The Saints will draft a DT with #1 pick........ (1 Viewer)

[CCL36]

There is a chance one drops to 8 if it goes like this:

1) Miami - Chris Long
2) St. Louis - Jake Long
3) Atlanta - Matt Ryan
4) Oakland - Darren McFadden (just re-signed Tommy Kelly for $50m)
5) Kansas City - almost certainly Ellis or Dorsey
6) NY Jets - Vernon Gholston (superb combine, outside edge rusher)
7) Patriots - no need for Ellis/Dorsey with 3 1st rounders perfectly suited and studs on their D-line

If one is on the board at 8, we must trade up

I agree we have to, because this will be the last shot at a permier DT in the draft for a while without mortgaging the farm. I can't even remember any of our third round picks over the last few years.

 

[St. Geezy]

I think cornerback is without a doubt the pick. No way this team goes into next year with its current cornerback situation. Even if Gay is signed, a new young stud is needed in the secondary. I think this staff keeps with their small school theme and selects Rogers-Cromartie at 10.

 

[CCL36]

There is good CBs mid to late in the first round every year but not so with premier DT talent. I suspect we won't take a CB if we are at all planning on building a championship callibur team. This is a copy cat league (Ex Drafting of Ginn in the shadow of Hester) and last year we saw a team with an offense that is inferior to ours win the Super Bowl with a weak secondary but a superior DL.

 

[St. Geezy]

There is good CBs mid to late in the first round every year but not so with premier DT talent. I suspect we won't take a CB if we are at all planning on building a championship callibur team. This is a copy cat league (Ex Drafting of Ginn in the shadow of Hester) and last year we saw a team with an offense that is inferior to ours win the Super Bowl with a weak secondary but a superior DL.

You are right, this is a copy-cat league and that's why I think both Ellis and Dorsey come off the board very early.

 

[CCL36]

You are right, this is a copy-cat league and that's why I think both Ellis and Dorsey come off the board very early.

Maybe So, If it comes down that we have to give up this years 2nd to move up I suspect that they draft for potential in a Corner (hopefully DRC) but I would suspect Jenkins or reach for a LB in Rivers.

 

[meily]

With such a glaring need at DT and Ellis and Dorsey projected to go ahead of #10, you'd think they would have made a stronger push for Rogers/Williams/Stroud. Do they know something we don't know? Are they THAT enamored with Balmer?

I think they like Balmer (like alot of clubs) and he would be the next best option if Ellis or Dorsey get selected before we choose, but I also thinks its still up in the air between CB, DT, LB in the first, but I think we are moving more toward CB, DT with the trade for Vilma.

 

[NCSaint]

Just say NO to Balmer.

 

[Doobsdemons]

Definitely need to address upfront more so than cb's. We had no push upfront and little pressure on the qbs. How many times did also-ran, never was qbs sit back, wait for a receiver to get open and fling it to him? Get 2 stud dts, another stud lb and feed JD to the lions.

 

[AARPSaint]

The problem with drafting a CB in the first tround is that it almost certainly means redshirting him. Although, given the starting CB's, a rookie might be a better choice. Which one will get picked on, the rookie or Jason David?
If you take the long view, a CB makes sense because McKenzie is not young, nor are Craft and Thomas. It seems clear that the FO is aware of the aging CB problem, but Josh Lay and David Jones didn't pan out.

 

[St. PJ]

I am on the DO NOT DRAFT BALMER IN ROUND ONE bandwagon.

 

[SW Saints Fan]

Perhaps we trade down and take Balmer and get an extra pick (LB?)

This is the route I mentioned yesterday. Trade down 6-8 spots and still get Balmer and get an extra pick. Go best CB available in rd 2. Still sign Gay to push for starting time or be our nickel back.

Right now all we can hang our hat on is we have re-signed quite a few players from a 7-9 team and we made a trade for a MLB that will either return to his tackling machine form OR show his knee injury is worse than thought. Not a lot of confidence right now.....not looking half-full, just being honest....

 

[Nevimeister]

I don't know man... had we made a couple moves to bring in a starter or 2 in the 1st couple days of free agency this would be justified. But since we didn't... we'll need to get at least 2... maybe 3 starters in the draft.

We have huge craters at CB, OLB, and TE. And to an extent... FS.

No way we can give away picks to move up to get a DT, when we already have Hollis, Klancy, Lake, and a newly-resigned Bryan Young... can't justify that trade.

All of the positions that I mentioned could have been upgraded with starters (that wouldn't break us), but either the players refused to talk, or our FO missed the boat.

I thought there was still hope for an OLB until I saw this morning that Demorrio Williams had signed with KC.

We needed quite a few players in the draft last year and wasted 2 picks trading up for Antonio Pittman. Trading up from 10 to 8 should only take a 4th rounder. I was basing this on the fact the Vilma pick was in 09, not 08. Even if we had to give up our 3rd and get an extra 5th or 6th rounder I'd do it. Hopefully we won't be in a position to draft a blue chip DT such as Ellis or Dorsey in future years, so if the opportunity presents itself you have to take it. A rookie corner is likely to have little impact see Antrell Rolle, Carlos Rogers, Darelle Revis, Leon Hall etc. etc. etc. It's why you fill holes in free agency. We've been down the Hollis Thomas/Brian Young road before. They are average players. Our defensive ends were 1st rounders and one got a $63m deal. We need to be able to collapse the pocket up the middle or take away attention to free up our ends to wreak some havoc. If we don't trade up to 8 for a DT and draft a guy like Keith Rivers to play WLB I'll be fuming. We can find a WLB in rounds 2/3. We won't be able to find an Ellis/Dorsey in this draft or any in the near future. All hypothetical as they may both go top 5, but if they don't we need to snag one

 

[Pokerbrat]

Ellis may not be gone by 10. The Bengals are losing Justin Smith and could go DE. Phillip Merling (Clemson) / Gholston fit the bill there possibly. The Chiefs have two young promising DTs in Tank Tyler and Turk McBride. The chiefs Oline is weak, they could trade down.

Ellis is not a lock to be gone @ 10.

 

[Kegger]

LOL

People.

We need a CB even if we get Randall

I'm more comfy with Young and Hollis then David and Craft.

I thought Young was a free agent?

 

[NOVASaint]

For those saying our DL is fine as it is, why didn't we get any pass rush this year? We were horrible. Possibly it's partly scheme because we wanted to focus on the run, and maybe adding Vilma will ameliorate that so that we don't have to ask the DE's to focus on the run, but I'm not sure that's even where the problem was.

I think the problem came from not having a reliable force in the middle of the line. Those few times when Hollis was fresh enough, and healthy enough, to make a push, our pass rush looked pretty good. But he couldn't keep up. Hollis needs to be coming off the bench spelling for a guy who is better than him. Then we'd have a pass rush.