Canal St. Chronicles

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LINKS:

New Orleans Saints offensive line honored during 'bittersweet' visit to Super Bowl XLVI - New Orleans Saints Football NFL News - NOLA.com
Saints win Prilosec OTC Madden Protectors Award for second time in three years

New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees named FedEx Air Player of the Year - New Orleans Saints Football NFL News - NOLA.com
INDIANAPOLIS -- Saints quarterback Drew Brees capped off a record-setting season by winning the FedEx Air Player of the Year Award on Wednesday at Super Bowl XLVI. Brees beat out Green Bay's Aaron Rodgers and New England's Tom Brady for the honor, which is based on fan voting. It's the fourth time Brees has won the award since its inception in 2003.

Saints Offensive Line Wins 2011 Madden Protectors Award

New Orleans is among possible sites for NFL's 2013 Pro Bowl - New Orleans Saints Football NFL News - NOLA.com
League is considering several options after contract with Hawaii expired this year

Fans attend Super Bowl XLVI Media Day for first time - New Orleans Saints Football NFL News - NOLA.com
Just when you think Super Bowl Media Day can't get any crazier, the NFL pushes the envelope and transforms a business event into a spectactor sport. For the first time ever, about 7,300 fans attended Tuesday's Super Bowl XLVI Media Day interview sessions at Lucas Oil Stadium.

New Orleans Saints guard Carl Nicks would 'love' to stay in New Orleans but remains skeptical - New Orleans Saints Football NFL News - NOLA.com
Nicks is expected to be one of the NFL's most in-demand free agents in 2012

Carl Nicks wants to remain with Saints | ProFootballTalk
Saints guard Carl Nicks projects as one of the most desirable free agents to hit the market this offseason. If he has his way, though, he won't be leaving New Orleans.

Saints Nation's Top 10 Plays of the Saints' 2011 Season: #6 - Pierre Thomas' Game Winner Against the Panthers | February

Around the NFC South - NFC South Blog - ESPN
Former New Orleans offensive lineman Willie Roaf and former Carolina linebacker Kevin Greene are this year’s Pro Football Hall of Fame finalists

New Orleans logical spot for Pro Bowl - NFC South Blog - ESPN
As the host city for next year’s Super Bowl, New Orleans reportedly is a candidate to host the Pro Bowl in 2013. This situation remains very mu

Saluting NFC South's Iron Men - NFC South Blog - ESPN
In recent days, I’ve been sharing some details on 2011 playing time at various positions. We’ll continue to do that going forward and stil

NFC South's $5 million club - NFC South Blog - ESPN
Time to take a look at the NFC South players that are scheduled to have the highest 2012 salary-cap figures. Let’s be clear, these numbers are

NFL.com Blogs " Blog Archive Madden points satellite of love at Saints’ O-line "
NFL Blogs on NFL.com is the only official NFL blog destination for the latest NFL news, NFL fantasy football news, NFL player news, NFL team news, and NFL breaking news.

It wasn't about coaching, but Dick Stanfel's play earning him a shot at the Pro Football Hall of Fame - New Orleans Saints Football NFL News - NOLA.com
He had short stint as interim coach for the Saints in a bad year

Betting on the Super Bowl predates the game | NOLA.com
Kinda, it actually goes back to NFL championships

Yenni dynasty: The Times-Picayune covers 175 years of New Orleans history | NOLA.com
From 1980 until 1995, Jefferson Parish was guided by the Yennis, father, then son

Tom Benson: The Times-Picayune covers 175 years of New Orleans history | NOLA.com
Timing, as they say, is everything

The voice of the Saints: The Times-Picayune covers 175 years of New Orleans history | NOLA.com
You might not recognize Jerry Romig if you saw him on the street. But you'd know him if you heard him.

VIDEO:

NFL Videos: 2011 Madden Protectors Award winners
The Saints' offensive linemen are the winners of the 2011 Madden Protectors Award.

