Latest New Orleans Saints news Pierre Thomas agent says things are currently status quo with New Orleans Saints What the national media are saying about the New Orleans Saints New Orleans Saints roster purge continues with release of veterans Lance Moore and Darren Sproles Tight end Jimmy Graham shocked and disappointed at New Orleans Saints offseason New Orleans Saints release running back Darren Sproles All Stories | All Photos | All Videos I always laugh when friends ask what I do during an NFL offseason, the implication being that the league goes dormant during the spring and summer, and everyone is vacationing in Tahiti until games kick off again in August. Truth be told, NFL seasons actually begin in February and March. This is when the foundation is laid both physically and philosophically for the upcoming season. And if youve been around the league long enough and observe intently enough you can sometimes decipher the blueprint and envision the finished product. In the wake of Lance Moores release and the impending departures of Darren Sproles and Pierre Thomas, the Saints appear to be in the midst of another offseason project. I could be wrong. Heaven knows it wont be the first time. But it sure looks like the Saints are a team moving in a different direction offensively. The Saints arent rebuilding. Theyre remodeling. They are renovating their offense in the same way they renovated their defense last offseason. At this time a year ago, the Saints hired defensive coordinator Rob Ryan and began the process of stripping their historically awful unit to the studs. They moved on from Scott Shanle, Sedrick Ellis, Jonathan Casillas and Turk McBride, reduced the roles of Will Smith and Jon Vilma and signed Keenan Lewis, Kenyon Coleman and Victor Butler in free agency. They drafted Kenny Vacarro, John Jenkins and Rufus Johnson and added rookie free agents Glenn Foster, Kevin Reddick and Rod Sweeting. In a few head-spinning months, the Saints defense became younger, bigger and stronger. The refurbishment project proved wildly successful. The New Dat defense ranked No. 4 in the NFL and was the main reason the Saints improved from 7-9 to 11-5. The Saints high-powered offense does not require an extreme makeover or wholesale personnel changes. The Saints core is strong with Pro Bowlers Drew Brees, Jimmy Graham, Jahri Evans and Ben Grubbs. However, a cosmetic and philosophical rehab is necessary to compete in the NFC, where defensive-minded bullies in Seattle, San Francisco and Carolina rule the block. The Saints offense must evolve from a wide-open, fast break passing offense to a more balanced, ball-control attack. The days of lining up four wides and a Reggie Bush/Darren Sproles satellite back arent complete history, but I suspect youll see it less frequently in the future. The Saints won a lot of games and set a ton of records playing this way but the philosophy fell short when the stakes rose and the mercury dipped. I suspect the Saints recent personnel moves are based on this philosophical change as much as they are fiscal reality. Moore and Sproles are terrific talents but neither would be considered a power player. Both are undersized playmakers whose skills are best suited for spread passing offenses. A similar thought process could be taking place at center, where incumbent Brian de la Puente is an unrestricted free agent. De la Puente is a smart, skilled player but hes relatively undersized and isnt a mauler. That might be why the Saints will consider auditioning rookie guard Tim Lelito at center or bringing back Jonathan Goodwin in free agency. Necessity, after all, is the mother of invention. The 27-16 loss in St. Louis in Week 15, as ugly as it was, served as a philosophical pivot point for head coach Sean Payton and the Saints. Left tackle Charles Brown was benched for Terron Armstead. Kicker Garrett Harley lost his job. And the Saints started running the ball with more intensity. The Saints averaged 23.6 carries in the first 14 games of the season. After the Rams debacle, they averaged 30.5. In their 26-24 playoff win in Philadelphia, the Saints pounded the undersized Eagles on the ground, rushing 36 times for 185 yards en route to the first postseason road win in franchise history. Possessing the ball means something to the defense -- it means snaps taken away, Saints coach Sean Payton said in a FOX interview earlier this offseason. When we finished the regular season and went to Philadelphia for the Wild Card round, we were able to point to 186 less defensive plays (than 2012) which is more than two games. The Saints existing offensive personnel is much more suited to a balanced, ball-control attack than the finesse spread attacks weve become accustomed to seeing in New Orleans. Why try to be something youre not? The Saints best offensive players are their tight ends, guards and running backs and a 35-year-old quarterback. Their young offensive core -- Graham; Lelito; Khiry Robinson; Mark Ingram; Terron Armstead, Kenny Stills, Josh Hill and Nick Toon -- is built different than the previous iteration. Only Loomis and Payton know whether this is a case of the Saints marrying their philosophy to their personnel or vice versa. But their offseason moves indicate something bigger is at play here. Weve got some good young players on offense, Saints general manager Mickey Loomis said this spring. I know it might seem like we dont, but we do. The Saints are a team in the throes of transition. The Super Bowl team has slowly but surely been disassembled. Only eight players remain from the clubs 2009 championship squad in the wake of Lance Moores release on Friday. And with the uncertain futures of Pierre Thomas and unrestricted free agents De la Puente, Malcolm Jenkins and Zach Strief, the number could be reduced to four by the start of the 2014 season: Drew Brees; Marques Colston; Jahri Evans; and Thomas Morstead. This doesnt necessarily mean the Saints will be worse. In fact, they very well could be better. But theyll certainly be different, at least when compared to past iterations. Isnt that what a renovation is all about?
Posted on: Sun, 09 Mar 2014 12:55:54 +0000
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