- Admin
- #1
Offline
The Obvious Needs for the Saints
By Mike Detillier
Last weekend’s 41-38 loss to the Carolina Panthers by the New Orleans Saints showed exactly where the Black and Gold have to target “personnel” wise in the offseason of 2016.
The Saints played hard and gave great effort versus the undefeated Carolina Panthers, but in the first half they just could not score enough points to put better distance on Carolina and in the second half of the game they could barely get a pass rush on Panthers signal-caller Cam Newton.
Due to injuries to Delvin Breaux and earlier in the year to Keenan Lewis the Saints could not match up coverage wise at cornerback, they made a host of mental errors and seemingly had no answer talent wise or scheme wise to slow down the Panthers.
In many ways what I wrote last week holds true, the Panthers have that “it” factor good teams have and bad ones don’t. Carolina found a way to win and the Saints just couldn’t.
The Saints recorded 3 takeaways in the first half versus the Panthers and yet only had a 16-13 lead at halftime.
If the 2006, 2009 or 2011 New Orleans Saints teams were on the field the Saints would have had a 30-13 lead with 3 turnovers.
Instead the Saints were barely clinging to a lead.
Offensively in 2016 the Saints will need a new pair of starting offensive guards, most likely both veteran players, and a playmaker at wide receiver.
Brandin Cooks has the “flash” skills to spread a defense out and make a big play downfield, but what the Saints lack is a true #1 wide receiver to excel in the short to medium passing areas of the field.
Cooks does not have the size or bulk to run those type routes and make those move the chains plays, and at times he does whatever he can to avoid contact.
Give the Saints scouting department great credit in 2006 uncovering Hofstra University wide receiver Marques Colston.
In Sean Payton’s offense he was a perfect fit.
Colston had great size, he could work the short to intermediate areas of the field with precision and he was a size mismatch for opposing defenders.
But now Colston is getting a call from someone who has never lost a battle, “Father Time.”
With a likely Top-10 pick there is only one wide receiver I would use that early a selection on and that would be Ole Miss end Laquon Treadwell, but that all would depend on if a top pass rush defensive end or outside linebacker would still be available.
For the Saints their top need is to get a pass rusher that would put fear in opposing quarterback’s minds or complicate an opposing team’s game plan.
But if they decide to go offense, then Treadwell would be a great fit.
The Rebel wide receiver is not a kingsized end (6-1 ¾,) nor is he someone that has sprinter’s type speed, but he is super quick, he gets into and out of his cuts in a flash, he has sure hands, excellent concentration skills and he has an extra gear to kick into out in space.
In so many ways Treadwell reminds me of former St. Louis Rams wide receiver Torry Holt when he came out of North Carolina State.
And the young man has heart. He came back from a horrific leg/ankle injury sustained late in the 2014 Ole Miss/Auburn game to catch 76 passes for 1,082 yards and 8 touchdowns and he was the only SEC wide receiver to catch passes for over 1,000 yards despite consistent double team coverage.
Treadwell would be a super fit, but for the Saints they are in desperate need of a pass rush defensive end or outside linebacker. You want to pick the highest rated player on the board and that pass rusher just might not be there, but if he is, he wears the Black and Gold.
Unless the Saints end up with a top 6 pick, and that is still a possibility, it would be only an outside possibility to get another Rebel standout in defensive tackle Robert Nkemdiche or Ohio State defensive end Joey Bosa-who I think will be the first defensive lineman off the board.
But there are two outside linebacker possibilities that should be on the board from 6 thru 12.
Notre Dame ‘s Jaylon Smith is my top ranked linebacker. The 6-3, 245 pounder has played inside linebacker for the Irish the past two seasons, but he started his college career out on the edge and he is one of the elite football players/athletes in the draft class of 2016.
Smith has great size, he is explosive moving up the field as a pass rusher, Jaylon is a ferocious openfield tackler, he has a unique skillset to take on and shed off blockers quickly at the point of attack and he is a very good cover linebacker.
Smith still has the decision to make to either return to Notre Dame for another season or come out early, but I would be shocked if he played another season of college football.
Jaylon Smith is a stud football player and he will have a host of teams interested in his services very early in Round 1.
The other linebacker to watch for as a top-12 pick is UCLA’s Myles Jack.