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If there is one thing I'm willing to bet we can all agree on, it's that the Saints could really benefit from having a dominant pass rusher. Wouldn't ya know it, this year's NFL free agency crop has a number of players that fit the bill. So let's start talking about potential free agents whom the Saints might consider signing and what better place to begin than with the defensive end position.

Below is a quick look at some of the defensive ends that may potentially be available when the free agency period begins on March 13th. Let's see who might be making a visit to town. Then talk about it in the comment section.

The Big Names

Mario Williams - DE/OLB - Texans

6'6" - 283 lbs. - 27 years old

Williams only played in five games last season and he still notched five sacks, on pace for a 16 sack season until he tore his pectoral muscle. Money is tight for the Texans and teams like the Bills and Chargers have already expressed interest in Williams. If the Texans don't use the franchise tag, a big contract could easily lure him out of Houston.

Calais Campbell - DE - Cardinals

6'8" - 300 lbs. - 25 years old

I'm noticing that Campbell seems to be the player of choice among many here on Canal Street Chronicles. And why not? He's big, he's young and he's good. Unfortunately, it looks like the Cardinals will use their franchise tag on him if they don't get a deal done before the deadline.

Cliff Avril - DE - Lions

6'3" - 260 lbs - 25 years old

The athletic Avril is coming off a breakout year and will command a big pay day. Since the Lions are tight against the cap, they might have to let him walk. I would cream my pants if the Saints landed him. This guy is crazy good, yo.

Robert Mathis - DE - Colts

6'2" - 245 lbs. - 30 years old

Despite switching to a 3-4 defense this offseason, Colts new defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano doesn't think Robert Mathis will have any trouble converting. That means the Colts may be planning on re-signing him. It would be a good get for the Saints, though.

John Abraham - DE - Falcons

6'4" - 263 lbs - 33 years old

Yes, that John Abraham. It appears his time in Atlanta is all but officially over so the question becomes: where will he go next? Why not to the team he tormented so many times for so many years? I know the whole former Falcon thing might take some getting used to but hey, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em. Abraham has certainly lost a step but let's face it, he's still probably better than anything the Saints currently have. He should come reasonably priced as well.

More Affordable Options

Jeremy Mincey - DE - Jaguars

6'3" - 270 lbs. - 28 years old

Andre Carter - DE - Patriots

6'4" - 255 lbs. - 32 years old

Cory Redding - DE - Ravens

6'4" - 298 lbs. - 31 years old

Israel Idonije - DE - Bears

6'6" - 275 lbs. - 31 years old

Kroy Bierman - DE - Falcons

6'3" - 255 lbs - 26 years old

Raheem Brock - DE - Seahawks

6'4" - 274 lbs. - 33 years old

Click to read the original Saints article by Canal Street Chronicles

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I have yet another writer interested in taking part of our search for fresh new front page talent here on Canal Street Chronicles, to make the best Saints blog on the net even better.

In case you missed the introduction to our little talent search here, be sure to read it first before continuing. Remember, any and all criticism must be 100% constructive and positive in nature. Keep Da Chronic classy!

Please welcome the next contestant of Da Chronic's Got Talent! S/he is willing to contribute once or twice a week.

Coaches Who Yell

I hate coaches who yell. It really drives me crazy to see coaches airing their dirty laundry on the field and screaming at the refs as if they own the world. One of the things I admire about Sean Payton is his ability to remain cool and collected almost all of the time - even when his whole knee has just been destroyed by a potential late hit not called by the refs!

But there are a few coaches that totally lose it, and it really doesn't get them anywhere. Over the past year, I've noticed a few coaches who are repeat offenders. While I'm sure that there are many more, these guys stand out in my mind as coaches who yell all the time and lose it on the field. This stands in contrast to guys like Payton, Belichick, and Mike McCarthy, among others, who almost never flip out when things don't go their way. (As a side note, when googling "Payton yelling" or "Payton screaming," I don't think any pictures of him come up that look as if he's actually losing his temper.)

Without further ado...

