Saints top list of NFC South cornerbacks
Jabari Greer is ranked as the top cornerback in the NFC South
While ESPN is still killing time before the start of the season ranking different players and team units, I thought I could help pass the time til the Saints kickoff against the Chargers by posting one of their position rankings.
The NFC South beat writer, Pat Yasinkas, listed the top cornerbacks in the NFC South. In a sharp contrast to years past when the Saints were challenged in their secondary, the Saints starting cornerbacks, Jabari Greer and Tracy Porter, were named the best two cornerbacks in the division.
While this may come as a surprise to many who do not follow the NFC South, Yasinkas makes good points about the quality of both Greer and Porter, and because of this duo, the Saints secondary could be more well-known for years to come.
Saints position breakdown: Defensive Tackles
Defensive tackles on the Saints roster entering training camp:
Remi Ayodele
Sedrick Ellis
DeMario Pressley
Jay Ross
Al Woods
On a Saints team that has a wealth of talent at virtually every position, defensive tackle is one of the few positions that the team lacks a lot of quality depth. Sean Payton and Gregg Williams both admitted earlier in training camp that they would have liked to added another defensive tackle as a free agent in the offseason.
However thin the unit is, nothing can take away from the force that Sedrick Ellis has turned into. A consistent run-stuffer and quarterback chaser, Ellis is slowly becoming one of the better defensive tackles in the league. Ayodele, who starts at the other tackle position, has done a pretty good job in run defense when he has been called upon.
After those two players, there isn’t much left. Woods is a fourth-round draft pick out of LSU that the team likes, but great expectations shouldn’t be placed on a rookie tackle in the NFL. Pressley is another young defensive tackle on the roster who has shown signs of consistency, but hasn’t quite shown enough yet to convince the coaching staff.
Because of the versatility of the defenses that Williams employs, Jimmy Wilkerson and Anthony Hargrove may see some time at tackle, but they are primarily going to be used as ends. With the Saints struggles in run defense in previous season, don’t be shocked if the team adds a veteran that is cut in the next few weeks to the mix at tackle, since the Saints largely have a talented, but inexperienced group at the position.
Saints get national audience for preseason game
For those diehard Who Dats that live outside of the Gulf Coast region (myself included), Friday night is their lucky night. CBS will be carrying the Saints/Chargers preseason game for the entire nation to view.
While it is still only a preseason game, many players are still fighting for their professional lives, as the August 31 cuts are just days away. It will be interesting to see how long most of the starters play in this game, as the third game of the preseason has traditionally been more of a dress rehearsal for Sean Payton coached teams in the past.
As far as intensity goes, this game will serve as the second addition of the “Brees Bowl,” since the Chargers are the team that let Brees walk to the Saints after the 2005 season. Even though Brees should only play the first half, at most, it will be interesting to watch Patrick Ramsey make his case for the backup quarterback position. Chase Daniel got extended playing time last week in his audition to be Brees’ backup, and the pressure will be on Ramsey to try and perform as well as Daniel did last week to secure the roster spot.
Overall though, this game is a great chance for Saints fans across the county to watch the Bayou Boys get ready to defend their Super Bowl title, even though this game doesn’t count.
Saints surprisingly cut team captain
In arguably the most surprisingly move of the young 2010 season, the Saints released their special teams captain, in addition to four other players on Tuesday.
While the release of guard Tim Duckworth, cornerback Danny Gorrer, and wide receivers Mark Bradley and Rod Harper hardly comes as a shock, Evans’ release come as somewhat as a shock.
For starters, cuts are not required until August 31. The timing of his release is unusual, but the Saints could have known that he wouldn’t be making the final roster and wanted to give him the chance to make another team’s roster. The Saints are loaded at the linebacker position, and it looks like Evans got caught in the numbers game.
However, the most curious part of this is that they released their special teams captain when the Saints’ special teams unit is arguably the weakest spot on the team. When the Saints won the Super Bowl in 2010, they had the worst ranked special teams unit of any Super Bowl champion. Their special teams have also looked spotty so far in preseason. Cutting the captain of that unit looks like a questionable move, but it could be clearing the way for a younger play like Junior Gallete, who plays another position, to make the roster and contribute on special teams.
Vilma the Saints most indispensable player
To help kill time til the start of the season, ESPN is running a series on their website, naming the most indispensable player on every team in the NFL. Because of the nature of the NFL in 2010, quarterbacks are not eligible to be the most indispensable player on a team.
The result? Jonathan Vilma is the most indispensable player on the Saints according to ESPN’s Pat Yaskinas. While you can read for yourself to find why he gives Vilma this honor, one quote from Gregg Williams that he included really stuck out. Williams alluded to the fact that Vilma is the Drew Brees of the Saints defense.
That’s a pretty strong endorsement, and while Vilma isn’t as noticable of a player on defense as Darren Sharper or Will Smith because of his lack of sacks and interceptions, he is their most valuable on defense and is finally getting his well-deserved due.
