yup, dwindling
 

i have seen the word dwindling or something like it increasing rapidly in these threads in reference to linebacking.

i don't think anyone here has expectation of hartwell signing on black n gold. that would be a blockbuster not only in on the field performance but as a statement by the organization that the push is on full bore and that another non playoff year is entirely unacceptable.

i reviewed the list. there ain't much left to be an improvement left- witherspoon, mark fields, fujita, maybe a coupla more. very disappointing, resigning hodge might end up an option! no lb outside of dj is a write-in starter in the draft. even if getting a couple of those, i question having allen as the old pro among 3 or 4 rookies and sophmores right in the middle of the defense. it reminds me too much of how the cornerback hole was glaring, year after year. every pundit, writer, and commentator said THIS is the need on this team. then it seemed to take years to actually get a high impact player. sometimes it appears as if they wanna show everyone they see and know things that no one else does, talent evaluation, decision making, etc. mayberry reminds me of that. a good guy it seems, talented with heart. but already is tabbed as slowing and hasnt been a fulltime tackle in several years. i do only hope n wish for the best but it is quite a stretch. is it possible none of the above fa lb's will end up on the roster? i am afraid so. maybe some no name or really oldster like mckinnon will end up signed. but maybe even not that. allen-watson-bockwoldt with 2 draft picks 2nd round or below with the rest of the no name cast? scary! we are not privvy to all the workings of the fo. there could be the turndowns. there might be some trade for jamie sharper on the horizon. it is possible. even if so, the odds are dwindling by the day.

yup, dwindling
 

Amen we need to address LB and be aggressive in doing it!!!!!

yup, dwindling
 

That or that clueless Head Coach has entirely too much faith in a defensive scheme he has tried to emulate and wonders why other teams do not need certain players but he does ????

I scratch my head in wonder year after year as I watch Hasbeen try to build a defense that will work , that seems to be a cross of the Panthers and the Bucs ....

Sullivan was the award winner , a 2 gap run stuffer Habeen thought he could hang his hat on like a Warren Sapp .

[Edited on 9/3/2005 by saintz08]

yup, dwindling
 

Mark my words, I might be drunk, but Colby will be as good as if not better than Fujita. I will bet a tickets on this? Anyone dare?

yup, dwindling
 

I won\'t bet on it.

But then again... are you willing to bet that the existing LB corps will be a dominant force, something to brag about to other teams?

Bockwoldt or not Bockwoldt, management needs to do something. I\'m sick of hearing my buddie cry out, time after time (going on 3 years now) while watching games \'where was the friggin\' linebacker on that play??!!?!\'.

I think Colby will be good. But I don\'t think he\'s enough.

EDIT.......

Good enough, that is, to offset failures from other members of the team. He can\'t do it all by himself.

[Edited on 9/3/2005 by LordOfEntropy]

yup, dwindling
 

Even if Colby and Courtney are good, James Allen is not. We need another guy, and I would prefer one with some experience.

I was very happy with an RG and a Safety two days ago. We need a vetran LB, another Saftey, or a real RT, and soon! Dwindling is right. If we can\'t get an LB, which I doubt we\'ll be able to get an impact player (unless the Howard trade is for one) outside of the draft, we must get a DT, but I don\'t see any great one\'s available outside the draft.

I\'d still like to see us sign Womack. That would finish our work on offense (though we may add a TE still). We MUST trade Howard for a solid, vetran LB, or a pick that will allow us to package to get DJ.

We must make two more moves: either a DT or an LB, and an OT. We can\'t get them all in the draft. C\'mon FO, do it!

yup, dwindling
 

There\'s still some LB talent left out there, but the pickings have certainly gotten slim. A few who could still make an impact:

OLB:
Julian Peterson - franchise
Will Witherspoon - RFA
Akin Ayodele - RFA
David Thornton - RFA
Mark Fields - UFA
Scott Fujita - RFA
Matt Stewart - UFA
Tommy Polley - UFA
Warrick Holdman - UFA
Ike Reese - UFA

More OLB\'s click here:
http://scout.scout.com/a.z?s=196&p=9...lnid=83&pid=27

MLB:
Ed Hartwell - UFA
Ron McKinnon - UFA
Rob Morris - UFA
Rocky Calmus - RFA
Nate Wayne - UFA
Zeke Moreno - UFA
Monty Beisel - UFA
Jamie Duncan - UFA

More MLB\'s click here:
http://scout.scout.com/a.z?s=196&p=9...lnid=83&pid=65

With the exception of some of the bigger names - whom most of us have decided the Saints either won\'t sign or can\'t afford - I\'ve already decided we might as well hope for a LB in the draft. Still wouldn\'t complain about Tommy Polley or Rob Morris, though...

yup, dwindling
 

Scratch that MLB list of any player not named Hartwell. :no:

yup, dwindling
 

There are maybe five guys total on those two lists that could really help us:

Obviously:
Peterson
Hartwell
Witherspoon

I like but I\'m not sure they are much of an upgrade:
Fujita
Thornton

It doesn\'t look good for acquiring a vetran LB unless the Howard trade goes that way.

yup, dwindling
 

before free agency opened i guessed that the high end of FA linebacker they might get would be a chris claiborne. guess i overshot. i joked about them having interest in mckinnon. now i would rather have him for at least a different retread face than some of the same ones that have been getting run over. just kinda sad. i am not revved about the total db picture but it looks the best it has in several years. 3 great de\'s and one decent dt, okay. but all the marbles riding on 2 sophmores and another guy who might have been scared to take a wonderlic, no matter how well they did for four games... it still looks like a weak link to give the kevin barlows and 49 yr old emmitt smiths of the nfl 100yd games again.