Didnt they pay Dillion also? I WOULD LOVE to see the Saints pull that trade off! By far the BEST corner out there right now!
What's up with Jason Craft? The dude has speed to burn, maybe next year he'll step up into a starting role. Also, is Roman Harper going to be on schedule to be back for the start of the season?
It can't be a trade. If the Pats sign him, it will be for mega bucks, which means they plan to keep him. If they don't sign him, he is a free agent. You don't trade for somene who won't be under contract by the time March rolls around. Samuel looks to be a sure bet. But damn he is gonna command such a high price. I really don't think the Pats will sign him based on recent history.
The concensus on Craft is he is even worse than Thomas (hard to believe). And you gotta believe he is, otherwise he would have been starter this past season, or at the very least replaced Thomas by the time the playoffs started. Ironically, Thomas was playing his best game of the year up until the drive that Grossman completed those 4 passes that gave Chicago the commanding 25-14 lead. If he makes the interception at the goal line (which he should have), who knows we may be talking about extending his contract right now. Funny, isn't it? On Harper, I have not heard how his rehabbing is going. I would think since the injury occurred so early in the season that he may be fine by training camp. Let's hope so.
he's due a 3 million dollar bonus and no way will NE give him that. he will have to take a lot less money to have any chance of staying there which im sure isnt happening anyhow. looks like maroney and faulk and maybe a free agent pickup. kevin has to be close to hanging up the cleats so maybe they'll take another rb in the draft as well. i hope the saints find a way to keep grant. maybe the fact he didnt record a tackle in the nfc title game will keep his price from getting too ridiculous. harper is supposed to be ready to go next year which means bellamy and/or stoutmire is gone. Probably time to get rid of bellamy regardless. stout is a decent backup. i think horn is definitely gone. id use his money to keep grant. im guessing miller and copper are re-signed. id also like to find a backup qb in the draft.
Agree on Grant. He really didn't show up in the Bears game. If he played like Smith did on the other end of the line, the Saints probably force Grossman into 3 or 4 turnovers. I think all the big runs on that drive in the first half by Jones were on Grant's side of the field. I have no idea why he didn't come to play. Saints either sign him fair market value or he can go on the free agent market for all I care. I don't know what happens to Horn. I would assume we try to restructure his contract but the concensus is he walks if the Saints try to do that. That's a tough one, as Horn has been the face of this franchise along with Deuce these past 6 years. I think Horn has 1 good year left barring injury. But that is a big IF. I hope we sign Miller. He is going to be a solid TE. We can draft someone midround as a 3rd stringer behind Campbell. I agree about finding a backup QB in the draft. I am sure we can find a Brees type QB who isn't flashy but very smart that can fit this Saints offense. Martin will suffice for next season, even if he does have one of the stranger releases I have ever seen out of a QB. Stoutmire is signed and Bellamy was a stop-gap measure. Stoutmire is a good backup to Harper. My guess is we sign both Hollis Thomas and Jon Stinchcomb. Stinchcomb had a really good season and won't command that high a salary since this was basically his first year of seeing any signigicant amount of action. I don't see Thomas commanding big bucks either as his best days are behind him. I just think we need to have him for one more year as we groom his replacement that we draft for this year. I know everybody is down on Fred Thomas, but I really believe he will make for a fine nickel or dime back next year. He just can't cover anyone's #1 receiver. He does quite well on average receivers. I don't know if the Saints will try to restructure his contract as well, altho he only has 1 year left on a 3 year deal.
Tirk, what is your take on Josh Bullocks? Too early to judge? I have seen enough to know that he doesn't have the hard hitting decision making mindset you need in a FS. I never seen a FS ALWAYS be a few yards away every damn time he is needed to make a play. I really think he is scared to death to hit people. That's not good. He's in the wrong profession, especially playing the position he does.
certainly harper is the better of the two but bullocks was an all-conference guy at nebraska. i remember them saying during the draft that he had like 10 picks in one season so obviously he has a nose for the ball b/c he was a pretty good tackler as well. he was in position many times to make a play but he freaked out when the ball got to him. he just looked like a rookie which he was and will likely be fine in time. payton signed him long-term so if he likes him that much Ill trust the talent is there and simply needs time to settle into the position. i think Stoutmire is a FA.
Bullocks is in his 2nd season, Haslett drafted him. They signed him to a 4 year deal. I think they wanna see what Bullocks and Harper can do as a tandem next season. On other Saints forums they are adamant that Bullocks was playing a lot better early in the season with Harper, and that when Harper went down, Bullock's level of play did as well. That didn't make much sense to me. You use that kind of logic for a pair of receivers or better yet a RB/FB relationship, not safeties.
