Who Dat News: Tom Benson Banking On the Big Easy

News: According to the New Orleans Saints official website, Saints owner Tom Benson has purchased the local FOX affiliate in New Orleans for a reported $41 million on Monday.

Who Dat Say: The move can really be seen in 2 different ways: Either Benson is reconfirming to the city of New Orleans that the Saints will remain for the long run or he is doing everything in his power to shape public perception that he wants to stay in New Orleans by actively investing in the city. Why would Benson want to do such a thing? Well, for one, Benson is still not wholly loved by the public in New Orleans, and investing in a community is always a good move from a PR standpoint. At the same time, if Benson does see the team's future in another city, then this move will give Benson even more leverage with Commissioner Goodell and the other owners. When the time comes for Benson to request a move, he will truly be able to say he did everything he could to help save the city of New Orleans. He will have in essence, paid his dues, and thus be more deserving of a favorable move. We, as *New Orleans* Saints fans, would like to believe that the Saints will, in fact, be staying in New Orleans for the long run, and Benson is simply making a smart business decision. But in the high stakes world of NFL ownership, it is simply impossible to truly know what is going on behind closed doors without being in the room yourself.

Who Dat News: Shaun Alexander Visiting the Nolia

News: According to NFL.com, Shaun Alexander will visit New Orleans on Wednesday on a free agent visit. Alexander also visited Cincinnati onMonday.

Who Dat Say: Given the interest we have shown in bigger, physical backs like Jonathan Stewart, Matt Forte, Lynell Hamilton, and Olayani Sobomehin, the Saints are likely looking to upgrade their between-the-tackles running game and could be hinting that Deuce’s knee problems might be worse than we have been led to believe. Regardless, it is hard to believe that the Saints would be interested in Alexander as a feature back. Therefore, Loomis and company probably will not offer the kind of money that Alexander might be seeking initially. However, in testing the free agent market, Alexander should quickly find that his 3.5 yards per carry of the last two years will net him only a backup's salary. I tend to think Alexander is just old, soft, and slow; but he might have a little left in the tank if used in a specialized role. At the right price, I wouldn't mind seeing the Saints take a flier on Alexander and installing him in a Marion Barber or Brandon Jacobs-type role in red zone situations. If he could produce in the red zone anywhere near his 2005 level, when he scored 27 touchdowns… Well, then again, that is probably as likely as Josh Bullocks making a tackle on Joey Galloway.

Who Dat Say News: Shockey Still on Saints' Radar

News: Although the New Orleans Saints weren't able to complete a trade prior to or during the 2008 draft with the New York Giants, the Saints remain interested in tight end Jeremy Shockey, according to the Times Picayune. The Times Picayune also mentions that coach Sean Payton still believes Shockey is the perfect fit for the Saints' offense.

WhoDatSay: We may be starting to sound like a broken record with this, but we believe the disgruntled tight end would be a huge addition to the Saints' offense. Shockey can stretch the field and is a mismatch for any linebacker or safety trying to cover him. He is a very precise route-runner and would provide a third consistent target in Payton's short-range passing attack which, outside of Colston and Bush, was nonexistent last season. We don't expect rumors of Shockey wearing the black and gold to die until October 16, the NFL trade deadline.

Who Dat Say News: Saints Call McCoy to Camp

News: Despite a contract offer as a quarterback from the Canadian Football League's Winnipeg Blue Bombers, Cleve McCoy has chosen to pursue his dream of playing in the NFL and will report to the Saints' rookie minicamp beginning May 9th where New Orleans will offer him a chance to tryout at receiver, according to blackathlete.net.

WhoDatSay: Some of you may remember that we reported about McCoy before the draft -- http://saintsgomarching.blogspot.com/2008/03/08-saints-draft-player-news-cleve-mccoy_26.html. And it seems the Saints have indeed pursued their interest in him. The South Carolina State product joins 7th-round pick Adrian Arrington and undrafted free agents Todd Blythe and Evan Moore as receivers hoping to make it to training camp. Arrington will most likely be there and we figure one spot is left for the remaining three. Even if McCoy makes it to camp, he will face an uphill battle to be a part of the final 53-man roster.

