sammymvpknight's Preseason Week 1 Takeaways

[sammymvpknight]

QB:
- Daniels is significantly better than anything else we have at back-up QB. I've always been a big Daniels fan and it's nice to have him back. If Brees does leave, I have quite a bit of confidence that Daniels could bridge the gap to the next franchise QB.
- Grayson is awful. Just awful.
- Nassib was better than Grayson, but let's be real...it's largely by default.

RB:
- Kamara is going to be a stud. He is NOT a bell-cow type RB at this phase in his career...the vision isn't there yet. But the guy consistently slips tackles. He honestly reminds me of a quicker Pierre Thomas. I foresee he and Ingram being the backbone of this offense for the next 5 years.
- Lasco had a nice run on the delayed handoff, but the hole was the size of a minivan. I like how he plays physical, but he doesn't break tackles. He doesn't look like anything special at RB. His value will ultimately be on special teams where he is probably our best gunner.
- Cadet is reliably mediocre. He doesn't take negative plays, but he is so bleh. But he has managed to be just good enough at everything to stick in the NFL for a long time. I don't think he makes the team this year, but he will be on speed dial if one of our other RBs (namely Kamara) gets injured.
- I really like Victor's potential. He actually reminds me quite a bit of MJD. Of course...not as talented...but he's a bowling ball that is tough to bring down with quick powerful legs. Put him on the practice squad and see what happens. I'll say it...this is the strongest RB corp in Saints franchise history.

WR:
- Michael Thomas continues to be impossible to cover on slants. If I was to buy stock in a Saints player, any player...it'd be Michael Thomas. I truly believe that he could become to be the best WR in the NFL.
- Ted Ginn Jr. dropped another pass...this time a huge one that took four points off the board. Didn't get a chance to see him in the return game, and that was disappointing...because I believe that is probably the way he most helps this team for the positive. I think that he is probably the fourth or fifth best WR on our team...but perhaps he can beat someone deep early in the season and at least can serve as a decoy to open the field underneath.
- TLL is really talented. If he was two inches taller, I'd be willing to bet that the Saints would outright cut Ginn. But he does have his height limitations which will continue to create skepticism. Few guys look FAST on the football field...and he does. He seems to have a knack for getting open and he has demonstrated great hands the past two seasons. I want to see more in the return game. He looked explosive at times last season...but has to show consistent field awareness.

TE:
- It's nice to have Hoom back...because though he is NOT a receiving TE, at least he is a reliable blocker and will catch the ball if he is open. This is the worst position group on the Saints roster, which is troubling considering the Saints woes on defense.
- Josh Hill is a fringe NFL guy. He honestly looks like the same guy that he was when he came into the league...he just hasn't gotten any better.

OL:
- I didn't get a change to specifically watch the Saints OL, so I will make general comments. The Browns DL frequently pressured all of the Saints QB. The Saints had a heck of a time containing Garrett...but I'll forgive them for that because Garrett's going to be a stud. No bad snaps from center, which was encouraging. The depth on the OL remains pretty bad, and unfortunately the Saints starting OL is quite injury prone, which means that they will need that depth at some point in the season...maybe even to start the season.

DL:
- Kikaha is a good player. He is a great hustle player and is quick off the snap. It's nice to see him a bit bigger this season. Hopefully he holds up because he is our best edge pass rusher. 
- Onyemata and Rankins were active but didn't see a whole lot of pressures. I'm waiting to see something that excites me about Rankins...very patiently waiting...but at this point he looks much like a Sedrick Ellis type player...a capable starter that is just not that impressive. Still early though. 

LB: 
- People are talking up Stephone Anthony, but I think that they have blinders on. He still is absolutely clueless in pass defense. Clueless! I really fear that he has no feeling for spatial awareness, and quite frankly, I don't believe that he ever will. He's big, he's fast...but his is a player that plays in 2D and not 3D. He got a sack...but I'm not going to let that distract me from the bigger picture.
- Anzalone is HUGE, fast, and fluid. He wasn't flashy...but he's a legit NFL LB. He had one play in pass defense in which he batted a ball down in zone coverage. That's something that Stephone Anthony will likely NEVER be able to do. I'm looking forward to see Anzalone going forward.

