New Orleans Saints: Get To Know Your Coaches

What would Sean Payton’s number be if he had one? I would have to guess 9 1/2, or maybe 9.1.

The cerebral link that connects Payton to his signal caller, Drew Brees, is so unique that it makes you wonder if the two finish each other’s sentences.

When Brees has a nightmare, does Payton wake up in cold sweats? If Payton eats bad seafood gumbo, will Brees be paying for it the next day? It sure is fun to think so.

Even it it were true, pulling teeth would be easier than getting the enigmaticlly efficient pair to admit to such a strange connection.

Fortunately, there is enough concrete information on Payton to suggest that maybe he’s just that good at what he does.

Let’s take a look at Payton and the rest of the Saints coaching staff:

Saint Searching: I Want To Know the Real Drew Brees

I was fortunate enough to work for the Saints in the summer of 2008.  Getting to watch pros like Drew Brees every day was a blessing for a fan of my caliber. 

My most memorable moment from that summer came while we were at training camp at Millsaps College in Jackson, Miss.  While having dinner and watching Michael Phelps win his umpteenth gold medal in the player’s dorm, Brees grabbed the seat right next to mine. 

Since it was the hot topic, we talked mostly about the Olympics and the time he spent in China one year. 

As if the situation weren’t surreal enough, we both recognized out loud how much of a spectacular athlete Phelps is after watching replays of his most recent win. 

“Wow,” I thought to myself.  “How can a sportsman as great as Drew Brees be wowed by any other athlete on the face of this planet?” 

This is just one of the questions I would ask if I had another chance to get to know Brees.  Here are the rest:

• Who were your favorite athletes when you were young?
• How has that list changed as you’ve gotten older?
• As a youngster, what career path did you see yourself following outside of sports?
• What ventures would you like to pursue after you retire from the NFL?
• What other sport do you think you could have excelled in professionally besides football?
• What does your wife do for a living?
• Do you want your kids to play sports?
• Was Purdue your first choice of college to attend?  Were you there on scholarship?
• How many scholarships were you offered before deciding to enroll at Purdue?
• If a university didn’t offer you a scholarship, would you have even considered attending?
• Would you have rather played your college ball at a home state university?
• What do you regret about your college career?
• What are some of the charitable organizations you are affiliated with?
• What has opening your own charitable organization done for you and your family personally?
• Forgetting all things football, what do you think of Philip Rivers?
• Do you hold any grudges against the San Diego Chargers for cutting you?
• If you had to choose one NFL team to play for besides the Saints, which would it be?  Why?
• Not including the Chargers, which NFL team would you least like to play for?
• Which NFL defenders do you fear the most?
• Which NFL players do you like the least?
• How do you feel about Terrell Suggs after he dislocated your elbow in the 2007 Pro Bowl?
• Who do you wish was on the Saints roster?
• If you could pick any coach, past or present, to coach you, who would it be and why?
• Would you rather be successful on the gridiron or off it?
• How old were you when you first tried illegal drugs?
• When was the last time you used illegal drugs?
• Have you ever been arrested?  What for?
• What religion do you follow, if any?
• Democrat, Republican, or Independent?
• When was the last time you spoke to your mother?  What did you talk about?
• What led to the rift that exists between the two of you?

• How do your father and the rest of your family feel about the relationship you have with your mother?
• Have you ever tried using anabolic steroids at any point in your athletic career?
• If you won a Super Bowl, but then found out half of your teammates were on steroids, would you feel as though you didn’t deserve the victory?
• Would you tell anyone that you knew about your teammates’ use?
• Besides a Super Bowl victory, and membership in the NFL Hall of Fame, what do you hope to accomplish in the NFL?
• What athlete, past or present, would you like to meet the most?
• Who would make you star-struck if you met them?
• Do you care what people think about you?
• What do you want your legacy to be and what do you think it is now?

