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.             

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.    

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.              

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.      

I’m talking, of course, about wide receiver Robert Meachem. 

Plenty of people have already written Meachem off as a bust.  I understand that point of view completely.  If a guy is drafted in the first round, he should crack the lineup at least once in his rookie season, no questions asked (unless he’s a quarterback who’s purposely sitting a year to learn the NFL game).

In Meachem’s case, he didn’t even crack the active roster. 

But I’m not ready to name Meachem the next Jonathan Sullivan.  Not yet, at least.  Sullivan, as I’m sure plenty of you Saints fans painfully recall, was a guy the Saints traded up for in the 2003 draft.  He was the defensive tackle that was supposed to solve the Saints’ defensive woes.  Of course, he didn’t.  Instead, Sullivan ate himself out of the league and in the process set the Saints defense back at least five years. 

If you don’t believe me, try this on for size.  Here is a list of three guys the Saints could’ve drafted had they not moved all the way up to the No. 6 slot to pick Sullivan: Troy Polamalu, Marcus Trufant and Nnamdi Asomugha.

All three have made at least one Pro Bowl and Trufant and Polamalu have played in a Super Bowl.

Like I said before, I’m not prepared to say Meachem is the next Sullivan.  It’s just way too early in his career to make that judgment.  Sullivan toiled through at least two or three years of worthlessness before the Saints finally gave up on him.

Meachem should get a least a full season of play under his belt before we can decide whether he’s worth a damn or not. 

Who knows? He could be a late bloomer. He could come in this season with a huge chip on his shoulder, (a Sullivan sized chip, perhaps?) wanting to prove to everyone that he is a first-round talent. 

That task might be a tough one though.  With Colston, Henderson, Patten, Copper and maybe Lance Moore firmly entrenched ahead of him in the rotation; he will have to really turn some heads in camp.

With the odds stacked against him though, I think Meachem will respond this season.  I think he’ll do enough in camp to earn some playing time and when he gets it, he’s going to do something with it. 
My prediction for what essentially will be Meachem’s rookie season: 35 catches, 400 yards and two touchdowns. 

But if he doesn’t pan out like I’m hoping he will, at least the Saints will have another rookie-first rounder to get excited about.   

But as I’ve chronicled so often over the past year, New Orleans has been atrociously horrible in the secondary for the last few seasons. 

So the addition of Old Man Aaron (can we really call him anything else after 15 seasons in the league?) has to be seen as a move made to strengthen the position.

I say strengthen because I don’t want to think that OMA has a legitimate shot to secure the starting position.  I’d like to think he’s there to provide depth. 

If the Saints had signed OMA, say eight years ago when he was hitting his athletic prime, I’d have said that was a really solid pickup.  But he is now 35 years old and hasn’t been a starter since 2004.  He can’t be considered the answer to the Saints’ cornerback woes. 

Odds are OMA is getting a one-year deal in the $1 Million range, which means the Saints aren’t expecting much out of him.  Perhaps he’s being brought in to serve as both a mentor and an on-the-field contributor. 

Either way, his signing doesn’t really mean much. He’s coming cheap and he won’t do anything to screw up the secondary—only because it can’t possibly get any worse.  Maybe it’ll be good to have a guy whose been around forever in the locker room to provide guidance.  Like I said, it can’t really hurt.    

So now you’ve got to wonder where New Orleans will be going in the draft.  They’ve added two cornerbacks in free agency thus far in Randall Gay and OMA, so does that mean they’ll look elsewhere with the No. 10 pick?  I think it does. 

Of course, the cornerback position is still in need of an upgrade, but with upwards of six cornerbacks now on the roster, New Orleans has to be looking for help elsewhere with that first-round selection.

Defensive tackle maybe?  Linebacker perhaps?  Unfortunately, we’ll have to wait until April 26 to find out.         

Grant admitted recently that the coaching staff and trainers knew about the severity of the injury, but that it was never revealed publically.

I must say that I exhaled a sigh of relief after reading this bit of news.  Now I know why our $60 Million dollar defensive end played like a washed up old veteran last year.  It was the ankle. 

Grant missed a few games because of the injury, which we thought at the time was a mere ankle sprain.  Now we know the actuality of it.  He had a torn ligament in his left ankle, which clearly sapped him of lower body strength and robbed him of his quickness. 