DB:
- Nice plays by Vaccaro. Vaccaro's a solid player...and I think that he would be the type of player who could potentially be a pro bowl type player on a better team.
- Williams had a few nice players...not enough of a sample size though.
- Our CB woes are real. You could see why the Saints were trying so hard to bring in veteran CBs during the offseason, because what we have is troubling. PJ Williams is probably the best CB on our team and I'm not convinced that he is anything more than an average CB. Crawley has potential...he really does...but he's not ready. Swann is awful. With his injury history...he's not going to make this team, even with a bunch of relatively bad CBs. Breaux hasn't looked very good in camp and is always injured. Our only hope is if Lattimore can get healthy and find a way to improve quickly. I do think that the time he's lost over the past few weeks will hurt his progression though.

ST:
- Lutz and Morestead are studs. They could quickly become the best K/P combo in the NFL.

[Dome]

4 minutes ago, sammymvpknight said:

QB:
- Daniels is significantly better than anything else we have at back-up QB. I've always been a big Daniels fan and it's nice to have him back. If Brees does leave, I have quite a bit of confidence that Daniels could bridge the gap to the next franchise QB.
- Grayson is awful. Just awful.
- Nassib was better than Grayson, but let's be real...it's largely by default.

Agreed. IDK if Nassib was better, he was playing against less. They were both bad. I think we should cut them both and run with Daniels as a backup and Cadet as an emergency (Cadet was a college QB for those who don't remember) We'll need that roster spot in the secondary.

6 minutes ago, sammymvpknight said:

RB:
- Kamara is going to be a stud. He is NOT a bell-cow type RB at this phase in his career...the vision isn't there yet. But the guy consistently slips tackles. He honestly reminds me of a quicker Pierre Thomas. I foresee he and Ingram being the backbone of this offense for the next 5 years.
- Lasco had a nice run on the delayed handoff, but the hole was the size of a minivan. I like how he plays physical, but he doesn't break tackles. He doesn't look like anything special at RB. His value will ultimately be on special teams where he is probably our best gunner.
- Cadet is reliably mediocre. He doesn't take negative plays, but he is so bleh. But he has managed to be just good enough at everything to stick in the NFL for a long time. I don't think he makes the team this year, but he will be on speed dial if one of our other RBs (namely Kamara) gets injured.
- I really like Victor's potential. He actually reminds me quite a bit of MJD. Of course...not as talented...but he's a bowling ball that is tough to bring down with quick powerful legs. Put him on the practice squad and see what happens. I'll say it...this is the strongest RB corp in Saints franchise history.

Yep. Kamara comes as advertised. He's gonna score a lot of points in this league. He refuses to go down. You say quicker Pierre, I saw a bulked up Reggie. Once in a while Reggie would FEEL IT and lay the wood on some dude. Kamara looks to do that every time a collision is imminent but he doesn't go looking for contact. He's gonna be great.

Lasco isn't anything special. He could be a Josh Hill type that sticks around cause he's a hard worker and great on special teams.

I don't care if Cadet makes the team or not, but giving him a roster spot basically gives us a #5 WR too. I think he could be used as a WR more and I think we'll see that more this preseason as he fights for his job. They'll give him tons of opportunity, they obviously like him.

12 minutes ago, sammymvpknight said:

WR:
- Michael Thomas continues to be impossible to cover on slants. If I was to buy stock in a Saints player, any player...it'd be Michael Thomas. I truly believe that he could become to be the best WR in the NFL.
- Ted Ginn Jr. dropped another pass...this time a huge one that took four points off the board. Didn't get a chance to see him in the return game, and that was disappointing...because I believe that is probably the way he most helps this team for the positive. I think that he is probably the fourth or fifth best WR on our team...but perhaps he can beat someone deep early in the season and at least can serve as a decoy to open the field underneath.
- TLL is really talented. If he was two inches taller, I'd be willing to bet that the Saints would outright cut Ginn. But he does have his height limitations which will continue to create skepticism. Few guys look FAST on the football field...and he does. He seems to have a knack for getting open and he has demonstrated great hands the past two seasons. I want to see more in the return game. He looked explosive at times last season...but has to show consistent field awareness.