Mike Smith

Though the Falcons coach might not be the worst offender, he's the one we see most, as we play him twice a year. Smith, or Steve Martin as some of my friends like to call him, always looks pained at best, and most of the time he is screaming his head off about something or other.

via cdn.bleacherreport.net

Jim Harbaugh

If we were playing a free association game, and the words "angry football coach" came up, Jim Harbaugh would be the first name to come to mind. This guy is always yelling from the sidelines, with that look of "you refs are bumbling idiots and every call you make is stupid" on his face. It's sometimes hard to tell whether he's upset at the officials' calls or at his players. In either case, it's kind of excessive, in my opinion. Yes, you may have turned around a stumbling 49ers team, but you are not the king of all things NFL, Jim Harbaugh. Please take it down a notch next season.

via www.vancouversun.com

Jim Schwartz

Of course no list of angry coaches can be complete without Jim Schwartz. After the Lions-49ers game, he made a national embarrassment of himself and, by extension, his team when he threw a punch at Jim Harbaugh during the postgame handshake time. Players even had to intervene to separate Schwartz and Harbaugh. Though Harbaugh stated later in a press conference, "I shook his hand too hard," Schwartz's reaction was overdone. I wonder if his attitude in general set the tone for his team, which was one of the leaders of unsportsmanlike conduct-related penalties in the 2011 season.

via cdn.bleacherreport.net

John Harbaugh

Like brother, like brother. ‘Nuff said.

via www2.pictures.zimbio.com

Pete Carroll

Carroll was not on my list coming into this, but after a Google image search, it looks like he's quite the repeat offender. Unsurprising. With such a large scandal in his coaching history, I would expect him to have a bit of a chip on his shoulder.

via 4.bp.blogspot.com

Rex Ryan

It's impossible to forget the Rex here. Known for cursing at officials and trash-talking off the field, Ryan has probably the longest and most well-known track record as a hothead coach. Heck, he even loses it during preseason games (see left picture)! Is it really worth it, Rex?

via nyjetsfan.com

So what do y'all think...is it unclassy for a coach to lose his temper on the field, or just a regular and accepted part of the game? Does a coach's demeanor on the field set the tone for his players? Also, who should be added to this list?

Click to read the original Saints article by Canal Street Chronicles

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Philadelphia Eagles coach Andy Reid says he offered former Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo a job

Click to read the original Saints article by Canal Street Chronicles

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TWEETS:

BIG S/o to the master mind of the best threads in town, @newimage23 ..my closet is stocked w/ perfection that clearly stands above the rest!

jgoody59 jonathan goodwin

Congrats to my big bro! He's now the Offensive Line coach for the colts.

ltorrence24 Leigh Torrence Jr

It's oil everywhere out here in the parking lot at this West End Mall!

DannyClark55 Danny Clark

I didnt go anywhere. Im a Saint forever now! I miss you guys too. RT @Paige3846089: Nice!! We miss u

camjordan94 cameron jordan

At movies wit moms, I'm feelin like revenges of the old folks home

camjordan94 cameron jordan

#GOb I'd be obliged to concur RT @CharlesOArt: @camjordan94 must be the funniest Saint in the locker room. His tweets are hilarious.

AdamSchefter Adam Schefter

ESPN will begin airing its sitdown interview with Peyton Manning at 3 pm, and throughout the day. Retirement sounds a long way off.

LanceMoore16 Lance Moore

Had lunch w Roland and dad and it was off the chain!

JeremyShockey Jeremy Shockey

Customs never check me!! Good thing I'm not in drug dealing or human trafficking 😜😜😝

sharper42 Darren Sharper

Check me out on WGNO again today at 5pm&6pm. I'll be co hosting.

sharper42 Darren Sharper

Told y'all I can rise.

camjordan94 cameron jordan

She said eww this coffee tastes like bush.... #greatodensbeard whaa?!! o like outside weeds/bush

camjordan94 cameron jordan

Time to workout in my city ugh lockerz.com/s/179471523

Saints New Orleans Saints

Congrats to Deuce McAllister (@dmcallister26) on being named a Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Inductee! bit.ly/xht8ht #Saints

JeffDuncanTP Jeff Duncan

Just talked to Patriots DE Rob Ninkovich, a two-time former Saint. His fiancee is from Gretna. They plan to marry this summer in #Nola.

team_gleason team gleason

Abita beer launches new brew for @team_gleason - bit.ly/yWWrEu

Pierre_Thomas Pierre Thomas

Loving this Chicago weather

JonVilma51 Jonathan Vilma

Getting a lil better each day!

