Re: Saints Draft Days Official Thread
 

Re: Saints Draft Days Official Thread
 

I don't think Payton likes using high picks on linebackers. A lot of misses, plus the game is played at corner and on the line.

We will probably target a LB in the mid rounds.

Re: Saints Draft Days Official Thread
 

Re: Saints Draft Days Official Thread
 

Its about walford

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word is Walford is the problem and moving mccoy to guard probably won't hurt

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Re: Saints Draft Days Official Thread
 

Leadership 101...

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so Drew didn't like his behind?

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I hope you're pullin' our legs, JP. Rosen is absolutely terrible. And that's without getting into what an infuriating person he is off the field.

I wouldn't touch that deal.

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;)

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Re: Saints Draft Days Official Thread
 

I wonder if the Saints will stand pat tomorrow. If they want a guy like Fulton (who I was sure they were about to pick), then I could see them attempting to trade up. I can't believe how many overrated corners have gone ahead of him. Amazing. If the Saints can't get him, I don't see another corner who's good enough to trade up for, and all the receivers I would have REALLY liked are gone, too.

There are some decent WR's left, and probably no need to move up to get any of them, either. I hope Ruiz works out, because this is shaping up to be a rather boring draft from this point on.

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When Brees is still playing midway through next season, everybody will be glad we made this pick.:bng:

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I've never seen it being sold over here in Finland, even though we do have a lot of US import beers in the stores.

It was my favorite brand when I lived over there in the US.

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Hope you aren't playing Devils Advocate or speaking Tongue In Cheek!!! Your penance will be 25 Apostles Creeds and a good act of contrition!!! :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

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Really makes that crazy contract we have peat even more crazy... I don’t like the pick. Ruiz will be great but it makes no sense. This essentially admits that we have problems on the line at guard, even though we just paid peat top 5 money.

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NfC south is going to be much improved. Tampa has had a good offense...with TB look at. I feel like they added a good tackle too. Atlanta found themselves toward the end of the season. Not sure they can reproduce that but if they can we could have 3 teams make the playoffs.

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Re: Saints Draft Days Official Thread
 

I dont know how valid this is but reading Larry holder he said at indy all he heard out of the saints was how displeased they were with walford's drop off. Like I said I only know what I read. I tend to like what Larry reports

Re: Saints Draft Days Official Thread
 

INDIANAPOLIS — The Saints, much like every other NFL team, left the NFL Scouting Combine with information overload to chew on. I left Indy in a similar fashion.

That’s why I’ve split up my takeaways into a couple of parts. Part 1 published Sunday, simply focusing on quarterbacks. Today’s Saints combine takeaways will jump all over the map.

1. Like many Who Dats, I figured the Saints’ most glaring concern this offseason would surround wide receiver. Not the case.

It’s actually the interior of the offensive line.

Specifically, it’s right guard Larry Warford. That’s a little surprising, given left guard Andrus Peat will become a free agent in March and the Saints will more than likely move on from the 2015 first-rounder.

Warford landed a spot (as a replacement) in the Pro Bowl for the third consecutive season. But there’s concern about his perceived drop-off in 2019. Pro Football Reference’s Approximate Value for Warford the past three seasons coincides with the concern, as he’s fallen slightly the past three seasons.

I wouldn’t go as far as to say Warford won’t play the final year of his contract in 2020 (nearly $13 million salary figure, via Spotrac). Yet the Saints will be in the market for interior offensive line help in free agency and in this year’s draft in part to prepare for a possible Warford exit after 2020.

Don’t discount the possibility of moving 2019 second-round center Erik McCoy to guard, either.

The Saints would be open to possibly shifting McCoy to either guard role despite a solid rookie season. McCoy played some guard at Texas A&M, adding value as to why the Saints traded up for him. Nick Easton filled in nicely in Peat’s numerous absences in 2019, but that won’t halt the Saints from pondering alternatives.

