re: Saints are sitting pretty for an impact defender at #11

no locks other than top couple players, a lot will change after combine and personal workouts.

I remember the first mock I saw last year had Peat as last pick of first round ...

I would love for Robinson to be there bc I would expect to get some really nice trade offers from other teams to trade up to that spot to get him.

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This def feels like a year we should trade up from 11 to 7 or 8 and grab Barnett feels like a perfect fit. If not then trade back cause every year we are a pick or two late. Carolina took star lotoulei a pick I'm front of us couple years ago. Then it happened another year think it was year we picked vacarro. Also I wanted peters two years ago

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Star and Sheldon Richardson were taken right before our very eyes in 2013.

Then in 2015 Danny Shelton.

Finally 2016 we were able to get the #1 DT Sheldon Rankins

I still would like to see us take a QB

I think I read somewhere that the Saints were top five in the league at stopping the run between the tackles.
I think the FO will pay a good bit to keep that going. Lets hope Fairly really really likes it in NOLA cause there is a team out there who will want his production and pay handsomely for it.

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Wouldn't touch any of these with a top ten pick.

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Well 2 or 3 teams will, and hopefully so.

Just glad it won't be us, though I'd start to worry if we are at 11 and Watson is still on the board. Could seriously see an "investment" pick happening.

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I think I read somewhere that the Saints were top five in the league at stopping the run between the tackles.

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For the most part the Saints have always been decent at stopping the run up the middle with DTs, they just never could get to the QB until this year. Our problem has been awful LB play and the other DE opposite of Jordan cannot stop the run.

I'm not down on Robertson, Ellerbe, or Stupar but in reality they are average to below average LBs. We just don't know what good LB play looks like anymore regarding the Saints so people think these upgrades the last couple years means we finally have good LBs, when we really don't. Regarding Anthony, they just need to move him back to MLB and let him backup Robertson, he looks much better there than SLB.

Our Dline is shaping up to look pretty good in the future but I hope somewhere in first 2 rounds we get a DE. I also hope we get a LB, I don't care which LB position, but a LB in the first 2 rounds, if value is there. I don't want them reaching, I just hope it pans out that way.

I love the draft, I really do. Its fun and I get really into it.

But it is SOOOooooooooooooooooo overrated by fans. Its rare to find serious year 1 impact players, and the amount of busts is huge.

It is very important to your team for long term success. Short term success, FA is way way more important.

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We have one starter at LB'er and thats Robinson.

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Robertson isn't bad, I feel he is an average LB comparing him to the rest of the league. I know he has been in the league a few years but I do think he has a little bit more upside.

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While I would say draft a starter the last 10 years has taught me to say a big f@cking NO to that strategy

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Most will disagree with me but I still think we got rid of Lofton a year too soon. I know he had a bad year with the Raiders but until now, who didn't. Anthony imo would have been much better off sitting a year behind Lofton and then coming out this year at MLB.

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Find two starters in FA cause that is where history tells us we will find success.

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Yeah, Robertson was a decent pickup, and Ellerbe was a decent trade. They are both decent players. There are much better LBs around the league though. I still hope we try again in the draft. If we move Anthony back to MLB then I'll feel less likely to give up on him. He's just not very good at SLB. He definitely has potential to be a good MLB in this league.