JeffDuncanTP Jeff Duncan

The scene at SB XLVI Media Day. lockerz.com/s/179452762

j_bushrod7475 Jermon Bushrod

Bout to take off to Nola... Gotta get a haircut then doc appts then off to Indy tonite

TheJimmyGraham Jimmy Graham

Just landed in LA and my twin @blakegriffin is a beast...Dunk of the year!

LINKS:

Jim Henderson to hang up the TV microphone Tuesday | wwltv.com New Orleans
Capping a nearly 34-year career as Louisiana's preeminent sportscaster and a local broadcasting icon, sports director Jim Henderson will deliver his final sportscasts Tuesday.

Opinion: Henderson simply the best | wwltv.com New Orleans
Jim could poke fun, be deadly serious or have the exuberance of a young boy watching his first pro football game and he related all those feelings with an eloquence few could match.

NFL, Who Dat, Inc. to drop lawsuits, work together | wwltv.com New Orleans
The NFL and a local family have agreed to drop all lawsuits against one another over the use of "Who Dat," and to work together on merchandise featuring the phrase.

Saints: First look at free agency - NFC South Blog - ESPN
Once the accounting is done on Brees, Nicks and Colston, the Saints will have to make some tough financial decisions. Porter and Meachem are important role players. But they could have market value elsewhere. The Saints might not be able to afford to keep them. That would hurt, but it might not be disastrous because the Saints have good depth at receiver and cornerback.

Around the NFC South - NFC South Blog - ESPN
Time to take a look at the Tuesday morning headlines around the NFC South. - Here’s a mock draft that has the Carolina Panthers taking co

Former Kansas City Chiefs President Carl Peterson to receive Pete Rozelle Award - New Orleans Saints Football NFL News - NOLA.com
TD Club of New Orleans announces its award recipients

Good luck covering your tracks in the Internet age: Jarvis DeBerry | NOLA.com

Super Bowl media day, live coverage | NOLA.com
From Lucas Oil Stadium

Jim Henderson concludes three-decade run at WWL-TV Tuesday night | NOLA.com
Longtime sportscaster will anchor his last TV sportscast at 10 p.m.

Jim Henderson reflects on sports figures he covered, and colleagues he worked with | NOLA.com
The retiring sportscaster shares his parting impressions of Manning, Maravich, Ali, Brees, Buddy D. and more

Touchdown Club of New Orleans to Honor Peterson, Miles, Roussel, Brocato and Doskey

McAllister Highlights 2012 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Class

The Super Bowl Is More Important Than…
Chicks in the Huddle

Saints Nation: Chronic Podcast Discussing the Defensive Line | January

Who Dat nation triumphs as NFL settles trademark lawsuit | NOLA.com
But 4 local companies still could face court action

VIDEO:

NFL Videos: Touching Down: Tracy Porter
Tracy Porter relives his crucial 74-yard TD interception return off Colts QB Peyton Manning in Super Bowl XLIV.

Click to read the original Saints article by Canal Street Chronicles

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Tags: blogs, New Orleans Saints, saints news

In the first installment of Da Chronic's off-season podcasts, Andrew Juge stops by to talk Super Bowl, the new Saints defensive coordinator, and the Saints defensive line with Ralph Malbrough. Will Junior Gallete be the answer to our pass rush prayers in 2012? Who will be back at defensive tackle? Also we discuss heavy drinking, how men trick women into marrying us and the black hole known as non-football Sundays.

Listen right now below, get the feed right here and/or download it on iTunes right here.

Warning: explicit language and adult content.

