Mocking It Up: WhoDatSay's Mock Draft, Picks 16-20

Your Who Dat Say contributors will roll out the first 40 picks in the NFL draft as we believe it will unfold at Radio City Music Hall in New York on April 26th. We will post 5 picks/day, concluding with the Saints 2nd round pick (#40 overall). Our Mock Draft Champion will be the contributor who gets the most picks right. In the event of a tie, the ugliest contributor loses – this does not bode well for "The Dowg." As always, we invite you to toast any pick you love or roast any pick you hate. Let the games begin.

Round 1 (picks 1-5): Mocking It Up: WhoDatSay's Mock Draft, Picks 1-5
Round 1 (picks 6-10): Mocking It Up: WhoDatSay's Mock Draft, Picks 6-10
Round 1 (picks 11-15): Mocking It Up: WhoDatSay's Mock Draft, Picks 11-15

Round 1 (picks 16-20):

16. Arizona Cardinals (Buddon’s pick) – Aquib Talib, CB Kansas. This is probably the only time in my life I will ever say this, but I am actually jealous of the Cardinals. Here, they must choose between Aquib Talib and Jonathan Stewart, two fantastic options at this point in the draft. The Cardinals will give some consideration to Stewart, and they should. A 238-pound back who runs in the 4.4s doesn't come around often. However, the Cards will be slightly scared off by Stewart's toe and have a bigger need at cornerback anyway. The Cardinals will be thrilled to land Talib, who is the top-rated corner on some scouts' boards.

17. Minnesota Vikings (The Dowg’s pick) – Calais Campbell, DE Miami. The Vikings need a QB pretty badly, but there simply isn't anyone for them to draft here at that position. Their other position of need is at Defensive End, where Erasmus James is coming off of knee surgery and Kenechi Udezi is undergoing treatment for leukemia. Their pash rush had no one with over five sacks in 2007, and in draft terms that translates into "we need a pass rusher." Many people are comparing Campbell to Julius Peppers because of his size and ability. If Campbell does half of what Peppers did in his rookie year (12 sacks), he'll have a good shot at being among the Vikings sack leaders in 2008.

18. Houston Texans (BR Boy’s pick) – Mike Jenkins, CB South Florida. The Texans have spent their last five first round picks on defense, and I expect they will make it six in a row this year. The disappointing '07 season of Ahman Green at running back has left an obvious hole at running back, but McFadden and Mendenhall are both gone. The Texans could be eyeballing Jonathan Stewart, but will wait until the 2nd round to address the running back position. The Texans need serious CB help, and Jenkins fits the bill. He is built very well for his size (5'10", 197) and is extremely fast. Jenkins' specialty is press coverage, and his tough mentality will be a welcomed addition. Jenkins is a great value at 18 for the Houston Texans and will settle in as a number one corner for years to come.

19. Philadelphia Eagles (Vern’s pick) – Devin Thomas, WR Michigan State. We miss you Terrell... Please come back! When your starting running back has 44 more receptions over the past two seasons then your best wide receiver, you can safely say that you have some issues on offense. Kevin Curtis and Reggie Brown don't exactly strike fear in the hearts of opposing secondaries, and Brian Westbrook cannot continue to be the Eagles ONLY weapon. Sparty's Devin Thomas has been flying up draft boards and may actually be gone when Philadelphia gets on the clock. However, if the 6-2 / 218-pound WR is there, the Eagles would be stupid not to take him. But, then again, the Eagles did take QB Kevin Kolb with the 4th pick in the second round last year.

20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Duncan Donuts’ pick) – Brian Brohm, QB Louisville. Tampa may already have 4 quarterbacks on their current roster, but they all suck. Today, four equals a big fat zero. Bruce Gradkowski and Chris Simms will get cut. Jeff Garcia, who only has about a year or two left in the NFL, will remain the starter, and Luke McCown will serve as a backup. Brian Brohm, who is starting to creep his way back up draft boards, will learn the system under Jeff Garcia just as Carson Palmer spent a year learning the system under John Kitna Kaboodles in Cincinnati. Brohm is simply too hard to pass up with this pick and, after learning the system, will become the Buccaneers’ starter for many years to come.


