but I WILL finish schoolwork first

1.Which 2009 rookie will make the biggest impact this year?
Jonathan Casillas, primarily because he plays at the position with the most room for improvement. I think Jo-Lonn Dunbar will wind up starting, but Casillas should see significant playing time throughout the year, due to the variety of packages in Gregg Williams’s scheme. That’s assuming the Saints don’t go after a veteran OLB between now and then.

2.Which 2009 rookie will be the biggest disappointment (Arnoux not included)?
Based on what I’ve read on CSC, Danny Gorrer. Unless the practice squad is something you tend to get fired up about.

3.Will either undrafted rookies P.J. Hill or Herb Donaldson make the team as the third running back?
Not as the THIRD running back. I think there’s a distinct possibility that one of them sticks around as the fourth, at least initially. Whichever one does will likely bounce back and forth between the inactive roster to the practice squad, before eventually being swiped off the waiver wire by a team whose RB depth is affected by injury the week before ours is. That’s usually how it works.

4.Will Thomas Morstead beat out Glenn Pakulak?
Yes, though I don’t expect it to be as clear cut as what giving up two draft picks for a punter should dictate. In this case, the tie goes to the rookie. At least, until he forces himself upon Greg McMahon’s tabby.

5.Out of all of this years rookies, who will have the most succesful long-term NFL career?
Malcolm Jenkins. I think he’s a phenomenal talent and a future Pro Bowler. I just don’t expect much from him in ’09.

   1. Jenkins, we can’t have another Meachemesque pick. I think he will see significant starting time and put up some numbers. I dare say we have a solid secondary this year.
   2. Morstead, he might make the practice squad but doubtful.
   3. No
   4. See above.
   5. Probably Jenkins, but maybe not at the corner position.

1. Which 2009 rookie will make the biggest impact this year?
Malcolm Jenkins. He’ll be starting by the end of the season. I also have high hopes for Casillas, but they’re just that: hopes. So far he hasn’t been able to show anything, but based on his known qualities I suspect that he’ll be a useful addition to the team.

2. Which 2009 rookie will be the biggest disappointment (Arnoux not included)?
I don’t think anyone will be too disappointed if any of the undrafted rookies don’t make the team. But if a draft choice flames out, everyone’s going to be pissed—considering we only had four choices (and spent five). I don’t think Morstead, who can kick as well as punt, has much to worry about; so I’ll say Chip Vaughn. He has a lot of competition at safety, and he might not make the final cut. I think he will…but nothing is certain. If all the draft choices make the team, I think the biggest rookie disappointment will simply be that no undrafted free agent shines this year.

3. Will either undrafted rookies P.J. Hill or Herb Donaldson make the team as the third running back?
No. Mike Bell will be the third running back.

4. Will Thomas Morstead beat out Glenn Pakulak?
Yes. As I said above, he can kick as well as punt. Pakulak would have to be an All-Pro to beat out Morstead, and he’s clearly not.

5. Out of all of this years rookies, who will have the most succesful long-term NFL career?
Malcolm Jenkins. By the time he’s through, he’s going to be CSC’s unanimous choice at cornerback for the 2018 version of the All-Time Saints team.

1) Malcolm Jenkins. Without a doubt, he’ll be on the field the most of all rookies, and he’ll likely be involved in the most action of any.
2) Chip Vaughn. He won’t touch the field as a Saint, unless Sharper retires by week 4. If that happens, I think he will look like Kaesviharn if he has to match up with any NFL receivers.
3) I’d like to think Donaldson hangs around as a 4th, or inactive option. We got a lotta maybe alright, maybe useless RB’s though, so he’ll have quite a climb to take the field as a Saint.
4) Yes, he has to. If he doesn’t, Payton will have sacrificed 2 draft picks for a one trick pony who won’t even perform his one trick. He wouldn’t want to look that stupid. If Morestead sucks, it’s a lose/lose for the XBox Kid.
5)Jenkins. He seems like a real-live pro-football player. I think other than him, there’s little chance any other rookies are destined for more than journeyman status.

1. I’m going to have to go off the wall on this one and say Adrian Arrington. I know, I know he isn’t a rookie but he never played a snap last year so he is kind of a rookie, right? I don’t think this question really works for us this year because we only had 4 picks with one of them out for the season and one of them is a punter (lets hope he doesn’t make a big impact. If he does then something went terribly wrong for our offense this offseason). That leaves Vaughn, Jenkins and the undrafted ones. Lets face it, Vaughn was a 4th round pick and they rarely pan out their rookie year. Same goes for the undrafted ones. I’m not saying none of them will do anything but it is unlikely. So if you are going to make me pick an actual rookie, than I have to go with the obvious choice, Jenkins.

2. I’m going to have to go with Morstead for this one. He has to make the team after burning 2 draft picks on the guy and the percentages are against him. If I’m right we won’t be punting that often so if he botches 1 or 2 punts it will look real real bad.

3. I hope Donaldson makes it but I don’t think either one of them will. Bell has the experience and he should be hitting training camp pretty hard because he is running out of chances.

4. Yes but by default. (See answer 2)

5. Again the obvious choice, Jenkins. Whether or not he continues as a corner or transitions to safety he is really talented and has good football instincts. He should be a force in this league for years to come.

1) Malcolm Jenkins will probably be the best, but I’ll make a prediction here and say that Casillas will have the rookie highlight by the end of the season, some big giant ridiculously jarring tackle on a kickoff return.

2) Robert Meachem. Does that count as a valid answer?

3) Neither—Donaldson could make practice squad and I suspect someone else will sign PJ Hill once he fails to make our roster.

4) Yes—It should be his job to lose going into training camp…unless PETA finds out about his nocturnal behavior with New Orleans-area stray cats.

5) Jenkins— but I have high hopes for Arnoux’s career, despite its disappointing start.

1) 2009’s rookie preseason “biggest impact award” goes to….Malcolm Jenkins. He’ll get plenty of playing time and we’ll see what kind of impact it is (I’m hoping for a good impact).

2) 2009’s rookie preseason “biggest disappointment award” goes to…Thomas Morstead. He’ll beat out Pak in camp, and then get the starting nod for kickoffs and punts. But he will only turn out to be serviceable, and we’ll wonder why in the world Payton felt like tinkering with the kicking game again. My runner-up in this category is Malcolm Jenkins, only because since most of us are expecting much from him, it will be harder for us to accept anything but good play from him (he’s got the farthest to fall).

3) PJ Hill or Herb D. making it as #3 RB? I don’t think so. Too many more experienced guys on the roster in front of them – but they may make the practice squad.

4) As written above (in #2), Morstead will beat out the Pak.

5) Malcolm Jenkins (I hope and pray) will have the longest and most successful NFL tenure of any of our 2009 rookies.