The 6-1 ½, 244 pounder missed a great portion of the 2015 due to a torn meniscus in his knee and he has already announced he is coming out early for the 2015 NFL draft.
In 2013 Jack was the PAC-12 Offensive and Defensive Player of the Year playing both running back and outside linebacker. As a sophomore Jack was in on 88 tackles, 8 tackles for losses, 7 pass deflections on defense and he rushed for 113 yards on 28 carries and scored 3 touchdowns on offense as a halfback.
Myles Jack has great foot speed coming off the edge, he has tremendous closing ability in getting to the quarterback, he is very smart to quickly diagnose what is breaking down in front of him and he can also smoothly drop back into his coverage assignments as a linebacker.
Bank on this, once Jack works out for the scouts or in individual drills he will be a red hot commodity for teams looking for pass rushers.
It is 1-A and 1-B for the New Orleans Saints in 2016. They need a top edge pass rusher at either defensive end or outside linebacker and a playmaker of the highest order at wide receiver.
Mike D’s Top 20 Prospects for the 2016 NFL Draft
1. Laremy Tunsil - Offensive Tackle, Ole Miss
2. Paxton Lynch - Quarterback, Memphis
3. Joey Bosa - Defensive End, Ohio State
4. Jared Goff - Quarterback , California
5. Robert Nkemdiche - Defensive Tackle, Ole Miss
6. Jaylon Smith - Inside/Outside Linebacker, Notre Dame
7. Jalen Ramsey - Cornerback, Florida State
8. Ronnie Stanley - Offensive Tackle, Notre Dame
9. Laquon Treadwell - Wide Receiver, Ole Miss
10. Myles Jack - Outside Linebacker, UCLA
11. DeForest Buckner - Defensive End, Oregon
12. A’Shawn Robinson - Defensive Tackle, Alabama
13. Vernon Hargreaves III - Cornerback, Florida
14. Kenny Clark - Defensive Tackle , UCLA
15. Reggie Ragland - Inside Linebacker, Alabama
16. Taylor Decker - Offensive Tackle, Ohio State
17. Shaq Lawson - Defensive End, Clemson
18. Ezekiel Elliott - Halfback, Ohio State
19. Leonard Floyd - Outside Linebacker, Georgia
20. Tre’Davious White - Cornerback' LSU
Perfect Fit
For most NFL players “fit” is vital for long term success in the NFL. On a 53-man roster there are most likely 6 to 8 players that would perform at the same level no matter where they end up in the league. For the vast majority, it is all about fit.
There will be much debate about which team or teams fit 2015 Heisman Trophy winning halfback Derrick Henry the best. Looking at the type offenses they run the perfect fit for Henry would be either the Carolina Panthers or the Seattle Seahawks in Round 1.
I have the hard-charging 6-3, 230 pound Alabama halfback the 31st best overall player available and picking late that fit with the Panthers would seem right.
Impressed with Fritz
I come away very impressed with the hiring of Willie Fritz as the new head coach of the Tulane Green Wave. First of all this program needed someone with head coaching experience and with a winning track record.
They got that in Fritz. He has recorded a 154-69 mark over the course of 19 seasons at Central Missouri, Sam Houston State and Georgia Southern and done it in those three places in different ways, but winning ways.
The problem Fritz will have is getting Tulane to again be the #2 school in the state for players who are not going to LSU.
During Tulane’s better days they had established that secure “place” spot, but not anymore. Teams like Texas A&M, TCU, Baylor, Louisiana Tech, Ole Miss, Mississippi State and Arkansas have elbowed themselves in position to take away quality Louisiana talent that aren’t offered by the Tigers.
That is the big catch for Fritz. He is innovative, smart, a terrific motivator and he is known for using the talent on hand in the very best manner. Louisiana is blessed with outstanding running backs and receivers, but the key offensively for Fritz is to either develop or recruit the right quarterback that will fit what he wants to run offensively.
On defense the Wave have some talent in the secondary, but they lack quality big men upfront and they have very little big man depth.
I like the hire of Fritz for Tulane and I got a feeling if he can get some support from the high administrative folks at Tulane, he will put them a winner on the field pretty quickly. Willie Fritz is a 1st class quality coach.
Follow Mike on Twitter at @MikeDetillier