Click to read the original Saints article by Canal Street Chronicles

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Are we having fun yet!? It's time for another audition candidate in our search for fresh new front page talent here on Canal Street Chronicles, to make the best Saints blog on the net even better.

In case you missed the introduction to our little talent search here, be sure to read it first before continuing. Remember, any and all criticism must be 100% constructive and positive in nature. Keep Da Chronic classy!

Please welcome the next contestant of Da Chronic's Got Talent! S/he is willing to contribute every other week.

Random Observations: An Early Look At 2012

Before we take a sneak peek into the future let's take a brief look at last season. In 2011, the Saints had one of the most effective offenses ever seen in NFL history. They won their division, they broke record after record, and finished 14-4. Throughout the season and post-season they went toe-to-toe with 6 out of the 12 playoff teams this year. Out of those 6 we beat 4! Four of their wins against playoff caliber teams could be considered blowouts:

NO v NYG; 49-24; NO v DET 31-17; NO v DET 45-28; NO v ATL 45-16 (Of course 2 of these were against DET)

Our losses to GB and SF were so close they came down to the last drive of the game while our losses to TB and STL seemed like total flukes. After the loss to the 49ers in the Divisional Round of the playoffs, Saints players, coaches, and staff were already thinking about next year and what they can do to improve.

Looking at next year as a fan, Superbowl XLVII will be played at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, and it would be a historical win if we can get there because no team has even played in a Superbowl at their home stadium much less won it. Can you imagine if the Saints were to fight their way into that game? Well according to the opponents we will see next year it will be a fight! Each team we face presents a different set of challenges which could get worse depending on the final schedule. Here is the list of opponents for the Saints' 2012-2013 season:

Home: Atlanta, Carolina, Tampa Bay, Philadelphia, Washington, San Francisco, Kansas City, San Diego
Away: Atlanta, Carolina, Tampa Bay, Dallas, New York Giants, Green Bay, Denver, Oakland

Another thing that is not in our favor is we don't have a first round pick in the draft. Remember when Ingram was still on the Big Board and we traded with NE? Yes boys and girls ... there went our first round pick for 2012. Oh well c'est la vie! I don't regret the move because Ingram is going to be worth it. Anyway, there is already word going around that Minnesota may be willing to give up the 3rd overall pick in the draft if a team were very needy.

We are not that needy! Since our defense could use the most work let's start there. Yes, we lost old GDub (Gregg Williams), but we gained SpagNOLA who I think will fit better as our DC than even his name implies. He prefers to get pressure from the front four while sprinkling in a healthy combination of blitz packages. He should mix it up a little better than Williams did.

While our defense allowed a lot of yards this year, they seemed to hold their own in the points allowed department averaging a little over 21 a game which isn't terrible because the lowest average was only one TD less. Luckily, most of the defensive FAs on the roster can be replaced if we can't afford to re-sign them. Guys like Jo-Lonn Dunbarand Tracy Porter who are both FAs showed glimmers of potential but haven't really broke out so it's all about price with them. I would actually prefer that we let Franklin and Rogers go because they not impress me this year since we were tied for 31st in average yards per carry. I think Mitch King earned a second look plus I still believe Ellis has potential. Along with King and Ellis, we need to add younger legs with how often SpagNOLA will be rotating our defensive front.

We have some young talent in our DEs and LB corps but we better start looking for Vilma's replacement because the position is so demanding on his body. I don't know if I fully trust any of our current players to fill his role yet. I really want to see what Martez Wilson learned in 2011 and I just want to see if Greg Romeus was worth the wait.

The secondary faired alright with GDub's blitz schemes considering their average age was 23.4 years old. My main concern here is at safety because I really don't trust Harper in deep coverage anymore. Since he already signed a new contract before last season we can still use him for playing close to the line for stopping the run and blitzing the QB. Whatever we do with Harper we have to get Jenkins some help in coverage duties.