Saint Pierre the Feature Back

In his time with the Saints, Pierre Thomas can really claim only one accomplishment: exceeding the expectations of his fellow players, coaches, and the fans on every given opportunity, including his one opportunity to fill the role as feature back for the New Orleans Saints. If anyone has earned another shot at the feature back role for the 2008-2009 campaign, it’s Saint Pierre.

A History of Defying the Odds

Pierre Thomas was highly recruited out of high school by the University of Illinois, where he started as a true freshman. Thomas held that position of starting running back for the Illini for all four years of college, fending off challenges from Rashard Mendenhall, recently picked #23 overall by the Pittsburgh Steelers. Mendenhall, at 5’10½, 225 pounds with a 4.45 forty time, is both bigger and faster than Thomas, but watched Thomas, voted team MVP and team captain, get the greater share of the carries during both of Mendenhall’s years playing with Thomas.

Due to Thomas’s not fitting the NFL mold for a running back, he went undrafted in 2007, and signed with the New Orleans Saints as a free agent, where it looked like he would be nothing more than a body at training camp. Antonio Pittman, fourth round pick of the New Orleans Saints in last year’s draft, was simply better than Thomas… in the weight room, on the track, at the combine, and on draft day. As a matter of fact, the only measurable trait Saint Pierre could claim over Pittman was production, and fortunately for Thomas, the Saints’ coaching staff and front office had the good sense to focus on that one category and disregard everything else.

The preseason ended with Pierre Thomas showing he could play in the National Football League and Antonio Pittman collecting his final paycheck from the Saints, who had decided to go another direction with that last roster spot reserved for a running back.

Doesn’t Matter Where You Put Him

Pierre Thomas barely saw the field in 2007 until game five against the Seattle Seahawks, where Thomas, who never stopped hustling after a botched punt, even after it looked like the Saints had the ball, corralled a loose football and scored a touchdown. As the perennial underdog who just refused to quit, the fans already loved Pierre Thomas, but this play seemed to really wake the coaching staff up to the fact that it was time to get Thomas in more games.

Pierre Thomas began to see the field more and more in spot duty from the running back position and also began returning kicks for the Saints. Thomas was always good for a burst of energy, a hard run, and a broken tackle from the running back spot, and improved the Saints’ kick return average to over 24 yards per return on 36 returns. He also proved to be accomplished at a skill necessary for any good Saints running back -- plowing over Falcons, a skill he was happy to demonstrate on October 23, 2007 when he took a handoff 24 yards to the house right through the Falcons defense.

However, Pierre Thomas never really got his time to shine until the last game of the season in 2007 against the hated Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. To say that Thomas did well with his opportunity on that day would be an understatement as severe as saying Reggie Bush was a bit overrated coming out of college. Thomas set a Saints’ team record for being the first running back in Saints history to compile 100 yards rushing and 100 yards receiving in one game. And that was his first career start…

Thomas, the Saints in 2008, Reggie, Deuce et al

Thomas’s production in 2007 is undeniable, but he has yet to truly silence the doubters. Reggie advocates, including much of the staff at WhoDatSay, will tell you that Thomas lacks size and speed, can’t hit the homerun, produced because his legs were fresh, the other team wasn’t, the game didn’t matter, the line didn’t block for Reggie, and on and on and on. There are those Saints fans who believe that Deuce McAllister will be back to 2006 form this season. There are probably even those Saints fan that think Aaron Stecker deserves a chance. And to all those people, I ask, why not Pierre?

