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Big Opening at Guard for the Saints
By Mike Detillier
As the New Orleans Saints continue to make personnel and financial maneuvers to reshape the 2016 version of the New Orleans Saints, the decision early last week to cut loose veteran offensive guard Jahri Evans puts offensive guard on the very top of the “needs” list for the Black and Gold.
Evans was not just a good football player for the Saints, but an elite offensive guard. Ever since the Saints drafted Evans in the fourth round of the 2006 NFL draft Evans was a star offensive guard. The former Bloomsburg State standout was a 6-time Pro Bowl performer and a major part of two New Orleans Saints teams to play in the NFC Championship game and he was a force in the 2009 season that won Super Bowl XLIV.
Evans will go down as the best offensive guard to ever play for the Saints and the second best offensive lineman to ever wear the Black and Gold behind Willie Roaf.
It seems like just yesterday that the Saints had the two best starting guards in the league with Evans and Carl Nicks, but the sports version of Father Time hits everyone at different times. And like Roaf and Nicks, Jahri Evans will end his career somewhere else other than New Orleans.
Money issues and injuries at 32 years old make you a mercenary player in the NFL. When the 2016 regular season starts Evans will be 33 years old, but there are not 64 better offensive guards in the league. Evans, barring an injury, will start again in the NFL, but just not for the Saints. That leaves a glaring hole at offensive guard for New Orleans.
The key words for the New Orleans Saints in 2016 is to “Fix the Defense”, but with a veteran quarterback and major question marks at both offensive guard spots that spot has to be a quick “hit” spot for the New Orleans Saints when free agency starts.
One player to keep an eye on in veteran free agency is Seattle Seahawks offensive guard J.R. Sweezy. Sweezy, the former North Carolina State standout offensive lineman, has developed into the most consistent player upfront for the Seahawks and excelled as a run blocker. But his money demands may be a little too pricey for the Seahawks.
His connection to the Saints is that his offensive line coach with Seattle is Tom Cable and Cable is one of Sean Payton’s close friends and confidants in the coaching fraternity. And he has also played alongside Saints starting center Max Unger when Unger was in Seattle. Cable has long spoke glowingly about Sweezy as a player and his work ethic. At 26 years old today Sweezy would be a longterm solution at the offensive guard slot.
Let’s make no mistake about it the New Orleans Saints are built to win today on offense.
Brees’ talent gives them more than a fighting chance to win games each and every week. For the Saints to get back to the playoffs they need more than a piece or two on defense, but without good protection no quarterback is Superman.
Just ask Cam Newton.
The Saints have three pieces of the puzzle in place offensively upfront in center Max Unger, an emerging star left tackle in Terron Armstead and the 2015 first round pick in Andrus Peat manning the right offensive tackle. But both starting offensive guard spots are wide open.
Yes, the Saints need help at defensive end, defensive tackle, outside linebacker and at cornerback, but don’t be surprised to see the first veteran free agent signee at offensive guard.
And come draft time watch if the Saints don’t use a middle round pick on another offensive guard and one of those “watch for” players is Michigan offensive guard/center Graham Glasgow. The 6-6, 305 pounder was a former walk-on performer for the Wolverines and has excelled at both guard and center. Glasgow has had some off the field issues in his past, but he has worked hard to put those issues aside and he has the type versatility and work ethic the Saints seek in an offensive lineman.
Wentz to the Rescue
Every NFL team picking in the teens in Round One are thrilled with the talent level and the late success of North Dakota State quarterback Carson Wentz. Wentz and Goff are almost shoe-ins for being top 10 selections in the 2016 NFL draft class and that means for most teams picking from 11-19 that a defensive player they thought would long be gone just may be available.