Yep. He's Colston 2.0 he knows exactly where to put himself for Brees. He's gonna make himself a TONNNNNN of money in the next 2 years.

I've already said I'm fine cutting Ginn. TLL looks just as good, IMO. Payton is fine giving equal opportunities to short people, I have a hunch Ginn gets cut.

15 minutes ago, sammymvpknight said:

DL:
- Kikaha is a good player. He is a great hustle player and is quick off the snap. It's nice to see him a bit bigger this season. Hopefully he holds up because he is our best edge pass rusher. 
- Onyemata and Rankins were active but didn't see a whole lot of pressures. I'm waiting to see something that excites me about Rankins...very patiently waiting...but at this point he looks much like a Sedrick Ellis type player...a capable starter that is just not that impressive. Still early though. 

I thought Kikaha was BLOWING off the line early but ran out of steam early in the game. IDK what the circumstances are, but that was pretty glaring to me. His motor never stops, but his explosiveness seemed to take a hit pretty early.

Rankins wrecked shop in a few games last year. I think he'll be alright. D-line is definitely a position where ANY non-elite players can disappear for a game or two at a time, and he's still young.

 

[Dome]

18 minutes ago, sammymvpknight said:

LB: 
- People are talking up Stephone Anthony, but I think that they have blinders on. He still is absolutely clueless in pass defense. Clueless! I really fear that he has no feeling for spatial awareness, and quite frankly, I don't believe that he ever will. He's big, he's fast...but his is a player that plays in 2D and not 3D. He got a sack...but I'm not going to let that distract me from the bigger picture.
- Anzalone is HUGE, fast, and fluid. He wasn't flashy...but he's a legit NFL LB. He had one play in pass defense in which he batted a ball down in zone coverage. That's something that Stephone Anthony will likely NEVER be able to do. I'm looking forward to see Anzalone going forward.

Yup. He's gonna need a very clearly defined role, and I'm not sure we have the flexibility across the board for someone like that. I think he could thrive if asked to get in the backfield every play, whether on a delayed blitz or chasing the ball carrier. Anthony isn't half bad at seeing the hole and he's fast enough to capitalize on it. He's a huge liability in coverage and that really limits his usage. If our coverage is better this year, he could definitely see his play increase but as it stands now his services aren't required.

Robertson, Klein and Anzalone were pretty clearly the best LBs on the field. Likely our starters right there at W/M/S.

23 minutes ago, sammymvpknight said:

DB:
- Nice plays by Vaccaro. Vaccaro's a solid player...and I think that he would be the type of player who could potentially be a pro bowl type player on a better team.
- Williams had a few nice players...not enough of a sample size though.
- Our CB woes are real. You could see why the Saints were trying so hard to bring in veteran CBs during the offseason, because what we have is troubling. PJ Williams is probably the best CB on our team and I'm not convinced that he is anything more than an average CB. Crawley has potential...he really does...but he's not ready. Swann is awful. With his injury history...he's not going to make this team, even with a bunch of relatively bad CBs. Breaux hasn't looked very good in camp and is always injured. Our only hope is if Lattimore can get healthy and find a way to improve quickly. I do think that the time he's lost over the past few weeks will hurt his progression though.

Agreed. He looked much improved in coverage yesterday. If that continues through this season he'll get a big payday. He's been noticed around the league, even if the talking heads on the TV aren't paying attention.

- Marcus or PJ. I thought Marcus wiffed on a tackle early, but then saw it was PJ. PJ whiffed on a second tackle later, although that was Corey Coleman. Not exactly a man that's gonna just let you take him down.

- PJ is our best right now and you're right, that is very troubling. Crawley definitely deserves a roster spot and Swann does not. Where was Sterling Moore?

27 minutes ago, sammymvpknight said:

ST:
- Lutz and Morestead are studs. They could quickly become the best K/P combo in the NFL.

At the very least they're the best we've had since 2009.

[NS922]

Accurate summary. Although I'm not so sure I would call Lutz a stud yet, those blocked kicks still burn.

[tyler735]

I didn't get to see much of the game this week, so I can't comment on most of this post one way or another. However one thing that I strongly disagree with is your comments regarding Sheldon Rankins.

