Are you suffering from draft day hangover? Here is some info to cure that.
The first is a little wrap up of the draft from the Saints Official Website. If you were following along all weekend, than there is nothing new here.
The Advocate has two articles today. This one is about Sean Payton's analysis of the Saints draft this year.
"I think we did a pretty good job to get up and get ourselves in a position to get Sedrick Ellis," Payton said. "When I was driving home (Saturday) night and looking at where we were going into it, I know we got a player that we felt was better than the 10th player — and it was a need.
"He was a guy that probably came up daily in our discussions of how we could get into position to get him," he said. "I thought we were off to a good start when that happened."
Payton and General Manager Mickey Loomis were equally excited when they were able to get Indiana cornerback Tracy Porter, a Port Allen High School graduate, to fill another need for their 26th-ranked defense.
Sounds like Payton is as excited as I am about this years draft.
The other article from The Advocate is an analysis of day two of the draft. They are asserting that the players taken yesterday were all picks who should have been drafted earlier, but were viewed as "damaged goods" because of injuries or character flaws but they have upside.
On Sunday, they didn’t have any picks in the third or fourth rounds. When their opportunities finally came, they chose players who appeared to have a chance to ultimately have a greater impact than the position of their selection might suggest.
The good part about this is that these guys should have a chip on their shoulder. DeMario Pressley was nagged by injuries in his senior year, and he is now looking to prove himself to all the teams who passed on him.
"I am a tough guy, and I can handle it. I am going to work hard this offseason and preseason to really show everybody what I can do."
Carl Nicks is in the same boat.
With their second fifth-round pick, the Saints took Nicks, whose stock dropped sharply after he was arrested for failing to disperse after police broke up a party he was attending in Lincoln, Neb. Charges were later dropped.
Nicks said he thinks the arrest "murdered" his draft stock.
"I think everything happens for a reason, and I ended up being drafted to a great team," he said. "People are going to think I am not going to do well, but when I blow them out of the water and just do my thing, it is going to be a great feeling.
I hope the front office knows what they are doing. Payton also spelled out his plan for UFA's...
Loomis said the Saints plan to sign 10-12 undrafted players as free agents. Payton indicated that quarterback, running back, and linebacker would likely be among the positions addressed.
The Times-Pic had two articles today also. The first one is pretty much the same as the previous Advocate article. Our picks on day two were mostly quality talents that fell for various reasons but have a lot of upside and potential.
All four of their picks Sunday were more about potential and upside than they were about immediate need -- which was a good thing, because the Saints didn't have a pick in the third or fourth rounds.
Apparently Ed Orgeron wasn't the only coach with a connection to one of the Saints picks.
The Saints felt equally comfortable with Arrington, with whom they also have a personal connection. Saints tight ends coach Terry Malone was a former assistant at Michigan who helped recruit Arrington.
The other article from the Times-Pic was simply a review the second day of the draft. Here are the opinions the they gave on each pick.
DeMario Pressley
WHAT WE'RE THINKING: The Saints obviously didn't need another defensive tackle after drafting Sedrick Ellis in Round 1, but they liked Pressley's potential enough to move up two spots in the draft to get him. He might need a year or two to develop in the NFL, but he's an athletic prospect who has a chance to add even more bulk to his big frame. Pressley wasn't an elite pass rusher in college, but he projects as a three-technique tackle in the NFL with his speed and athleticism.
Carl Nicks
WHAT WE'RE THINKING: The Saints took a low-risk, high-reward chance on Nicks after determining that his past problems were more about maturity than bad character. If Nicks is motivated to prove his worth, he has the physique and the potential to be a solid run-blocker in the NFL, either at right tackle or at guard. The Saints said they weren't looking to add an offensive tackle, but again, they liked the upside.
Taylor Mehlhaff
WHAT WE'RE THINKING: The Saints have created a little bit of a kicker controversy. Although they were very happy with veteran Martin Gramatica at the end of last season, they took an extra-long look at the top kicker prospects heading into this year's draft. They said Mehlhaff was the only one they felt was worthy of a draft pick. They like his strong leg, and even if he can't beat out Gramatica, he could earn a spot as a kickoff specialist.
Adrian Arrington
WHAT WE'RE THINKING: He might not be the next Marques Colston, but he is a big, physical target with soft hands and solid blocking ability. He'll have to be impressive this summer to work his way into a crowded group at receiver, or he could be a practice squad candidate. He also had some character concerns that dropped him in the draft, but the Saints felt comfortable with him. In fact, they were so eager to bring him in as an undrafted free agent that they decided to trade back into the seventh round to secure him -- giving up a sixth-round pick in next year's draft.
Finally, remember that old steroid case involving O-lineman Matt Lehr? It's baaaaaaack. An article came out yesterday with new information on the case. Sports Illustrated has the write up originally from the Dallas Morning News. We now know the exact allegations that steroid dealer David Jacobs is claiming.
Jacobs told the Morning News that federal investigators confiscated a bottle he got from Lehr that contained a hair loss prevention drug that can hide steroid use. He said the bottle had an NFL team logo and Lehr's name.
An NFL spokesman said the league has reviewed the drug, finasteride, but hasn't banned its use. It is banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency, which oversees the Olympics and other international competitions.
Jacobs said he sold tens of thousands of dollars worth of performance-enhancing drugs to Lehr in 2006 and 2007 -- more than needed for personal use. He said Lehr agreed to have boxes of raw steroid powder from China shipped to his house because U.S. Customs officials were seizing packages addressed to Jacobs' home.
Still sounds like some crazy talk from a desperate man. Let's let this one play out.