I saved the Linebackers for last because it is in my opinion without question the group that both needed, and got, the most attention in the offseason. I have actually found it a little disturbing how little attention the Saints horrendous linebacker position has gotten over the last few seasons. A solid group of linebackers is every bit as important to a defense as a QB is to an offense. I truly and completely believe that, and that is why I was so very pleased with the Saints approach to the position this offseason. With a combination of second-year players, veterans, and young and talented rookies the Saints are trying to massively increase the talent level of their Linebacker unit.
Let’s see what they did.
LINEBACKERS:
Additions: Dannell Ellerbe, Stephone Anthony, Anthony Spencer, Hau’oli Kikaha, Davis Tull.
Losses: Curtis Lofton.
Dannell Ellerbe: The move to get Dannell Ellerbe is at worst a horizontal one, but the real question is whether he is the guy who was hurt and playing out of position in MIA, or the guy who was one of the catalysts of the Ravens SB team. I believe the Saints are prepared for the former and hoping for the latter. The things that made Ellerbe so tantalizing to the Dolphins when they signed him was the fact that he was very fast to the ball and a consistent difference maker in the Ravens Defense. Part of why he was a failure in MIA was the fact that he got banged up, and part of it stemmed from the fact that he was clearly playing out of position going from a 34 defense to a 43. I believe that if Ellerbe is a healthy he can/will be an instant upgrade over David Hawthorne from last year. Hawthorne is moving over to the ‘middle’ which probably fits him a bit better (if he can keep the job that is), but to be honest it would be very difficult for Ellerbe to NOT be an improvement over Hawthorne from last year. I hope to see great play from both, but regardless I like the acquisition as it offers an immediate improvement with the potential for it being a significant one.
Anthony Spencer: Adding the former Cowboy isn’t a huge move at this point in his career. Spencer has dealt with some pretty significant injury issues the last couple of years and it has significantly hampered his ability to play, however it is notable that his best years by far have come in Rob Ryan’s defense. It is entirley possible that Spencer is to RR’s D as Meachem is to Payton’s offense. In other words they are simply not worth a contract anywhere else, but they have a role and a fit within those coaches systems. I look forward to seeing him in camp and watching him in the pre-season. Spencer brings a nice veteran presence to the team and also has a chance to be a productive member of what looks to be a vastly improved defense (it is hard not to be improved).
Curtis Lofton: I know for some losing Lofton was a big issue. I am going to preface this by saying that Lofton’s leadership, professionalism, and character were all top-notch while he was in a Saints uniform. However, Lofton was never, not at any point, a true difference maker in New Orleans and more often than not he was merely the ‘least horrible’ player on what were bad defenses. I am not going to attack him and spend my time disparaging him as a player because he doesn’t warrant that, but I also will not sit here and tell you that he will be particularly difficult to replace on the field. His leadership and veteran savvy will be missed in the locker room without question and it is likely for those reasons that the Raiders brought him in, however the fact is that the Saints gained much more than simple cap-space by releasing Curtis.
Davis Tull: Perseverance. I don’t think any other word better encapsulates what Davis Tull is. He was a guy who didn’t get to go to a major school after suffering an injury in HS, was a guy whose accomplishments in college have been repeatedly underestimated because he was an FCS player, and now he’s ours. Tull brings three things to the Saints which will prove immediately valuable and that I believe will get him into the defensive rotation sooner rather than later. First of all Tull is a much more explosive athlete than he is given credit for; he has the kind of vertical leap that you would expect in a NBA player, not a NFL DE/OLB. Tull is also a 4 year starter who knows how to play the game of football and he brings with him a degree of savvy that isn’t always guaranteed with mid round draft picks. What makes him special though is his motor. The theme for this offseason was bringing in guys who ‘love the game’ and the fact that Tull has persevered through everything thrown against him and still managed to reach his dream of playing in the NFL shows you that he does. Tull’s motor is absolutely relentless and he truly is the embodiment of a player who will not stop until he hears a whistle, I expect him to drive his teammates crazy (similar to Vaccaro as a rookie) in camp and to give the team absolutely everything he has whenever he hits the field. Don’t be surprised if sooner rather than later Tull is a fan favorite.
