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New Orleans Saints want to find a way to stay healthier, particularly on defense

MOBILE, Ala. – The New Orleans Saints find themselves trying to find clarity in murky waters this offseason.

New Orleans has seen its defense decimated by injuries two seasons in a row, particularly at the cornerback position, where the planned depth chart hasn't even made it to the season opener.

Figuring out whether or not the Saints have just been through a run of bad luck or if there's a correctable mistake to be fixed is the hard part.

"We've got to find a way to stay healthier, I think, especially at some of our key positions on defense," general manager Mickey Loomis said at the Senior Bowl on Tuesday.

A wide range of injuries crippled the Saints' defensive plans this season. Rookie defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins and No. 1 cornerback Delvin Breaux both suffered broken fibulas that cost them significant time. Keenan Lewis had a lingering hip injury that simply wouldn't go away and eventually forced the Saints to cut him, and linebacker Dannell Ellerbe suffered a quadricep injury that cost him seven games. Emerging cornerback P.J. Williams saw his season ended by a brutal concussion; Damian Swann missed significant parts of training camp and never got going after concussions derailed his rookie year. Veteran middle linebacker James Laurinaitis lost his starting spot in part due to an injured quadricep.

No position has been hit harder than cornerback over the past two seasons. Both times, the Saints believed they'd assembled a good mix of veterans and young players, only to see the position decimated by injury.

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ChrisXVI

Fire Dan Dalrymple then.

AsylumGuido

Maybe. But I believe it is more on the players and their offseason regime that the Saints can't control. Balanced muscle development that can help protect joint dynamics require year round input. It is too late when it comes to OTA's, training camps and regular season. Nothing coaching can do then. Unfortunately, the new CBA limits team contact with players in the off season as far as training goes.

RockyMountainSaint

Bad luck.
Seriously, I believe that.
Other teams deal with the same restrictions on off season contact.
Sometimes it's just a crap shoot.

RailBoss

This just might be a good start:

By designing extensive and innovative workout programs – crafted to the needs of every player as well as the demands of each position group – Strength & Conditioning Coach Dan Dalrymple has been a key member of the Saints organization since arriving in 2006. His responsibilities and influence both in the weight room and on the field remain constant throughout the entire year.

Constant........you can give him that!

Rugby Saint II

I still think that when Payton came back from suspension in shape he brought his training system with him and I think it's tough on the joints.jmho

AsylumGuido

Your humble opinion might be correct. Who knows?