Featured Discussion Saints Draft Days Official Thread

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.

[jeanpierre]

Originally Posted by FinSaint

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.

We shall have to remedy that, Brother!

[spkb25]

Originally Posted by blackangold

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.

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

[spkb25]

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

[AsylumGuido]

Originally Posted by blackangold

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.

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

[jeanpierre]

Imagine the situation where we spent just a lil' mo' and signed Kevin Zeitler...

[darksoul35]

Originally Posted by FinSaint

Did you guys notice that Goodell didn't engage the Saints' fans at all before he announced the pick?

Not a big deal, but seemed weird since he did it with all other picks that I noticed.

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.

[papz]

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

[turbo_dog]

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

[K Major]

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.