Tomorrow: Picks 21-25.

Who Dat News: Saints Moving up to Number 2?

News: The Saints have spoken informally with the Rams about what it would take to move up from the 10th pick to the 2nd pick, according to Adam Schefter of NFL.com. Based on the NFL draft value chart, the Rams pick is worth 2600 points, while the Saints pick is worth 1300 points. Even if the Saints traded away their 2nd round pick, worth 490 points, it would not be enough to move up to No. 2.

Who Dat Say: This can mean only one thing: Dorsey. All of Louisiana would go nuts over the Saints picking Dorsey. He would be a great addition to our team and a Saints marketing dream. But, we doubt that he is worth the hefty price tag (possibly two 2nd round picks, not to mention the monetary cost of carrying another No. 2 overall pick), considering that it is likely possible to get Sedrick Ellis by giving up much less. Don't discount the possibility that this is simply a draft smoke screen.

Mocking It Up: WhoDatSay's Mock Draft, Picks 11-15

Your Who Dat Say contributors will roll out the first 40 picks in the NFL draft as we believe it will unfold at Radio City Music Hall in New York on April 26th. We will post 5 picks/day, concluding with the Saints 2nd round pick (#40 overall). Our Mock Draft Champion will be the contributor who gets the most picks right. In the event of a tie, the ugliest contributor loses – this does not bode well for "The Dowg." As always, we invite you to toast any pick you love or roast any pick you hate. Let the games begin.

Round 1 (picks 1-5): Mocking It Up: WhoDatSay's Mock Draft, Picks 1-5
Round 1 (picks 6-10): Mocking It Up: WhoDatSay's Mock Draft, Picks 6-10

Round 1 (picks 11-15):

11. Buffalo Bills (The Dowg’s pick) – Leodis McKelvin, CB Troy. McKelvin is an ideal pick here for the Bills. Although they desperately need a complement to Lee Evans, taking a wideout here is simply a reach. Consider this: The Dolphins selected WR Ted Ginn last year when Leon Hall, Darrelle Revis, and Aaron Ross were all still on the board. The Bills don't want the honor of being this year's Miami Dolphins. The safer and more likely bet is cornerback, another great position of need for Buffalo. Plus, anyone remember whose conference the Bills are in? That's right, the Patriots. Tom Brady and company can make life miserable for a suspect secondary. The Bills must face that reality twice a year. Leodis McKelvin would be a solid addition here and should be an immediate contributor.

12. Denver Broncos (BR Boy’s pick) – Chris Williams, OT Vanderbilt. While Denver should be focusing on their defensive line at this point, both Dorsey and Ellis are off the board. It’s a far reach to the second tier group of guys with this pick. Denver takes Vanderbilt senior offensive tackle, Chris Williams, who will be a fine player in the NFL. Williams tends to have somewhat of a mean streak, but an experienced head coach like Mike Shanahan should be able to keep that under control. In all, Williams is more of a finesse pass protector than a mauling run blocker. He would fit best in a zone blocking scheme, but he will work hard to do whatever Shanahan asks him to do.

13. Carolina Panthers (Vern’s pick) – Derrick Harvey, DE Florida. I know the speculation is that the Saints division rival is targeting an offensive lineman here, but to me that doesn't make much sense. Although Carolina's line isn't the best in the NFL, it's certainly more than serviceable. The Panthers really want an offensive tackle so they can move Travelle Wharton back inside, but they will find one in the second round. The Panthers’ biggest void is on the defensive line, where Mike Rucker is not getting any younger and is supposedly contemplating retirement. Sure there's Julius Peppers, but he's coming off his worst season as a pro and could certainly use an athletic complement on the other side to draw away the constant double teams. Derrick Harvey boasts an excellent college resume’ and recently tore it up at his pro-day. He should be the pick.

