Benson Family Feud -- Mike Detillier (1 Viewer)

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Benson Family Feud

By Mike Detillier

We have all seen and heard about family squabbles before, especially when it comes down to money.

The saga that played out this past week with the Tom Benson family has played out before with other families, but we are talking about the richest man in the state of Louisiana and the owner of the New Orleans Saints and the New Orleans Pelicans.

This battle for control of the Benson empire will not have a happy ending.

It can't.

This family will never be the same again.

That is really the sad part of the story.

But because of who Tom Benson is and what he controls it is not only an in-family issue, but a situation for the community to watch and play out in front of our very eyes.

At 87 years old there is a sense of mortality for Tom Benson.

And it has been said for over a dozen years now that his granddaugher, Rita Benson LeBlanc, would take over the team if Benson could not run it due to health issues or upon his death.

Whatever happened to change this was not one thing, it can't be and never is in these time family situations.

And basically dismissing his daughter Renee and grandson Ryan, from anything to do with the Saints and New Orleans Pelicans also had everything to do with Rita eventually running the teams.

At times we have seen the very public Rita Benson LeBlanc and at other times Rita has been missing for long stretches. I have never seen Rita and Gayle Benson ever talking to each other in public and it is no secret their dislike for each other.

The big question mark is why?

Gossip and rumors will abound over the next few weeks, months and possibly years.

Allegations are flying from both sides about each other already.

Lawyers will make millions on both sides.

People inside the organization have already taken a side.

Some want certain people in charge because they are fearful of their own job.

It is a watershed moment for the Saints organization that has lived through the best 9-year stretch ever for the Black and Gold on the field.

Whatever the outcome, the reputation for the family will never quite be the same.

The one thing I do know is that Gayle Benson behind the scenes has been a Godsend for the Saints, the community, and she got someone who at one time was a bit of a recluse to become more open to the public and she got him to become actively involved in numerous charities and organizations to benefit the area.

Just think about the image of Tom Benson 10 years ago and before he married Gayle.

Across the state many, and some being the top politicians and business people, viewed Benson as an opportunistic owner using the clout of an NFL team to get state funds and if he didn't get it, other cities would be a calling for the Saints.

This was the same man that after Hurricane Katrina was trying to maneuver his way to San Antonio. The community was lucky that then NFL-commissioner Paul Tagliabue stepped in and helped with league wide funds and a commitment that the Saints would stay in Louisiana.

And then Louisiana-governor Kathleen Blanco allocated money in a crucial timeframe to rebuild the Superdome that was damaged during the storm.

But it was also Gayle Benson who helped rebuild the image of Tom Benson and get him to be much more community-active and over that timeframe he has donated millions of dollars to organizations across the New Orleans area and Louisiana.

He has also pledged millions to upgrade facilities at the NFL Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.

It was Gayle Benson who also convinced Tom Benson to get back in the running to buy the then-New Orleans Hornets after Benson had dropped out for a stage.

Many will say what does Rita or Gayle know about running an NFL team?

What did Tom Benson know about running an NFL team back in 1985 when he bought it?

Very little.

But Tom Benson didn't become a millionaire then billionaire by not making good financial deals. He brought in someone who knew the outlay of the land.

Benson brought in Jim Finks to run the team back in early 1986.

The best business people do two things well, they listen and they bring in top people to run their businesses.

In 1986 with no real knowledge of the football world or the sports world Tom Benson hired Jim Finks and he ran the show and at one time had a piece of the team.

It was the real beginning of the Saints, not what was the beginning back in November of 1966. Hiring Finks was the second biggest off-field moment ever in Saints history.

Finks had the experience, football savvy and keen eye for talent in personnel and in the front office to build the Saints into a very good football team in the late 1980's and early 1990's. And he also hired Jim Mora as head coach.

The problem was in that first heyday run of the Saints, it was also the time in which the San Francisco 49ers were the best team in pro football and in the same division as the Saints.

Benson grew into learning the football side and financial side of the game and Finks was the architect.

But when Jim Finks died in May of 1994, the organization was never the same until general manager Mickey Loomis hired Sean Payton as the head coach in 2006.

That moment is the best move ever made by the team in club history.

After Finks, the Saints were run by committee during stages and that is never a good thing. In a brief moment under then-general manager Randy Mueller in the early 2000’s the Saints had success, but Benson became upset with Mueller after the general manager interviewed with the Atlanta Falcons for the same position.

Some of the Saints head coaches like Jim Mora, Mike Ditka and Jim Haslett tried to also run the personnel department. The good teams know structure and follow a direct plan.

That has not always been the case for the Saints in-between the Finks-era and the arrival of Sean Payton.

Today in a crossroads period for the Loomis/Payton run in New Orleans this huge controversy now takes center stage.

We should have known this would eventually happen. Back in 2012 when Sean Payton was suspended for the entire season due to Bountygate, Payton’s agent leaked out that his contract was sent back by the league office because a clause in it stating he would become a free agent coach if Mickey Loomis was not the general manager of the Saints.

