Mike Triplett at the Times-Picayune reports that Gregg Williams is very pleased with the rookies drafted by the Saints this year.
Williams said he loves California defensive end Cameron Jordan's versatility, he's excited by Illinois linebacker Martez Wilson's potential as a strong-side linebacker, and he likes the upside of Louisville cornerback Johnny Patrick, Pittsburgh defensive end Greg Romeus and Illinois linebacker Nate Bussey.
But he said tailback Mark Ingram "might be the best pick we took, even though he's on the offensive side of the ball."
"I really like him because he'll keep our defense off the field at the end of the game, because he can run the ball in the power running game," Williams said before teeing off at the Saints Hall of Fame Celebrity Golf Classic. "So I'm really pleased with the whole group of guys."
As usual, Williams was very talkative in this his first public appearance since the draft.
Williams said one thing that stands out about the group of players as a whole is their size. Jordan (6 feet 4, 287 pounds) and Wilson (6-4, 250) are taller than any other player at their respective positions on the Saints' roster.
"We'll look different getting off the bus," Williams said. "These guys are big, physical, a little taller. Now, they've got to play, too."
Jordan definitely seems to be Williams' kind of player. He'll start out as a left defensive end, but he has the versatility to play left and right end in both 4-3 and 3-4 alignments, and he could play tackle in some formations.
"That will help him play in more packages, get him out there more," Williams said. "He won't be pigeon-holed into one area. I've said before, I love guys who can play multiple positions."
On Martez Wilson:
"He's the first guy we've had in here that really fits the profile of a Scott Fujita," Williams said. "Last year, we used four different guys in different packages. When Martez earns the right to get on the field, he can do a lot of those things. We were fortunate to get him where we got him (in Round 3)."
On Nate Bussey:
"What a great young man he is," said Williams, who said his character reminded him of defensive end Jevon Kearse, whom Williams coached with the Tennessee Titans. "Fans will be pleased how tough he is, how versatile he is. He can play in space, and wait til you see him on special teams. He can flat get it done. ... He wants to be good. ... He'll be a favorite for the Who Dat fans to root for."
On Greg Romeus:
"I like the fact that (Romeus) has a basketball background," Williams said. "He has very good athletic ability. Those are the things I can't coach, things mom and dad gave him."
Lance Moore Describes Lockout as a "Horrible Situation"
Here's another little story I just found. Lance Moore is hopeful the lockout will end soon. Since he is currently without a contract, he's reluctant to take part in Brees' organized team workouts for fear of injury.
"I feel like the risk is too great," Moore told Alex Marvez and Jim Miller on Sirius XM NFL Radio. "If you get hurt down there, there’s no telling what’s going to happen."
"I’m not under contract. I don’t have a team. I don’t know what my situation is going to be. This is a horrible situation for the guys that it affects the most, and that’s free agents," Moore said. "I can’t wait for it to get over so I can finally sign with a team. Hopefully that team will be the Saints."
I can't say I blame him. You'll remember that Lance dislocated his shoulder and tore his labrum back in the Spring of 2009 while lifting weights during a team workout. If anything like that happened to him during this lockout, he wouldn't have nearly what he had back then to take care of it. It might even end his career.