Defense:
Key Off-Season Moves- Signing FA Scott Fujita and trading for veteran DT Hollis Thomas.
DL- Having two of the best defensive ends in the NFL helps with a pass rush, but having no interior line will hinder your ability to stop the run. Charles Grant looks to improve on a poor season of 2.5 sacks and return to his 2004 form. Will Smith looks to finally make it to the 10+ sacks club after recording 16 sacks in his first two years. Jimmy Verdon and rookie Rob Ninkovich will be the backups to these men.
At defensive tackle, the Saints are one of the weakest teams in the NFL. Signing Cedric Woodward and trading for Hollis Thomas shows some initiative to help out Brian Young and Willie Whitehead. Rodney Leslie and Josh Williams will rotate in as well. The Saints need the depth at DT.
Grade = C
LB- Outside linebacker is one of the stronger positions on defense for the Saints, yet there is a void of experience in the middle. Alfred Fincher seems to be the leading candidate to win the starting nod with Nate Wayne backing him up. Cie Grant never panned out after three years of injury problems and was cut.
At OLB, Tommy Polley and Scott Fujita will be the starting men for now. Terrance Melton though, with a good pre-season, could unseat Polley, who became the starter after Anthony Simmons abruptly retired in the middle of training camp. Colby Bockwoldt is a versatile LB who has been getting looks at all spots and has a chance to start at any LB position. The most obvious spot is the Sam backer though. Russell Rabe will most likely miss the cuts.
Grade = D
DB- With a warehouse full of safeties, the Saints have plenty of looks. After conflicting with the new head coach Sean Payton, Dwight Smith was abruptly let go. Second year man Josh Bullocks will compete for a starting safety position, most likely as a free safety.
At strong safety, Bryan Scott and Roman Harper will battle it out. Omar Stoutmire and Jay Bellemy bring veteran experience to the position. At cornerback Mike McKenzie is the sure No. 1 with Fred Thomas and Jason Craft battling it out for the second spot. Joey Thomas and Fred Booker will battle it out for the dime spot. Anwar Phillips will make the roster for the sake of depth.
Grade = C+
Special Teams
Handling Place Kicking duties will be John Carney, with the punter being former Pro Bowler Mitch Berger. The kick returner will be Michael “The Beer Man” Lewis and Aaron Stecker. Returning punts will be Donte Stallworth and Adrian McPherson. Reggie Bush could see limited action here after his prolific returning ability in college.
Grade= B+
Overview
The Saints will improve on their 3-13 record last year, but the question is, how much? They could be a playoff team, but they could also be a six-win team. It all depends on the success the offensive line has this year, and the ability to stop the run in the middle.
If Drew Brees proves to be a great acquisition and Bush lives up to the hype, the Saints could catch many teams lying down on them and take the NFC South. This of course is all speculation at this point.
Team Grade = B- Predicted Record = 8-8
