How Will the Saints Defensive Personnel Change Under Spagnuolo?

SpagNOLA bring them in early

Because of personnel reasons, I think Spag will blitz a little more than he has in the past. I think M. Wilson will get his shot at LBer now, but he better gets some coverage skills. Shanle will do just enough to keep his job since we have so little talent at LBer. Harper will have to add about 20 – 25 lbs and shift to LBer to make it in this system cuz if he aint blitzing or in run defense, he’s a liability in the secondary. Vilma will be like a kid on Xmas morning as long as he’s healthy. I like Cameron Jordan moving to DT because his lacking pass rush skills will make more sense in the interior of Spags system and he already has the size to handle it. Big Willie come in to camp ready to play ball so no concerns there. Same goes for Ellis. We’ll have to look for some pass rushing talent in the 2nd round since we don’t have a 1st (Thanks Mark Ingram). Maybe we go over Mathis from Indy as he def. fits Spags mold of passing rushing DE’s.

The guy turned Lito Sheppard into a pro bowler. Lito bleeping Sheppard. He should be able to turn Jabari Greer and Patrick Robinson into world class corners.

Both early in the draft and in free agency. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Will Smith leaving the Saints and replaced with a big name free agent like Mathis.

I don’t understand this argument. Maybe it’ll happen (Jason David happened), but Mathis isn’t the kind of defensive end that Spagnuolo typically uses. Mathis is one hell of a pass rusher, but he has worked in a system that asks him to rush the passer first on every play. He’s of limited utility in stopping the run game. On the Giants, Spagnuolo utilized ends who were significantly bigger and much more versatile, and they also did a good job shutting down the run. In his two seasons as DC in New York, the Giants ranked 8th and 9th against the run…while the Colts ranked 15th and 24th. In the same time period, the Giants ranked 1st and 6th in sacks, while the Colts (despite having Mathis and Freeney) ranked 26th and 16th.

Spagnuolo wants a dominant line that can control the line of scrimmage in every aspect of the game. Mathis just doesn’t seem like a Spags kind of guy to me. I think he might actually be drooling at the chance to turn Will Smith into an All-Pro.

it’s obvious our personnel is inadequate to pass rush a QB well. We need money to get a pass rusher. Ditto for LB. Will Smith will go to get cap space to get someone else. We will also draft DL and hope Romeus pans out. Spags is excellent but he won’t be foolish enough to think he can teach some new technique and all of a sudden we have a pass rush. The main technique he will want to do is to acquire a Strahan or a Tuck.

When Spags see’s film of Smith, he’s gone. You all should watch his film. He just butts heads and upper body with the OT – no moves, no seperation, nothing innovative. Nothing to be concerened about by opposing OTs and he isn’t strong enough for his bull rush to be effeective. That’s all he has, that’s all he is. I don’t know as much about past seasons, but they aren’t even double teaming him or chip blocking. That affects the whole defense. We need someone who commands a double team at least some of the time.

IMO if we had, let’s say, Dwight Freeney and another good, but not Pro Bowl level DE (we need to be realistic- I would love 2 Pro Bowlers but I am being realistic). Someone like Cam Jordan but a litle faster . Some high level DE that needs a double team often or when there is no double team he gets significant pressure, our secondary would be fine. Our CBs and Jenkins would be fine on a defense that limited the QBs time and comfort level. Look how well we played vs Cutler- but that was because their OL was bad.

Harper is a good safety. I say that because I watch so many strong safeties struggle. Look at Pitt vs Denver and how their safeties struggled. The Eagles, the Cowboys- their safeties are always getting beat. Look at how Jimmy Graham (and some of our other receivers) have a field day with safeties. But with QB there is less time and the margin of error goes over to the side off the DB, not the offense.

As far as LB, I’m happy with Vilma and I think Martez Wilson could be good. Casillas would be good if he could stay healthy. Dunbar is worth keeping. Shanle is dependable but not spectacular. It would be nice to obtain 1 excellent LB such as Laurenaitis, Suggs, Fletcher or someone else, but if we get the DL penetrating, the LBs job is so much easier.

in nickel package, 4th linebacker whatever, blitz on passing downs, tackling runners, that sort of thing? Seems like a talent that can be utilized.

I say keep him right where he is, get QB pressure with 4, give Harper some help covering a TE (the better TEs) on obvious passing downs, and take him out, play nickel, and let your nickel guy (Wilson, Queddus, Casillas, Prob, JPat- whoever) replace Harper when needed.

so I don’t see a lot of splurging on Defensive FAs. I’m betting that Spags sold himself on the mantra of “I can get more out of what you have.” I’m sure they’ll bring in some mid and lower-level FAs on that side of the ball, but I don’t see there being much money this year for elite defenders.

