Saints Defense Analysis

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DEFENSIVE ANALYSIS OF THE SAINTS
By staff writer Mike Triplett
Tuesday, July 26, 2005
LINEMEN

The skinny: It's not fair to lump the ends and tackles together, because the outside pass rushers are the defense's biggest strength, while the interior run-stoppers might be the most glaring weakness. Ends Charles Grant, Darren Howard, Will Smith and Tony Bryant are difference makers who can put serious pressure on quarterbacks. Late last season, the Saints even began putting all four of them on the field together in passing situations. To force those passing situations, the Saints need to stop the run better on first and second downs. They should be better in the middle this season, because they have more continuity at tackle. Veteran Brian Young and inexperienced Howard Green were first-year Saints starters last season, and backup Willie Whitehead missed the first half of the season with a knee injury. All three return, and behind them is third-year Saint Johnathan Sullivan, a first-round bust in 2003 who has become an unknown. The Saints won't be counting on him, but if he decides to have his breakout year, there's room for him.

Likely roster spots: Eight or nine

Sure things: Charles Grant, Darren Howard, Will Smith, Brian Young, Howard Green, Tony Bryant, Willie Whitehead, Johnathan Sullivan

On the bubble: Rodney Leisle, Jason Jefferson, Jimmy Verdon

Long shot: L.P. LaDouceur

Saints defensive coordinator Rick Venturi says: "It's so important to stop the run on early downs and get yourself in an ideal (third-and-long) situation, because our team is shaped to be really good in those situations. But if you don't create them, you don't have the advantage."


LINEBACKERS

The skinny: The bad news is that the Saints ranked 32nd in total defense last season and 30th against the run. The good news is that things started to turn around in December, and for the first time since Jim Haslett became coach in 2000, the Saints are planning to start a season with the same three linebackers that finished the year before. Fourth-year veteran James Allen and second-year pros Courtney Watson and Colby Bockwoldt came together last December and played an instrumental part in the Saints' season-ending four-game winning streak. As a result of their unexpected success, the Saints were able to release higher-priced veterans Orlando Ruff and Derrick Rodgers during the offseason. Perhaps the Saints will regret that they didn't add a free agent or first-round draft choice to this young unit, but Watson's improvement in his second year as the signal caller should make a big difference. Third-round choice Alfred Fincher and fifth-year vet Sedrick Hodge still provide some depth.

Likely roster spots: Six or seven

Sure things: James Allen, Courtney Watson, Colby Bockwoldt, Alfred Fincher, Sedrick Hodge

On the bubble: Cie Grant, Roger Knight, Levar Fisher

Long shots: Terrence Melton, Russel Rabe, Cabel Roholoff

Venturi says: "What we're really hoping for is that Cie Grant or Fisher, one of those guys that's been injured that has talent, will come on or explode. It's hard for us to count on that yet, but we're hoping. A lot of the young guys we have to wait and see, but that's kind of the direction that we've gone."


BACKS

The skinny: Safety Dwight Smith was the defense's only major free-agent acquisition this offseason. Throw in cornerback Mike McKenzie, who arrived in a trade last October, and second-round draft pick Josh Bullocks, and this unit has more dynamic playmakers than it did to start last season. That's important, because the Saints intercepted only 13 passes last season. Sixth-year cornerback Fakhir Brown should continue to improve after becoming a starter in the second half of last season -- assuming he wasn't hurt by skipping four weeks of coaching sessions in a contract holdout this spring. Twelfth-year safety Jay Bellamy re-signed in free agency, though he might have to fend off the impressive Bullocks to keep his starting job. The Saints are deep at every position -- so deep that special teams standouts Steve Gleason and Mel Mitchell might be fighting for a roster spot in camp.

Likely roster spots: Nine or 10

Sure things: Mike McKenzie, Dwight Smith, Jay Bellamy, Josh Bullocks, Fakhir Brown, Jason Craft, Fred Thomas

On the bubble: Mel Mitchell, Jimmy Williams, Steve Gleason

Long shots: Fred Booker, Matt Clark, Brent Hafford, Dwight Ellick

Venturi says: "We like our corners. We feel like we have some guys that can play. They're not the best-known guys in the league, but we feel like we have depth there. Real solid across the board."

 

New Orleans will be improved this year. They have some athletes at LB (though how they perform remains to be seen), and the secondary improved noticeably once McKenzie got settled in. Smith may not be as good as I thought he was, but he's still better than anyone they had previously. They won't be an above average defense, but even something close to average would make them a dangerous team (which they will be).

 

Which will certainly be exploited in due time.

that's not really a reason to be better. They really didn't upgrade at all. To have added a cheap DT with any run defending skills at all would've been one, but they didn't.

Duh. But I don't really see them having improved there.

They didn't need to sign an impact player to improve. They didn't add anything really. Hoping for a Hodge to overtake Bockwoldt isn't wise, and I don't know if Buckwoldt will get better, either. Watson should improve, yeah, he wasn't terrible anyway.
Why does Levar Fisher just outright suck? I didn't like him, but I didn't see him washing totally out.

They made strides, IF McKenzie sticks around and isn't a huge pain in the ass. I don't like Bullucks much compared to some of the safeties, but they got their guy, and he could pull in some passes.

now - what are they planning on doing with it? They did gear toward the pass, and they've shown no actual plan to how they're going to force teams into it. Sure, I don't expect a full gameplan detailing it, but give a plausible reason. But their pass D being a major weakness, they did add competent play in the backfield to supplant a pass rush that typically whips our ass. At any rate, I don't see them stopping us head-on, other than that this will be where Wharton will probably struggle mightily (Gross did, for that matter); we should be able to run ahead and pulling, and they're susceptible to the draw (ugh).

 

They are still the Saints, they'll choke down the stretch.

 

Tony Bryant is something of a DE/DT tweener, and we used 3 DEs in our pass rush (with Wallace at DT) late in the year as well. As for the rest, I think they're trying the Indianapolis defense. I don't agree with it, but I understand the strategy given that there were very limited options at DT this off-season.

 

Is that what you were saying last year when they knocked you out of the playoffs in the last game of the season? Who choked down the stretch last year? Saying something like what you did only shows your intelligence......

 

When is the last time the Saints went to the superbowl? Oh yea, never.

How many times have they started strong and then fell apart and missed the playoffs?

The Saints happened to match up well with our team last year by game 16. We could not run well and had to rely on the pass too much. That played to the strength of the NO defense. Add to that the fact we had a scrub at right tackle trying to block the DE and you see why we struggled. I look for a whole different thing come the season opener. With a healthy Deshon Foster and the additino of Eric Shelton along with an improved OL I doubt pass protection becomes a big factor in the game.

 

Saints get no closer than 14 in the opener.

 

Intelligence isn't in your argument either. We were missing 65% of our offense and you still barely beat us. We will see how well the Saint do in the season opener.