Lehman. Thomas, B. James and B. Carpenter (1 Viewer)

[guillermo]

I know we all would like to find a quick solution for the linebacker play, but I think it is not only a matter of getting one player that will make the difference. We not only need new starters, we need depth.

Now the experience on Zack Thomas should teach us that we will be facing tough competition attracting players. Forget about the market, the biggest problem is that all teams are looking to improve and competition increases. We have to realize that there will be tought competition even to trade for Jonathan Vilma.

For that matter, I would love the saints to consider bringing two players that were very good in college and have faced bad situations as pros: Teddy Lehman and Dontarrius Thomas. Lehman was a great MIKE at college and is at least great at special teams. Dontarrius Thomas played along Karlos Dansby, can play all 3 linebacker positions and have been a backup to a very competitive EJ Henderson.

Also, we should consider that the cowboys signing Thomas may not be all bad news for the saints: this signing may be the end of Bobby Carpenter with the cowboys and at least he is worth a look. Also Thomas is very similar in size and style than Brady James. It is more logical that Thomas will take the place of James then the bigger Ayodele. Some interesting line to follow.

As I said before, I am not proposing these players as the solution, but at least they will help us building better depth. I don't think they will be as pursued as the usual suspects, giving us chances to sign them at a good price.

 

[Skip Bayless]

Why on earth does everyone want B. Carpenter??

What has he proven in the NFL??

and don't give me that "but but he doesn't fit into the system"

if your a good player with talent your going to be starting especially with a team that runs a 3-4

 

[NJDevilSaints]

Why on earth does everyone want B. Carpenter??

What has he proven in the NFL??

and don't give me that "but but he doesn't fit into the system"

if your a good player with talent your going to be starting especially with a team that runs a 3-4

That's not true at all. Some players don't have the body or skillset for certain systems. Doesn't mean they can't excel in others.

 

[MSUSousaphone]

What has he proven in the NFL??

How many available MLBs have?

 

[guillermo]

Skip, did you ever see Carpenter played in college? He was a very productive linebacker, as Lehman and Thomas. I just can't beleive that these players forgot how to play ball as soon as they become pros. You may see cases like Dwayne Rudd, it took him time to hit the starting lineup and had a great season last year. The players I previously mentioned, for one reason or the other have had a difficult time with their teams, than don't make them bad players just because they haven't started.

I think that if you read my post carefully you may understand that I am saying that they are worth a look, not maybe to start (although we may get a surpise) but as depth. They are certainly better than the back-ups we currently have.

I posted this thread because a lot of the posters around here are living in dreamland, considering that we will bring some of the high-price free-agents and immediatelly solve the problem at defense.

Me, I am more realistic and think that you build with the draft and middle of the road free agents. To me, this is the logical way to go.

 

[jazzjack]

Peterson from the Jags might also be available.

 

[guillermo]

Peterson from the Jags might also be available.

Really? By trade or will he be cut?

Great player, 31 years old but injured the last couple of seasons. I wonder how healthy he is but I presume he would get a lot of attention in the open market.

 

[livefromDC]

Why on earth does everyone want B. Carpenter??

What has he proven in the NFL??

You're right, I don't get the fascination either. I especially like the "but he was a beast in college" argument. And how many of those college beasts done nothing in the pros? A beastly number.

He's average their, he would be average here. We have enough average LBs. Lets move on.

 

[Skip Bayless]

]Skip, did you ever see Carpenter played in college? He was a very productive linebacker,[/B] .

Jonathan Sullivan was productive in college

Ryan Leaf was productive in college

you get what im saying right??

NFL and college are two different things

if he can't make it on the cowboys i don't want him here

Im tired of this team being the trash collectors...

 

[mony_b22]

Not comparing teams but...

Jonathan Sullivan was productive in college

Ryan Leaf was productive in college

you get what im saying right??

NFL and college are two different things

if he can't make it on the cowboys i don't want him here

Im tired of this team being the trash collectors...

Fujita was washed up in Dallas, look at him here. Copper cut probably our most reliable sp team guy as well asa reliable receiver. I promise you, they wished they had copper last year when glenn was down and crayton couldn't catch a cold in the playoffs. A team like the pats have made their franchise on players that were considered washed up or over the hill. Now i will say that every player cut should be evaluated with a fine tooth comb but to say some players we get are trash to another team is a little bit of a reach. People talked about welker who got traded to pats was a reach. You see how he turned out. Only had won TD his whole career and gets with brady and he is uncoverable in the slot. It isn't always about the player it is how the player is used sometimes. I'm beginning to think u really are SKIP. Skip is that you?????

 

[Joodas Avila]

Dontarrius Thomas is a good player, he just got burried on the depth chart. I'd live to see us give the guy a workout. As far as this love/hate thing with Bobby Carpenter, he's never seen the field either. He's in the same position as Dontarrius Thomas, he had better players in front of him, Pro Bowlers for that matter. There's no doubt that Bobby Carpenter was a player in college. He just needs to see the field. If sinks or swims, no one knows. So to say a guy is or isnt a good player, without ever seeing play in a game is rather foolish.

We had guys like Sedrick Hodge, Courtney Watson, James Allen, Colby Bockwaldt, Mark Simoneau, need I go on. At this point, any one and everyone would be a welcome change from those guys.

 

[st.kings]

we have not had a mlb since ah ah ah winfred tubbs?

 

[livefromDC]

We had guys like Sedrick Hodge, Courtney Watson, James Allen, Colby Bockwaldt, Mark Simoneau, need I go on. At this point, any one and everyone would be a welcome change from those guys.

The arguement is that the guys this thread proposes we target would be more of the same...Hodge, Allen, Buckholdt, Carpenter, etc., etc., insert average player here.

 

[yankmccobb76]

Well, if we are going to take other peoples cast-offs that they don't want anymore then I say we go after the best one. That would be Vilma.

I don't see why it would be a pipedream for us to land him. He will virtually have no say so in who he is dealt to. If we offer what they want then he should be ours. Bring him in and do the medical evaluations necessary and if he clears and can be ready for the start of the season you have a 25 year old pro-bowl player at LB'er.

Here is some stats for his first 3 years.

Defense Stats
YEAR TEAM G TOT SOLO AST PD SACK
2004 NYJ 16 108 82 26 5 2
2005 NYJ 16 173 128 45 6 1
2006 NYJ 16 117 69 48 4 0

 

[seraph33]

Jonathan Sullivan was productive in college

Ryan Leaf was productive in college

you get what im saying right??

NFL and college are two different things

if he can't make it on the cowboys i don't want him here

Im tired of this team being the trash collectors...

The cowboys are pretty deep at LB. Then who do we sign. Just cus we go after someone like Briggs or Samuel doesn't mean we will sign them. I have to think we offered Thomas a longer better deal than the Cowboys (the agent bascially said that it wasn't about money, it was about coming home). We are not as attractive to free agents as other teams, unless we want to really overpay. I mean we can give Samuel the 100 million dollar deal he wants. Patriots run alot of zone too, and you know what happens when zone guys come and play for our man coverage scheme.

Just curious who would have us go after?