Getting one of these in post draft was a must. Thanks for all the great questions. Let’s dive in:
@SaintsNationBlg how do you think Tommy Lee Lewis will fit in? #LilManBigPlays #WhoDat
— Mike G (@mikeshizz) May 6, 2016
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5’7′ and 168lbs isn’t your prototypical NFL receiver, that’s for sure. I think it’s going to be hard for him to make it because Sean Payton values the advantage of size. That said, Brandin Cooks, Willie Snead and Lance Moore have all been productive in this offense. None of those guys are 5’7, but they’re considered small by NFL standards. Two of those guys I just mentioned are locks to make the team, though, so the Saints will want size out of their other guys. I think Lewis is competing just as much with Travaris Cadet, Marcus Murphy and Daniel Lasco as he is the receivers. If he’s going to make this team, it’s going to be as the return man on special teams. He’s returned 4 kickoffs for touchdowns in his college career so he’s definitely capable in that department. The Saints are thin at receiver, so you never know. After Cooks, Snead, Brandon Coleman and Michael Thomas there’s a long list of nobodies so you can’t count him out.
@SaintsNationBlg Sheldon Rankins over/under 3 sacks as a starter.
— Tom Wagner (@Voodoo_Yeti) May 6, 2016
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I’ll take the over. But I don’t think it’ll be much more than that. Maybe 4-6 sacks. But that much from an interior pocket pusher is a lot and it suggests he’s creating more opportunities for the edge guys. The best pass rush is a balanced one, I’ve been talking about that a lot lately. That’s why getting Rankins was so critical. If he’s disrupting the middle, Kikaha, Gwacham, Edebali and/or Tull will improve their production too.
@SaintsNationBlg who do you think wins the kicking sweepstakes Forbath or Scobee
— John B Pinto 3. (@Jbpinto3) May 6, 2016
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I give a slight edge to Forbath because he’s the incumbent guy, plus he hit a 57 yarder and a walk off game winner against the Giants over 50 last year. He had some bad misses too. If Scobee is healthy he could give Forbath a run for his money, but kicking is such a mental thing and last year was so bad for Scobee with the injury you wonder if he’ll be able to bounce back. We’ll see how it plays out in camp. I think Scobee has a higher ceiling if he’s healthy and recovered mentally… but those are big ifs. I’ve seen so many kickers go from good to bad and never get their mojo back.
@SaintsNationBlg do you think Grayson shows us enough after all the qb talk to make us believe he’s gonna be it
— John B Pinto 3. (@Jbpinto3) May 6, 2016
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This is a huge year for Grayson. I’m not saying he needs to beat out Luke McCown and the Saints may keep him on their roster as the #3 again, but he needs to at least show improvement. I’m going to be watching him very closely in preseason. I think the Lasco/Murphy/Cadet battle and Grayson development are going to be two of the most compelling stories in training camp this year. It depends on what you mean by “be it”, by the way. I don’t know that Grayson will be the Saints’ QB of the future once Brees leaves. I reserve the right to change my mind based on how he looks in this preseason, though.
@SaintsNationBlg what DB’s do you see making the final 53?
— onebadmoterscooter (@DonKellum) May 6, 2016
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Breaux, Lewis and Swann are locks. This is assuming everyone is healthy, obviously. Then, I’ll say PJ Williams and Brian Dixon make the team. Kyle Wilson is a maybe. The reason I say Dixon is that he’s a great special teams player and the Saints like him. At safety I think Byrd, Vaccaro, Bell and Sanford are pretty much locks. Sanford is a really underrated player. Erik Harris and Trae Elston might be battling for the 5th spot. Whoever does better on special teams. I’ll say Harris.
@SaintsNationBlg what number would you keep Brees at and how many years guaranteed?
— James Marriott (@jwm6) May 6, 2016
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I sign him to a 3 year deal for $75 million right now. Not even kidding. Until he shows me significant decline he needs to stay. Guarantee half of it. Seriously, the Saints need to lock him up. I don’t care what his age is. It’s too hard to find productive QBs in this league. Even if he’s not playing at an MVP level anymore, he’s still better than almost any alternative.