The former Georgia star has made a name for himself in the NFL because of his strength.  Generally utilizing the bull-rush technique, Grant would rely on his lower body power to really drive into offensive tackles.  That in turn would usually collapse the pocket, forcing quarterbacks to abandon their progressions in favor of safe asylum somewhere else on the field. 

The thing was, Grant wouldn’t let them get away.  Once a quarterback started dancing uncomfortably in the pocket, Grant would come in for the kill shot.  That’s what made him so effective the past few years.  He would deflate the QB’s protection bubble with his strength and then use his quickness to track down the fleeing quarterback.

That’s what earned him a 60 million dollar deal, and that’s what was missing from his game last season.

It’s all starting to make sense now.  For a while there I was wondering why Grant was having such an unproductive year.  A lot of people were saying he just wasn’t motivated anymore after his big payday.  I didn’t buy into that.  Grant’s a loyal guy.  He’s not the Shaun Alexander type who’s going to give you a Pro Bowl year, get a huge contract, and then suck miserably. 

I guarantee you he was feeling terrible about not being able to give the team what they needed from him.  And I guarantee you it’ll be a motivating factor for him this season.  The 30-year is still young enough to get back to the Pro Bowl level he played at a few years ago.  And there’s nobody who wants him to do it more than himself.

So what does everyone else think?  Is Grant going to rebound from the injury and get 10 sacks this season?  Or is he going to struggle to regain the dominant presence he once had?    

I think they’ve made a commendable effort up to this point, but still have plenty of work to do.  For now, let’s look at what they’ve done with the linebackers. 

The considerable lack of talent and playmaking ability at the linebacker position last year played a major role in the putridity of the Saints defense.  Fortunately, that issue has since been addressed.  Jonathan Vilma and Dan Morgan, if healthy, will immediately morph the Saints’ linebacking corps into a top-five unit. 

Scott Shanle and Mark Simoneau will provide depth should Morgan or Vilma go down.  That’s a good thing, I think.  Shale and Simoneau are better suited as backups anyway.  They’ve both got good instincts, but not necessarily the superior athleticism needed to be a starting linebacker in the NFL.    

Vilma and Morgan have both produced at a pro bowl level at one time or another in their career.  Vilma was 2004 Defensive Rookie of the Year and Morgan made 25 tackles in the 2004 Super Bowl.  So we know these guys can produce.  There’s no doubt about their ability.

The only question mark is their susceptibility to injury.  Can Vilma recover from the knee injury that sidelined him for nine games last season?  (By the way, I’d love for someone with any sort of medical knowledge explain to me what happened to his knee.  A piece of dead bone became dislodged?  What the hell does that mean?  I didn’t know bone could just die and then break off like some sort of rotten tree branch.  Has anyone ever heard of this injury?)

As for Morgan, will he be able to play with the reckless abandon that makes him so good now that he’s only a couple of concussions away from brain damage?

There’s really no way to tell for sure right now.  But one thing I do know for certain is that these guys are motivated.  They’re confident and probably cocky and most definitely eager to show the world they’ve still got it.  You know why?  Because they’re from the U and that’s what guys from the U do.

Another plus about the addition of Vilma and Morgan is that New Orleans isn’t really invested too deeply into either guy.  Morgan signed a one year contract for not that much money and Vilma was exchanged for a meager 4th round pick.  He’ll also be a free agent after next season.  So even if they don’t pan out, the Saints won’t have lost that much. 

So the linebacker position has been addressed.  I’d like to see the Saints pick up another LB in the draft for depth purposes.  A guy like Ali Highsmith out of LSU would fit the mold.  Highsmith was originally predicted to be a late first or early second round pick this year, until he ran a 5.0 forty at the combine.  He immediately dropped way down on everyone’s draft board, so the Saints might be able to nab him in the fourth or fifth round.

 Either way, I feel pretty good about who’ll lining up at linebacker for New Orleans this season. 

Now if the Saints can just get a little boost in the secondary… well, I’m sure you’re well aware. 

But that’s a topic I’ll save for my next post. 

So I won’t be negative about his signing with the Saints for almost $20 million, but that doesn’t mean I have to be gushingly positive.

For those of you Tiger fans who’ve lost track of Gay for the past four years, he’s been in New England playing for Bill Belicheck and chasing perfection. 

For those of you who have been keeping track, you know already – Gay wasn’t exactly the most vital cog in the Patriots defense that kept them ultra-competitive over the recent past.