Hau’oli Kikaha: Powerful, relentless, driven, passionate. Give a player all those things with a demeanor reminiscent of Saints legend already on the roster in Marques Colston and he just seems like the perfect guy to bring in. I personally have no questions about Kikaha’s ability to play in this league. The only question to me is whether he becomes a star pass rusher for the Saints, or just a very valuable role-player. The reason for that is that Kikaha checks all the boxes. He is a 6’2″ 250 ILB DE/OLB with an excellent first step (I don’t care about his 40, he isn’t running more than ten yards anyway) and an array of pass rush moves. Kikaha is a technician whose Judo background has given him a unique understanding of leverage and a knack for the kind of ‘hand fighting’ that can make an average pass rusher a great one. His relentlessness is something that has drawn comparisons to another Pac 12 pass rusher in Terrell Suggs, and like Suggs Kikaha has an extremely consistent track record for getting to the QB and doing against top level competition (PAC 12 tackles are no joke). If you were to ask me who I thought was most likely to become a star out of the Saints draft class its this guy, Kikaha isn’t a loud guy who feels the need to thump his chest….but that’s ok because his game is LOUD.
Stephone Anthony: 6’3″,245 ILBs with the speed to cover tight ends and runningbacks and the intelligence to run a defense and make the calls. If there is one ingredient the Saints haven’t really had since 2009 (maybe 10′) its an ILB who possesses similar traits. Vilma was the only one we’ve had in the Payton/Brees era and he didn’t have Anthony’s size. I won’t compare him to Vilma as a player outside of saying Stephone Anthony is the only player the Saints have gotten in the last 6 years who possesses the attributes of an elite linebacker. He was the ‘head of the snake’ of the number 1 defense in the country last year at Clemson and I have seen numerous reports favorably comparing him to Seattle’s Bobby Wagner. That is an ambitious comparison to be sure as Wagner is a tremendous player, but if Anthony can even become 70% of what Wagner is in Seattle the Saints defense will be unrecognizable to fans. He brings everything you want in a linebacker and more importantly he seems to posesses the mentality and intelligence to properly take advantage of his physical tools. The ideal situation for the Saints is if he can take over the middle from Week 1 and leave Hawthorne and Ellerbe to fight it out for the other spot (Ellerbe will win in my book). I believe Kikaha has the highest potential to be a star on the team because Sacks are the flashy defensive stat, but make no mistake the Saints might have gotten the best value in the entire DRAFT in Anthony. I believe he can be a totally transformative player for the Saints and will be the missing link to Ryan’s hybrid defense. I look forward to watching him work, and while I am fully aware that I am putting a ton of pressure on the young rookie…I am fully convinced he can handle it.
Saints Outlook for 2015: I have repeatedly said that I believe the Saints had the worst group of linebackers in the entire league last year, and as such it was a unit that was in desperate need of an overhaul. That goes without even considering the fact that linebacker is arguably the most important position group to a defense, in particular in making the difference between very good/great and average. The ceiling for the Saints linebacking corp in 2015 is higher than it has been at any time in the Payton era in my opinion. I don’t think they will necessarily meet those expectations, however the addition of a top tier talent in Stephone Anthony as well as the addition of a solid veteran in Dannell Ellerbe should allow the Saints interior to be something other than a bag of burning feces (would be a nice change of pace huh?). Hau’oli Kikaha should add another dynamic pass rusher in addition to Junior Gallete and I still think anyone who counts out Davis Tull is a fool. The Saints also have ‘wild cards’ in Anthony Spencer and Ronald Powell (don’t be surprised if he steps up). All in all I am infinitely more confident in this year’s group’s ability to be at minimum competent than I was last year, and I am actually hopeful that they can even be very good. Nothing is for certain and until the season starts this is nothing more than conjecture, but at least for once the Saints have actually given the coaches some real talent to work with.
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