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Below are answers to reader questions submitted last Monday. I apologize for my late reply. Special thanks to all those that participated. Feel free to continue the discussion on any of these topics in the comment section below.
Dave, do you think the Saints will keep both place kickers if not who make the final roster John Kasay or Garrett Hartley? - Big D.
No. Hartley will be the only placekicker on the Saints roster come the start of the 2012 season. Kasay's presence is just to keep Hartley on his toes and out of his own head.
What do you think of my autographed football? What value would you put on it? -Matt G.
I think it's awesome, but it's pretty hard to put a value on it. I will say this: it's definitely worth what someone is willing to pay for it.
Are you convinced with Jenkins and Harper combo that they will be better under Spags system? - Cannistra
Convinced? Absolutely not. Why would I feel that way when I haven't see anything yet to tell me otherwise. I'm certainly hopeful, I will say that much. But definitely not convinced.
Now that the Lions have released CB Aaron Berry, despite his off-field troubles, what are the chances the Saints take a look at him for better secondary depth? He has alot of potential, and is still young, and could come cheap. - Ali K.
It doesn't sound like Berry is the type of character Mickey Loomis and the Saints typically go after to fill their locker room.
Will Smith is one of my favorite Saints and has been a great contributor, but considering this coaching staff has shown to be ready to cut expensive/underperforming veterans (Stinch, Brown,…) how important will training camp be for him? Will he have to prove he can still contribute or does the lack of depth at the position guarantee him a roster spot? - Malcolm L.
I don't think Smith is going anywhere this year. To be quite honest, I've always been underwhelmed by Smith, always thought he could do better. It wouldn't surprise me if they let him go but I just don't see that happening for the reason you mention in your question. He may not be a young stud but Smith is definitely serviceable, shows flashes of excellence every now and then, and is still tops at his position on the Saints roster.
Arrington, Roby, Morgan, Toon - If you had to guess, who makes active squad, who gets cut, who makes practice squad—understanding that Arrington is ineligible I believe for practice squad. - Ben D.
Roby makes the team because of his special teams duties. As for the other three, I could give a better answer in a few weeks. With just a few days of training camp and no preseason games having been played so far, though, I've got to go with Adrian Arrington. Apparently he's looking good and earning that spot while Nick Toon is struggling a bit.
Do you do tail-gate parties before games or just march in the Dome like it’s a day at the office? - J. N. Day
I get off the streetcar and march through downtown New Orleans' urban landscape toward the Dome with the rest of the black and gold crowd. I like to think of us as an army going into battle, moving en masse.
Now that you are a family man Would you be ok with interviewing a Saintsation, one on one….. in a Jacuzzi …… naked? - Dr. Who
I would be perfectly fine conducting such an interview. I can be contacted at blogandgold@yahoo.com.
Hopefully the Saints win the SB in 13. If they do, do you see them Promoting Vitt or Carmichael to Head Coach, or do they bring back Payton next year? - Tommy V.
Everything goes back to normal after this season. I know Vitt has no desire to be a head coach and I'm pretty sure Carmichael feels the same.
Do you have any game day rituals ... You know, the ones you just have to do to make sure you can not be held personally accountable for any Saints losses? ;) - Vicki J.
Not really. Just gotta make sure I'm wearing a Saints jersey. Other than that I don't really do anything too crazy. Don't need to eat anything special, and it doesn't matter where I watch the game.
Are you past the point of who is right and wrong and are like us who just do not care anymore? - Jeremy S.
I passed that point two months ago.
What is your least favorite NFL organization? Which team makes you throw up in your mouth a little whenever their name is mentioned? - Grumps
Right now, it's definitely the San Francisco 49ers.
Who do you think our third corner will be - since our two starters are likely solidified [a single tear roles down my face]? - Dan K.
This Elbert Mack character intrigues me but right now I would probably say Johnny Patrick. He's entering his second season and he's now had a full offseason of training. I'm hoping to see big things from that young man.
What should I do with my Tracy Porter jersey? - Ryan E.
Keep it. He was good enough, always respectful of the organization and, of course, a crucial player in the Saints winning the Super Bowl. He's earned that respect to not have his jersey thrown away.
Who, out of all the UDFA's, do you feel..Has the best shot at cracking the roster…and why? - Canu
Please see our What Up With Dat? post from last week for my answer to this question.
Who do you think will be used more often, Sproles, Thomas, or Ingram? - Travis D.
Interesting that you didn't include Chris Ivory in the mix. From my answer to a similar question in a previous What Up With Dat? post:
Most carries - Mark Ingram, Pierre Thomas, Chris Ivory, Darren Sproles
Most rushing yards - Pierre Thomas, Darren Sproles, Chris Ivory, Mark Ingram
Most yards per carry - Darren Sproles, Pierre Thomas, Chris Ivory, Mark Ingram
Saints stated a while ago that they didn’t want any dot com "media" around their team (ask Brian Allee-Walsh went he switched to wwl.com). How the hell do you guys manage to interview a guy actually on the roster instead of those insipids drafties we had to settle for in the past years? Is SB Nation getting that influential or are the Saints more flexible because of the coverage they lost since Times-Picayune is now a joke as a local paper? - French F
You're referring to interviews we've conducted here at CSC with players like Martez Wilson, Scott Shanle and Johnny Patrick I assume. Here's the deal: players can speak with whoever they want in their own time. The ban on dot com's is simply on team property like the training facility, the locker room, the team plane etc. They will never let someone like me in any of those places. But I'm still allowed to talk with players or their agents.