14. Chicago Bears (Duncan Donuts’ pick) – Branden Albert, G Virginia. To sum it up, Chicago's offensive line is simply no good. The Bears line gave up 43 sacks last year and the offense only averaged 3.1 yards per carry. Although much of that is certainly Cedric Benson's fault (he's horrible too), the departures of Ruben Brown and Fred Miller must be addressed. Branden Albert would step in and be an opening-day starter. In fact, the latest buzz is that the dominating Virginia guard is even athletic enough to play left tackle in the NFL. As for Benson, the Bears shouldn't have a problem waiting until Round 2 to select a running back -- this draft is definitely deep enough at that position.

15. Detroit Lions (Section123Saintsfan’s pick) – Rashard Mendenhall, RB Illinois. Another year of Matt Millen as GM, another skill position selected, and another year of sucking for the Lions. Looks like Mendenhall gets to be the next colossal disappointment for the Detroit Lions, following in the hallowed footsteps of Kevin Jones, Joey Harrington, and Charles Rogers, all major first round disappointments. And who needs an offensive line anyway? Good running backs break tackles.

Tomorrow: Picks 16-20.

Keep It Simple Stupids

Missing from the Saints 2007 draft were many things – starters the most obvious. What I noticed though were several more subtle voids. Those were the obvious pick (Reggie Bush), the high-character guy (Roman Harper), the small-school value (Jahri Evans), and the late-round steal (Marques Colston). Not that the Saints were expected to mimic verbatim the format they followed for the 2006 draft, but not to repeat any of the planning that made drafting in '06 so successful was dumbfounding. With the 2008 NFL draft less than two weeks away, will the Saints make the same mistakes they made in '07, or will they remember why they tasted success in '06?

To understand just how pathetic last year's personnel moves were, I offer a reminder of the 2006 off-season – the good one, remember? This was the year the Saints could do no wrong. During free agency, they signed would-be starters Drew Brees, Scott Fujita, Scott Shanle, and Mark Simoneau (acquired from the Stallworth trade with Philadelphia). Then, on draft day they grabbed FIVE more starters, including Roman Harper, Jahri Evans, Marques Colston, and draft-day acquisitions Jeff Faine and Hollis Thomas. And if getting nine starters in one off-season wasn't good enough, the Saints also brought home the draft-day headliner and #2 overall pick Reggie Bush. Loomis and Payton replaced Aaron Brooks and Donte' Stallworth with Drew Brees and Marques Colston and plugged in the other eight additions to completely revamp the starting lineup and depth chart on both sides of the ball. Then, with 10 completely new faces, they marched all the way to Soldier Field for the NFC Championship game. Wow! First year coach + nearly 50% personnel turnover = most successful year in Saints history.

Unfortunately, that divine inspiration that guided Payton and Loomis in year one was nowhere to be found during the 2007 off-season. To their credit, the coach and manager aggressively set out to upgrade talent; however, this time around they wouldn't be as lucky. On defense they brought in three hopefuls: linebacker Brian Simmons, safety Kevin Kaesviharn (both from the Bengals) and cornerback Jason David (from the defending champion Colts). Brian Simmons could never unseat incumbent Mark Simoneau at middle linebacker, and unfortunately, Jason David did unseat Fred Thomas. We all know how that worked out. And, as for Kaesviharn, I'm still scratching my head as to why he did not replace Josh Bullocks at starting free-safety. I guess the reality that Bullocks' jersey never needed washing on Mondays was not reason enough to bench the man. Attempted remodeling also took place on offense as the organization brought in Eric Johnson with the hope of giving its pro-bowl quarterback another consistent outlet in the passing game. Johnson proved to be a favorite target, just an incredibly inconsistent one.

As was the case during free agency, the Saints also came up empty in the 2007 draft. Saints brass selected Robert Meachem, Usama Young, Andy Alleman, Antonio Pittman, Jermon Bushrod, David Jones, and Marvin Mitchell. None would start and only two would see any playing time. The Saints' questionable picks ranged from drafting Meachem in the 1st Round despite his long injury-history at Tennessee, to trading up in the 4th Round for Antonio Pittman, then cutting him in favor of undrafted free-agent Pierre Thomas. Even cornerback Usama Young was seemingly taken a round too early (2nd pick of the 3rd); and nearly a year later, we still don't know if the small-school product will find a home in New Orleans' secondary.