Moving on to the offense, we do have a few key players entering free agency that are worth mentioning. First of all, we know Brees' contract is like an elephant in the room, but I'm 99.9% certain we'll make that happen. Especially since Loomis feels his job (and probably his life) would be threatened if Brees isn't re-signed. After Brees, my two main concerns are Carl Nicks and Marques Colston. If we had to lose one I'd rather see us keep Nicks because you can't pass effectively if your QB is on the ground.

I know, I know, Marques Colston is better than good, he's great. He fits so well into this offense because he understands the concept of team and is willing to sacrifice his body, he does not talk trash and keeps to himself. He's the perfect man for the job but we may not be able to afford him. Meacham may have to be the sacrificial lamb here because he's the only other FA WR on the roster and will be much easier to replace.

Remember Graham? He had a huge year and we may want to secure his future services before he becomes a FA. Behind Graham we only had Gilmore, Humphrey, and Higgins who played in place of David Thomas who pulled a Jimmy Hoffa not once but twice this season. We could offer Graham a long term contract of 6 or 7 years to spread out the cost. Then devote some serious scouting to find a receiver/tight end hybrid like Graham who doesn't mind occasional blocking duties.

Don't worry though most of our needs on either side of the ball can be addressed with some savvy free agent moves and draft picks. Until the offseason officially begins our speculations will grow into anticipation over next season! That's all for now my Black and Gold brethren.

Click to read the original Saints article by Canal Street Chronicles

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TWEETS:

LINKS:

Tony Gonzalez still going strong - NFC South Blog - ESPN
Atlanta’s Tony Gonzalez might be the oldest tight end in the NFC South, but he also got way more playing time than anyone else at the position....

EA Sports simulation game picks New York Giants over New England | NOLA.com
The game has been correct in six of past eight

Keisel on Pro Bowl: They "should have just put flags" on players | ProFootballTalk
The first guest of the week on PFT Live undeniably has the best beard in the NFL. Possibly in the history of the world. Steelers defensive end Brett Keisel joined the show and talked about missing the Pro Bowl because he is injured. "Hawaii's a great place.

Saints Nation: Saints Players Make Splash in Pro Bowl | January

Around the NFC South - NFC South Blog - ESPN
Let's take a look at the Monday morning headlines from around the NFC South. In the aftermath of Tampa Bay’s disastrous 4-12 season, there&rsqu

AFC Defeats NFC, 59-41, in Pro Bowl

'NFL Honors' Show to Take Place This Saturday

Take that, San Francisco!: A letter to the editor | NOLA.com
To all San Francisco fans. Too bad, too sad. No Super Bowl for you. It's called pay back, and shame on you for how you treat visiting fans coming into your "house." There's always next year, but do not hope for miracles until you can learn the true meaning of the word sportsmanship! Marie Nastasi Metairie

Drew Brees and Jimmy Graham combine for a TD in the Pro Bowl - New Orleans Saints Football NFL News - NOLA.com
Graham had five catches

Aaron Rodgers beats out Drew Brees for one as most marketable in the NFL - New Orleans Saints Football NFL News - NOLA.com
Brees was fourth on the list

Sneak peek into Matthew Broderick's Super Bowl commercial | NOLA.com
He's reviving the role of Ferris Bueller

VIDEO:

NFL Videos: Graham touchdown
Drew Brees finds TE Jimmy Graham for a short touchdown to put the NFC back on top 21-14.

NFL Videos: Brees attempts dropkick
Saints QB Drew Brees dropkicks the football on an extra point attempt in the Pro Bowl late in the fourth quarter.

Click to read the original Saints article by Canal Street Chronicles

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Below are my answers to most of last weeks reader questions submitted Thursday. Special thanks to all those that participated. Feel free to continue the discussion on any of these topics in the comment section below.

Can the saints learn to play on the road, or is it a case of always striving for the no.1 seed? - Matt M.

Well, I think you always want to strive for that first seed. Home field advantage in the playoffs is certainly the ideal situation. That being said, I think the Saints will always be a better team at home as long as they're relying on their offense to win games. They're a finesse team offensively, and they just don't seem to put up as many points or dominate opponents when they're outside the Dome. Which means if the defense doesn't step up, then games end badly. So until they have a defense that can pick up the slack when the offense isn't clicking, I think the Saints will have more trouble on the road than they do at home.