2. The Saints haven’t been bashful in paying for guards in free agency during the Sean Payton-Drew Brees era. They paid to retain Jahri Evans. They spent on Ben Grubbs when Carl Nicks left. They spent on Warford when the price for Kevin Zeitler shot up too high. I assume they’d be willing to spend again.

Some free-agent names to consider will be Brandon Scherff, Joe Thuney, Graham Glasgow, Connor McGovern. Glasgow could be the most attractive of the bunch given his versatility and price (as in cheaper than Scherff).

This also opens up all possibilities on Day 2 and 3 of the draft. And it’s not a stretch that the Saints could stay local in their search with players like LSU’s Lloyd Cushenberry and Damien Lewis, along with Louisiana-Lafayette’s Robert Hunt and Kevin Dotson on the board.

3. The Saints are historically aggressive at filling needs at linebacker through free agency as well. One name to keep an eye on: Jamie Collins.

Interest will be there from the Saints for the veteran linebacker following one of his best seasons in New England after veering off two years in Cleveland. Collins played 81 percent of the Patriots’ defensive snaps last season and tallied a career-high seven sacks. PFR rated his 2019 season within the top 15-21 highest values overall in the NFL along the same lines as DeForest Buckner, Zack Martin, Christian McCaffrey and Russell Wilson.

A.J. Klein is set to become a free agent in March. The Saints could save nearly $8 million by releasing Kiko Alonso. Alex Anzalone health is a factor heading into the final year of his rookie deal.

I’m not sure how the lineup would sort out with Collins, Demario Davis and whomever else. Just know that Collins is on the table as someone the Saints could pursue.

4. Unlike Kenny Vaccaro a couple of years ago, the Saints are interested in retaining safety Vonn Bell but will carry a ceiling into negotiations with the 2016 second-round pick.

Bell’s improvement was noticeable starting in 2017, and he’s progressed ever since. He’s gotten better in pass coverage, plays well against the run and finds ways to affect the quarterback on blitzes. Bell isn’t a premier safety, yet he’s acclimated well in Dennis Allen’s defensive scheme.

Still, the Saints carry a penchant for drafting safeties like Bell (2016), Marcus Williams (2017), C.J. Gardner-Johnson (2019) and Saquan Hampton (2019). You can’t eliminate the possibility of the Saints drafting someone like LSU’s Grant Delpit, who met with the team at the combine. If the Saints drafted Delpit, it would be easy to envision a CJGJ-Delpit safety pair for the future.

5. I’d be shocked it the starting cornerback pair for the Saints wasn’t Marshon Lattimore and Janoris Jenkins. Shocked.

There’s a viable argument that Jenkins outplayed Lattimore last season despite Lattimore making the Pro Bowl. Via PFR, Jenkins only allowed a 55.7 completion percentage (49-88) when quarterbacks threw at him for 572 yards with five interceptions and a passer rating of only 67.0.

Some other cornerback numbers from last season:

Stephon Gilmore: 50.5 completion percentage (51-101), 599 yards, six INTs, 44.1 rating
Tre’Davious White: 50% (45-90), 626 yards, six INTs, 45.0 rating
Richard Sherman: 62.3% (43-69), 387 yards, three INTs, 64.1 rating
Marlon Humphrey: 58.0% (51-88), 440 yards, three INTs, 68.4 rating
James Bradberry: 59.8% (58-97), 644 yards, three INTs, 70.1 rating
Marcus Peters: 55.6% (50-90), 597 yards, five INTs, 71.4 rating
It might sound like I’m discrediting Lattimore’s 2019 campaign. I’m not. Lattimore’s numbers: 50% (44-88), 612 yards, one INT, 79.4 rating. Pairing up Lattimore and Jenkins for a full season would give the Saints one of the best pairs of corners in the league. Don’t be scared off by Jenkins’ near $12 million price tag for 2020. If you’re making one more ride with Brees at quarterback, a one-year hit for Jenkins is absorbable.