Porter….gone, won’t be brought back. Will Smith…gone, aging and will be a cap casualty to free up room. Scott Shanle…gone…aging and Spags has always gone after quick athletic LBs. Roman Haper…gone. Shuffled off in a trade most likely rather than being released outright….Spags prefers playmaking safeties in the secondary who can play all over the field. Also Spags does not blitz very often…the one part of Harper’s game that is considered extremely solid.

people are forgetting about pressure created through good coverage. It’s not that our D-line is horrible it’s just that the secondary has provided QB’s with an opportunity to get rid of the ball via bad coverage. Look at our run defense as well, that doesn’t come with balls out rushing from your D line. Thats gap containment, run stopping football. It’s very possible that because we don’t have trustworthy LB’s, GW was using he D line to stop the run. Do I think that there are better pass rushers than what we have, yes. Do i think that we will have the ability to get our hands on someone better than Will Smith, probably no. I do agree that he is expensive (7mil this season) and aging. Further, he signed a 6 year deal in 2008, the earliest his contract can be voided is 2014 season, unless something is worked out in a trade. We need better pressure from the other side to get more from Will and better LBs to stop the run so our D line can rush.

But our D-line is good vs the run, horrible at pass rush. Cmon, Cam Jordan was not a good pass rusher in college and scouting reports said he would never be a good pro pass rusher. He got 1 this year. As many plays as he played, he should have gotten more than that out of luck. Gallette, Johnson, Mc Bride and Charleston got more and they aren’t very good. Franklin, Rogers- cmon, do they look like pass rushers? And then we have our marquis pass rusher, Smith, who has produced 12 sack in 2 seasons and has averaged 7 sacks over the last 5 seasons. He will not be resurrected. He sucks as a pass rusher.

When we had a pass rush in 2009, it was because of Mc Cray and Hargrove. That time has passsed.

if we focus 80% on defensive picks, and hopefully Spags shows some talent in drafting, then we maybe able to fleshout our D. I think one additional talent at each faze would be enough; DL, LB, DB. IMO

on a par with the Giants , Atlanta, Carolina, Green Bay, Vikings,

Not as good as Redskins, Ravens, SF, Chicago,

I’d say that’s about above average.

will be better than Vilma in the long run. But, what about the other LBs? How come they played so poorly against us?
If they were so good, why are their defenses so mediocre?

name me three better Strong Safeties?

and I am just kidding with you in my agreement of your point. Excellent strong safeties are hard to come by.

Vilma was behind him. Harper’s fault is he was predictable on that play being 2 yds dep in endzone. The strong safety positiion is very difficult- they need to be big enough to cover TEs and fast enough to be a DB and to blitz, and bulky enough to stop the run. Tough assignments!

The key is to have a Jimmy Graham, so you can do unto their safety more than they do unto your safety!

Greg Romeus. Before his last year at Pitt he was going to be a top 10 pick. Then, injuries ruined his last season there and the Saints didn’t expect him to contribute at all this past season anyway.

They call them STRONG safety for a reason. He is supposed to be bigger than all of the other DBs, but smaller than the linebackers, and be there for run support. Roman Harper does just that, and quite well. Is he supposed to drop in coverage sometime, yes. But he’s not a free safety and shouldn’t be downfield. He’s supposed to be in the pile, forcing fumbles, getting sacks, and laying down some hits. Look at Ronnie Lott, John Lynch, and Polumalu, they’re known for hitting, not batting balls and intercepting. (Polumalu has some INTs but its because he’s an animal).

And to the ones who are comparing Brain Dawkins to Harper.. Dawkins is a Free Safety. That’s why he’s better in coverage because it is his job. Strong and Free Safety are totally different, so it’s not fair to compare Harper to a player in a different position.

He has strenghts, just needs the right assignments.

Zion (New Orleans, La): With a new DC in Spags coming in, i’m sure we will see a new look with new faces. Do you see Porter and Harper fitting into Spags scheme?

Pat Yasinskas: My guess is Porter will be allowed to walk. Harper’s contract means they almost have to keep him. They may have to adjust his role to make things work in that defense. Spags generally relies on safeties to cover and make plays. Coverage isn’t exactly Roman’s strength. They may have to get a little flexible with him.

paul (thailand)

Don’t think the saints can afford to have two guards with 8+ mil contracts so Nicks will probably walk. Do you think the Falcons would look at him or are they content with Hawley/Johnson/Reynolds? None of them have looked too promising yet.
Pat Yasinskas (1:35 PM)

I think the Saints keep Nicks. I think he’s the next priority after Brees. Saints O-line is set up differently than everyone else’s. They need to be strong in the middle to create room for Brees to throw because he’s not 6-5. They’ll pay for guards. Their tackles are relatively cheap. You don’t just let the best guard in the league walk away, when he’s still only about 25 or 26.

Realistically, I can see the Saints cutting Porter, Smith, Vilma, and at least one other defensive player. Porter had probably the most disappointing year on D this year. Smith has shown signs of aging as he wasn’t anywhere close to his prime. Vilma has been a key part of the Saints D but for Spags system, I think he is undersized and is getting old/fragile. Look for the Saints to bring in a big name LB or DL to help get this front seven in the right direction.

END of story. There’s no reason to think he’s tailed off

Reference: Vilma’s hit on Ted Ginn