It’s been a while since we’ve done the twitter question mailbag and it’s been a slow period in Saints news so this is a great time to do it. Thanks again to all of you who dropped some questions. Let’s get right to it:
@SaintsNationBlg plus minus on oline tds this year
— supersaiyansaint (@kirus16) June 8, 2014
I knew I could count on you Brian. I’m going to set the line at 1.5 on offensive line touchdowns. The Saints backs don’t fumble much so I don’t see a goal line fall on the ball situation unless Khiry Robinson gets more goal line carries. So that leaves the tackle eligible as the most likely scenario and I guess that means Bryce Harris is the favorite to score if anyone does. I also remember the one time they tried that with Zach Strief back when he was still the 3rd tackle and I don’t see Sean Payton trying that again after the epic fail that was. If I could somehow be promised that Jonathan Goodwin would score at some point this season, though, I’d happily accept a 15% season ticket price increase.
@SaintsNationBlg is there a position that we aren’t thinking is up for grabs right now?
— Alfredo (@NOLA_Fredo) June 8, 2014
At this point I feel like the starting lineup is really set actually. I guess the most unsure things are center (Lelito vs. Goodwin), #2 corner (Bailey vs. the field), outside linebacker (Haralson vs. Butler and a slew of young guys) and kicker I guess (does Dimke have a chance? maybe?). But even those positions I’m confident about how they play out. That said, the reps at running back should be interesting. Pierre Thomas is the reliable one, Khiry Robinson has the most upside, Mark Ingram is still in the mix and there’s wonder if Travaris Cadet will get the Sproles reps. Lastly I’ll just say injuries has a funny way of creating competition. Look at Junior Galette and Akiem Hicks. Last year Kenyon Coleman and Will Smith pretty much both had their starting spots on lockdown. Then injuries happen and all of a sudden there’s a competition and an opportunity for younger guys that may not have played much otherwise. Those two turned into rising stars on the team. So we don’t know who that starter is that goes down right now, but it will probably unfortunately happen, and then the question becomes who steps into that role and can they make the most of it?
@SaintsNationBlg who has the team’s first big run this year
— supersaiyansaint (@kirus16) June 8, 2014
Just a straight up prediction? I’ll go with Khiry. I just have this feeling he’s going to be the man in 2014.
@SaintsNationBlg Does Stills get more snaps on offence than Graham? (assuming no injuries)
— Neer Shah (@neershah9) June 8, 2014
Assuming no injuries there is zero chance of this happening in my opinion. Unless you’re leaving the door open for Jimmy Graham sitting out 2014 with a contract dispute. I’d rate that at 0.01%.
@SaintsNationBlg Thinking ahead….is guard/tackle and ILB gonna be the next positions we’re required to address as priorities?
— Kevin Sears (@KevSears) June 8, 2014
//platform.twitter.com/widgets.jsGood question. ILB for sure is a concern because David Hawthorne and Curtis Lofton both carry HUGE cap numbers next year. There’s no way they’ll stay on the team at that price, so they’ll have to re-structure or take a pay cut. I guess it’s possible if either has a huge season they could command that kind of money, but if either regress or get injured they are serious cut candidates. I actually think tackle is good because Terron Armstead is young, the Saints have young promising backup tackles, and Zach Strief is still good. Guard is a concern because while Grubbs and Evans are good, how much longer can they last? There’s not a lot of good young interior depth on the roster right now. I agree that guard and ILB look a little bleak right now, but I’m a big fan of Kevin Reddick.
@SaintsNationBlg Over/under on Cooks running the ball this year? (Not yards after catch/screen but handoffs/toss) — Monedula (@Monedula_) June 8, 2014
I like your thought process and I agree Payton will look for creative ways to get the ball in his hands. Whether it’s a reverse, or a sweep/pitch type gimmick play, he’ll probably get some traditional “runs” of sorts. I’ll set the over/under at 15 (about once per game). It’ll be less carries than Sproles but the Saints will look to use his skillset which is somewhat similar to Sproles.
@SaintsNationBlg Do you envision Ryan Griffin as a potential “QB of the future”? http://t.co/YGNnhEIOXz — Barry Hirstius (@HarahanWhoDat) June 8, 2014
Good stuff on your blog post. I don’t think Ryan Griffin is the Saints’ QB of the future. Let’s be honest, he was an undrafted free agent. No one ever has really made it in recent history as an undrafted QB besides Ryan Fitzpatrick, and he’s not a QB of the future. I don’t think Griffin is the next Kurt Warner. But I think he could beat out Luke McCown and become a capable backup for the time being.
@SaintsNationBlg so do we fix the backup QB spot next year? We need a guy who can come in and make an immediate impact if Brees goes down — SaintsfaninCali (@SaintsfaninCali) June 8, 2014
It’s going to be hard to really invest in a backup until the Saints are spending less on their starter. They are “all in” with Brees right now. Right now the heir is Ryan Griffin until further notice. Had they drafted let’s say Aaron Murray in the 5th or 6th round, I don’t really view that as a major upgrade over a guy like Griffin. They’re about the same in terms of NFL prospect value. The Saints are currently built to win now with Drew Brees. If he goes down, the plan falls apart. Brees is still in his prime and extremely durable, though, so I don’t think the Saints need to worry about drafting a QB in the high part of the draft next year unless something crazy happens.
@SaintsNationBlg Saints projected record and playoff seed now that the draft and free agency are basically over.
— Dylan Federico (@KingFederico) June 8, 2014
Most prognostics have them winning the NFC South at 11-5. They have a tough schedule but I agree with that prediction. The Panthers seem ripe for a slump, the Falcons have a long road to climb back, and while the Bucs could surprise I don’t know that they’re ready for the playoffs yet. I really think this was a great offseason for the Saints and they filled all their needs. The only negative was the loss of Darren Sproles in my opinion. The offense will have a lot of compensate for without him there. I still think Seattle is the class of the NFC until further notice, but I have my sights firmly set on the division title and a 2 seed.
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