GumboBC

While keeping up with what different teams are doing in free agency, it's apparant that most teams are not on equal footing when it comes to filling needs.

While many fans are screaming for their team to sign this player or that player, the salary cap prevents that from happening.

Some teams, like the Lions, are severely lacking when it comes to talent. While that's never a good thing, it also means they don't have a lot of money tied up in their current roster and are therefore are able to address many needs in free agency.

The Saints, on the other hand, have a very talented core group of players on the team that take up a lot of cap space - such as - Deuce McAllister, Joe Horn, Charles Grant, Darren Howard, Will Smith, Donte Stallworth, Mike McKenzie, Aaron Brooks, and Le' Charles Bentley.

With that in mind, it should also be noted that some of these players are up for new contracts. Like: Deuce McAllister, Joe Horn and Le' Charles Bentley. Also, the Saints need to lock up a contract with Mike McKenzie.

Furthermore, there's still the draft to consider. All the draft picks in the upcoming draft will count against the cap.

While fans really don't care to hear this. It must be taken into consideration by the Saints' organization.

The way the Saints have drafted in the past is coming back to haunt this team. As CanLoomis noted, the Saints haven't done well past the first round in the draft. Successful teams usually find a few "gems" in the later rounds that are an important part of their success. Simply put, players like Sedrick Hodge, James Allen, and Mel Mitchell haven't paid off for the Saints. And Donte' Stallworth hasn't lived up to expectaions as he was selected with the 16th pick in the first round.

To further complicate matters for the Saints when it comes to free agency, we've got a lot of money tied up in Jonathan Sullivan and Darren Howard. Sullivan is counting pretty heavily on our cap and it isn't paying off on the filed in terms of production. The Saints' can't cut him because it would cost too much in the long run and they are better served, at this point, hoping the light will come on for him.

And the drafting of Will Smith futher complicates matters. Now we've got a lot of money tied up in the defensive end position. What that's doing is preventing the Saints from addressing "key" areas of needs on the defense.

IMO, Darren Howard must be traded in order to fill glaring weaknesses on the defense. Howard is a luxary this team can't afford.

The Saints offseason improvents are largely dependent on what happens with Darren Howard. Likely, the Howard trade will bring us a much needed ball-hawking safety.

But, that still leaves us with big question marks at linebacker.

"The club hasn't invested a first-round pick at the position since Mark Fields in 1996 and that has shown on the field. Young LBs Courtney Watson, Colby Bockwoldt and James Allen are promising young starters, but the defense lacks a difference maker at the second level. "

It doesn't look like LB is going to be addressed in free-agency. Hopefully LB will be addressed in the draft.

This team only needs a couple of players on the defense for it to be a force. It doesn't need to be rebuilt. A saftey in free-agency and a LB in the draft could be all it needs.

Thoughts?