New Orleans Saints' Top 25 Players: Intro

To coincide with the list of the top 25 Saints' players that the Times-Picayune is currently running, as well as the top 25 NFC South players that ESPN's NFC South blog is doing, I figured I'd join the party and make a list for CSC. Now, before I actually start the list I wanted to explain the terms on which I am basing my rankings. Here are a few things to take into consideration before you yell at me when reading my rankings:

1. My rankings are based on my expectations for which players will have the most positive impact on the 2013 season. This encompasses their 2012 performance, their progression/regression in recent years as well as external factors that will impact their individual performance. This could mean the change in defensive coordinator/scheme, an injury to a player at their position, immense depth at their position, etc. Additionally, I am making this list as if all players that are currently healthy will remain so for the duration of the 2013 season.
2. I am a firm believer in the work that PFF (Pro Football Focus) does. Those guys look at how every player performs on every single play they partake in, so I find their results hard to refute. PFF has received lots of praise from reputable sources and it's for good reason. That said, I will not be creating my rankings based solely on the PFF grades of the Saints' players.
3. While I am taking the players' position into consideration to a certain extent, I am constructing this list based on how much I expect them to contribute as an individual. A certain position like center or guard may not be very sexy, but if a player dominates at that position it doesn't make him a worse player than a safety who has 10 bone-crushing hits per year but often gets lost in coverage. *cough* Roman Harper *cough*
4. Despite the fact that some rookies may outplay certain members of this list I will not be including any of them simply because, well, I just don't think I should. There is no NFL film to base it on, and we know how Sean Payton likes to bring rookies along slowly. I am also not including any players that are purely special teams guys, even though Thomas Morstead probably deserves a spot for his booming punts and frequency of touchbacks. It's just too difficult to compare him to offensive and defense players in my mind.

That about covers it. I will be kicking off the list with #25 within the next day or two, and I look forward the assortment of love and hate for my picks. Enjoy!