Despite collecting 11 solo tackles in the Patriots 2004 Super Bowl win, Gay has been relatively quiet as a playmaker over the course of his four years in Beantown. 

Look at his career numbers:  86 tackles, five passes defended and five interceptions.  For a guy who wasn’t even drafted coming out of college, those are great stats—especially since he was on injured reserve for the majority of the 2006 season.

Unfortunately, they aren’t the type of stats the Saints should be adding to a heavily underachieving secondary. 

New Orleans needs a playmaker at cornerback.  They need a guy who can strike fear into the opponent he lines up against.  Gay’s a consistent performer, but he isn’t an intimidator. 

With that said, I think Gay is a hundred times better than Jason David.  That’s not really saying much because I think almost every cornerback in the NFL right now is at least a hundred times better than David, but still—an upgrade is an upgrade.

I just hope the Saints aren’t planning on settling with Gay as their starter.  I hope he is being brought in to compete for a job with a few other decent players they might pickup in anticipation that someone competent will emerge from the pack.

If that’s the case though, would they really have paid him starter-level money? 

The Saints said publically that they felt Gay was the best free agent option available at cornerback.  I’m not so sure he was even the best free agent cornerback on the Patriots.

Nevertheless, I’m not exactly pulling my hair out over this signing like I usually do when the Saints bring in new players.  For one, Gay does have championship pedigree on both the collegiate and professional levels.  And he is a Louisiana native which means he’ll definitely be happy playing for the Saints.

I just hope he can become the player the Saints need him to be.  Basically, if he’s not Jason David or Fred Thomas, that’s all New Orleans can hope for.

You better believe it, and in doing so took a huge step toward improving one of the worst defenses in the league. 

Assuming he’s fully recovered from last season’s knee surgery, Vilma will immediately leapfrog Mark Simoneau, who they just resigned, for the starting middle linebacker position.

Coming out of college four years ago, Vilma was highly coveted by the Saints but didn’t last long enough for New Orleans to grab him with the 17th pick.  Instead they took Will Smith, who they also had their sights set on. 

Now they have both guys, each seemingly in the prime of his career.

So if this guy is so awesome, why’d the Jets let him go in exchange for a menial 4th round pick?  The only answer I can think of is that they love losing.

But what other people are saying is that Vilma and head coach Eric Mangini weren’t to fond of each other. 

Apparently there was some resentment on Vilma’s part when Mangini implemented the 3-4 defense upon his arrival in 2006.  See Vilma had thrived for two years under Herm Edwards’ 4-3 defense, earning rookie of the year and a pro bowl selection. 

Then Mangini shows up and now all of sudden Vilma isn’t producing as much as he had been.  Now, two years later, both men are ready to part ways with each other and the Saints are there to capitalize. 

What a great pickup. 

Other noteworthy moves made by the Saints in the past few days have been in house.  They started on Thursday with the re-signing of both Jamar Nesbit and Jonathan Goodwin on the offensive line.

Goodwin’s deal made center Jeff Faine expendable.  Reports coming out today have Faine signing a free agent deal with Tampa Bay. 

I don’t mind the Saints letting Faine go.  Goodwin proved last season when he filled in for an injured Faine that he is capable of handling the center position.  Plus, by opting out of the final two years of his contract, Faine made it clear he was looking for a big payday.  The Saints were obviously not interested in providing him that. 

New Orleans made a couple of more re-signings early today on the defensive side of the ball.  LB Mark Simoneau and DT Brian Young both inked deals to remain with the Saints. 

The Young signing I can understand.  When healthy, he can give you some real hustle and energy on the defensive line.  He’s a good guy for the locker room too.

The Simoneau deal, though, I don’t much get, especially now that Vilma’s on board.  Though he was able to beat out Brian Simmons, the guy brought in to replace him last season, Simoneau never stuck out to me as a playmaker. 

I don’t think I muttered the words, “wow, did you see that play Simoneau just made?” once last season.  He was a decent player sometimes, but mostly he just seemed to disappear into the muck of the defense. 

That’s the kind of play you’d expect out of a second string middle linebacker, which I guess Simoneau now is.  Does that mean Simmons is out of a job? 

We shall see soon enough.  Stay tuned because I have a feeling the Saints are nowhere near being done with their offseason agenda.