2009 NFL Draft: 1st Round Recap, Notes, & Observations

Detroit and Oakland surprise no one, the Saints get it right for once, and some good value slips to the latter half of the first round.  Here is your recap of the first round of the 2009 NFL Draft:

1. Lions – Matthew Stafford (QB) Georgia: No surprises here.  The night before, the Lions  signed the 21-year-old Stafford to a six-year deal with $41.7 million in guarantees.  The franchise now has a much-needed face to distract fans from that horrible new logo.

2. St. Louis – Jason Smith(OT) Baylor: Kind of a no-brainer after getting rid of Orlando Pace.  Though still lacking at receiver, the offensive line and backfield has been structured to cater to Steven Jackson.  No doubt it’s his team now. 

3. Kansas City – Tyson Jackson(DE) LSU: Jackson will be rejoining former first round picks and LSU teammates Dwayne Bowe & Glenn Dorsey.  I felt this pick was quite a stretch since Jackson wasn’t even the best defensive end on the board.  The Chiefs could have traded down for Jackson if they really wanted him. 

4. Seattle – Aaron Curry(OLB) Wake Forest: I’m sure Seattle was seriously considering taking Mark Sanchez here, but Curry is more of a sure thing.  He fills a void left by Julian Peterson.  Curry should come in right away and make an impact. 

5. New York (J) (from Browns) – Mark Sanchez (QB) USC: The Jets would have rather traded to a spot closer to #10 since the teams picking after #5 weren’t in the market for a quarterback.  But as this was likely the only spot in the top ten into which they could move, they had to do it to get Sanchez. 

6. Cincinnati – Andre Smith (OT) Alabama: The Bengals land themselves another player with issues, albeit of the “character” variety and not the “law-breaking” variety.  Smith is still probably the best offensive linemen in the draft but has to grow up in a hurry if the Bengals expect him to protect their franchise, Carson Palmer. 

7. Oakland – Darrius Heyward-Bey(WR) Maryland: Total head scratcher here.  Heyward-Bey isn’t even the third or fourth best receiver in the draft.  Nor will he sell nearly as many tickets as Michael Crabtree.  Bey’s 40 time at the combine? 4.33.  Crabtree’s 40 time at the combine?  None, broken foot.  The other teams in the AFC West should be thanking Al Davis.

8. Jacksonville – Eugene Monroe (OT) Virginia: A very safe, but smart pick.  The Jags were devastated by injuries amongst their offensive linemen.  Monroe will make his presence felt immediately

9. Green Bay –  B.J. Raji(DT) BC: The Packers added the most important puzzle piece missing from their new 3-4 defensive scheme: Nose Tackle.  Raji is huge but athletic, the Packers get good value with this pick.

10. San Francisco – Michael Crabtree(WR) Texas Tech: The best player in the draft slipped all the way to the 49ers at #10.  If they can solve their quarterback problems, San Francisco could have a very dangerous offense.  Oakland will have to watch what they could have had from right across the bay.  Tsk, tsk.

11. Buffalo – Aaron Maybin(DE) Penn State: I would have gone with Orakpo here, but the Bills obviously saw something in him that they liked.  Orakpo is probably the sexier pick, but Maybin should fit in well.

12. Denver – Knowshon Moreno(RB) Georgia: The Broncos already had a crowded backfield, but the best way to help Kyle Orton is to establish a running game.  Look for Lamont Jordan to be thunder to Morneno’s lightning, with Correll Buckhalter filling a Darren Sproles type of role.

13. Washington – Brian Orakpo(DE) Texas: Really surprising to see arguably the best defensive end fall this far.  Did you notice how fast Washington turned in the pick?  They couldn’t believe they were getting such great value either. 

14. New Orleans – Malcolm Jenkins(CB) Ohio State: The Saints did the right thing by taking Jenkins over Beanie Wells.  They get depth and a player that can be consistently rotated around the secondary.  I would have liked to see Brian Cushing in the black and gold but Saints fan can’t complain. 

15. Houston –  Brian Cushing(OLB) USC: They key to winning the AFC South is stopping Peyton Manning, as Tennessee showed last year.  Houston continues to improve their defense and are chomping at the bit to make some noise in the division.