Rankins as a rookie coming off an injury had 4 sacks in about 8 games of play, or in other words half a season. Had he continued that rate of production  (obviously it remains to be seen if he can) he would've been tied for 2nd in the NFL in sacks by defensive tackles with 8 sacks behind Geno Atkins who had 9 sacks. 

He showed in multiple games last year he could be disruptive and a difference maker for us

[sammymvpknight]

2 hours ago, tyler735 said:

I didn't get to see much of the game this week, so I can't comment on most of this post one way or another. However one thing that I strongly disagree with is your comments regarding Sheldon Rankins.

Rankins as a rookie coming off an injury had 4 sacks in about 8 games of play, or in other words half a season. Had he continued that rate of production  (obviously it remains to be seen if he can) he would've been tied for 2nd in the NFL in sacks by defensive tackles with 8 sacks behind Geno Atkins who had 9 sacks. 

He showed in multiple games last year he could be disruptive and a difference maker for us

He could end up being good...and again it's only his 2nd season. But he hasn't been dominating in camp. He's been about as good as Onyemata according to reports. In the preseason game, he gave a little bit of a push but wasn't remotely close to a sack. He had four sacks in nine games last year...which was pretty good. But he also only had one sack his second half of HIS season and perhaps he had more difficulty once tape was out on him. 

[Raves]

If this game was opening day, Lattimore would've been out there.  No reason to send him out with a tweaked knee for a preseason game.  Should be interesting how they look the rest of the preseason.

[tyler735]

8 hours ago, sammymvpknight said:

He could end up being good...and again it's only his 2nd season. But he hasn't been dominating in camp. He's been about as good as Onyemata according to reports. In the preseason game, he gave a little bit of a push but wasn't remotely close to a sack. He had four sacks in nine games last year...which was pretty good. But he also only had one sack his second half of HIS season and perhaps he had more difficulty once tape was out on him. 

I don't think his production really dropped it was pretty steady that he had a sack in just about every other game he played. He never went more than 2 weeks without a sack once he came back from his injury. For a rookie in that situation that's aboutvas good as one could hope for. Whether he keeps that up in year 2 remains to be seen, but his rookie year was certainly encouraging in my opinion 

[Jlowe22]

I'm worried about our corners, and I'm sure we'll get torched again this year.  If we can just keep it below average instead of historically bad, I like our chances.  I'm anxious to see Lattimore on the field.

[Dome]

On 8/12/2017 at 9:03 PM, Jlowe22 said:

I'm anxious to see Lattimore on the field.

Dennis Allen? Is that you?

Quote

"I'm really anxious and excited about getting in game situations and see how these guys respond under the lights." 

http://www.nola.com/saints/index.ssf/2017/08/saints_dennis_allen_anxious_ex.html

If it is you, I'm sure you can't come out and admit it. Just give us some is signal in your next press conference. We need to talk.

We'll be watching.

[Mid Iowa]

On 8/12/2017 at 0:07 PM, tyler735 said:

I didn't get to see much of the game this week, so I can't comment on most of this post one way or another. However one thing that I strongly disagree with is your comments regarding Sheldon Rankins.

Rankins as a rookie coming off an injury had 4 sacks in about 8 games of play, or in other words half a season. Had he continued that rate of production  (obviously it remains to be seen if he can) he would've been tied for 2nd in the NFL in sacks by defensive tackles with 8 sacks behind Geno Atkins who had 9 sacks. 

He showed in multiple games last year he could be disruptive and a difference maker for us

I'm on board with this. We need to understand that Rankins HAS a roster spot, no matter what. He's not going to go balls out in Preseason game 1, or probably any preseason game, and I'm sure that's probably instructed to him from his coaches. He MUST stay healthy for our Defense to work properly.

The D is vanilla at this point, so the only thing we can really take away from performance is whether or not people know where they're supposed to be. Are they in position, or are they lost? That's all we can judge at this point.

[Dome]

1 hour ago, Mid Iowa said:

The D is vanilla at this point, so the only thing we can really take away from performance is whether or not people know where they're supposed to be. Are they in position, or are they lost? That's all we can judge at this point.

Great point... there were a couple guys that seemed much improved in that regard.