In all, only 2 starters (notice I said starters, not upgrades) and 3 reserves were added to the mix in '07. That's a far cry from the year before, which saw 9 starters and several other back-ups upgrading their respective positions. The Saints went from playing in the NFC championship game in 2006 to finishing second-to-last in the weakest division in professional football in 2007. Was it bad coaching and execution? Maybe. Was it bad personnel decisions? Definitely.

Perhaps Sean Payton and Mickey Loomis got ahead of themselves in 2007. Maybe they were a little too stubborn and overconfident. The good news is that Loomis and Payton's ineptitude last year has not prevented the two from getting back to their 2006 roots. The work done thus far in free agency has been extraordinary, reminding me of the moves made during the '06 off-season. The decision to bring in Jonathan Vilma, a high profile, highly productive player who had been recently undervalued by his former team, was similar to the one the organization made with Drew Brees. If healthy, and it appears he will be, Vilma should be the leader of our defense next season. Bobbie McCray and Randall Gay both bring a workman-like attitude to the team much the same way former '06 acquisitions Scott Fujita and Jeff Faine did. Moreover, unlike Brian Simmons last year, all of the Saints' newly-acquired free agents are entering the prime of their career and have good reason for their apparent motivation. We can reasonably believe that none have come to New Orleans just to collect a pay check.

The Saints are indeed showing signs of learning from last years missteps in duplicating their 2006 efforts thus far in free agency. However, the real test will come on April 26th at the NFL Draft. They must remember the little things that made their draft so successful two years ago. If Sean Payton and Mickey Loomis can adhere to the same patience and aptitude they demonstrated in their first draft together, they are bound to find major contributors with their 6 selections. No misses like Antonio Pittman, no unnecessary reaches like Usama Young, no high risks like Robert Meachem -- just solid, value-based drafting. Instead of over thinking each selection, take the obvious pick, choose the "character" guy, and draft for that all-too-important "value." If Loomis and Payton do this, there's a great chance they will reap the benefits during the regular season and return to the one thing all of us want to see – winning in 2008.

WhoDat News: Saints 2008 Schedule Released

News: The NFL released the much-anticipated 2008 schedule earlier today. The Saints will open the season in the Superdome on September 7th against last year's division champs, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The NFL awarded Saints fans with two Monday night home games -- one against Adrian Peterson and the Vikings in Week 5 and the other against Brett Favre's replacement, Aaron Rodgers and the Packers in Week 12. The week before their bye (Week 9), New Orleans will travel to London to take on the San Diego Chargers on October 26th. Finally, for the third consecutive season, the Saints will travel to Chicago in the winter -- this time on Thursday night.

Who Dat Say: Break out your Dome Foam -- this is great news! Based upon their opponent's W-L from last year, the Saints have the 5th easiest schedule in the NFL (the easiest, funny enough, was awarded to the Patriots -- go figure). The Saints' season opener, both Monday night games, and the season finale are all at home in the friendly confines of the Superdome. The home opener against the 2007 NFC South Division Champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be huge for obvious reasons, as will both Monday night games against playoff-caliber teams, Minnesota and Green Bay. The only apparent bummer is that we'll be heading to the Windy City in December after consecutive trips there the past two seasons have resulted in losses. Hopefully, the third time will be the charm. Ironically, too, we host the Carolina Panthers to end the regular season. If you recall, the last time this happened the Saints ended up getting one game away from the Superbowl.

Mocking It Up: WhoDatSay's Mock Draft, Picks 6-10

Your Who Dat Say contributors will roll out the first 40 picks in the NFL draft as we believe it will unfold at Radio City Music Hall in New York on April 26^th. We will post 5 picks/day, concluding with the Saints 2^nd round pick (#40 overall). Our Mock Draft Champion will be the contributor who gets the most picks right. In the event of a tie, the ugliest contributor loses – this does not bode well for "The Dowg." As always, we invite you to toast any pick you love or roast any pick you hate. Let the games begin.

