Recently released players could make good fit with Saints
As NFL teams work to clear their rosters of players with bloated salaries, two former Pro Bowl players, defensive tackle Tommie Harris and running back Clinton Portis became the latest casualties of the business-side of the NFL.
Both players, although unwanted by their former teams, would make intriguing options for the Saints. Despite having multiple options at running back on their roster, including Chris Ivory, Pierre Thomas and Reggie Bush, many observers feel that the Saints would be hard-pressed to not add another running back into the mix during this potentially-extended offseason. And although Portis has battled injuries over the last several season, he could rejuvenate his career in the black and gold. He could especially get recharged playing with elite offensive players after being trapped in Washington’s losing franchise for the last several seasons.
However, of the two high-profile players to hit the market, Harris would make the most sense to the Saints. The Saints have made no secret of their intention to improve their offensive line, and even brought in former Browns defensive tackle Shaun Rogers in for a visit last week. Harris, who is only 27, has had dominant seasons in the past and could also get recharged in a new environment after spending the first eight years of his career in Chicago. Either Rogers or Harris would make great additions to a Saints defense that is looking for new playmakers in their front seven.
With a long lockout looming for the NFL, the Saints could have plenty of time to plan how to improve their rosters, but there could not be any better way for them to improve their team in the short term by signing Portis or Harris.
Mock drafts continue to show Saints targeting defense
While it shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone who follows the Saints, NFL draft experts and scouts continue to predict the Saints selecting a defensive player with their first-round draft pick. Mel Kiper Jr., one of the best known NFL draft gurus had the Saints taking a defensive tackle in the first round in his latest mock draft:
Muhammad Wilkerson, DT, Temple
The Saints must improve their front seven on defense, from the interior to defensive end, and target an outside linebacker. Athletic enough to be a penetrator as a 3-4 defensive end, Wilkerson profiles similarly to Dareus as a guy who can get to the quarterback from the inside of that 4-3. He would be a potential top-10 pick were he to stay in Philadelphia for another year. The Saints get good value without having to trade up at a position of need.
Improving their front seven has been rumored to be the Saints top priority this offseason, and it has shown with their visit from former Browns defensive tackle Shaun Rogers. The team’s players in the front seven lack the true ability to get to the quarterback, a skill at comes at a premium in today’s NFL. With the Saints’ offense looking to continue at their record-setting level, the team needs to work on improving its defense as much as possible while Quarterback Drew Brees is still in his prime.
At the NFL combine, Saints beat writer Mike Tripplett tweeted that many NFL scouts say that this draft is one of the deepest ever for defensive lineman, which is good news for the Saints and their aging defensive end unit.
Saints release Shockey
In the team’s first big move of the offseason, the Saints released tight end Jeremy Shockey on Tuesday, which likely ended his three-year tenure in New Orleans.
Shockey, who is known for setting records on the football field and causing controversy off of him, was likely released because the Saints did not want to pay the $4.5 million salary that he was due next year. His production had slowly declined during his time in New Orleans, and he missed three games in 2010 and was limited to 408 receiving yards and three touchdowns in 2010.
While his release was likely monetarily related, it also speaks to the team’s confidence in tight ends David Thomas and Jimmy Graham. Graham, the Saints third-round draft pick in 2010, really shined down the stretch and the Saints are counting on him to do big things for them in the future. The Saints’ press release made it seem like they would not pursue bringing Shockey back under a different contract next season, his release means that the team will likely target a tight end in the draft or free agency to fill a backup role.
Overall, Shockey’s tenure in New Orleans was a good one after his productive but disastrous time in New York. Not to eulogize him too much, but he will always be remembered by Saints fans for catching the fourth quarter touchdown pass in the Super Bowl that gave the Saints the lead for good in the game.
Brees represents fresh breath during labor negotiations
With a potential NFL lockout looking more and more likely, serious football news comes at a premium with it looking likely that there will be no free agency and the NFL draft is still over two months away.
However, I wanted to pass on a great piece of reading that intertwines arguably the two most important pieces to Saints fans right now: the labor negotiations and their All-Pro quarterback Drew Brees. Since he signed with the Saints following the 2005 season, we’ve seen all kinds of features written about him revitalizing his career, New Orleans and the Saints franchise. However, this piece does a great job of showing a different side of Brees that the media hasn’t picked up on yet: the tough negotiator and member of the NFL’s Player’s Association’s Executive Committee.
It’s an interesting read for anyone, but especially for Saints fans, as it shows the influence that Brees has, not just in New Orleans, but across the entire NFL. Here’s to hoping that Brees’s leadership can help ensure that there is a full NFL season in 2011.
Saints bring in Rogers for a visit
In a move that could potentially help beef up the Saints struggling defensive line, the Saints flew in former Lions and Browns defensive tackle Shaun Rogers for a visit on Wednesday.
Rogers, who has played in several Pro Bowls, is a talented defensive tackle who could immediately help the Saints defensive line that struggled mightily getting to the quarterback and stopping the run. He played in 15 games last season and recorded 17 tackles and two quarterback sacks.
The big knock on Rogers is the issue of character, something that Sean Payton teams have put a premium on. He was fined last season for bringing a gun on an airplane, an act that he was arrested for and never charged. And while he played in 15 games, he only started one, and many in the Browns organization said he had an unwillingness to practice.
However, Rogers has only been on losing teams in his career, and the Browns general manager even admitted that the losing appears to have taken a toll on him, and playing in a winning atmosphere could help in. New Orleans could be that atmosphere, but he has also visited the Washington Redskins and Kansas City Chiefs this offseason.
It’s unclear what the Saints interest is in him, but since he was released from the Browns this offseason, he can be signed before the Collective Bargaining Agreement comes up on March 4. With positive football news coming at a premium these days, this is definitely a storyline for Saints fans to watch as Rogers could definitely help bolster the Saints defense.