When are we going to stop writing off Pierre’s production last season (52 carries for 252 yards, or 4.8 yards per carry)? When are we going to stop making excuses for Reggie, who averaged a dismal 3.7 yards per carry last season and barely broke the 1,000-yard mark for rushing and receiving combined? Thomas started one game for the Saints at running back and rushed for over 100 yards; Reggie started 12, played in 3 others, and rushed for only 581 yards all season. It’s time for the Saints to accept the reality of the situation, broken down into 3 parts below:

1. Deuce McAllister’s career, as we know it, is likely over. There is no better clue from the team regarding Deuce's status as the fact that he took a large pay cut just to remain with the team. Without that pay cut, Deuce would almost certainly have been cut. Expecting Deuce to return to his once dominant form, taking into account his age and his two torn ACL’s, is like expecting Bear Bryant to come back from the dead and instantly revive the Crimson Tide from its current status as SEC West doormat;

2. Reggie Bush is not cut out to be a feature back in any NFL offense. Depending on who you ask, he is too small, his legs are not powerful enough, he doesn’t run hard enough, etc… [Insert your favorite excuse for Reggie’s performance here -- if you’re really a Saints fan, then you have one by now]. Reggie needs an important role in our offense, but that role should not involve more than 5-10 carries per game;

3. Pierre Thomas may not be Mel Kiper’s wet dream, but he produces. It’s time to get away from forty times and agility tests, from college highlight reels and jaw-dropping potential and look at that which matters: production. Reggie Bush has had two years to show he can play running back for the Saints. Am I the only Saints fan who thinks it’s strange that after two years, we’re still talking about what Reggie can do and not what Reggie has done?

The Solution

In 2008, Pierre Thomas should serve as the Saints feature back, receiving anywhere from 10-20 carries per game, depending on how our defense is holding up. Reggie Bush should also get 10-15 touches per game, split equally among rushing, receiving, and special teams. Reggie’s value to our offense can’t be denied, but neither can Thomas’s production and ability to run the ball up the gut, something Reggie simply can’t do.

This formula would bode well for a successful 2008-2009 campaign because it would prevent the Saints from forcing the ball to Bush. With Thomas’s ability to get the hard yards, Bush can be used as a decoy who will always draw heavy coverage, a wide receiver with the ability to house every ball he catches in space, and a running back who won’t have the bead focused on him the entire game because we will be able to move the ball with Thomas. The coaching staff seems to agree with this formula, as seen by their decision not to draft a running back in this year’s draft and give Pierre Thomas an opportunity to play. And Thomas, as much as anyone else on the team, has “earned it."

Who Dat News: Horn Out, Arrington In

News: Jersey numbers have been handed out to the New Orleans Saints' drafted and undrafted rookies, and Adrian Arrington will wear the infamous number "87." The jersey numbers for the Saints' 6 draft picks are as follows:

#90 -- Sedrick Ellis
#22 -- Tracy Porter
#72 -- DeMario Pressley
#77 -- Carl Nicks
#5 -- Taylor Mehlhaff
#87 -- Adrian Arrington

To see the entire new team roster including the 2008 UDFA's, visit the Saints website at: http://www.neworleanssaints.com/Team/Roster.aspx

WhoDatSay: The Joe Horn era is offically laid to rest as his #87 has been passed on to rookie Adrian Arrington (aka. Pocket Aces). Hopefully, the 7th-round pick can produce in a similar way to New Orleans' forgotten son... without the cell phone of course. Also, Carl Nicks inherits a former great's number (#77). While we doubt Nicks will ever anchor the Saints offensive line at left tackle as Willie Roaf did, we are just hoping for him to replace an unnamed lineman on the right side.

Reader Questions

1.) Reader: Mike from Biloxi

Mike: Love the updates and insight. Who do ya'll project to be the starting corners, assuming McKenzie isn’t available Week 1? Also, is there any chance we see someone other than Josh Bullocks at the safety position? Will Kevin Kaesviharn or someone else (perhaps Randall Gay moving to safety) be given the opportunity to start?