@SaintsNationBlg if strief and lelito make the starting lineup, we’re in trouble. True or false
— Johnnie Sims (@tansuperman85) May 6, 2016
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I’ll say true. We know what we’re getting from those two at this point. It’s not that they’re bad, it’s that I’m hoping others emerge in what could be a better offensive line. I’m secretly hoping the o-line becomes Armstead-Turner-Unger-Kelemete-Peat this year.
@SaintsNationBlg O/U 30 passing TDs on our D this year? 45 last yr was NFL record worst. Desperately hoping for noticeable improvement…
— Kirk Harrison (@kharrison24) May 6, 2016
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That’s unbelievable. I still can’t believe they gave up 45 TDs last year passing. That is so embarrassing. I still say over 30, but say 32 would still be a huge improvement. The Saints are still very thin. I think they’ll be better, but they really can sustain many injuries to pass rushers (Rankins, Jordan) and/or cover guys (Lewis, Breaux).
@SaintsNationBlg is kikaha moving to DE? If he is how do you think he’ll do?
— Michael Lunden (@michaellunden9) May 6, 2016
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That’s the working assumption. I haven’t heard anything official but it makes sense. Perhaps he’ll just be in there on passing downs, although if he gains a little weight maybe he can handle the edge on a permanent basis. I think he’ll do great on passing downs. This is the best position to utilize his skills. On running downs I think a tackle might give him a hard time. I’m in favor of him no longer being in coverage, ever, though.
@SaintsNationBlg where do u think we stand as a defense and how likely will we have a chance to be in the top 10 defenses in the league?
— Michael Brown (@mikeyb02) May 6, 2016
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Woah woah, top 10? Easy now. Baby steps, I’d settle for top 20. I don’t think there’s enough talent for top 10. The 3 new starters are Nick Fairley, James Laurinaitis and Sheldon Rankins. That, combined with the improvement of Swann, Anthony, Kikaha etc probably means they’ll be a lot better. But they’re still thin and so much hinges on luck, health and x factors. Hopefully the stars align.
From Facebook:
Phillip Lazaro Is Peat a starter week 1 of the regular season, and if so, at what position?
He better be! You don’t draft a guy 13th overall to not be in the starting lineup year two. Whether it’s a right tackle, or guard, he needs to be in there. I think he’s eventually the Saints right tackle of the future but right now I think Strief is probably a top 5 o-lineman on the team… so Peat probably plays at guard week 1. I don’t love Peat at guard but after training camp I believe it will be proven he’s one of the better two on the team. If an injury happens at either tackle position, he’d slide over of course.
Ivan Rios what do you think about Brandon Coleman and Garret Grayson?
I answered about Grayson above. I’m not really sure what to expect but we need to see improvement. I still think he’s probably a career backup, I don’t see exceptional skills. But I could be proven wrong. I’ll be watching him closely in preseason. Brandon Coleman I like and I still think he has potential in this offense. He’ll never get a better opportunity than this year. He’s basically a shoe in top 4 receiver with Cooks, Snead, Thomas and himself. With one of those four being a rookie. He’ll never get a better chance to make a team, be in the mix, have a quarterback like Brees, and maximize whatever he has to give to the NFL. If he doesn’t do something now I don’t think he ever will. This is a big year for Coleman. I’m expecting him to be a big third down weapon with his size but the route running and concentration has to be better. His chemistry with Brees improved so this could be an promising season. If he gets injured in camp or goes into a big rut, though, he’ll just be another Adrian Arrington/Nick Toon.
Joshua Cole Is Breesus taking a paycut yet?
I don’t think it’ll happen this year. I guess we’ll see a long term deal in the offseason if he performs well again and stays healthy.
Charlie Bailey What will the secondary look like, base, nickel, etc?
In base it’s pretty clear – Breaux, Lewis, Vaccaro, Byrd. After that it’s where it gets more dicey. Lots of options. I’d put Von Bell and Damian Swann to the top of the list in sub packages. Bell gives the team a lot of flexibility because he can play the slot or play safety and slide Vaccaro to the slot.
Bonnie Cheatwood Posey EXACTLY when is Kickoff day??? Is it Sept 11th? I can not wait much longer!
Haha. Good question! Broncos-Panthers kicks off the regular season on Thursday, September 8. The Saints play that Sunday, on the 11th.
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