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2009
NFL Draft Needs - New Orleans Saints
by Gregory Cox
Senior Writer
4/22/09
Picks (4): 14, 116, 118, 222
Cornerback – There is some sort of curse on this position.
Outlining all of their failures trying to shore up this position would
take up most of this paragraph. Remember when Jason David was going to
bolster their pass defense? Mike McKenzie has been cut because of age
and injury concerns. Randall Gay is a rare free agent success story as
their nickel back. Tracy Porter did a nice job as a rookie, but was
lost to injury (broken wrist) after just 5 games. If you consider
Porter a potential second starter and Gay third on the depth chart what
are we missing? Oh, just at true #1 capable of going heads up on the
opponent’s best receiver. The curse should continue because this draft
is really light in terms of elite talent. They need to get lucky, for
lack of a better word, and land lightning in a bottle. Without a lot of
picks to work with they have to figure out if a player is worth the #14
overall slot, trade down as far as possible or find a veteran after the
June 1 cuts. None of these scenarios are promising.
Free Safety – Two players with brothers also in the NFL, Josh
Bullocks and Terrence Holt, are gone. Holt was just brought in for
couple of games. Bullocks was a poster child for the team’s inability
to cover players running down the field. Veteran Darren Sharper is a
nice signing. He was a staple during his 8 seasons with Green Bay and 4
seasons with Minnesota. In total he has seen the field in 183 of a
possible 192 games. Still, that kind of experience obviously means he
is old (33) and while he brings his football IQ to a struggling
secondary the time is now to draft his successor. They also picked up
veteran Pierson Prioleau (Jaguars). Both guys are on one year deals and
it would be a major upset for the Saints to walk out of draft weekend
without an addition even with limited picks.
Linebacker – The defense struggled overall. Jonathan Vilma has
been locked up to a big five year contract. There is talk of moving him
to the WILL which might maximize his impact even coming off a season
with a team leading (by far) 132 tackles. Currently he is flanked by
the “Scott” brothers Fujita and Shanle. This unit as a whole is light
on talent. If the emphasis on this draft is truly on defense someone
should be brought in to help Vilma. It is also worth noting that Fujita
is in a contract year. I guess I should also bring up that Dan Morgan,
who last played with the Panthers in 2007, is attempting a comeback,
and 2007 third round pick Anthony Waters (Chargers) is on hand.
Running Back – Deuce McAllister gave a lot to this franchise.
He came in with a little bit of controversy because the team already
had Ricky Williams. He leaves the team needing a bruiser willing to
take one for the team. Reggie Bush has been bashed as a bust, but much
of this is a perception problem. Injury struggles are one problem. When
healthy he is not and never will be a guy to run the ball 20-25 times
in any given game. Pierre Thomas has had some nice moments and with 181
rushes over his two year career averages a solid 4.8 yards per carry.
Still, he is not viewed as a lead running back either. The dire need is
picking up a single yard when the game is on the line. Someone who can
be added to this potential three-headed monster as a punisher should be
sought. Mike Bell essentially takes the reserve spot that had been
occupied by oft-injured Aaron Stecker. It is possible the team tries to
make due with Bush, Thomas and Bell while continuing to focus on the
dynamic passing game.
Wide Receiver – What? Did this team not lead the NFL with 410.7
yards passing per game? Yes, they did. The leading receiver was Lance
Moore who blew up with 928 yards receiving and 10 touchdowns in his
third year working the field as a sneaky (read: 5’9”) speed threat.
Marques Colston is the anchor having averaged a gaudy 73.2 yards per
game when healthy. No one knows how knee surgery will impact his game.
Perhaps he is going to be right as rain, and perhaps not. Devery
Henderson might not be retained because despite a ridiculous career
average of 21.6 yards per reception he has caught just 106 passes in
four seasons. The wild card is former first round pick Robert Meachem,
who might take the typical third year jump. At best Colston and Meachem
start outside and Moore works the slot. At worst Colston has injury
troubles, Meachem does not develop and teams figure out how to cover
Moore. Another complication is that Moore is a restricted free agent
and has not signed his tender. He is also recovering from a shoulder
injury suffered lifting weights. Putting all of this together another
addition makes sense and I look for the team to go fishing for another
Colston late in the proceedings or shortly thereafter.
Quarterback – This could be a perfect time for the Saints to
look for a project who might develop into a backup or possibly even the
successor to Drew Brees. Mark Brunell is basically a coach at this
point in his career. Who is he coaching though? It’s nice to have his
experience to bounce ideas around, but anyone who witnessed Brad
Johnson playing for the Cowboys this past season knows Brunell under
center in an actual game is a bad idea. Joey Harrington is signed to a
deal for 2009. This will be his fourth team in as many seasons and his
value is at best as an experienced backup. Drafting a player capable of
pushing Brunell to retirement would be a smart move. Given their lack
of picks this move might be made by signing a rookie free agent.
Michael
Abromowitz's 2009 NFL Mock
Draft - 7 rounds
Gregory Cox's 2009 NFL Mock
Draft - 6 rounds
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