Part Two of an on going series of NOLA MW – New Orleans Saints: Most Wanted Players
The past two weeks have been very busy on the NFL free agency circut. There have been a lot of surprise moves, big money spent, and much needed positions filled. I was kept informed all week of every transaction via several different media outlets and constant notification alerts on my phone, I’ve experienced every emotion a human could possibly conjure up without actually experiencing a mental meltdown. From anger to anguish, cheering to jeering, hopeful to hopeless and from shock to surprise, you name it, I felt it.
Which has led me to the following conclusions:
- Next year I need to take a week off from work to ensure my mental state of mind will stay in-tact. It’s very difficult to concentrate on work with constant breaking news and alerts coming in. It causes nothing but panic knowing I may be left in the dark about the next important transaction.
- New Orleans needs a contingency plan, a backup-worst-case-scenerio plan — ASAP.
The signing of former Buffalo Bills safety Jarius Byrd has me baffled with the lofty $56 million with $28 million guaranteed. For a club that is “cash strapped” and cutting its roster down to make money available, this move is astonishing. What makes this even more baffling is that New Orleans wasn’t in dire straits for a safety. With the drafting of Kenny Vaccaro last season, a talented Rafael Bush and Malcolm Jenkins before the Eagles signed him to a three-year contract for $13 million, I’m just wondering why the move was necessary. Is he that much of an improvement? Could we not have used the same cash elsewhere? I’m from the old belief system that “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”.
To not even offer Jenkins a tender after the work he put in, and then bring in Byrd for an amount of unspeakable money? With tight end Jimmy Graham’s contract situation still very much up in the air, and a core of mediocre tight ends as the Saints backup plan (sorry Ben Watson – we do love your enthusiasm and strength), it just doesn’t add up. Should the team face opponents who can shut down the tight end the way New England did last season, there really isn’t a proper plan B.
I’m having a real hard time getting my head around the Darren Sproles situation. I’ve heard a lot of chatter on this; some think it’s good, some think it’s not, and some have no opinion one way or another. Personally, I’m in the ‘some think its bad – real bad’ category. “Money” was the main reason New Orleans said they were willing to trade Sproles–as well as performance and possibly his age. Here’s my rebuttal:
- Darren Sproles contract had just one year left with a base salary of $3.5 million and a bonus. Meanwhile, Pierre Thomas got a three-year $6.9 million contract extension with $2.4 million guaranteed and $1 million signing bonus. The team could have kept Sproles and tried to re-sign Thomas to a two-year contract with a much lower guaranteed amount. The fact is that the running back market in free agency has not been that lucrative for the backs.
- Sproles’ performance may have dipped, but Drew Brees has a completion percentage of 78.7% when Sproles is in the game. As you would then expect, his numbers show decreases in completions and increases in interceptions when Sproles is not in the game.
- With no real run game in place this year, it’s hard to imagine any running backs performing at their potential. If New Orleans didn’t have much of a run game with Sproles there, then they certainly won’t have much of one without him either.
- Maybe some new, fresh, exciting offensive plays designed for the run and not relying so much on the big pass plays would change the culture of the Saints offense. I have said this so many times and I will again: strong and consistent plays that get the team down the field and get first downs should be the focus. Those strong running plays can help keep the defense honest and setup the great big passing/receiving plays that the Saints are known for. Its all about better balance.
What age does the NFL consider a “veteran”? Does each position have it’s own specific number? Age is just that – a number. Look at Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning. His level of consistency and playing abilities are still up to status quo. With a good group of coordinators, coaches and players to support him, he is able to continually play at that high level.
I am a true believer in a back-up plan. I hope New Orleans has one if this decision to trade Sproles works against them.
-Who Dat
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