Re: So how important is Lattimore?
 

Re: So how important is Lattimore?
 

JP aka Saints GM ...

What are you doing with Kenny V this off season? Offer him a fair deal? Let him walk? Look for his successor in the 2018 draft?

I think this topic (safety/corner back position) needs it's own thread.

Re: So how important is Lattimore?
 

Not JP, but Vacarro’s impending free agency is very intriguing to me. This past offseason the top free agent deals for SS were these:

Tony Jefferson- 4 years/$34 million (Avg: $8.5 mil/year)
Micah Hyde- 5 years/$30.5 million (Avg: $6.1 mil/year)
Barry Church- 4 years/$26 million (Avg: $6.5 mil/year)
John Cyprien- 4 years/$25 million (Avg: $6.25 mil/year)


Vacarro’s 5th year option is costing us $5.67 million. I don’t think it would be too unreasonable to give him a slight bump in salary and give him a deal similar to the deals above that average between $6-6.5 million/year.

Re: So how important is Lattimore?
 

Depth for sure. This is why I was wondering in some other thread about Sean's plan. Another solid off season and we're gonna be stout.

Re: So how important is Lattimore?
 

Appreciate the insight XVI ...

But for me, I'm letting Kenny walk. There has been too many times where he has needed to make game changing plays and he's failed. Too inconsistent throughout his career & lacks play maker ability we desperately need at the position.

I'd be happy with a guy like Eric Reid, Barry Church (Dallas is now missing his production) & T.J. Ward types.

I'm in the minority here but over the years KV is too much hit or miss. He'll look like crap the first 3 weeks, then get better the next. Does he play well because of the talent around him? All I see is average at the position. We need more ball hawks and dawgs at safety.

Again, I'd let Kenny walk but that's just me :smokin:.

Re: So how important is Lattimore?
 

For the record, I think the Saints do intend to let him walk. I think there’s a reason we spent 2nd round picks in consecutive drafts on safeties.

Vacarro doesn’t shine on his own when the talent level around him is subpar. When Lattimore, Crawley, Williams and Bell are around him he looks great. Then you look at weeks 1, 2 and this past game and he looks totally lost.

The only reason I’d keep him is cohesiveness and fearing the drop off in chemistry like when Jenkins/Harper were let go.

Re: So how important is Lattimore?
 

Significant sure but the fact we have such a drop off in performance is attributable to poor decisions. Don’t forget our top 2 CBs this year weren’t our top two CBs last year.

Re: So how important is Lattimore?
 

Don't forget the stupid personal fouls he gets to extend drives and kill D momentum.

Re: So how important is Lattimore?
 

Re: So how important is Lattimore?
 

KV’a issues are 1) versatility and 2) consistency. When he’s in the right role and playing good football he’s a top 10 SS.