to me.

Re: Roman Harper Signs With Saints
 

Solid player in his skill set. Can't have too many of them.

Re: Roman Harper Signs With Saints
 

We haven't exactly drafted anybody in the last 5 years who has turned into a great leader so we have to turn to free agency and bring in guys like Laurinaitis and Harper.

Re: Roman Harper Signs With Saints
 

I could live with Bell - Harper - Vaccaro being on the field at the same time. As long as he's being asked to blitz then I'm okay with this signing

Re: Roman Harper Signs With Saints
 

Welcome back, ya just couldn't stay away.

Re: Roman Harper Signs With Saints
 

Misused? Harper is a defensive back and is asked to cover receivers? Heaven forbid we should ask him to actually cover anyone.

Harper is fine if you have uber players (e.g. linebackers, defensive backs) around him to limit his coverage responsibilities to a 3X3 area...

He's always been horrible in space by his limited athleticism; if he did Dancin' with the Stars, he'd be the first NFLer to go out week 1...

Why or why couldn't we have drafted one of the good Saban-coached Bama safeties?

Yeah, sure he could blitz but can't cover; do you bring a Corvette to a tractor-pull? Just make him a rush linebacker and be done with it...

It won't be any surprise to the league as to where he's going pre-snap unless he drops into coverage and you see Aaron Rogers eyes light up like Christmas...

I was curious to see who we release to make room for him - maybe a Tight End? No, a linebacker - maybe there's silver lining that we're set there.

What I don't want to see is valuable camp snaps go to an aged veteran when we've acquired some pretty good talent and need to man up and coach that talent up...

Re: Roman Harper Signs With Saints
 

And there you've hit the proverbial nail on the head my friend.

Name one leader we've drafted besides Strief. Rankins looks promising if his play is as advertised.

Which brings us back to what the **** are our scouts doing?