Round 1 (picks 1-5): Mocking It Up: WhoDatSay's Mock Draft, Picks 1-5

Round 1 (picks 6-10):

6. New York Jets (BR Boy's pick) -- Vernon Gholston, DE Ohio State. The Jets will take the 2007 Big Ten Defensive lineman of the year and workout warrior extraordinaire. Gholston was the talk of the combine with the highest bench press score of 37 reps at 225 pounds. He is a sack machine with 14 sacks in 13 games, becoming one of only two people to ever record a sack against probable Dolphins #1 pick Jake Long. Gholston is the top DE in this year's class and the Jets have fallen in love with the idea of him wreaking havoc on Brady for years to come.

7. New England Patriots (Vern's pick) -- Keith Rivers, LB USC. Linebackers in Belichick's 3-4 defense are asked to do everything. Last year, New Enlgand's top four leading tacklers were all linebackers (Bruschi, Thomas, Vrabel, and Seau). However, Junior Seau is 38 years old and it doesn't look like he will be wearing a Patriots uniform in 2008. Tedy Bruschi turns 35 in June and Mike Vrabel turns 34 in August. New England desperately needs to add youth and athleticism to their front seven, and Rivers, who ran a 4.58 forty and sported a 42" vertical at USC's pro-day will do just that. Rivers, who played both inside and outside linebacker in USC's 3-4 defense, can start inside immediately while waiting to slide over to Vrabel's position once he retires.

8. Baltimore Ravens (Duncan Donuts' pick) -- Ryan Clady, OT Boise State. Matt Ryan is off the board and it's too early to reach for Louisville's Brian Brohm. With the possible retirement of Jonathan Ogden looming, the Ravens need to find his future replacement. Clady is the real deal and will have a great career in the NFL, making some wonder why they never heard of him before the draft His strength is pass-blocking, making Clady the obvious blind-side protector to whomever the Ravens choose as their QB of the future. This is an easy pick...it's Ryan Clady.

9. Cincinnati Bengals (Section123SaintsFan's pick) -- Sedrick Ellis, DT USC. Good speed and agility for a defensive tackle translates to a better chance at evading arrest in Marvin Lewis's eyes. Sedrick Ellis is an obvious choice for the Bengals who have been unsuccessfully pursuing defensive tackles all off-season.

10. New Orleans Saints (Buddon's pick) -- Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, CB Tennesee State. At this point in the draft, choosing between Rodgers-Cromartie and Leodis McKelvin is far from an ideal situation. In this scenario, the Saints should have either traded up for Ellis or traded down a few spots to take one of Rodgers-Cromartie, McKelvin, or Talib. We can all pretend to know who of those three is the next Deion Sanders; but in actuality, I think it is nearly impossible to guess who will be the best pro. If the Saints traded back, they could acquire an extra pick, wouldn't have to pay top-10 money, and would get basically the same player. That said, since I am forced to choose, I like DRC a little better than McKelvin because of his size and bloodlines. And McKelvin's return skills are not as valuable to us since we will (hopefully) have Reggie returning more kicks this year.


Tomorrow: Picks 11-15.

Who Dat News: Deuce Remains a Saint…At Least This Year

News: According to NFL.com, Deuce McAllister, who is coming off two major knee surgeries in the past three seasons, will remain a Saint for at least one more season. His place on the team is safe, at least through training camp, after he and the Saints were able to reach an agreement on a restructured contract on Monday. Terms of the new contract will become official today, when Deuce receives his $1 million roster bonus.

Who Dat Say: As loyal Saints fans, we’re pulling for Deuce. We’re happy to have a team leader who has so much love for this city and passion for the game back on the sidelines, but will Deuce will have burst and power that he once had? That remains to be seen, as does Deuce’s spot on the team when the season actually starts.

Who Dat News: State of Louisiana in Financial Trouble

News: According to Nola.com, the state of Louisiana is going to be $6 million short this year and $19.5 million next year of what is needed to pay contractual obligations to the Saints and the Hornets in order to keep the 2 franchises in New Orleans. If the state fails to make the payments required by contract, the Saints and Hornets can opt out of their leases with the Superdome and New Orleans Arena, respectively, and can leave the city.