WhoDatSay: Taking Mike McKenzie out of the equation, the Saints roster right now has 6 corners that should be in the mix competing for playing time-- Aaron Glenn, Jason Craft, Tracy Porter, Usama Young, Randall Gay, and Jason David. Of those 6, I think that the two most likely startles are Usama Young and Randall Gay. Young, in his second year in the system, should be ready to step in and play with more consistency. Also, as our biggest corner, he will need to step in and replace Mckenzie in matching up with bigger and more physical receivers. In Gay’s case, I just can’t see why the front-office would have targeted him in free agency and paid him the money they paid him to have him come in and play nickel back-- a role that can easily be played by Jason Craft (already on the roster) or Aaron Glenn (an off-season pick up). I am scared to mention Jason David’s name, so I will refrain. The X-factor, of course, is recent draft-pick Terry Porter. Considering that he is a rookie, it’s probably a better bet that he will be a situational cornerback this year.
And as for safety, a quick look at our roster reveals that there simply aren’t many candidates to replace Bullocks. Kaesviharn, of course, is the best bet. But he had the chance to unseat Bullocks last year and didn’t. And it’s not as if the coaching staff didn’t realize that Bullocks was a liability last year-- they simply chose to keep him a starter. I don’t see Kaesviharn being given the opportunity to start. Nothing-- not practice, not training camp, not off-season workouts-- will give the coaching staff stronger evidence that Bullocks is a liability than the season he had last year, and he survived that. And although Gay played as a “situational” safety under Nick Saban at LSU, he is simply best suited to remain a corner in the NFL. Couple that with the fact that we really need him there, and I think we will see Gay at corner and Bullocks at safety.

2.) Reader: Hot Corner from Baton Rouge

Hot Corner: What do yall think about the new Madden cover? Obviously John Madden chose Brett Favre because he needs to try and cope with his favorite player's retirement. Do you think this will be enough or will John's head still explode when the Packers come on next year and he does not see ole Brett Favre behind center? Do you think John will change marker colors from "cheesehead" yellow to maybe something that does not remind him of the Packers, and thus Brett Favre? Certainly he will not give up the marker completely, for that would be a tragic day.

WhoDatSay: After the Favre retirement, John Madden is for all intents and purposes a walking corpse. Favre’s retirement did to Madden what Avery Johnson’s leaving the Mavericks did to the press-conference microphone-- it gave them little reason to exist. One simply wonders how the two will go on (the press-conference microphone and Madden, that is). Although Madden looks at the Favre cover daily as if it were his religion, not being able to see his Brett in person on the gridiron will really do him in. Word is that he has really let himself go-- he refuses to dye his eyebrows and no longer helps his 6-year-old grandson with his coloring homework because it involves the use of a marker.
The more interesting question for us is if the Madden cover has a “reverse jinx.” That being the case, we hope that Reggie Bush makes an appearance. Reggie himself admits that he had an off-year last year, yet he somehow maintains the superstar status necessary to be placed on the Madden cover. Maybe an appearance on the cover will unjinx him and finally convince us that what we say about the famous Houston draft pick is in fact true.

Who Dat News: Saints Add More Depth via Undrafted Free Agency

News: In addition to the UDFA’s mentioned earlier this week, the Saints have also signed Evan Moore (WR, Stanford), Jolonnn Dunbar (LB, Boston College), and Lynell Hamilton (RB, San Diego State). Payton said of the undrafted free agent class, “It doesn’t really matter to us how they got here, they have an opportunity to make the team. When you look at it, there have been a number of free agents that not only have made teams, but have been Pro Bowl players.”

Who Dat Say: Payton always says that he wants players who want to learn, who are “students of the game.” That is obvious in at least two of the latest crop of undrafted free agents. Dunbar is undersized for a middle linebacker, but makes up for his lack of size with toughness and smarts. Evan Moore, the second undrafted Stanford recruit, has a huge frame at 6’6” and could potentially develop into a tight end. And Hamilton, at 6’0” and 235 pounds fits a potential need as a big back, but has not been able to stay healthy for the past two years. Look for either Hamilton or Olaniyi Sobomehin to provide some big-back insurance on the practice squad in case Deuce gets hurt. Considering that we added two undrafted free agents, it looks as if Loomis sees the need for help at RB. But given the success of Pierre Thomas and the flop that was Antonio Pittman, Loomis is probably thinking that he can unearth talent through the undrafted pool just as easily as through the draft.