For a short time Payton was indeed a free agent coach due to no time left on his original deal.

Payton wanted a "buffer" person between what he thought at time was said to be the next owner, Rita Benson Leblanc, and himself.

Reports that over 40 assistants to Leblanc had been either dismissed or quit certainly led to this type move by Payton, but when “big” money talked, Payton returned to the Saints on a long-term deal and so did Loomis.

But the thought of Payton's return to the sidelines took away the underlying issue of what would happen after Tom Benson would not own the team.

And this distraction is not needed at this time. No matter what is said and written it is a huge negative for the Saints and Pelicans to battle now.

Money talks in sports, but if money is close in veteran free agency, are you going to sign with the team with an uncertain future in ownership or sign with a franchise that does not have that distraction?

Easy call.

What many of us have seen play out privately with friends, co-workers, family and even strangers we see being played out with the Benson family today.

In sports change is a certainty. It is part of the commuter landscape world that big time sports bring to the table. I like stability in an organization, but I am not a firm believer in continuity. Sometimes people comfortable in their jobs lose their focus and in a very competitive world they lose their edge. We may have witnessed some of that in 2014.

I look at the New England Patriots today. Over the past 8 to 9 years the only things that have stayed in place is head coach Bill Belichick, quarterback Tom Brady and defensive tackle Vince Wilfork.

Everything else has changed, but owner Robert Kraft has guided the franchise to successes that may never be duplicated in our lifetime at the pro football level. But Kraft has been the key guy in making sure the organization is run correctly and the bar of success has been raised to the highest level.

Who will be that person raising the bar in New Orleans?

Three things are certain. The Benson family will never be whole again, lawyers will make a mint over this case and it will have a negative effect on both the Pelicans and Saints.


Big Man from the Pacific Northwest

Over the past few weeks I have written about the New Orleans Saints need for an edge pass rusher in the 2015 NFL draft. I firmly believe that the Saints will try and address their personnel holes at cornerback and center via veteran free agency. The problem is that pass rushers don't last long on in the early part of the draft and a strong likelihood is that Florida's Donte Fowler, Jr., Missouri's Shane Ray and Nebraska's Randy Gregory will be off the board by the #13th overall pick and it is only 50/50 that Clemson's Vic Beasley would on the board.

One player that really has caught my eye with his overall growth on the field and his playmaking skills is Washington defensive tackle Danny Shelton.

He is not someone easy to miss out on the field.

At 6-1 3/4 and 340 pounds Shelton is a mountain of a man in the middle and in so many ways reminds me of New England Patriots noseguard Vince Wilfork when he came out of Miami (Fla.).

Last season for the Huskies Shelton registered a nation-leading 5 fumble recoveries, he had 93 total tackles, 16 1/2 tackles for losses and 9 quarterback sacks.

Those are huge numbers for an interior defensive lineman.

What is special about Shelton is his ability to keep low and get around opposing offensive linemen. He is physical at the point of attack, but it is his leverage skills and his ability to shed off the initial blow of an offensive lineman that really sticks out.

He has unusual quickness for such a huge man and he has shown the skillset to beat his man with not only power moves, but speed maneuvers also.

Big noseguards in the middle like Wilfork, Haloti Ngata, Dontari Poe and Randy Starks are special because they not only can tie up multiple blocks, but they also have great instincts to find the football and make a play in the backfield.

Shelton has those type skills too. And watch his hands and feet after the snap. They are both constantly moving and rarely is he flatfooted at the point of attack.

Former Dallas Cowboys director of college scouting Gil Brandt says that Shelton has unique qualities for such a large man.

"Normally a man 340 pounds can't move like Danny (Shelton) can move," Brandt said. "He has some Haloti Ngata-type skills as a noseguard and what jumps out about Ngata is that he can move so well for a big man. His athletic skills are outstanding. Shelton is similar in many ways. He's shorter, built a little lower to the ground, but my goodness he is quick. Back in the 1960's and 1970's the Kansas City Chiefs and Houston Oilers had a guy like him in Curley Culp. He also had a wrestling background and he was huge man also and tremendously quick. Danny can cause havoc inside just like Culp could. Curley is in Pro Football's Hall of Fame for his play."

Shelton credits his strength, leverage skills and wrestling background for his ability to beat his man with a quick initial move.

"I was a pretty good high school wrestler and in that sport it is all about technique, leverage, body balance and using not only your strength, but you need quick hands and arms to tie up your opponent. I used a lot of what I learned in wrestling and applied it to football. You have to be alert to the opponent's next move and so you have your eyes fixed on him, like you would the ballcarrier."

The former Washington star defender says that most question his stamina and how well he will hold up late in games as his biggest negative.

"They got wide receivers and defensive backs that wear down too late in a contest,” Shelton said. "I realize it is in question for me because of my size and I am paying more attention to what I eat and when I eat also. I do understand that if I get too big I will lose those special traits from a quickness standpoint. I think folks that haven't seen me play much will be impressed on how quick and fast my lower-body moves around. I have pretty quick feet. I am excited about the process. I am competitive and I just want to win. However I can contribute I am all for, but winning is paramount."