Do you believe that G.W. knew that he would no longer be D.C. of the Saints before our defeat by the niners? - Tac H.

I think Gregg Williams knew this would be his final season with the Saints. But that may have been a realization he came to as early as the beginning of the season or at any point throughout. I certainly don't think it had anything to do with his approach to the 49ers game or the fact that the Saints lost, if that is what you are insinuating.

Dave, How long have you had your season tickets for the Saints? - B.R. Saints

Since the 2006 season. But I haven't missed a Saints home game, including the NY "home" game (2005), the Baton Rouge games (2005) and the London Game (2008) but with the exception of the San Antonio games (2005), since 2004.

Should the Saints bundle some draft picks, And or trade a current player in order to get back into the 1st round so they can get a QUALITY linebacker, DE, or DT.?.... -Tim P.

I'd prefer the Saints to keep all of their draft picks, maybe even add more, and I'd like to see them find talented guys in the later rounds instead of trying to hit a home run. The front office has been great at finding offensive talent in unlikely places. They need to start doing that on defense.

Who are you pulling for in the Super Bowl? - Mountain E.

The Giants, for sure. I see no reason why you wouldn't.

Which team in the NFC will show the most improvement next year, and which will show the steepest decline? - Ben D.

That's pretty impossible to answer at this point since the off-season hasn't even officially begun. We still need to see what happens in free agency and the draft. But I'll play along anyway. The Rams should definitely see the most improvement. Not too difficult after a 2-14 injury-riddled season.They've got a whole new coaching staff to revitalize the team. On the other end of the spectrum, the 49ers will decline steepest. No playoffs for them.

What do you do after a loss? Home games and away games. - Acquired P.

I do the same thing after every game, regardless of win/lose or home/away: break it down for you guys on Canal Street Chronicles. That's really the only post-game constant. It's my therapy. I don't punch walls, though I used to; I don't have to get drunk, though it helps. The only thing that really helps is time.

You mentioned going to a Mardi Gras Party after NO/SF Div. gm 1. Was It a Krewe Ball (or just among friends) 2. Have you/or do you belong to a Krewe? 3.Do you have a Carnival tradition, i.e. Bacchus on Napoleon/St.Charles, Mask up & catch Zulu early , or sleep in, head to the FQ, party later? - Metry M.

1. It was a party for Empress XXXIII of the Krewe of Caesar.

2. I am a member of the Krewe of Caesar.

3. I do not have a tradition actually. I used to live directly on the uptown parade route on Napoleon Ave. for about four years. That was a blast. My tradition then was to just play host for anyone and everyone.

Click to read the original Saints article by Canal Street Chronicles

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And the hits just keep on coming in our search for fresh new front page talent here on Canal Street Chronicles, to make the best Saints blog on the net even better.

In case you missed the introduction to our little talent search here, be sure to read it first before continuing. Remember, any and all criticism must be 100% constructive and positive in nature. Keep Da Chronic classy!

Please welcome the next contestant of Da Chronic's Got Talent! S/he is willing to contribute once a week.

Darren Sharper: The Missing Factor

Does Darren Sharper still have anything left in the tank? If so, Mickey Loomis please bring him out of retirement.

During the Saints 2009 Super Bowl season when Sharper was the starting free safety, the defense displayed many of the same vulnerabilities that have plaqued it in 2010 and 2011. While Who Dat Nation has been blessed by a Black & Gold Golden Age over the last three seasons, the defense's tendency to give up big chunks of yard on the ground along along with an inconsistent pass rush under former Coordinator Gregg Williams' heavy blitz scheme have continued to be works in progress. In what has been particularly gut-wrenching for Saints fans, these flaws have been put on full display while ending the Saints playoff march towards a Lombardi repeat. The highlight clips of running back Marshawn Lynch stiff-arming his way right through the Saints defense for his 67 yard touchdown run to clinch the Seahawks 2010 Wildcard win, and 49ers quarterback Alex Smith going untouched leading his team down the field before throwing the 14 yard game winning touchdown pass to tight end Vernon Davis with nine seconds left seems to have run endlessly.

