Saints Free Agency Preview: Defensive Ends

by Alex Swift on Feb 14, 2012 11:00 AM CST

First off, a big thank you to Dave and the rest of you for offering me the opportunity to write on a regular basis here! I’m very glad to add my voice to the rest of the great staff here at CSC.

I’m going to start a free agency preview series, beginning with one of the Saints biggest weaknesses: defensive end. They currently have only four defensive ends signed to the roster for next year - Will Smith, Junior Galette, Greg Romeus and Cameron Jordan. I don’t know about you, but that does not inspire confidence in the team's ability to rush the passer, no matter who the defensive coordinator is.

Saints Defensive End Depth Chart Last Year: Will Smith, Turk McBride, Cam Jordan, Jeff Charleston, Junior Galette, Greg Romeus (IR). McBride and Charleston are free agents, although those are probably the two that can be replaced easiest.

The Free Agents: Turk McBride had four tackles and two sacks all of last season, so he’s probably walking. Cam Jordan took over his starting spot early in the season, and never looked back. McBride played in eight games, only starting two of them. He won’t be missed.

Jeff Charleston had nine tackles and one sack, in ten games played. Of the two, Charleston is probably the most likely to come back, although it would likely be a one year, veteran minimum contract. Again, he wouldn’t be missed if he was allowed to walk.

The Rest of the Roster: Will Smith is the most accomplished member of the Saints defensive line, while Junior Galette is the best pass rusher on the team right now. Cam Jordan had a solid rookie season, and will hopefully improve with a full off-season and new defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo. Greg Romeus is the big unknown here, having spent all of last year on injured reserve. Drafted in the seventh round out of Pitt last year, he was a great pass rusher in college. The team can only hope that translates well in his first healthy season.

One sentence free agency prediction: Jeff Charleston gets re-signed, Will Smith gets cut, and a top flight pass rusher (Cliff Avril, Mario Williams, etc.) gets brought in, adding depth in the draft.

Poll

What is the best way to improve the defensive end position?

Free agency

345 votes

Draft

79 votes

Undrafted rookie free agents

15 votes

Offer Charles Grant and Jamarcus Russell hamburgers as payment

60 votes

499 votes | Poll has closed

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Comments

I personally think McBride should be brought back because he played well before the injury. I’d much rather have him than Charleston.

by BlackandGold4ever on Feb 14, 2012 11:33 AM CST reply actions

Smith gets cut due to salary cap; Romeus steps up HUGE this year; Jordan could see improvement…

I say we add a free agent and draft a solid, under-the-radar DE in the 3rd or 4th round. To say the least, we have a lot of work to do in the draft (LBs, DTs, OL and KR)

by Jee on Feb 14, 2012 11:46 AM CST reply actions

Why do the Saints need to get an upgrade at KR?

Were you not satisfied with Sproles back there? Also, we have three Pro Bowlers on our offensive line, as well as a very underrated Brian de la Puente. Zach Strief is our only “weak spot” and I’d say he’s at worst an average RT.

Drew Brees- the REAL MVP.

by Alex Swift on Feb 14, 2012 11:48 AM CST up reply actions

I’d be a lot more satisfied with Sproles returning kicks if he would stop trying to do so from nine yards deep.

by Drunkamania on Feb 14, 2012 11:56 AM CST up reply actions

Agreed

Also, I think with the amount of snaps he plays, Sproles should be relegated to returning punts only. I believe that Joe Morgan will make the team as the 5th WR and perform well at KR next year.

by Dr.J on Feb 14, 2012 3:45 PM CST up reply actions

I'm with this

If there’s a good way to save some wear and tear on him, its by giving him a break on kick returns.

Writer (and a handsome one at that),
And the Valley Shook

by Billy Gomila on Feb 15, 2012 2:40 PM CST up reply actions

Alex Smith

welcome aboard!!

which username were you formerly known by? I can’t figure it out on my own…

"We live by the blitz, and we die by the blitz.'' - Roman Harper

"So I guess the blitz died.'' - Alex Smith

by Hans Petersen on Feb 14, 2012 7:03 PM CST up reply actions

*Swift

I was Northfan

Drew Brees- the REAL MVP.

by Alex Swift on Feb 14, 2012 8:41 PM CST up reply actions

sorry Northfan

I think I’m still obsessing over that loss against that team with that QB who beat us a few weeks back…

like a phoenix from the ashes….you have risen

"We live by the blitz, and we die by the blitz.'' - Roman Harper

"So I guess the blitz died.'' - Alex Smith

by Hans Petersen on Feb 14, 2012 9:15 PM CST up reply actions

Right now I’m mostly just praying/hoping that Spags is a wizard in the kitchen and can whip us up a tastier chicken salad than Tenacious G’s. Even assuming we cut Will Smith loose, I still don’t see us having the cap room to lure in a top level FA pass rusher unless we get savaged on our end to the tune of losing either Colston or Nicks or perhaps both (and are content with cheaper and thus most likely lesser replacements in those positions).

No draft pick until the end of the second round makes it somewhat less likely that we get an immediate starter-caliber contributor there. Perhaps someone we have in the house now steps up huge or Loomis finds another of his middle to late round gems, but I’m not banking on either.

