Question is, Can Lattimore do this for sixteen (16) regular season games and three-four post-season games?

No one doubts the talent, it's whether the body can hold up...

We've got the same problem with this linebacker, his name is Ellerbe, you probably haven't heard of him as he doesn't get on the field that much...

All seriousness, talent alone, he was a Top 5 pick for sure, it's the question of whether he will consistently be "available" as the ole ball coach says...

What gives you the feeling that he couldn't do it for sixteen (plus) games? He has had no recurrence of the hamstring issues that he experienced during his growth spurt. He didn't have any issues at all with them this past season.

I have a son that was a Division I athlete that went through the same growth spurt around the same time in his career. The difference with him was his discipline relied upon the slow twitch muscles so it was never an issue. Lattimore's problem was that the fast twitch muscles required for his discipline can't handle the added stress until they "catch up" to the new body structure. The apparently caught up and are no longer an issue.

Look how fluid his hips are in this video & top speed to go with it. Notice his head is already turned around. It's the little things. Pretty damn impressive from a Pro prospect. Where is Rez when I need him (lol). Hagin, consider yourself warned. Lattimore will be a play maker in B&G.

Guido, from what you've shared, I imagine your 50+ in years...

Lattimore has struggled with this since he was in high school, which was 3+ years ago...

You and I both know 3 years is an eternity at their age, but not after seeing as many winters as ours...

I won't speak for other old farts (cough, hagan, cough), but for me, I will say that I categorize my feelings on Lattimore as cautious optimism and intrigue...

As someone who worked at Tulane Hospital - Orthopedics to pay my way through school, I understand how these things can quickly go one way or the other...

However, I will agree with Hagan on an earlier point though that the Saints have an easy laissez faire attitude on injuries and kinesiology in general...

Better still I'll recall some concerns made yesterday by paraphrasing Eric Asher from his Monday radio show...

We (Saints) have had a systemic problem as an organization keeping players healthy especially in recent years; Asher questioned the wisdom of continuing to draft oft-injured players and while keeping the partnership of Ochsner Sports Medicine who the Saints have not had a "healthy" run with since aligning with them...

Asher really called it when you factor these two concurrent forces working against the success of the team...

Again, I'm cautiously optimistic and really, truly look forward to having two true shutdown CBs...

But the chronic problem of players being available and returning quickly to being available bears closer scrutiny...

Yes, 50+ for sure and by week one of the 2017 season you can update that to 60+. (I do accept monetary gifts if anyone is so inclined)

And I am slightly more than "cautiously" optimistic when comes to Lattimore, and that doesn't have to do with his former medical history, it has to do with the history of CB's as a whole for the Saints. When a player has chronic (non age related) hamstring issues you would expect some sort of impact on a regular ongoing basis. They pop up on injury reports on an annual basis. In Lattimore's case he was totally free from any related problem throughout his last season at OSU. I see that as VERY promising.

And, yes, I agree about the Saints history with injuries, but do not know how it could be addressed, especially under the most recent CBA. Injuries to supportive tissues such as ACL's and the like very difficult to prevent, especially within the window of time now allowed. Preventative measures include strengthening all of the surrounding muscles in a balanced nature. They key here is the term "balanced". From the research I have done on the subject I have learned that unless the muscle groups are strengthened to a somewhat equivalent degree it can actually increase the probability of supportive tissue injury. This requires a very dedicated training regimen that cannot only take place during "official" team activity periods. It requires near year round workouts. That puts the onus on the players themselves. That worries me.

I also can see an issue with Payton's passion for the crossfit training method. Each player grouping, and even individual players, should be training in a manner that best fits their individual position requirements and their personal body type. Once again, difficult to accomplish given the reduced hours, and days, allowed under the current CBA.

Where have I pit down no name school players?