The Saints' Super Bowl winning defensive unit of 2009 also at times gave up too many big plays on the ground and gave the quarterback too much time in the pocket. They did not seem to display the kind of toughness that would draw comparisons to the Dome Patrol, the Steelers Steel Curtain Defense of the 1970's or the 1986 Chicago Bears defense under outspoken coordinator Buddy Ryan. However, the 2009 Black & Gold defense did one thing very well that compensated for the amount of yards they gave up that the 2010 and 2011 versions have failed to replicate. They created turnovers as if it was widespread grand theft larceny. They snagged twenty one interceptions, five of which were returned for touchdowns, including Tracy Porter's pick six off of Peyton Manning in the final minutes of the Super Bowl, which forever will be one of the greatest plays in franchise history.

This past year the defense had nine pass interceptions returning only one for a touchdown. That's quite a dropoff. WWL Radio Hosts Deke Beleveia and Bobby Hebert had an over the air contest in 2009 for coming up with a nickname fo the defense. Fans would often call in suggesting names like Swamp Dawgs and Dome Patrol II. I never called in, but my idea was Den of Thieves because they were constantly taking the ball away from the opposing offense.

Nine of those twenty one interceptions in 2009, came at the hands of the hands of 13 year NFL veteran Sharper. Sharper not only had a nose for the ball, but a nose for the end zone. He returned three of those picks for touchdowns and had a fourth called back on a penalty. His 376 interception yards set a new NFL single season record. Darren Sharper only had one full season as a Saint, but I would argue that he has had as great an impact of any Saints defensive player in franchise history with the exception of Rickey Jackson (that would just be blasphemy). Sharper resigned with the Saints after becaming an unrestricted free agent in 2010. However, health issues kept his playing time at a minimum, and the likely future Hall of Famer eventually retired.

I don't want to sound overly critical of the current Saints defense. They have produced some standout performances over the last two years. In the 20-10 victory over the Steelers in the Superdome on Halloween Night in 2010 and their sack fest of Chicago Bears Quarterback Jay Cutler early this season in that 27-9 victory they definitely demonstrated they could play old school, hard-nosed football. However, the thieving ways that marked the unit when Sharper patrolled the secondary seems to have disappeared.I am also confident that had Sharper been back there against the 49ers, Vernon Davis would have been held in check and not caught the winning touchdown pass.

Malcolm Jenkins, Sharper's replacement at free safety, is an incredible talent with a high degree of playmaking potential. But with just three interceptions over his three year career, he falls far behind Sharper in creating turnovers. I sometimes wonder if Jenkins, who was the Saints first round draft pick at cornerback out of Ohio State in 2009, would be a better fit at his original position or at strong safety. At 6 feet, he seems a little short for free safety. Ironically, in the 2008 BCS National Championship between Ohio State and LSU, Jenkins intercepted a Matt Flynn pass which led to a Buckeyes touchdown. After he was drafted by the Saints, I wondered if his interception in the Superdome would be a foreshadowing of more to come.

Hopefully under new Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo it will be, and the big shoes left behind by Sharper will finally be filled. Jenkins' best day as a pro is already linked to Spagnuolo. Two of his three career interceptions came against Spagnuolo's St. Louis Rams in 2010, one of which he returned 96 yards for a touchdown.

At the age of 34, Darren Sharper intercepted nine passes and outraced players much younger to set up Drew Brees and the offense in excellent scoring position, or he just took it all the way back himself. Three years later, I say he is still good for four interceptions and a touchdown return. If Father Time hasn't totally physically wiped out Sharper, then General Manager Mickey Loomis should make an offer to re-sign him. Or at least hire him as the new secondary coach to replace Tony Oden who has gone to the Jaguars. Maybe some of his turnover creating tendencies would then rub off and the void would be filled.

Click to read the original Saints article by Canal Street Chronicles

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