So, yeah, presently crossing my fingers and wishing for the best with what we have now.

by Drunkamania on Feb 14, 2012 11:56 AM CST reply actions

street free agent..?

what are we paying him with.. exactly?
we can’t hardly resign our own & we will find the money to lure in a top-end FA?
i think the draft and a low-end FA and/or reject FAs would be more reasonable..
i understand the question in the poll.. i guess i’m questioning the validity of it in practical terms..
in a dream world we would get better by lot with a top-notch FA pass-rusher.. in the real cap-world we sould look at other alternatives..

by the 9th plague on Feb 14, 2012 12:57 PM CST reply actions

It pays to spend a full sunday on this and be prepared plague.... lol

Yes sir we want the ball...

by bondcrash on Feb 14, 2012 2:15 PM CST up reply actions

Think we gotta draft a later 3-4 round DE here.

We don’t have the bucks to take care of our main Players, and while I wouldn’t mind bringing in a marque DE we gotta be realistic.

Drew Brees....MVS Most Valuable Saint! Who Dat!!!

by cajuncommando58 on Feb 14, 2012 1:45 PM CST reply actions

I doubt Spagnuolo would want to let go of Will Smith...

but then again it would probably open up about 9 million in cap space. Cliff Avril would be an awesome pick up if we could afford him. We shall see.

by SaintsRule2011 on Feb 14, 2012 1:57 PM CST reply actions

Clone Junior Galette and....

expose both he and the clone to gamma radiation so they’ll turn green when angry and then make opposing QBs understand why they won’t like them when they’re angry.

"As soon as Tony (Dungy) said we had no chance, I knew we had 'em right where we wanted 'em"--Coach Sean Payton right after Super Bowl XLIV with the Lombardi Trophy firmly in hand. WHO DAT!!

by David "Satch" Kelly on Feb 14, 2012 3:02 PM CST reply actions

You start to think oh, Mario Williams would be expensive

then you realize Will Smith has been raping the Saints for years for probably the same amount of money so sure cut him and sign Mario

by dabraham227 on Feb 14, 2012 3:12 PM CST reply actions

cut Smith. Cut him tomorrow. Keep Romeus at least until camp. See what he's got.

Keep Cam Jordan and probably Galette. Cut Charleston. I don’t know what to think of Mc Bride.

Could Martez Wilson play DE on passing downs (or 3-4 LB on passing downs)?

"We've established the run; we've established the pass. Now all we have to establish is another championship!" (And a Defense!)
"Some say the glass is half empty;
Some say the glass is half full.
I say- 'are you going to finish that beer'?"
I've learned so much from my mistakes...I'm thinking of making a few more!"

by Philinwood on Feb 14, 2012 6:02 PM CST reply actions

Martez

I think he would be an absolute beast as a 3-4 OLB and would be one of the bigger reasons I might advocate running such a scheme. Not so sure about using him as a regular DE however. He seems rather undersized there at 250. I liked what I saw with Turk McBride prior to his getting hurt and wouldn’t mind keeping him around assuming the price is right. Don’t see much reason to boot Charleston unless we can upgrade him at the same or cheaper price (which I doubt).

by Drunkamania on Feb 14, 2012 11:04 PM CST up reply actions

Cut Smith?

I’d rather go Friar Bob’s way.

Repeat? Run it!

by FrenchFreak on Feb 14, 2012 6:20 PM CST reply actions

PS

dropped a vote on the burger option

Can you imagine a hungry Ja-Marc rushing opposing QBs if he thinks they have burgers in their helmets?

"We live by the blitz, and we die by the blitz.'' - Roman Harper

"So I guess the blitz died.'' - Alex Smith

by Hans Petersen on Feb 14, 2012 7:08 PM CST reply actions

Either that or he can come on and replace Nicks should we lose him in FA. We’ll just give the burger to one of the officials behind the defense.

by Drunkamania on Feb 14, 2012 8:02 PM CST up reply actions

or purple drank

by canu2u on Feb 14, 2012 9:10 PM CST up reply actions

I hear it makes a good BBQ sauce, too

I’ll have a burger smothered in purple drank, with a chaser of purple drank on the side, please.

"We live by the blitz, and we die by the blitz.'' - Roman Harper

"So I guess the blitz died.'' - Alex Smith

by Hans Petersen on Feb 14, 2012 9:16 PM CST up reply actions

Here you go...

Drew Brees....MVS Most Valuable Saint! Who Dat!!!

by cajuncommando58 on Feb 15, 2012 1:55 PM CST up reply actions

thanks! glug glug glug

"We live by the blitz, and we die by the blitz.'' - Roman Harper

"So I guess the blitz died.'' - Alex Smith

by Hans Petersen on Feb 15, 2012 6:53 PM CST up reply actions

Cam Jordan

If Spagnuolo wants to upgrade the d-lines overall athleticism, I wonder if he’d move Cam Jordan inside alongside Ellis, cut Smith, and try to build the DE position from scratch (with the exception of keeping Galette).

by mymrbig on Feb 15, 2012 11:10 AM CST reply actions