Who Dat Say: Obviously, this is terrible news. If not for the Saints, all of the Saints-related websites that you read will no longer exist and all of you die-hard black and gold fans will have to find another passion on Sundays. We’re sure the state is doing whatever it has to do to come up with the money to keep both franchises in New Orleans.

Mocking It Up: WhoDatSay's 1st Ever Mock Draft

Your Who Dat Say contributors will roll out the first 40 picks in the NFL draft as we believe it will unfold at Radio City Music Hall in New York on April 26^th. For the next 8 days, we will post 5 picks/day, concluding with the Saints 2^nd round pick (#40 overall). Our Mock Draft Champion will be the contributor who gets the most picks right. In the event of a tie, the ugliest contributor loses – this does not bode well for "The Dowg." As always, we invite you to toast any pick you love or roast any pick you hate. Let the games begin.

Round 1 (picks 1-5):

1. Miami Dolphins (Vern's pick) – Jake Long, OT Michigan. According to Peter King of SI.com, Miami is only negotiating with Jake Long right now. Apparently, if the two parties can reach a satisfactory deal, Long will be the first pick in the NFL Draft. I can't say I entirely agree with Parcells' decision. This draft is loaded with OT's and there will undoubtedly be one like USC's Sam Baker or Boston College's Gosder Cherilus available in round 2. I would much rather see Miami pair one of them with a dynamic player like Glenn Dorsey, Chris Long, Vernon Gholston, or even Matt Ryan. But, more likely, the Dolphins will select the massive OT from Michigan.

2. St. Louis Rams (Duncan Donuts' pick) – Chris Long, DE Virginia. While St Louis would love to find Orlano Pace's replacement as insurance for their 3 biggest offensive assets (Marc Bulger, Stephen Jackson, and Tory Holt), that's not going to happen with Jake Long off the board. They settle instead on Howie's son who by all accounts will be a disruptive force at defensive end for many years to come. Adam Carriker has moved inside and Leonard Little is not getting any younger. Chris Long is the pick.

3. Atlanta Falcons (Section123Saintsfan's pick) -- Matt Ryan, QB Boston College. And here come the Falcons with the chance to grab possibly the most dominant player in the draft, a guy who made a huge impact in the SEC, a guy who won a national championship, a surefire day one starter, a guy ready to wreak havoc on offensive lines for years to come in the NFC South, and the Falcons select.... wait a second, is Chirs Redman set to be our starter at quarterback next year? Is this real? Chris Redman sold me my homeowners insurance! He's back in the league? Joey Harrington... we what? We picked up Joey Harrington? He's our backup??!! Who the hell is this DJ Shockley guy? For the love of God, give me Matt Ryan!

4. Oakland Raiders (Buddon's pick) – Darren McFadden, RB Arkansas. With Dorsey on the board, Al Davis will be kicking himself for making Tommy Kelly (who is he again?) the highest-paid defensive tackle in the league. But the old formula, speed + character concerns = Raider, fits Darren McFadden perfectly. And I'm not swayed by Lane Kiffin's comments suggesting that the Raiders are not interested in McFadden. At this time of year, I trust those comments about as much as I trust the idea that Jamarcus Russell is already surrounded by a plethora of offensive talent.

5. Kansas City Chiefs (The Dowg's pick) – Glenn Dorsey, DT LSU. If Dorsey falls to #5, Kansas City will not hesitate to take him. Sure, they need offensive linemen to pave the way for former fantasy stud turned dud Larry Johnson, but they will wait until later to address that need now that Dorsey is in their lap. Dorsey will bring a Ray Lewis-type energy and attitude to go alongside an already formidable Kansas City defensive front seven including studs Jared Allen, Tamba Hali, Derrick Johnson, Napolean Harris and Donnie Edwards.

Tomorrow: Picks 6-10.

Bringing Him Back Home

One of the Saints’ primary goals for the 2008 off-season has been to find defensive players that can make immediate contributions; in that regard, their best acquisition thus far may not have come at the linebacker position, but at the cornerback position in the form of an LSU fan favorite with lots of championship hardware to show for his short NFL career.

