boutte
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Well it looks like it’s “wait till next year” time again. I know we’re not eliminated yet but realistically our chances are slim at best. Like Fahad suggested in his thread it may be time to start looking at our young players in order to evaluate their ability to contribute on a long-term basis. I’m not in favor of giving up on the season yet, but what harm could there be in looking at Usama Young at CB or Meachem at WR?
Once again our boys have crushed our dreams of NFL glory, for this season at least, but we have a lot of young talent on the roster. If you look at the most deficient areas on the team they are, for the most, part being manned by veterans who will likely never get better. The most glaring weakness, of course, is CB. Jason David came to us with three years as a starting C.B. for a championship team on his resume. Unfortunately he has been a spectacular failure and has cost us several games this year. Could Young really be that much worse? I doubt it.
In addition to the terrible play at CB our safeties have generally been poor most of the year. Roman Harper has struggled at times this season but I believe he will develop into a solid SS for us but I’d like to see if Chris Reis is a viable back up or do we need keep looking. Kevin Kaesveharn is decent but not someone we can expect to ever be anything more than an average though versatile backup. Josh Bullocks is not the answer as a quality, starting, free safety. At this point we have no alternative but to continue to start him as there is currently no one on the roster who can seriously challenge him. We need to address this position in the off-season. Where’s Tebucky Jones when you need him?
Thank God for Mike McKenzie.
What do we have to do get a decent corps of LB on this team? Did we use all of our LB karma in the ‘80s and ‘90s? There is not one ex-Saint LB on an NFL roster. (Dhani Jones doesn’t count) Surely we’ve got a little credit in the LB department coming by now. Mark Simmoneau was adequate in 06 but has been a weak link this year and there is no reason to think he’ll be any better next season. I thought Shanle played well last year but he’s pretty much disappeared in ’07. Apparently Brian Simmons is done. Looking at the roster doesn’t fill me with any confidence that we will be much improved in ’08. We should at least give Mitchell and Evans some snaps. Again, what do we have to lose? From what I can see there doesn’t seem to any AJ Hawk types available in the draft so hopefully the team will make some moves in FA this year. We’ve suffered with sub-standard (putting it kindly) linebackers for way too long. Scott Fujita is the best LB we’ve had in at least a decade.
We’ve got a pretty good DL but as some one else on the forum pointed out both Will Smith and Charles Grant look to be over weight this year which might explain the lack of pressure on opposing QBs. There have been a lot of times this year when Smith would have had the sack if he were just one step faster. Hopefully he will regain the form that made him a pro-bowl DE last year. If not we’re going to need to find a way to improve the pass rush. I think we got caught with our pants when we let Rob Ninkovich get away from us. Grant is a better than average DE but is not, and never will be, a great pass rusher. Both Wynn and Cooper have shown flashes of ability this season but what we need is some one who can consistently get in the QBs face. As of now there isn’t any one on the roster who appears to be able to do that.
On offense we’re in much better shape but there are definitely areas that need improvement most noticeably on OL. I don’t think Stinchcomb is nearly as bad as he’s made out to be but that’s not to say that we couldn’t stand to improve here. His biggest down fall seems to be a lack of strength. When Brees is pressured it most often is a result of Stinch getting bull rushed into the backfield. Luckily Drew seems to know this and gets rid of the ball before it results in a sack. The answer I think is to put Streif in at RT. The guy is enormous and has played very well when given a chance. Why people think Stinchcomb is more suited to play guard is a mystery to me.
Nesbit is similar to Stinchcomb in that he is a reliable veteran who is an asset to the team but is not exceptional and is probably more suited to being a utility type Olman who can step in when needed. Time to see what Alleman can do. If he can’t push for the starting LG job we need to look at picking up some one who will. (Faneca?) Jermon Bushrod seems to be some one the coaching staff has high hopes for but you can only learn so much about a player from practice. Let’s get him in there.
If ‘07 has taught us anything it’s that you can’t have too many RBs. Deuce is out Reggie’s beat up and Stecker can only do so much. Sit Reggie down! His psyche is bruised and his body’s battered. What’s the point in making him play injured when we have two young backs in Jamaal Branch and Pierre Thomas who the coaching staff apparently believes have a future in the NFL? (Did we ever re-sign Branch?)
I’m not even going to get into the Meachem discussion but it seems obvious to me that we need to find some one to line opposite Colston.
