Head coach Sean Payton made the official announcement that the New Orleans Saints have added three new coaches to their coaching staff.
Drew Brees's contract extension is taking longer than everyone had hoped and some have been wondering if the New Orleans Saints are going to franchise tag Brees.
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Peyton Manning's, Matt Flynn's futures at forefront of NFL offseason issues - Don Banks - SI.com
If you think the Saints are letting NFL Offensive Player of the Year Drew Brees get out of town, you haven't been paying attention for the past six years or so.
Roaf wants to be remembered as Saint - NFC South Blog - ESPN
"I’m wearing a Saints hat,’’ Roaf said. "You know things happen for a reason in life and I had to go through what I had to deal with and I needed a fresh start anyway, went through the knee surgery, went to Kansas City and played hard, and I think the experiences made me a better person. I think if I had to stay on that turf I wouldn’t have made it but another year or two but the fact that I went and played on that grass and played well in Kansas City with that real good group of players for those three of four years, I think that’s what solidified and helped me get in this early."
Best value in NFL? Jimmy Graham - NFC South Blog - ESPN
The Saints have another potential contract situation percolating. As best I know, there haven’t been any threats or holdouts, but the Saints almost have to do something about the contract of tight end Jimmy Graham.
Vincent Jackson expected to hit open market | ProFootballTalk
The Chargers would have to pay Vincent Jackson a lot of money to use the franchise tag on him -- more than $13 million. That's why he's expected to hit the open market, and he's not expected to stay in San Diego. "I don’t see any way he’s back [in San Diego].
Seattle media makes their case for Peyton Manning | ProFootballTalk
Seattle hasn't been mentioned a lot as a possible landing spot for Peyton Manning, but it probably should be. They have a quality defense, salary cap room, a first class facility, and an owner that isn't afraid to spend. (Or stay out of the way.
New Orleans Saint Lance Moore congratulates Madisonville milk-drinkers - New Orleans Saints Football NFL News - NOLA.com
Madisonville Junior High School wins milk-drinking campaign across southeast Louisiana
New Orleans will split Mardi Gras parade schedule to accommodate Super Bowl | ProFootballTalk
The Super Bowl returns to New Orleans next year, but the timing of the NFL’s title game creates a conflict with the city’s Mardi Gras parade schedule.
Saints Nation's Top 10 Plays of the Saints' 2011 Season: #1 Brees Breaks Marino's Record | February
Belichick Dared Manningham to Beat Him - NYTimes.com
Matchups can be important. The Giants had beaten New England earlier in the year, and had come very close to beating the 49ers and the Packers. But the Saints in New Orleans? It seems the Niners did the Giants a favor. As good as the Giants were playing, do you think they could have won in the Superdome?
Saints: Who could stay and who could go - Receivers, Specialists | wwltv.com New Orleans
The Saints have a couple of decisions to make at receiver and one very interesting one to make at kicker this offseason.
Faces of NFC South could change - NFC South Blog - ESPN
Will Smith, Saints. For a long time, Abraham and Smith have been viewed as the NFC South’s top two pass-rushers. But it’s possible they’ll both be gone. Smith’s situation is slightly different than Abraham’s.
Drew Brees’s contract extension is taking longer than everyone had hoped and some have been wondering if the New Orleans Saints are going to franchise tag Brees. I do not think it would be in either party’s best interest if Brees were to be franchised. I think the Saints need to do everything possible to get a deal done for Brees as fast as they can so they do not have to use their franchise tag on him. Brees is obviously the Saints’ number one free agent priority but they have other players they are going to have to address. Other key unrestricted free agents the Saints have are OG Carl Nicks, WRs Robert Meachem and Marques Colston, and CB Tracy Porter.
The Saints would love to keep all of them, but with Brees expected to get a big payday it does not seem very realistic that the Saints can retain them all. However, if the Saints do not use their franchise tag on Drew Brees then they could potentially use it on one of their other free agents such as Nicks, Meachem, or Coslton. I personally think the Saints will do what they can to retain Carl Nicks as he is arguably one of the best offensive linemen in the league. With that said, the Saints need to get a deal done for Brees before they can consider franchising Nicks. I think in any scenario that plays out the Saints will not be able to retain both Meachem and Colston. Both are valued receivers and I know their stocks have risen since this past season; so I would look for the Saints to resign one of them while the other gets picked up by another team via free agency.
All of the Saints’ free agency moves will depend on if and when they can get a deal done to retain Drew Brees. Once a deal is made everything will fall into place and the Saints can start resigning other guys, possibly using their franchise tag on a player, or letting players leave through free agency if they do not have the money to resign them. Whatever happens, one thing is for sure, Drew Brees will still be a New Orleans Saint; the team cannot and will not let him go.
Head coach Sean Payton made the official announcement that the New Orleans Saints have added three new coaches to their coaching staff. The most notable of the coaching additions is the hiring of Steve Spagnuolo as defensive coordinator. In addition to the new defensive coordinator the Saints hired Ken Fajole as the secondary coach and Andre Curtis as assistant secondary coach.
Spagnuolo is best known for the architect of the New York Giants defense during their Super Bowl XLII win and should bring a lot to the table defensively. Fajole also has a great track record as he has worked with many different defenses throughout his career and has made his players better. Fajole joined the Saint Louis Rams in 2009 and was previously the linebackers coach for the Carolina Panthers. Under Fajole’s coaching the Panthers’ linebackers were a staple of that defense. Curtis joined the Saints after spending the 2009-2011 seasons with the Saint Louis Rams. During his time with the Rams he was the defensive backs and safeties coach. Prior to his time in Saint Louis Curtis was on the same defensive coaching staff led by Spagnuolo in New York.
With all of these new hires the Saints definitely have defense on their minds. It was wise of the Saints to hire Spagnuolo and two of his key staff from Saint Louis; together the three of them should give the Saints a defensive makeover that they desperately need. Furthermore, the hiring of a brand new defensive staff gives some inclinations as to where the Saints want to go in the 2012 NFL Draft. I would look to see the Saints draft a defensive player with their first pick (2nd round, pick 59), possibly a linebacker or a cornerback. Whatever the case, I think Saints fans should be getting excited about the new coaching additions; the coaches should give the Saints a defensive identity and make them a very dangerous team.
With the season now in the rearview mirror though some would say not far enough behind with wounds still open we believe at WWLTV.com it's time to hit on our yearly "roster check," our assessment of who should be or should not be with the club come training camp in July.
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