16. San Diego – Larry English (DE) N Illinois: Another hybrid defender for their 3-4 scheme, not a bad move.  Plus I think the Chargers are looking for a little insurance in case Shawn Merriman doesn’t hold up this year.

17. Tampa Bay (from Jets through Browns) – Josh Freeman(QB) Kansas St: Worried that the Broncos could snatch up the best remaining quarterback, The Buccaneers jumped up two spots to land Freeman.  The Bucs picked up Byron Leftwich in the offseason but the competition will be healthy for both of them. 

18. Denver – Robert Ayers(DE) Tennessee: I thought the Broncos should have taken Orakpo at #12.  But Ayers isn’t too much of a dropoff from him and they still get Moreno.  Good picks for the Broncos in the first round.

19. Philadelphia (from Bucs through Browns) – Jeremy Maclin(WR) Missouri: He’s not Anquan Boldin, but he’ll do.  Pairing Maclin with DeSean Jackson also gives the Eagles a scary return game too. 

20. Detroit – Brandon Pettigrew(TE) Oklahoma St: The Lions did maybe the smartest thing they could have by getting Stafford a security blanket.  Pettigrew is a complete tight end and will help Stafford mature as a quarterback throughout the season. 

21. Cleveland (from Eagles) – Alex Mack (C) California: After trading down three times in the first round, Cleveland lays an egg by drafting a center, albeit the best one on the board.  Mack can play guard too, but there were better players available that could produce faster and better results.

22. Minnesota – Percy Harvin(WR) Florida: After clearing out the garbage from the “party boat” incident, the Vikes draft another potential liability.  However, considering he fell this far, getting Harvin here is terrific value.  It will be interesting to see how he an Peterson will co-exist.

23. Baltimore (from Patriots)- Michael Oher(OT) Ole Miss: It’s all about protecting the franchise (Joe Flacco) now in Baltimore.  Another great value this late in the first round.

24. Atlanta – Peria Jerry(DT) Ole Miss: The Falcons needed help after losing Keith Brooking and Michael Boley.  Any talent they can get on the defensive front is much-needed. 

25. Miami – Vontae Davis(CB) Illinois: Davis fits the profile of a Parcells-esque DB: He hits hard, lots of upper body strength, and good overall & recovery speed. 

26. Green Bay (from Ravens through Patriots) – Clay Matthews(OLB) USC: Lightning strikes twice for the Pack with this one.  First B.J. Raji, and now a stud LB in Clay Matthews.  Watch out for the Packers on defense this year.  They’ll be headhunting. 

27. Indianapolis – Donald Brown (RB) UConn: I’m not sure what the Colts were thinking.  There were several players taken after Brown – even in the second round – that were better than him.  Either the Colts are playing copycat by trying to stockpile the backfield or they’re worried about Joseph Addai’s durability. 

28. Buffalo (from Eagles) – Eric Wood (C) Louisville: After going defense earlier, the Bills needed to go offensive line after dealing Jason Peters to the Eagles.  This was the best value given their needs. 

29. New York (G) – Hakeem Nicks(WR) UNC: Nicks replaces law-breaking WR Plaxico Burress.  Even though Nicks won’t have the impact or garner the attention that Burress does on Sunday’s, this is a safe and reliable pick. 

30. Tennessee – Kenny Britt(WR) Rutgers: The Titans get help at a position they’ve been trying to improve for a while (or have they?).  I find it interesting that they didn’t try harder to draft a No. 1 wideout until Kerry Collins took over at quarterback. Hmmmm……

31. Arizona – Chris Wells(RB) Ohio St: Quite a shock to see one of the best running back in the draft fall to the bottom of the first round.  Maybe there is something more to his foot injury that we don’t know.  This all but ends Edgerrin James’s career in Arizona, but it is still an improvement for the Cards.

32. Pittsburgh – Evander Hood(DT) Missouri: The Steelers could have went any direction with the last pick, and naturally they go defense.  Hood is great pick this late.  He’ll fit in fine. 

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