Ok folks, the sky is NOT falling

Wow, I read through the posts from this afternoon and I can barely believe what I'm seeing.  From whining and moaning about depth on the OL or DL, to worrying about injuries, to all sorts of other things, I see a fan base that has no heart and no perseverance.  I understand.  We're still used to sucking and not used to winning.  Even with four years now of the best coach and best QB we've ever had, we don't yet really expect to win.

Well I'll let you in on a secret.  Drew Brees and the Saints don't feel the same way.

Some teams do keep 9 or even 10 OL, but it's not like it's required or anything.  To some degree, keeping 9 OL is just as much a luxury as keeping 6 WRs.  Either way, somebody still has to be deactivated on gameday.  We're just going to deactivate a WR instead of a backup OL or two.  We have the best Guard in the league and a reasonably close second.  Sure injury may strike.  But it may not.  And either way, all you can do is make plans to cover as best you can.  Backup OL players on a good team always have to be versatile.  Of the list, the only person we don't know is versatile is Brown.  But he's also probably last on the depth chart and may not even be active on gameday much of the year.

DL looks weak too, but partly that's because of the organization.  Hargrove is listed as a DE in that post and on yahoo, but as a DT on SBN.  NFL.com lists him as a DT too.  And the official Saints site roster lists him as simply "DL".  He can be either a DT or a DE.  He played mainly DT for us last year, and I suspect he'll do the same this year.  In fact, even though they list him as a DE, yahoo puts him in our depth chart as a DT.  Wilkerson is listed as a DT in the same post, yet both yahoo and NFL list him as a DE.  Surprise, surprise, NOS.com again lists him as DL.  He's versatile as well.  Galette may play some LB, or may be inactive, or maybe some of both.

Some people are on the roster for now while we look to see if we win a waiver claim on somebody else we like better.  Or if there is a veteran we can sign whom we like better.  So don't panic yet.  KC may not stick.  AA may yet get traded, or even cut.  Same with Humphrey.

Plus, remember that we have to deactivate 8 people on gameday.  So we'll lose some of our depth anyway.  If everybody currently on the roster sticks (not likely) this is who will probably be inactive:

Chris Ivory (until he heals, then likely DeShawn Wynn instead)
Adrian Arrington
Tory Humphrey
Charles Brown
K.C. Asiodu
Leigh Torrence or Patrick Robinson

Then, depending on expected alignments and gameplan, two of the following:

Junior Galette
Jimmy Wilkerson
Marvin Mitchell
Anthony Waters     
Usama Young
Jimmy Graham

That's 14 players total listed who are all decent players (for backups/rookies, at least), of which we only have to deactivate 8.

Plus there are still options on trades, waiver claims, and FA signings.  Even at #32 we still might win a claim or two.  And some of the people we cut will end up on the practice squad, and maybe one of them will play really well and get activated.  Or we'll grab somebody else off another team's PS.  Or we'll figure out a way to use what we've got to get the job done.  Plus we have Sharper and Ingram on PUP who may yet help out later in the season.

And speaking of PUP, that only knocks people out for a minimum of six games, with a maximum of 12 unless we release or IR them.  And of our first 6 games, there isn't a single one we have "no chance" at with the current roster.  There isn't really even one we "should" lose, although there probably is at least one, maybe two, that we will.  As badly as I want to beat the crap outta minnysoso to spite the annoying brats among their fans, it's not the end of the world if we lose it.  San Fran doesn't really scare me.  It'll be a fight, of course, because they _are_ decent, but they aren't THAT good.  Not yet.  Maybe in another year or two.  Atwanta still needs to find a defense before they truly scare me.  For that matter, they might need to find an offense if preseason actually means anything (though it probably doesn't).  Carolina is the exact opposite, they need to find an offense.  But again preseason probably doesn't mean squat, and their offense won't be as horrid and their defense won't be as good.  They still aren't the better team.  We may lose, division games are always a fight, but they still aren't the better team.  Arizona might still be starting Derek Anderson, and if so, he's like Brett with less experience and even less durability.  I saw some of his one good year with the Browns.  He wasn't that good.  One sack and he's tossing INTs and going 3-and-out.  And if we care enough to try, Tampa Bay will be lucky if we only beat them by 14.  And after that, Sharper and Ingram are eligible to come back if they're healthy and ready to contribute.

So the sky isn't falling.  And even if it was, we're not chicken little.  Plus we have coaches who can think outside the box enough to put any sky chucks that fall back up in the sky.  It's not like we have an incompetent OC who can't figure out how to do anything but run, run, pass, and punt.  Or a DC who can't figure out how to do anything but play prevent defense.  Sure, maybe our D won't be great.  But GW will do everything humanly possible to make it decent.  And that will be good enough to keep us in contention.  Because we still have Brees.  And if need be, we have Daniel, who isn't nearly as good, no, but he's decent enough to keep us moving and scoring enough points to at least have a shot at most games.  And for now, that's ALL we know.

So, basically, guys, "Don't freak out!"