MVN - Most Valuable Network

Ellis will look good in Black-and-Gold

If the Giants hadn’t repeatedly put Tom Brady on his ass in the process of winning Super Bowl 41, Sedrick Ellis would probably not be a Saint.

But because the NFL is a league of trends, and because a strong defensive line is what made the Giants champions and set the current trend, the Saints went with Ellis.

I haven’t seen Ellis play a single snap of football in my life, so I can’t really judge if he’s any good or not.  But judging from what people who have seen him play say, this guy is a monster. 

But should the Saints have taken the second best defensive lineman on the board over the No. 1 rated cornerback?  I think so.  Many people would argue that any other year besides this one, Ellis would have been the best defensive lineman in the draft.  I’ve heard him referred to as the 1a. to Glenn Dorsey’s 1.  That’s encouraging to hear because in my opinon, Glenn Dorsey is one of the most dominant interior defensive lineman to every play in the SEC. 

If Ellis is near Dorsey’s level, the Saints have found themselves a keeper. 

I think it’s a smart move to go with defensive line over cornerback at that spot.  When you think about it, no cornerback is any good if the opposing quarterback has all the time in the world to throw around him.  Defense starts and ends with the defensive line, and a quality interior lineman is vital to rushing the pass and stopping the run.

Another thing I like about Ellis coming to New Orleans is his relationship with Ed Orgeron, the Saints defensive line coach.  Orgeron recruited and coached Ellis during his time at USC.  Now he’s Ellis’ coach on the pro level, which is good for the rookie because he’ll have a familiar face to talk to in the early stages.  The sooner Ellis becomes comfortable in the Black-and-Gold, the sooner he’ll be able to get on the field and start blowing people up.   Orgeron will help Ellis make a smooth transition. 

So for the first time in a while, I’m not left scratching my head in confusion after the Saints made their first-round selection.  Ellis was the best available player on the board and he may soon be the best defensive lineman on the team.             

Expectations on Draft Day

We made it. It’s finally here, football fans.  The Draft!  Who’s excited, who’s excited? 

I am definitely excited.  Today the Saints will make additions to their roster that could possibly put them in position to win a Championship.  Don’t underestimate the importance of a good draft.  These are the players that could either elevate your team to that next level, or cripple your roster with failed expectations. 

With that said, here are a few thoughts I have on the morning of the 2008 NFL Draft:

The Saints are going to move…a lot.  No one has been hotter on the rumor mill over the last week than New Orleans.  Whether it’s to move up to the No. 2 spot to snag Dorsey or a second-round swap for Jeremy Shockey, the Saints aren’t expected to sit still today.  The latest rumor that’s been circulating is that Jamaal Brown is being dangled on a string in front of the Rams.  The Saints desperately want to move up to the No. 2 spot and offering a Pro Bowl left tackle might force the Rams pick up the phone and listen. 

I think a more realistic move for the Saints will be making a go at Sedrick Ellis.  He’s the second best option at defensive tackle and won’t cost as much as Dorsey would.  A move from No. 10 to No. 7 is much more plausible than moving up to the No. 2 spot.  And the Patriots, who own the No. 7 pick, are big time draft day movers.  They likely won’t be able to resist moving back three spots and picking up a 2nd rounder in the process. 

Thought #2: When the dust settles around 10 p.m. the Saints will have two immediate impact players in the fold.  Saturday’s draft consists of just the first and second round.  The remaining rounds will be completed Sunday.  So at the end of today, New Orleans hypothetically will have selected a player in the first and second round.  I think that by the time the sinks below the Baton Rouge levee, the Saints will have selected an impact player and traded for one. 

Whatever they decide to do in the first round (unless they trade down or out) will yield an impact player.  Odds are they’ll select somewhere in the top 10, which means whoever they get will be a highly regarded commodity. 

The Saints are going to use their second round pick to snare Shockey.  It’s a foregone conclusion that he will be moved this weekend, and word has it he’s pushing for relocation to the Big Easy.  He played under Sean Payton for a season in New York and likes him as a coach.  I expect him to be a Saint at the end of today.  The Giants can’t afford to keep him on their roster because of the animosity that developed during his injury last season, so their hand is essentially forced.  When the Saints go on the clock in the second round, the Giants will probably call and offer Shockey for that pick.

The Saints will say yes and go to bed Saturday night comfortable with the two brand new difference makers wearing the beloved Black-and-Gold.    

LSU draft class full of potential Saints

The LSU Tigers and New Orleans Saints are almost synonymous for me.  As an LSU student, I love the Tigers.  They gave me the thrill of a national championship season that I will never forget. 

But if someone made me choose between the two; if someone threatened to blow up Tiger Stadium unless I picked the Saints or LSU as my favorite football team, there’s no doubt in my mind who I’d pick. 

It would be the Saints.  Of course it would. Who dat baby!

That, of course, is not the topic of my post today.  The reason I bring it up is because there might be a situation — as we linger on the eve of the Super Bowl of NFL offseason this weekend — in which I might have my cake and eat it too.

You see, this year’s graduating class of Tigers is ripe with talented players. And it just so happens that these athletes play the exact same positions the Saints need to address.

With the exception of Early Doucet (wide receiver) and Jacob Hester (fullback), every draft-eligible Tiger this year plays a position of need for the Black-and-Gold.