Who Dat News: Saints Cut Branch and Cooper Among Others

News: Mickey Loomis announced today that the team has waived defensive tackle McKinley Boykin, running back Jamaal Branch, wide receiver Carlton Brewster and defensive end Josh Cooper.

Who Dat Say: Make way for the new guys! Through the offseason and the draft, the Saints have added upgrades, or at least younger legs, at each of those positions. As the consummate underdogs, Josh Cooper and Jamaal Branch were two semi fan favorites. Cooper did an admirable job in subbing for Will Smith, but his hold on a roster spot became tenuous after the Saints signed Bobby McCray. Branch was always impressive in preseason action, but must not have shown much in practice because if he had practiced like he played in preseason, we might be cutting Reggie instead.

Where Have all the Good Teams Gone??

In 2002, when the NFL re-aligned to eight four-team divisions, many experts thought the NFC South would be one of the toughest conferences in football. And those experts were right. That year, the NFC South produced three teams that finished over .500, with the outsider being John Fox's Carolina Panthers at an abysmal 7-9. The division went a combined 25-14-1 (.638) when playing foes from outside of the NFC South, and watched two teams, the Falcons and the Bucs, go deep into the postseason. The Bucs, of course, ended up winning the Super Bowl, in what everyone thought would be the beginning of a glorious Jon Gruden era. Moreover, since 2002, the conference has been represented in the NFC championship game in every year but one, twice by the Panthers, and once by the Falcons and Saints. The landscape of the NFC South, however, has recently undergone a drastic change.

The 2007 version was weaker than ever, with two teams lacking both an identity and a direction as a franchise (Bucs and Panthers), one team in complete shambles (Falcons), and one team whose hopes for its first trip to the Super Bowl had to be temporarily put on hold while it looked for defenders. What actually transpired on the field in 2007 is unimportant- an average Bucs team at 9-7 mercilessly bowed out in the first round of the playoffs. The other three teams-- the Saints, Panthers, and Falcons-- combined to finish 18-30. And if the Saints had been half of what they were the year prior, the conference's "best team," the Bucs, wouldn't have even smelled 9-7. They would have been considered fortunate to finish 8-8. Well what's the point, you ask? The point is that the NFC South is as up for grabs as it has ever been. Gone are the days when the Saints were at the bottom looking up, asking if Carolina or Tampa Bay would have an "off year." Gone are the days when-- at least in the case of the Saints-- you could put a relatively decent product on the field and still fall short of the playoffs at year's end (see 2002 as a great example). The NFC South needs a dominant team, and as fate would have it, the Saints are the most likely candidate for that position.

Below, I will give a non-scientific-- very non-scientific-- take on each team, and why the 2008 NFC South is nowhere near its 2002 version, giving Saints fans everywhere hope that “next year” could really be this year.

Bucs

The Bucs, once a team known for a formidable defense featuring the likes of Warren Sapp, John Lynch, Simeon Rice, Derrick Brooks, and Ronde Barber, are now a team known for having an equally scary, but more concentrated, roster of Jeff Garcia, Chris Simms, Bruce Gradkowski, Jake Plummer, Brian Griese, Luke McCown, and, most recently, Josh Johnson. Wait, all those guys are quarterbacks. That's right. It seems that Jon Gruden has a quarterback fetish. The problem with Chucky is that he treats quarterbacks like my cousin used to treat G.I. Joe's-- he loves to collect them. Someone should tell him that it's generally better and a lot easier to pick one good one and stick with him. And don't tell me Jeff Garcia is the answer-- he is 38 years old and simply unable to play a whole season doing what makes him effective, running around and making plays. That means that he will either complete the season, but be terrible for a great part of it, or be awesome for 10 games and have to be replaced in week 11. At that point, you might as well play pin the quarterback on Jeff Faine's rather large goolah to find out who will be calling the signals in Tampa Bay. That's no way to build a playoff team.

The Bucs, simply put, are not the Bucs of old. Their defense has aged, their quarterbacks have multiplied, and the "skill" has vanished from their skill positions. There is a reason why Jon Gruden's scowl, once perceived as a mark of his toughness, now appears to be a mark of his craziness-- he simply can't re-create the magic formula that worked so well in 2002.