Because the Saints defense ranked 30th in the NFL against the pass last year, giving up 245.2 yards per game and allowing a league-leading 32 passing touchdowns, it was certain that improvements to the secondary would be a priority. While the Saints didn't land the most sought-after CB, Asante Samuel, they did sign Samuel's former teammate, Randall Gay, to a 4-year, $17.6 million contract. Gay, who grew up in Louisiana and won a national championship at LSU, could turn out to be the steal of this off-season.

Gay’s NFL career began when the Patriots signed him shortly after the 2004 NFL draft as an undrafted free agent. During his rookie year, Gay proved to be a smart and reliable player and was placed into the starting lineup because of injuries to veterans Ty Law and Tyrone Poole. That season, he would start more games (9) than any other Patriots rookie and was the only rookie to start all 3 playoff games en route to New England's second world championship. Gay became one of the only players in the league who would win a BCS National Championship and the Super Bowl in back-to-back years, and that Superbowl (XXXIX) would serve as Gay's coming out party. In addition to forcing a fumble in the first quarter, he finished the game as the Patriots leading tackler with 11 solo stops. In 2007, he played in all 16 games (3 starts) and finished the year with 38 tackles while posting a career high in interceptions (3) and passes defended (7).

According to KC Joyner of NFL.com, Gay had a superb 5.8 yards per attempt last season, as compared to Asante Samuel's 7.4 yards per attempt. He also allowed zero completions on the seven vertical passes that were thrown his way. As Saints fans know all too well, one of the team’s biggest weaknesses last year was giving up the big play. Jason David was constantly getting beaten deep on "go" routes resulting in touchdowns. Had David allowed zero completions on vertical passes last year like Gay did, I would not even be writing this article.

On the flip-side, not being an every-down starting CB, Gay wasn't priced at the elite CB level that players like Asante Samuel, DeAngelo Hall, and Nate Clements (from last year) were. Gay's contract only averages out to about $4.4 million per year, whereas the aforementioned corners' contracts are in the $9-10 million per year range. Despite the smaller price tag, Gay should be able to greatly help the Saints secondary right off the bat. Gay, who isn't afraid to hit and excels at keeping plays in front of him, was not a starter in college – he played behind Corey Webster and Travis Daniels at LSU. The fact that he is a serviceable CB in the NFL and was not even a starter in college tells me that he has done his homework since joining the NFL. It also shows that Gay has adapted to the situation he has found himself in and managed to make significant contributions. Whether it meant taking over a starting role as a rookie or being a reliable nickel or dime back while quietly awaiting his next opportunity to prove he can be a starter, Gay has proven his worth and reliability in the national football league.

Of course, there are those who will say that Gay appears to be no better than Jason David, referring to the fact that both corners played in a zone-first coverage system with their former teams. Don't buy it. Jason David played in a strict cover-two scheme in Indianapolis and always had a safety over the top offering assistance. Gay, however, is more versatile. He played his college ball in a strict man coverage scheme while at LSU under Nick Saban. Saban often asked his corners to play bump and run at the line and hardly ever offered safety assistance over the top (his safeties were often blitzing.) Furthermore, Bill Belichick mixes his coverages up pretty consistently. He may start a game in a zone-read coverage, but will revert to man early and often. Lastly, Gay is 5-11, 190lbs, whereas Jason David is only 5-8, 180lbs. That extra 3 inches and 10 pounds will only help Gay hold his own when he is asked to play on an island.

With the signing of Randall Gay, the Saints should have a decent rotation of defensive backs, which will include Gay, Mike McKenzie (when healthy), Usama Young, Jason David, Jason Craft, newly-acquired Aaron Glenn and any other player the Saints may draft. Gay should be a great addition to this defense whether he falls into a starting role immediately or has to play some nickel or dime first. That being said, I would be very surprised not to see Randall Gay win a starting job. After all, this Brusly kid has shown time and time again that he can step in wherever he is needed, and no team needs a good, solid corner more than the New Orleans Saints.