With Broderick Bunkley a likely salary-cap casualty and John Jenkins coming off a very disappointing year while he was in the Sean Payton doghouse for a stretch, watch what happens to Washington noseguard Danny Shelton. Shelton is indeed a difference-maker upfront for whichever team selects him and if available at #13 he would be very difficult to pass on by the New Orleans Saints.


Breaux Back in Louisiana

Former McDonogh 35 High School standout Delvin Breaux is back in Louisiana after playing two seasons in the Canadian Football League with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. Breaux agreed to terms with the New Orleans Saints after playing cornerback with the Tiger-Cats for the past two seasons.

The Saints were one of 17 teams including the Philadelphia Eagles, New England Patriots, Houston Texans, Arizona Cardinals, San Francisco 49ers and Pittsburgh Steelers that were vying for his services.

The 6-1, 190 pound Breaux was considered one of the elite defensive backs in the Deep South and one of the top players in the state of Louisiana before he suffered a serious neck injury playing for McDonogh 35. Breaux missed most of his junior season at McDonogh after suffering a broken leg.

His brother, Lionel, was a top rated wide receiver/track athlete at McDonogh 35 and he played for Ole Miss.

Delvin Breaux was never cleared to play college football at LSU and he played for the Louisiana Bayou Vipers of the Gridiron Developmental League in 2012 before he signed on briefly with the New Orleans VooDoo. From the VooDoo Breaux went to the Canadian Football League.

Breaux, now 25 years old, was in on 62 total tackles, 2 fumble recoveries and one pass interception in the CFL.

The former McDonogh 35 High School standout has excellent size for the cornerback slot, he has a long wingspan to get his hands on passes outside his body radius, he does a nice job redirecting wide receivers initially with his arms and hands and he is a very physical player with wide-outs downfield.

But what sticks out about Breaux is his ability to find the ball quickly in flight and he gets himself in a position to make a play on it.

Breaux has really upgraded his pass coverage skills during his time with Hamilton and he is quick in the hips and he does a nice job getting out of transition when making a move toward the football.

While he still needs some work on his backpedal technique and Breaux needs to physically get stronger, he has a real shot to be a contributor at the NFL level.

It will be interesting to see how Breaux reacts to NFL action. Young players are tested early and hard at the NFL level to see how well they hold up mentally to being attacked out on the field and while Breaux has good speed there is a question mark about his recovery speed that will be answered quickly in the NFL.

The Saints desperately need help at cornerback and Breaux could fit in nicely in the multiple defensive back schemes in the NFL. But the Saints will still need to find a starting NFL cornerback when NFL free agency starts up.


Donte To LSU

This past week LSU landed the most physically gifted prep defensive back I have seen come out of the state of Louisiana since Ed Reed in Riverdale High School cornerback Donte Jackson.

The 5-11, 170 pounder selected LSU over Georgia and USC during the recruiting process and he has a real shot to be a "special player" at the college level.

East St. John High School's Xavier Lewis is a tremendous cornerback prospect, but in watching both, Donte Jackson is a better player and that is really saying something.

Jackson's speed and recovery skills are off the charts as a prospect, but his greatest feature is his ability to find the football quickly in flight and make a play on it. A lot of players have speed and the physical ability to play cornerback, but few have the ball instincts and foot speed to make a play when the ball is in the air.

Jackson has that feature and he can make the interception and be a game-changer after the pickoff due to his running skills, very much like former Tiger and current Arizona Cardinals defensive back Tyrann Mathieu.

In many ways Jackson's overall game reminds me a lot of current LSU All-SEC cornerback Tre'Davious White, but Jackson is faster.

Jackson was used quite a bit as a receiver in high school and expect Les Miles to utilize his openfield running skills in the punt/kickoff return game as well.

With cornerback Jalen Collins declaring early for the 2015 NFL draft and Rashard Robinson in football purgatory for the 2015 season the Tigers need to find young players that can adapt quickly to college football.

In my 27 years of scouting I cannot remember a year when LSU has landed three "Gold Chip" type cornerbacks in one recruiting class like they have in 2015 in Kevin Toliver II from Trinity Christian Academy in Florida, Xavier Lewis from East St. John High School and the fleet-footed Jackson.

Last season safety Jamal Adams developed into a major league performer quickly for the Tigers and I expect Jackson to make a similar impact in 2015.

DBU has landed another top cornerback prospect and now LSU has landed the top three prospects in the state of Louisiana for 2015 in Warren Easton wide receiver Tyron Johnson, Catholic High School (Baton Rouge) halfback Derrius Guice and Jackson.

Over the past 5 drafts LSU has had 6 defensive backs selected and this season cornerback Jalen Collins and strong safety Ronald Martin are expected to boost that number again.

LSU, keep it rolling.


Follow Mike on Twitter at @MikeDetillier
 

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