In the same breath, I’d be shocked if the Saints re-signed Eli Apple. His numbers in the same categories, unsurprisingly, weren’t the best: 63.2% (48-76), 683 yards, no INTs, 100.9 rating. It’s a significant reason the Saints felt compelled to claim Jenkins late last season.

New Orleans also could address cornerback in the draft, someone like LSU’s Kristian Fulton, for this reason.

“I feel like I can play outside or inside, I mean, I played nickel, nickelback my whole freshman year,” Fulton said in Indy. “So I’m familiar with that. I’m definitely willing to play anywhere where someone needs me.”

6. As for wide receiver, I’d expect the Saints to remain conservative in their free agency approach.

The hit rate on spending major dollars on a free-agent wideout is too low. General manager Mickey Loomis talks about that every year. There’s a reason why the two most notable pickups since 2006 have been David Patten and Ted Ginn Jr.

This philosophy won’t necessarily exclude the Saints from trying to add a complementary piece to Michael Thomas. For instance, the Saints really liked Adam Humphries and viewed him as a $5 million per year slot wideout. The Titans threw a contract worth $9 million per year at him. Basically, the Saints will spend wisely.

Now I’m sure it will be “Game on!” when it comes to drafting a receiver.

Honestly, I couldn’t peg down a specific name where the Saints might turn simply because there are too many to choose from. I’m wondering how much the lingering core muscle injury to Colorado’s Laviska Shenault will affect his standing with the Saints, though. And LSU’s Justin Jefferson may have played his way out of the Saints’ range with his stock seemingly rising by the day.

https://theathletic.com/1648571/?amp....co/GcTOZI9EPd

Re: Saints Draft Days Official Thread
 

We HAD a problem at right guard. McCoy will move there to fix that problem.

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Re: Saints Draft Days Official Thread
 

Ill be honest I was glad. I would've been pissed if there was any playfulness back and forth. I know I have said it on here before but I hate that dude with a passion after that BS he did to us.

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There definitely would have been some editing needed if they did.

Re: Saints Draft Days Official Thread
 

I couldn't check the board last night, but I see there was a MIX of opinions. LOL. Here's my take:

I was so excited watching the numbers go by and nobody touched Murray yet! When I saw the chargers trade ahead of us, I was hoping it was for a WR to go with Tua and the OT. Or maybe a CB, another position all the prognosticators thought we would take. But NO, they snatched up Murray right before we picked! Damn! Then my biggest fear was that Payton would say, "well we might as well take Jordan Love."

Thank God that didn't happen. When they called Ruiz name, I was relieved. Not a sexy pick, but we absolutely needed help on the interior of the offensive line. And did you notice who the Panthers took? That guy is a beast on the DL. And we know interior pressure has always been the way to get to Brees. This was a very solid pick by the NO team. I'm on board 100%.

We still REALLY need help at LB, though. It really stings not having a second round pick.

Willie Gay, Jr.
Shaquille Quarterman
Anfernee Jennings
Malik Harrison

Re: Saints Draft Days Official Thread
 

Who knows, maybe the Chargers saved us from ourselves and the Murray pick @ 24.

Remember LB Ruben Foster? He got the call (Niners) right before us yet we ended up selecting an All Pro RT in Ramz?

IDK sometimes the best moves are the moves you don't make.

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Re: Saints Draft Days Official Thread
 

Re: Saints Draft Days Official Thread
 

Trade Warford and our 2021 2nd rounder for a 2nd rounder today? Remember we’ll have two 3rd rounders next year because of a comp pick for Bridgewater so that’ll lessen the blow of losing a 2nd rounder.

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Re: Saints Draft Days Official Thread
 

The jump by LA to snag Murray probably caught them off guard. Get it? But seriously, I'm uber happy with Ruiz.

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Just wait till they give up next year's 1st for Jonathan Taylor and the fans bases loses its mind again

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Re: Saints Draft Days Official Thread
 

Re: Saints Draft Days Official Thread