This year, the Bucs succeeded in drafting a pothead cover corner and a fast slot man with an "upside" that makes J.T. O'Sullivan jealous. But so what? The Bucs of today are a team straddled with what I would consider the biggest stigma in all of sports-- an identity that used to work (see 2002 World Champions) but may be impossible to recover.

Panthers

The only consistency of the Panthers' last few seasons is John Fox's gum-chewing habits. Carolina and Fox had incredible success for a number of years with a simple and very effective formula: efficient offense led by role players (Ricky Proehl, Brad Hoover, Stephen Davis, DeShaun Foster) and one superstar (Steve Smith), and a hell of a defense. But Mike Minter, Kris Jenkins, Mike Rucker, and Ricky Proehl are names from the past in Carolina, and the names from the present don't sound so good. Consider their 2008 draft: they drafted a running back in round 1 after taking DeAngelo Williams (a running back) in the 1st round just two years ago. And then they basically pulled a Mike Ditka in giving up a second and fourth rounder in 2008 and their first round pick next year to obtain services of Jeff Otah. If that doesn’t tell you that John Fox and company know that the clock is ticking, then I don’t know what will.

It's now or never for the Panthers, and never appears to be the good bet. If I hadn't cleverly changed the name of this article, and kept it as the true title to Paula Cole's song "[W]here have all the cowboys gone," then my ultimate conclusion would have been quite different. The answer would have been that the cowboys are still here in the NFC South, more specifically in Carolina- in the form of Louisiana's own Jake Delhomme. I know, I love Jake Delhomme too-- but only to the extent that he is roping cattle and breeding horses in Breaux Bridge-- not as a quarterback having to lead an offense with a shortage of weapons. And you're damn right that Jake has a special place in the heart of Saints fans. Jake was the backup to Aaron Brooks. Hugo Chavez would have had a special place in the hearts of Saints fans if he were the backup quarterback during the excruciating Brooks-Haslett years. Having a special place in the hearts of Saints fans doesn't mean squat when you have to lead an offense that boasts of only one good player. The bottom line is that John Fox, Jake Delhomme, and whoever else they have over there in Carolina show absolutely no signs of regaining the swagger they had a couple years ago.

Falcons

Not much explaining to do here, but I think a quick point is in order: I assume at least some of you reading this are fantasy owners. That said, are you going to select anyone on the Falcons' roster this year? I didn't think so. And that's right, Warrick Dunn is no longer a Falcon. So you can't pick him in the 8th round to the resounding "good pick, good pick" approval of your fellow fantasy mates. You'll have to settle on Roddy White instead. And oh yeah, the most significant investment the franchise has made in the last 10 years is still sitting in jail, and from all reports is making a strong push to unseat Adam Sandler as the star in "The Longest Yard 2."

Saints

In 2003, after a Saints season that featured an unbelievable end-of-the-year meltdown, Jim Haslett put in an official request to ride in Orphues. Mardi Gras, however, rebuffed him, saying that it wanted to reserve Bacchus as the parade for people to throw things at the floats. That's why I watched in amazement this year as Sean Payton, fresh off one of the most frustrating campaigns in Saints history, rolled by on one of the first floats of Orpheus. I was obviously excited to see him. Just the thought of Saints football made me nearly wet my pants. But I also couldn't help but think, "Sean Payton…what did he do to deserve to be on this float?" Then I looked around.

The rest of the crowd was just as enthusiastic as I was -- yelling and screaming as if Payton's team had just won it all. But they had not even come close. The 2007 Saints were a disappointment beyond words, but the people yelled and screamed nonetheless. Watching Sean Payton be treated as if he were Tom Coughlin fresh off a Super Bowl win, I could only conclude that this town collectively senses that now is our time. We sense that the NFC South is there for the taking. And then we look at the 2008 off-season, and this past weekend’s draft, all the while reminding ourselves that Drew Brees is still our quarterback-- and there's more reason than ever to believe. Perhaps this really is the time for our Saints.