re: Draft "Rumor" about the Saints possibly moving up to 5th

Drew was highly efficient that year in '09, had the best O line arguably that year along with best run game. Offense was very vertical in passing game.

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All this talk about improving the Def ... I bet they trade up for Cooper

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If Fowler and Leonard is gone at 5, i don't think it's an impossibility... but i doubt it. They could very well think they can have DVP at 13 if they wanted.

Yep, we need to start becoming a balanced and good defensive team to prepare for life with a bit more aging qb and/or a young qb.

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You're right, he's thrown for more yards every year since then

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Needing 30% more attempts and having almost 40% more interceptions.
If you think Brees as good as he was in 2009, you are certainly in the minority.

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This maybe the least likely scenario. The Titans already got burned by one 1st round spread, running QB in Jake Locker. I'm not quite sure they are in a race to make the same mistake again.

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I think that's right. The Titans will desperately try to move down; if they don't find any takers, they will take Williams.

What are the chances Fowler, Gregory and Ray end up like Dion Jordan?

Even Tom Brady had "down" years in regards to his statistical norms when his O-line was shady. Hell, look at the season Romo had with a good line. Brees would be a complete surgeon with 1/2 as good a line as either one of them had.

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if he is a one dimensional pass rusher, then he isn't worth it

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The Saints have had a top 10 offense the majority of the Payton Brees era. During that time frame what has caused our offense more issues? Linebackers who can cover or edge pass rushers? Look at other top 10 offenses in the same time frame. What effects them all more in a negative fashion? Some of you guys are placing far too much value on an asset which having LB's who can cover. Being able to rush the passer gives a defense a schematic advantage. It's something that other teams HAVE TO game plan for if a defense has a defender who does it well. That's not the same for coverage LB's. No matter how good a LB is, an offense will still feel that their running backs or tight ends are a mismatch & still look to get them the ball.

your analysis is too simplistic. it doesn't account for the intricacies of the position nor the importance of first down. If you have a LB that only can pass rush, you create a weakness in the run game that will be exploited. Teams will get too many 2nd down and 4 to go with this setup. Our problem the last few years has been just this; our run D is garbage. Then to disregard the importance of a LB that can cover is folly. When they drop into a zone, you have to trust that they will defend that zone properly. If not then we will be consistently giving up 7 yard passes to RB, TE and Slots.

The best example I can think of with this is Shawne Merriman. Every year he was overrated as a player because he could rush the passer. The problem was that teams ran right at him. In the 2008 playoffs, the Steelers embarrassed him by running right at him on just about every run play. They took him out of that game by doing so and the Jets did the same thing the following year. He became an afterthought the last few years of his career.

I don't care how well you rush the passer; if you can't perform at the other critical aspects of your game then you are not worthy to be a 1st round pick. This selection is way too valuable to waste it on a guy that will be a part time role player