2010 NFL Off-Season Rumors and Reports (Week 8)

[The Goat]

Originally Posted by Dirtbag359

This is easily the most talented defense he's overseen in a while. Also I think it's important to realize that many great defensive coordinators go on to be head coaches with struggling defenses.

Marvin Lewis is probably the most prominent example with his success coaching the greatest defense of all time and then making the Redskins one of the better units in the league. Wade Phillips is another example of a coach who has been a DC for dominant defenses but has seen his defenses struggle when he became a head coach. Obviously Dallas's D is back on track but for a while they were struggling. Even Jim Swartz last year oversaw one of the leagues worse defensive units.

The thing is when you're a head coach you don't have time to micromanage what got you the job in the first place, weather it be coordinating an offense or defense. Thats why you need to find good assistants that can hold their own and a lot of these guys like Lewis and Phillips have struggled to find those guys. Rex Ryan on the other hand seems to have a more then competent defensive staff.

So I wouldn't say the Saints D under Haslet is necessarily a reflection of his ability as a D-Coordinator.

Wasn't he DC in NO for a time? Wonder what his unit produced?

[Dirtbag59]

Originally Posted by The Goat

Wasn't he DC in NO for a time? Wonder what his unit produced?

Ask and you shall recieve (Defensive Ranks determined by yardage)

Saints (1996) - 21.2 PPG 13th Ranked Defense
Steelers (1997) - 19.2 PPG 6th Ranked Defense
Steelers (1998) - 18.9 PPG 12th Ranked Defense
Steelers (1999) - 20 PPG 11th Ranked Defense
Rams (2006) - 23.8 PPG 23rd Ranked Defense
Rams (2007) - 27 PPG 21st Ranked Defense

[SBXVII]

Originally Posted by The Goat

LOL I'm actually taking a Friday night off!

...sometimes I start talking myself into believing we're on the track to awesomeness. The offense is surely going to fly. But Shanahan's track-record of defensive merry-go-round w/ his coordinators/scheme can't be shrugged off until he proves otherwise. Hopefully Haslett has figured some things out and can make his group a winner.

Ok, I agree. I think we all would have loved for 3 things to happen....
1- DS sells the team.
2- New GM.
3- New HC.

We got 2 out of the 3. I count that as a win. I can't imagine anyone thinking DS was going to sell the team. Why would he when it's supposed to be one of the most money making teams out there? I said it once and will say it again... you own a business that is making money, not just $40,000 above cost to run but millions. It's a proven business. Are you gunna sell simply because some customers are unhappy and want you to?

I do agree with you about our defense this yr. We were a defense lead team. I get the bad feeling we are going to turn out to be like N.E. a few yrs ago... all offense and no defense. I do believe Shanahan will turn the offense around. The big question is will Haslett let the 4th ranked defense keep falling down the ranks? He was a coach in N.O. and took over the team as HC. His defense was nothing to speak of. Then he got the job with the Rams and their defense slowly slipped down the ranks. Perhaps there were reasons other then him.

[The Goat]

Originally Posted by Dirtbag359

Ask and you shall recieve (Defensive Ranks determined by yardage)

Saints (1996) - 21.2 PPG 13th Ranked Defense
Steelers (1997) - 19.2 PPG 6th Ranked Defense
Steelers (1998) - 18.9 PPG 12th Ranked Defense
Steelers (1999) - 20 PPG 11th Ranked Defense
Rams (2006) - 23.8 PPG 23rd Ranked Defense
Rams (2007) - 27 PPG 21st Ranked Defense

TY! I looked for this on ESPN.com and NFL.com.

Hopefully Haslett has a '97 type of year eh?

[CultBrennan59]

Changing the subject, does anyone know where Darren Sharper is planing on signing with?

[The Goat]

Originally Posted by CultBrennan59

Changing the subject, does anyone know where Darren Sharper is planing on signing with?

No. He's said the skins are a possibility because we could be on the way to a SB lol. I mean if that's his criterion just stay in NO...the offense will just get bttr and now the defense too because it'll be the 2nd year in Williams' system.

...i think he re-signs in NO.

[Lotus]

Originally Posted by CultBrennan59

Changing the subject, does anyone know where Darren Sharper is planing on signing with?

Don't forget that Atogwe is still out there, too.

[CultBrennan59]

Originally Posted by Lotus

Don't forget that Atogwe is still out there, too.

Atogwe is a RFA

[Lotus]

Originally Posted by CultBrennan59

Atogwe is a RFA

But Atogwe is an RFA tagged at the lowest level. He's a cheap signing.

[SmootSmack]

Sharper is really close to signing with the Jaguars, but I think he's hoping the Saints will beat the offer at the last minute. Right now, looks like Jacksonville

As for Atogwe, I think I heard he currently can't pass a physical which is why the market has been kind of dry for him. Not really sure though

[Dirtbag59]

Originally Posted by SmootSmack

Sharper is really close to signing with the Jaguars, but I think he's hoping the Saints will beat the offer at the last minute. Right now, looks like Jacksonville

As for Atogwe, I think I heard he currently can't pass a physical which is why the market has been kind of dry for him. Not really sure though

You know with Jacksonville I was thinking that part of the reason they didn't draft Earl Thomas was because they were happy with Reggie Nelson at FS and putting Earl Thomas at SS isn't really a good idea given his frame. However now seeing that they're trying to sign a guy like Sharper I can only shake my head at the guy they picked at 10.

Originally Posted by The Goat

TY! I looked for this on ESPN.com and NFL.com.

Hopefully Haslett has a '97 type of year eh?

I don't know, I'm more of a PPG guy so 98 would probably be more along the lines of my hopes and dreams. Then again the strategy employed by Hasslet might be similar to the Saints last year with the emphasis being more on creating chaos (ie turnovers and sacks) rather then putting up pretty PPG and YPG numbers.

[Dirtbag59]

Originally Posted by SBXVII

I do agree with you about our defense this yr. We were a defense lead team. I get the bad feeling we are going to turn out to be like N.E. a few yrs ago... all offense and no defense. I do believe Shanahan will turn the offense around. The big question is will Haslett let the 4th ranked defense keep falling down the ranks? He was a coach in N.O. and took over the team as HC. His defense was nothing to speak of. Then he got the job with the Rams and their defense slowly slipped down the ranks. Perhaps there were reasons other then him.

Keep in mind that the Rams were ranked 29th in total defense last year while giving up 27.3 PPG so technically they got worse after Haslett left. Still all of us know that Spags is a proven defensive guy so it's not like he doesn't have the know how to coordinate a successful defense. Clearly St. Louis has a talent problem.

[SBXVII]

Originally Posted by The Goat

No. He's said the skins are a possibility because we could be on the way to a SB lol. I mean if that's his criterion just stay in NO...the offense will just get bttr and now the defense too because it'll be the 2nd year in Williams' system.

...i think he re-signs in NO.

I thought last yr was yr 2 for GW? They picked him up when we let him go, that was when Zorn was hired. This yr will be yr 3 for them, but as you said that much better.

[53Fan]

All I know is when they ask Landry if he'll play FS or SS and he says he'll play closer to the LOS and maybe even line up at LB sometimes, I like it. I have visions of guys coming from all positions and creating alot of CHAOS.

[53Fan]

Originally Posted by SBXVII

I thought last yr was yr 2 for GW? They picked him up when we let him go, that was when Zorn was hired. This yr will be yr 3 for them, but as you said that much better.

He went to Jacksonville after we let him go.