There is still plenty of time to change this around, but here is my list of my top 23 players for the 2016 NFL draft:
1. Laremy Tunsil - Offensive Tackle, Ole Miss
2. Jalen Ramsey - Cornerback/Safety, Florida State
3. Jared Goff - Quarterback, California
4. Carson Wentz - Quarterback, North Dakota State
5. Joey Bosa - Defensive End, Ohio State
6. Myles Jack - Outside Linebacker, UCLA
7. Ronnie Stanley - Offensive Tackle, Notre Dame
8. DeForest Buckner - Defensive End, Oregon
9. Laquon Treadwell - Wide Receiver, Ole Miss
10. Vernon Hargreaves III - Cornerback, Florida
11. Jaylon Smith - Inside/Outside Linebacker, Notre Dame
12. A’Shawn Robinson - Defensive Tackle, Alabama
13. Shaq Lawson - Defensive End, Clemson
14. Mackensie Alexander - Cornerback, Clemson
15. Reggie Ragland - Inside Linebacker, Alabama
16. Andrew Billings - Defensive Tackle, Baylor
17. Robert Nkemdiche - Defensive Tackle, Ole Miss
18. Ezekiel Elliott - Halfback, Ohio State
19. Noah Spence - Defensive End, Eastern Kentucky
20. Andrew Billings - Defensive Tackle, Baylor
21. Paxton Lynch - Quarterback, Memphis
22. Jack Conklin - Offensive Tackle, Michigan State
23. Jarran Reed - Defensive Tackle, Alabama
The Ealy Factor
Almost lost in the Denver Broncos Super Bowl 50 (24-10) win over the Carolina Panthers was the breakout performance by Panthers defensive end Kony Ealy. Ealy, who the Panthers selected in the second round of the 2014 draft, seems to be another “force” on defense for a club already loaded with talent on that side of the ball.
There is no question that outside linebacker Von Miller led a Broncos defense that virtually single-handedly won Denver a world championship as he recorded 2 ½ quarterback sacks, 2 forced fumbles and he had one pass deflection versus the Panthers.
But Ealy recorded three quarterback sacks, forced one fumble, had one fumble recovery and even had one pass interception. His three quarterback sacks tied Reggie White and Darnell Dockett for the most quarterback sacks in a Super Bowl.
Now twice a year for quite some time the New Orleans Saints, Atlanta Falcons and Tampa Bay Buccaneers will have to go up against the likes of Kawann Short, Star Lotulelei, Luke Kuechly, Josh Norman, Thomas Davis and now Kony Ealy on defense. This Carolina Panthers football team is not going away anytime soon for the 3 other teams in the NFC South.
Even worse for the Saints was that in Round 2 of the 2014 NFL draft with the 58th overall selection New Orleans selected cornerback Stanley Jean Baptiste.
The Saints did pass on LSU standout wide receiver Jarvis Landry who the Miami Dolphins picked with the 63rd overall selection, but the Saints also passed on Kony Ealy who the Carolina Panthers picked with the 60th overall selection.
Devin White, another Myles Jack?
Word from coaches at LSU is that they can’t wait to see what happens in the spring and fall drills with already-enrolled freshman halfback/linebacker Devin White. White was an elite halfback and linebacker at North Webster High School and he has already expressed his wish to play halfback in the college ranks, but with Leonard Fournette-the best college football player in America on the roster along with Derrius Guice, Nick Brossette and Darrel Williams already on the team, White just might have to pick a number to play halfback, but there are openings at LSU at linebacker.
Watch and see if LSU coaches don’t take a page from the Jim Mora/UCLA playbook and use White in a manner similar to how the Bruins used halfback/outside linebacker Myles Jack the past few seasons.
White is way too good to be in a long line at halfback and he could really help an LSU team with little depth at linebacker.
Jabbar Back in Louisiana
Another hit of good fortunate has happened to LSU in the Tigers landing former Edna Karr High School head coach Jabbar Juluke as the new RB’s coach.
Juluke was head coach for Edna Karr for nine seasons and led his team to one state title and three consecutive appearances in the state championship game. In that timeframe Juluke had over 70 high school athletes from Edna Karr to sign scholarship papers to go on to attend college and play collegiate football.
After his successful tenure at Edna Karr Juluke went on to become the running backs coach at Louisiana Tech and he helped mentor one of the elite halfbacks in the nation in Tech’s Kenneth Dixon.
Following the 2015 season Jabbar signed on for a short tenure with Texas Tech before accepting the running backs coaching spot with LSU.
Juluke’s long time ties with players, coaches and programs in the New Orleans and surrounding area are a huge plus after losing Frank Wilson to Texas-San Antonio. In many ways Wilson and Juluke’s resumes are identical and the good fortune for LSU and Les Miles continues.
Follow Mike on Twitter at @MikeDetillier