Offensive prospects: Mike Williams or O.J. Howard at 11 (1 Viewer)

[NOFALCONS10]

All of the defensive posts are making my eyes bleed. There is no way most of the top defensive needs won't get addressed in free agency before the draft. That said, Mike Williams or O.J. Howard might realistically be available at no. 11 and could help the team tremendously. If Payton doesn't go back to his bread and butter from 2006-2011 he will get fired and waste what will likely be Drew Brees' last year here.

Enter Mike Williams https://youtu.be/TW-0BK1bS-c

The benefit of Mike Williams is that combined with Mike Thomas on the outside you would have the most physical wr duo in the league and it will open Cooks up to burn defenses deep all game. It could put the team in that magic 500+ point range that helped AtL and Carolina make the superbowl these last two years.

O.J. Howard is a great receiver and is as physical of a blocker as Jeremy Shockey was. He was clearly the best player at the senior bowl and looked as good as Jimmy Graham did there a few years back.

https://youtu.be/CgGCLCBwzHU

 

[saintmike23]

I would be happy and very surprised if they drafted Williams. Is there room in a very talented receiving corps to develop another rookie one season after Thomas?

What happens to Snead's role?

I think it's too high to draft a TE unless you know you're getting Jimmy Graham. If it's between TE and Defense I'd rather take a defender, or even OL.

If this is a post about drafting offense early on then I say we draft Christian McCaffery because of his versatility and he could make the offense better when defenses go into those shell coverages that can slow us down if their secondary and DL are working together. If they account for the underneath route or the unpredictability of a run or pass by the rb then we can break those shell coverages.

 

[St. Geezy]

Honestly, I could see us filling all of our needs and going BPA. Even QB is on the table possibly, considering we have no QB under contract beyond this season and can't use the franchise tag.

 

[NOFALCONS10]

I would be happy and very surprised if they drafted Williams. Is there room in a very talented receiving corps to develop another rookie one season after Thomas?

What happens to Snead's role?

I think it's too high to draft a TE unless you know you're getting Jimmy Graham. If it's between TE and Defense I'd rather take a defender, or even OL.

If this is a post about drafting offense early on then I say we draft Christian McCaffery because of his versatility and he could make the offense better when defenses go into those shell coverages that can slow us down if their secondary and DL are working together. If they account for the underneath route or the unpredictability of a run or pass by the rb then we can break those shell coverages.

Snead would likely become the 4th option. A type of Rickey Proehl (Rams, Greatest Show on Turf) or Lance Moore rotation player.

I think that OJ Howard is clearly in the same class as a player like Shockey. Perhaps no Graham but possibly also like Jason Whitten too as a receiver. There aren't many defenders that will likely be available at that pick who are as good as him. Barnett, Quincy Wilson and Malik Mcdowell are possibilities but Howard immensely improves your run and pass blocking too so itbis a tough call.

Something about the way McCaffrey runs reminds me of Tiki Barber

 

[NOFALCONS10]

Honestly, I could see us filling all of our needs and going BPA. Even QB is on the table possibly, considering we have no QB under contract beyond this season and can't use the franchise tag.

I've been saying it since 2011.

Payton's safest bet and easiest route to the superbowl is just to keep outscoring opponents. 40 burgers ring a bell?

With a qb like Brees I'd take my chances in a shootout with anyone every game over relying on my defense in a close struggle.


I've been confused about the qb situation too. When everyone was crazy about defense last year and they were smokescreening for Paxton Lynch I was asking the question "Why not just draft Lynch?" If the defense flops again you are still without qb and your coach might get fired. If you're scoring 500 points a year then you are at least guaranteed to make the playoffs looking at history.

Honestly there are a few qbs later like Seth Russell, Phillip Nelson and Brady Gustafson who i think have starting potential in a couple of years. Gustafson is as tall as Lynch and even had an upset of NDSU led by eagle's rookie qb Carson Wentz in 2015. NDSU is like the New England Patriots of the FCS.

 

[TribuneUK]

All of the defensive posts are making my eyes bleed.

Well, we all know how much you love offense and debating offensive acquisitions.

There is no way most of the top defensive needs won't get addressed in free agency before the draft.

Conveniently ignores the fact that there is far more demand than supply in this market, see all the tagging of edge rushers devastating supply for reference. Meaning that drafting for defence has to occur.

Yes, I'm saying your premise is broken. Enjoy the thread regardless, I just wanted to lodge the objection.

 

[NOFALCONS10]

Well, we all know how much you love offense and debating offensive acquisitions.



Conveniently ignores the fact that there is far more demand than supply in this market, see all the tagging of edge rushers devastating supply for reference. Meaning that drafting for defence has to occur.

Yes, I'm saying your premise is broken. Enjoy the thread regardless, I just wanted to lodge the objection.

I don't dispute that edge rushers are needed but if you think outside of the box with free agent 3-4 linebacker types like Devin Taylor and Margus Hunt I think that you can find serviceable starters.

