Casserly nailed it in the post-PC comments (1 Viewer)

[SuperSaint]

After SP was finished with his press conference, NFLN had their usual stable of talking heads to comment, and Casserly pretty much nailed it, I thought.

He said, "The Saints have played so well on offense in the past few years that their holes on defense have been disguised, but those holes have always been there."

He said our main three needs on D are a pass rush DE, a DT that can play the run, and a cover safety(INDEED).

Having SP back is going to make some impact on the defense, but we need a good FA period and draft on defense.

 

[guidomerkinsrules]

how is that nailing it? isn't that what everyone has always said?

In the SB run it was TOs that "masked" our deficiences

 

[guillermo]

I have to agree with that, I actually think we would turn the thing around if by chance we can fill those positions. Several times I have written that I think we are 3 players away of having a decent defense.

 

[ASaintFerLife]

I agree with Charley, I think we can get the DE or DT in the first round, if we got our second pick back we could get a good safety.

 

[insidejob]

Every good defense has at least one stud at each level.

So we need 3.

 

[ndcc]

1. Put Martez back at LB.

2. Get a true cover safety (with speed, and who can actually catch the ball)... as in a young, healthy Darren Sharper.

3. An impact player with speed off the edge at DE.

4. Get rid of our experimental NT (aka: "Big Sed").

 

[v3kt0r]

We try to shore up our line, but we never get the same performance out of the guys when they get here.

Aubrayo Franklin, Shaun Rogers, Brodrick Bunkley

 

[stevend]

how is that nailing it? isn't that what everyone has always said?

In the SB run it was TOs that "masked" our deficiences

And Darren Sharper

 

[ClayT101]

DE round 1, hopefully Ed Reed by free agency.

 

[Tim C]

We need a long term safety, not a 1 year blanket.

 

[v3kt0r]

We need a long term safety, not a 1 year blanket.

If he plays like DS for a year I'll take it.

 

[bobad]

He said our main three needs on D are a pass rush DE, a DT that can play the run, and a cover safety(INDEED).

We should be flattered. Most of us hold the same opinion as an NFL GM/CEO.

 

[texasjefe]

We'll have more needs than we have on paper now because the cap is tough and there will be serviceable players let go.

I do think the pressure this team is under this offseason feels like the offseason of 2009, when there was concern whether Payton was going to get the Saints back to the playoffs after missing in 2007 and 2008. Was Payton going to be another Haslett?

No, and the rest is history.

 

[Bourbon]

We need to draft an all-pro caliber defense one of these days. We get patches in free agency every year but keep striking out with defenders year after year. The Packers, Steelers, Texans and Ravens all built and continue to bolster their defenses through the draft. We need to take a long hard look at our player personnel department.

 

[blackadder]

how is that nailing it? isn't that what everyone has always said?

In the SB run it was TOs that "masked" our deficiences

Pretty much.

But I think we are at the point here of noting that, yes, the Payton Brees combo is so good on offense it has carried the franchise. Yet, in 6 years, we have not been able to right the defense in such a way to make it just a little better than average.

If we had built just a top 15 defense and had consistent play, we'd prolly have 3 Lombardis at this point. So, really, it's time for maybe Payton and this coaching staff to evolve a little and think about the effort to make this a better rounded team as opposed to just building game plans and management around shootout football.

Drew won't be here forever. If Payton is thinking about a longer career that extends past the Brees era, he's got to get the dials right on all three phases of the game.