Here’s a look at a few possibilities:

Defensive Tackle: Glenn Dorsey

This is the obvious one. Help on the interior of the defensive line is currently the Saints biggest need.  Dorsey is priority No. 1 for the Saints draft camp and should be. He would provide instant production at a position where the Saints are undermanned and would immediately become the most beloved Saint on the roster.

Linebacker: Ali Highsmith

Highsmith’s stock plummeted fast after the NFL combine where he ran a 5.0 forty time. He said he was battling a groin injury, but I think he just forgot to take off his ankle weights.  Nevertheless, Highsmith is now projected as a late third, early fourth round pick.  The Saints could get incredible value in Highsmith if they grabbed him in the fourth round.  This is a guy who played in 12 games as a true freshman in 2004 (the year after LSU won the national championship) and became a full-time starter as a sophomore.  In the SEC, that’s hard to do.  New Orleans needs to add depth at linebacker and Highsmith would be a great fit to come in and develop himself as a backup with the potential to become an impact player two years from now.

Cornerback: Chevis Jackson

The only reason Jackson isn’t being touted as a second-round pick is because of his speed.  He didn’t run as fast as people thought he could in the forty, so his stock took a nose dive.  Let me say this: if Chevis Jackson is available in the fourth round when the Saints are on the clock, they’d be stupid not to take him.  Trust me, Jackson has NFL starter written all over him; he’s one of the most athletic players to come out of LSU in a while. 

I remember watching him work out at LSU’s pro day last month and just being astonished at how high he leaped in the high jump.  He hung in the air so long, I wondered if I had enough time to go eat a sandwich and be back before he came down. It was remarkable.  The Saints need all the help they can get at cornerback and Jackson would be a steal in the fourth round. 

Safety:  Craig Steltz 

I am of the opinion that the Saints hurt just as bad at the safety position as they do at corner.  Josh Bullocks is undeniably the worst starting safety in the league and Roman Harper, while he is getting better, still blows way too many coverage assignments. 

Steltz is a high-energy guy who the Saints should really look at if he’s around in the fourth or fifth round.  The former Rummel star isn’t the best athlete around, but he’s got incredible instincts and a nose for the ball like you wouldn’t believe.  Plus, he’ll knock the snot out of you if he gets a good opportunity.  The Saints need a hustle guy like Steltz on the roster—if only to replace the dearly departed Steve Gleason’s hustle.  RIP Steve Gleason’s hustle (and wild-flowing hair), you will be sorely missed.

So if New Orleans is smart, they’ll look long and hard at what’s coming out of their own back yard in this year’s draft.  They could find some serious talent in the later rounds and make me a happy man in the process.              

         

   

Rumors swirl in Saints draft camp

We are t-minus four days from the NFL draft and the Saints seem to be the talk of the town in the league right now, at least as far as rumors go.

The latest and most noteworthy rumor presently swirling around New Orleans is the Glenn Dorsey trade up.  Sources are saying Dorsey is the No. 1 focus for the Saints draft camp right now.  He’s the top player on their board and from what I’ve heard in the past two days, the Saints are going to pull out all the stops to try and get him. 

Problem is, St. Louis might want Dorsey just as badly. 

The Rams are now on the clock after the Big Tuna reeled in Jake Long on Tuesday, so that means no one makes a move for Dorsey at the No. 2 spot unless St. Louis says it’s okay

I know Jim Haslett loves Dorsey with the second pick. He was practically drooling over him at LSU’s Pro Day a month ago.  He will undoubtedly be pushing his club to take Dorsey.

The Rams might be thinking bigger picture though, with their biggest need being on offense, not defense.  Their offensive line is soooo bad.  Jonathan Sullivan could probably even get a sack on them.  This has to be the top priority for St. Louis.

Wouldn’t it make sense then for them to swap picks with New Orleans, grab OT Ryan Clady with the tenth pick, and then have the Saints’ second and third round picks and next year’s first round pick to play with?  Of course it would.  I’m not absolutely sure that’s what New Orleans would offer, but it would likely be in that neighborhood.

Whether or not the Rams make a move remains to be seen.  But you can count on the Black-and-Gold putting the full-court press on for Dorsey. 

The other rumor involving New Orleans and the draft is the Jeremy Shockey deal.  Supposedly it’s Shockey for a second-round pick and possibly Roman Harper. The Saints have to be careful with this one. 

Shockey could be a monster pick up for New Orleans.  He would give Drew Brees yet another weapon to torture defenses with.  But if he comes at the cost of Roman Harper, the Saints have to back off.  They just cannot afford to swap defense for offense at this point, especially Roman Harper – probably their best defender in the secondary. 

If the Giants asked for Josh Bullocks instead, the Saints would pull a hammy getting to a phone to accept.  Unfortunately, the Giants aren’t in the market for an undersized safety who can’t make a read or stick a tackle to save his life.

What the Saints can do though is play hardball.  I’m pretty sure the Giants and Shockey aren’t exactly seeing eye-to-eye anymore which means he’s got to be moved eventually.  All the Saints have to do is sit back and wait them out. New York needs to move him more than New Orleans needs to acquire him.  Disinterest is the ultimate bargaining chip.

So as of now, the Saints are heavily rumored to be making some legitimate moves on draft day.  Stay tuned who dats, it’s about to get interesting.