You also have to be willing to be flexible with your scheme and allow for more 3-4 to be played. Mike Nolan can help with that.

There is talk of players like Malik McDowell not even being drafted in round one. You also have 3-4 olb types like Trey Hendrickson and Bowser who will be available in round 3. Trey Hendrickson even reminds me of Justin Houston who I loved out of Georgia.

They can afford to take a major offensive player early.



I mean if the recent success of Carolina and Atlanta and the fact that the saints were 25th in D in 2009 hasnt driven the point home for offense then i dont know what will.

My premise is very sound

 

[Pdlc]

No and no

 

[tjharris]

The only 3 positions that should be off the table at #11 are QB, RB and OL. There just isn't value. The best RB for us, as far as fit goes is Samuel from OSU. Guard is a bigger need then tackle or center but the best 2 guards stayed in school. The QB class is pretty weak at the top. But to answer the OP's question Williams or Howard at 11 would be great, I just hope we get some talent on defense through free agency

 

[60minutes]

If Leonard Fournette is there at #11 he will be taken. The other two offensive players who could be considered at #11 are Dalvin Cook and the aforementioned OJ Howard. The team's selection of Fournette would not surprise anyone. But I get the sense they may like Cook and Howard a lot. Howard is a guy they've already spent some time with.

Defense is the priority. But some of us are kidding ourselves if we do not think that they will have a few offensive players in the cloud of prospects they will consider at #11, namely the three I have mentioned here.

 

[TribuneUK]

Your best defence of the premise is to push 3-4 OLB square legs into round DE holes? Thank you for reinforcing my point.

And if you hadn't referenced Carolina and Atlanta, I would have. Number one offense and highest scoring offense respectively. Both still lost to the better team with more defensive balance. I want us to win the super bowl, not just reach it.

Enjoy yourself, it's not happening, but enjoy the dream.

 

[Meachemdat]

I don't dispute that edge rushers are needed but if you think outside of the box with free agent 3-4 linebacker types like Devin Taylor and Margus Hunt I think that you can find serviceable starters.

You also have to be willing to be flexible with your scheme and allow for more 3-4 to be played. Mike Nolan can help with that.

There is talk of players like Malik McDowell not even being drafted in round one. You also have 3-4 olb types like Trey Hendrickson and Bowser who will be available in round 3. Trey Hendrickson even reminds me of Justin Houston who I loved out of Georgia.

They can afford to take a major offensive player early.



I mean if the recent success of Carolina and Atlanta and the fact that the saints were 25th in D in 2009 hasnt driven the point home for offense then i dont know what will.

My premise is very sound

The 2009 defense lead the league in scoring and only gave up 21 points per game. Without that defense you don't win the NFC champ game.

If the last 3 years haven't shown you that we don't win games by trying to outscore teams, I don't know what will.

We've lead the league in total offense and passing yards and have 3 straight 7-9 seasons to show for it.

 

[NOFALCONS10]

The 2009 defense lead the league in scoring and only gave up 21 points per game. Without that defense you don't win the NFC champ game.

If the last 3 years haven't shown you that we don't win games by trying to outscore teams, I don't know what will.

We've lead the league in total offense and passing yards and have 3 straight 7-9 seasons to show for it.

Without an offense pressuring the other team to pass and abandon the run to keep pace scoring that defense would likely have been even worse than it was with players like Shanle, Ayodele, and Hargrove as starters.

The offense made several teams one-dimensional due to the fact they had had to pass to catch up. You make it seem like the offense didn't make life easy for the defense that year. As if it was the defense that carried the offense mainly and not the other way around.


2013 your defense allowed 19 ppg and was ranked 4th. 91' only allowed 14ppg and the 2000 saints had 66 sacks?


Where are all of the championships? For those defensive squads?

 

[NOFALCONS10]

Your best defence of the premise is to push 3-4 OLB square legs into round DE holes? Thank you for reinforcing my point.

And if you hadn't referenced Carolina and Atlanta, I would have. Number one offense and highest scoring offense respectively. Both still lost to the better team with more defensive balance. I want us to win the super bowl, not just reach it.

Enjoy yourself, it's not happening, but enjoy the dream.

2009 team: #1 offense and WON the superbowl.

Who's dreaming now?

The saints have a superior qb and their great coaching put them over the top.

And as for 3-4 defense its quite the opposite. The saints have better talent now for a 3-4 and it's always easier to find 3-4 olbs than it is to find 4-3 ends.

 

[tjharris]

2009 team: #1 offense and WON the superbowl.

Who's dreaming now?

The saints have a superior qb and their great coaching put them over the top.

And as for 3-4 defense its quite the opposite. The saints have better talent now for a 3-4 and it's always easier to find 3-4 olbs than it is to find 4-3 ends.

In 09 we had a legitimate #1 and #2 corner, Lb's who could cover and a ball hawk at safety. All of which we lack on defense at the moment. I do think the need for an edge rusher is a little overblown but if one is available in the draft he could definitely help