Saints will need to draft an OT before defense (1 Viewer)

[Dart]

Agree with both of those comments. Bushrod isn't worthy of the contract he'll demand. So he walks. But there is no way I want to go into the 3rd round of the draft with Charles Brown as our starting LT.

A good LT would mean no more chip blocks and sproles, graham, pt could get back to catching balls, it'd give Drew more time to rip open defenses and it'd give us more smash in the run game. A great LT would be way more help than a situational pass rusher.

 

[jerryrip]

We will. Count on it.

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Do not think so.

 

[Professor]

It's just lunacy to think the Saints can't find a good O-lineman later in the draft. All of the Saints players on the O-line when they won the Super Bowl were not first-round picks. In fact, I think 2nd round was as high as it went, for Stinchcomb, who was already on the team when Payton arrived.

Bushrod: 4th
Evans: 4th (considered a reach by the "pundits")
Goodwin: 5th
Nicks: 5th round (considered a "developmental project")
Stinchcomb: 2nd

Stinchcomb is out of the league due to injuries. The others are still playing, with Goodwin the only question mark heading into next season with the 9ers, considering he will be entering his 12th season.

The Saints' best O-linemen from the Payton era were drafted in the 4th or 5th round. The Saints need defense, defense, defense in the first three picks. I, for one, will be happy for a "reach" or a "developmental project" for an O-lineman in the draft.

 

[Kurgan]

Still, tennant and brown have not been so good, talking about more recent history

 

[Goatman Saint]

No they haven't. But at the same time with the money that has been put into the middle of the line, I don't see them paying another 60+ million dollar man on the line. Certainly not for a guy who is not really a dominant LT. He's good for the system, but that's it. Loomis had all season to watch and plan for this and Payton had an off year to sit and watch game tape.

 

[bkratze]

When your defense is last in the NFL and sets records in the negative varitety.......I vote drafting D early and often!!

This!!!!!!

 

[State Of Affairs]

I think a lot of the Offensive decline had to due with missing the presence of the Head Coach, and Playcaller Sean Payton. With him back I instantly see little things, like attention to detail and concentration improving. .

I'm all for positive attitude but its hard to have objective conversations on this board when every negative is dismissed as unimportant. I'll even point out that I thought we could overcome the loss of sean payton but I can assure you that you don't lose Carl Nicks and you don't see a decline in production. Yes, the Saints offense will improve with the return of Payton but his return won't make the offensive line become all pros.

And as far as just scheming with chips and things, you can't continue to do that and not see a decline in production. Every guy on the field has a purpose and every receiver has a purpose even if it's to draw a defender away from the primary route. When a receiver chips, that means there's another defender free to make a play. That play can be a pass break up, a big hit or even a shoe string tackle that prevents a touchdown that would have been had a TE not had to chip to help a OT.

Scheme can only get you so far and the best teams win with talent AND good scheme. When all you do is scheme to cover up decencies, it will come back to get you at some point, especially when you run up against a team that has both.