Duncan: Terron Armstead is most intriguing and important rookie on Saints roster (1 Viewer)

[blackadder]

I couldn't even get past his first sentence. Still talking like we're the Aint's. Someone fire this bitter ***** already!

Lol, exactly.

"Few" things have been done right...

Yes, they've whiffed on defense mostly but still...

Arguably greatest free agent signing inb league history in Brees. A Super Bowl victory. One of the most prolific offenses in history, with key contributors as UDFAs, also one of the best win-loss records over the last 5 years until the "bounty" BS...

Duncan is so butthurt it's ridiculous. Just move on already, Jeff. Please. Or can't you find a job anywhere but the T-P??

 

[Saint_Ward]

I think it's fairly obvious if you watch the games. The key is the center of the line not allowing a push up the middle, giving Brees room to step up and avoid the outside rush and deliver the ball. All the tackles have to do is slow down the ends and force them to the outside. We make sure that we have pro-bowl caliber guards and pay them as such. Not so much for the tackles. Just about the only time the end gets to Drew is if he is able to bull rush through our tackles or unless Drew has trouble finding an open receiver.

Isn't that true for any offense where you have more of a pocket passer? You always want those middle 3 guys keeping the QB clean and giving him room to throw. That only doesn't matter on bootlegs and such.

I think Payton values consistent Offensive Line play (which is like what everyone wants).

The way I view the reality is that when Payton has been confident in a backup stepping up to the next level, we let them earn the job and don't buy someone in FA. If Payton doesn't trust the guys on the team to step up and start, we go get a FA or draft someone (or both).

When Goodwin left, he didn't trust Tennant, so we got Kruetz, that didn't work, but luckily we also had DLP on the roster.

When Nicks left we didn't have a viable backup that Payton was comfortable with.

I'll eat my crow if Payton, Brees, or someone else on the Saints goes out and says that they put a premium on Guards. Until then, it's just SR Lore at this point.

 

[Pdlc]

I think it's fairly obvious if you watch the games. The key is the center of the line not allowing a push up the middle, giving Brees room to step up and avoid the outside rush and deliver the ball. All the tackles have to do is slow down the ends and force them to the outside. We make sure that we have pro-bowl caliber guards and pay them as such. Not so much for the tackles. Just about the only time the end gets to Drew is if he is able to bull rush through our tackles or unless Drew has trouble finding an open receiver.

Yeh I thought it was obvious also.

 

[G&T]

Lol, exactly.

"Few" things have been done right...

Yes, they've whiffed on defense mostly but still...

Arguably greatest free agent signing inb league history in Brees. A Super Bowl victory. One of the most prolific offenses in history, with key contributors as UDFAs, also one of the best win-loss records over the last 5 years until the "bounty" BS...

Duncan is so butthurt it's ridiculous. Just move on already, Jeff. Please. Or can't you find a job anywhere but the T-P??

I have to admit, his hindend does seem to be perpetually sore when it comes to the Saints. He always seems to hide behind "professionalism" as he throws mud. I'd love to know what the SAints front office does to reporters when we aren't looking. Do they have linemen hold them down while Loomis and Coach gives them wedgies or something...?

His opening sentence was really eye opening...

 

[AdamWest]

I'll eat my crow if Payton, Brees, or someone else on the Saints goes out and says that they put a premium on Guards. Until then, it's just SR Lore at this point.

I wouldn't say it's "lore" at all; it's been pretty obvious for awhile now.

 

[los226]

Screw Duncan. I'll never read anything he writes again! I haven't read this piece, but judging by the other posts it cements my reasoning not to.

 

[Cougar 1]

But if its true we REALLY value interior play, why did we let Goodwin walk? Why did we let Nicks walk?

Goody was solid at C, and gave us good leadership and continuity. We let him go after 2010, and ended up with Olin, who became the starter in 2011, but quit on the team. And while DLP later got the job and did well, IMO we lost out on that continuity and a stronger start to the '11 season. Maybe 14-2, 15-1, instead of 13 -3 woulda been huge.

Nicks was one of the BEST guards in the NFL, an All Pro. Maybe why he left was more personal, maybe more money, but maybe feeling he should have been signed and locked in sooner.


While we let Bushrod walk, does that mean we dont value OT play? IMO, Bushrod was a young, solid LT. He started nearly every game the last 4 years, and received Pro Bowl honors. He did his job here, and was due a big payday. But many felt he wasnt worth it. "Because of Drew, we dont value OTs, and Bushrod stinks. And besides, we've got Charles Brown, who'll step in and we wont miss a beat"

The better reason we didnt re sign JB was we ended the '12 season with the worst D in NFL history. The little money we had was gonna have to go mostly to the defensive side of the ball. And with a new DC in RR and his 3-4 scheme comin in, we were really gonna need the money there. So its not that JB wasnt good enough to get a big contract, or we dont value OTs, it was more that we had serious, pressing needs at nearly every position on D.

As for us not valuing OTs, after losing JB, why did SP say he was so worried about the LT spot, that it "keeps him up at night"? And why did the Saints aggressively move up to draft Terron Armstead, a very athletic, but small school prospect, in the 3rd rd?


The answer is obvious: So SP could FINALLY get some sleep!

 

[BooBirdSaint]

If we can get back to our 2009 balanced attack then perhaps we can take some of the pressure off our tackles.

 

[Saint_Ward]

I wouldn't say it's "lore" at all; it's been pretty obvious for awhile now.

If you say it enough times it must be true.

That's what happens here. Again, read my main post and feel free to explain how obvious it is.

Because clearly I don't see it.

 

[Jiva]

The San Fran game last year shows how important our tackles are. Their ends were in Drew's pocket all day long. If he had better pass protection, he probably wouldn't have had that pick 6 for at TD right before the half and subsequent INT to start the second half.
We may not need Anthony Munoz at LT, but let's not pretend we don't need a quality player and that a really good player wouldn't make a difference. With that said, I think the real question is how much are we going to miss Kromer?

 

[MarkIngramfan16]

I not convinced this is a true statement.

Do any of us have any hard evidence that we actually value OG's more than OT's?

Since SP has arrived we have always made sure the offensive line was solid.

Since SP has arrived we have drafted 5 OT's, 4 OG's, and 1 C.

Since SP has arrived we've let go of two OT's only due to injury and we have re-signed/extended two OT's (Bushrod and Strief)

Since SP has arrived we've let Two Centers and One Guard leave for more money and we extended one OG and signed on FA OG.

As it stands, we've only currently spent big money on our two OG's. That's because one was rewarded for being a great player and teammate that we drafted and the other because he was out there.

Currently SP made mention that OT was an area he was concerned about, but most of the LT's on the market are either too expensive or have some questionmark with them (Long - Medical, McKinnie - weight).

Just because we haven't acted desperate at the OT spots doesn't mean they aren't valued. Our LT is still facing the best pass rushers and they have to be reliable.

This

 

[RJ in Lafayette]

If we had had a top two pick last week, we would have used it on an offensive tackle. We haven't used high picks on interior linemen, and we let Nicks walk.

I am not saying that the Saints don't value their guards. They do. But we have not repealed something akin to the law of gravity in professional football--that left offensive tackle is the most valued position on the offensive line because he plays the biggest role on the line in keeping the quarterback healthy.