And last but not least they should hire ME. I'm looking for a job and I'll work cheap. Obviously I have a lot of time,on my hands. Why won't they call me back?
Once again our boys have crushed our dreams of NFL glory, for this season at least, but we have a lot of young talent on the roster. If you look at the most deficient areas on the team they are, for the most, part being manned by veterans who will likely never get better. The most glaring weakness, of course, is CB. Jason David came to us with three years as a starting C.B. for a championship team on his resume. Unfortunately he has been a spectacular failure and has cost us several games this year. Could Young really be that much worse? I doubt it.
In addition to the terrible play at CB our safeties have generally been poor most of the year. Roman Harper has struggled at times this season but I believe he will develop into a solid SS for us but I’d like to see if Chris Reis is a viable back up or do we need keep looking. Kevin Kaesveharn is decent but not someone we can expect to ever be anything more than an average though versatile backup. Josh Bullocks is not the answer as a quality, starting, free safety. At this point we have no alternative but to continue to start him as there is currently no one on the roster who can seriously challenge him. We need to address this position in the off-season. Where’s Tebucky Jones when you need him?
Thank God for Mike McKenzie.
What do we have to do get a decent corps of LB on this team? Did we use all of our LB karma in the ‘80s and ‘90s? There is not one ex-Saint LB on an NFL roster. (Dhani Jones doesn’t count) Surely we’ve got a little credit in the LB department coming by now. Mark Simmoneau was adequate in 06 but has been a weak link this year and there is no reason to think he’ll be any better next season. I thought Shanle played well last year but he’s pretty much disappeared in ’07. Apparently Brian Simmons is done. Looking at the roster doesn’t fill me with any confidence that we will be much improved in ’08. We should at least give Mitchell and Evans some snaps. Again, what do we have to lose? From what I can see there doesn’t seem to any AJ Hawk types available in the draft so hopefully the team will make some moves in FA this year. We’ve suffered with sub-standard (putting it kindly) linebackers for way too long. Scott Fujita is the best LB we’ve had in at least a decade.
We’ve got a pretty good DL but as some one else on the forum pointed out both Will Smith and Charles Grant look to be over weight this year which might explain the lack of pressure on opposing QBs. There have been a lot of times this year when Smith would have had the sack if he were just one step faster. Hopefully he will regain the form that made him a pro-bowl DE last year. If not we’re going to need to find a way to improve the pass rush. I think we got caught with our pants when we let Rob Ninkovich get away from us. Grant is a better than average DE but is not, and never will be, a great pass rusher. Both Wynn and Cooper have shown flashes of ability this season but what we need is some one who can consistently get in the QBs face. As of now there isn’t any one on the roster who appears to be able to do that.
On offense we’re in much better shape but there are definitely areas that need improvement most noticeably on OL. I don’t think Stinchcomb is nearly as bad as he’s made out to be but that’s not to say that we couldn’t stand to improve here. His biggest down fall seems to be a lack of strength. When Brees is pressured it most often is a result of Stinch getting bull rushed into the backfield. Luckily Drew seems to know this and gets rid of the ball before it results in a sack. The answer I think is to put Streif in at RT. The guy is enormous and has played very well when given a chance. Why people think Stinchcomb is more suited to play guard is a mystery to me.
Nesbit is similar to Stinchcomb in that he is a reliable veteran who is an asset to the team but is not exceptional and is probably more suited to being a utility type Olman who can step in when needed. Time to see what Alleman can do. If he can’t push for the starting LG job we need to look at picking up some one who will. (Faneca?) Jermon Bushrod seems to be some one the coaching staff has high hopes for but you can only learn so much about a player from practice. Let’s get him in there.
If ‘07 has taught us anything it’s that you can’t have too many RBs. Deuce is out Reggie’s beat up and Stecker can only do so much. Sit Reggie down! His psyche is bruised and his body’s battered. What’s the point in making him play injured when we have two young backs in Jamaal Branch and Pierre Thomas who the coaching staff apparently believes have a future in the NFL? (Did we ever re-sign Branch?)
I’m not even going to get into the Meachem discussion but it seems obvious to me that we need to find some one to line opposite Colston.
And last but not least they should hire ME. I'm looking for a job and I'll work cheap. Obviously I have a lot of time,on my hands. Why won't they call me back?
