SB Nation - Heath Evans

The New England Patriots Team of the Decade - Fan's Choice

SlotMachinePlayer — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 02:00:17 -0000

A smile on the face of Bill Belichick? Maybe it's just gas. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

It's official, the Patriots have been elected the Team of the Decade. To celebrate, PatsPulpit held some polls back in December to decide who we, the fans, wanted as OUR Patriots Team of the Decade. Here are the results of the voting, as well as a category I call "backup" for most positions. The backup is not usually the guy with the second highest vote count - that would be too simplistic. There are guys who spend their entire NFL careers simply as "backup" to the star. This category is for them. The backup is defined as a guy who rarely started (except when the starter was down), but you still felt pretty darn good about him when he saw playing time. It's a tip of the hat to the perenial #2 that you were glad was in the depth chart - usually for veteran minimum.

Coach:

Bill Belichick - aka Hoodie. Head Coach, GM, Offensive Coordinator, and Defensive Coordinator all rolled into one. But what's in a title? Bill is the conductor that lead the Patriots organization throughout a very successful decade. Not one to open up much to the news crowd, he's painted as a villain often as not. A victim of his own successes, his assistant coaches are raided early and often for job openings in the NFL and college ranks. The man lives and breathes football and thankfully, for us Patriots fans, he does it in Foxborough. Long may he reign.

The players after the jump.

The Patriots of the Decade: Starting Offense

Quarterback:

#1 Tom Brady - OFFENSIVE TEAM CAPTAIN - We didn't vote to get him on the team (did we need to?), but he was overwhelmingly voted as Team Captain. Mr. Brady has been the face of the franchise through the entire 2K decade.

Backup: Matt Cassel - spent years on the bench as #2, and came through big time in 2008 when Tom went down. He's got his own franchise now, but for us he was the backup.

Running Back: (We picked 2 here, because of our committee system for all of 2K)

#1 Kevin Faulk - 64% of the popular vote, our do everything / 3rd down back is as solid as they come. When the time came for him to pound the rock, he showed that he has what it takes to get it done. He's getting long in the tooth, but Mr. Faulk found the field for the whole decade.

#2 Corey Dillon - 26% of the popular vote, defined what a primary ball carrier should be. This hungry veteran ran hard for the chance to pick up a ring, and it worked.

Backup: Sammy Morris - backup more often than not, but has filled in at half-back, full-back, and split out as a wide receiver. Sammy won't be a starter in the NFL, but do we mind when he carries the rock?

Full Back:

#1 Heath Evans - Unfortunately, the Full Back position was included in with the other running backs, but Heath was the clear favorite. Much more than a fan favorite, Heath was a solid contributor. Blocking, short yards, catching out of the backfield, Mr. Evans did it all. When the field got small, Heath came up big.

Tight End:

#1 Ben Watson - 54% of the popular vote, a physical specimen that at times has seemed to under-perform. He has set behind him any talk of rock hands, and has shown that he can be a big time playmaker as well as a solid blocker. What more could you want from a tight-end?

Backup: Daniel Graham - had 27% of the popular vote, so this is more of a nod to him than anything.

Wide Receiver: (Three for the spread. These I will list more by field position)

#1 Randy Moss - 29% of the popular vote (2 less votes than the next two), a one of a kind field stretching machine. Despite the fact that defenses game plan to stop him, he can still turn up the heat. Putting Randy in the #1 spot only makes sense, since he is the first receiver defenses and Brady look at.

#2 Troy Brown - 32% of the popular vote, putting Mr. Patriot at number 2 could be an age before beauty option or a nod to the guy that did whatever it took to help the Pats win Super Bowls. Either way, he deserves it.

#3 Wes Welker - 32% of the popular vote, putting Wes in the typical slot position is perfect for this Slot Machine. He owns the three highest Patriots catch totals for his three years as a Patriot. Wes has the most catches this year of any Patriot despite sitting out nearly three games. Troy Brown defined a do everything player, Wes Welker perfected it.

Backup - Jabar Gaffney - always #3 or #4 on the depth chart, the Patriots did pretty well when the ball came his way. Not as tall or fast as Moss, not as shifty or wily as Brown or Welker, but a third receiver that this offense sorely needed.

Offensive Line:

Left Tackle: Matt Light - 48% of the popular vote, Matt has guarded Tom's blind side through good times and bad.

Left Guard: Logan Mankins - 16% of the popular vote, Logan has stood by Matt's side and launched running back projectiles at opposing defenses. If you need a hole opened, follow Logan.

Center: Dan Koppen - 14% of the popular vote, Dan is the play caller on the offensive line. Tom calls out the Mike, Dan calls out the coverage. When an offensive lineman is doing his job, other playmakers shine. It's only when Dan is missing, do we realize how much we need him.

Right Guard: Joe Andruzzi - 10% of the popular vote, Andruzzi was drafted by the Packers, played in NFL Europe, and eventually came to Foxboro to win three Super Bowls.

This is where our line breaks down a little, so bear with me.

Right Tackle: Damien Woody - 6% of the popular vote, while Woody was a center for us, Wikipedia says, "He has played every position on the offensive line except left tackle." Thanks for filling in, Woody. It's what Patriots do.

Backup C/G: Russ Hochstein - Russ showed Patriot versatiliy by playing Center, Guard, Fullback, and special teams. Brady stayed upright when Russ played, and for the O-line, that's a badge of honor.

Backup T: Dan Connolly - Signed by the Jaguars, their practice squad, our practice squad, and finally on the 53 man roster. Connolly was primarily a backup at both Tackle spots as well as special teams. With LeVoir and Vollmer on the roster, he's slid inside to backing up the guards. Thanks for the versatility, Dan.

The Patriots of the Decade: Starting Defense

Nose Tackle:

#1 Vince Wilfork - We didn't vote on this one for a simple reason. Washington had one year of eligibility in this decade. Seymour was supplanted when Wilfork entered the scene and Wilfork has owned the position in 6 out of ten years this decade. After all that service, he headed to the Pro Bowl again and all we can say is "Pay Vince!" This is as much a no-brainer as it gets.

Backup: Mike Wright - very few guys can step into Vince's rather large shoes. Mike is the guy that gets the playing time when Vince needs a breather.

Defensive End:

#1 Richard Seymour - 85% of the popular vote, Richard filled in at Nose Tackle for three years until Wilfork took the job, and then proceeded to wreak havoc at defensive end. With Vince and Richard both needing double teams, offenses quickly run out of blockers. Seymour came in as a #1 draft pick and left us with a #1 draft pick. How's that for value?

#2 Ty Warren - 15% of the popular vote, Ty is not as dominating as the other two linemen, but he is a solid threat that can turn it on when needed. With Seymour gone, Ty is seeing more double teams and is still performing.

Backup: Jarvis Green - backup until this year, he was Hoodie's choice to fill in for the vacating Richard Seymour. Jarvis has had a solid first season as a starter, and shows some potential upside.

Outside Linebacker:

#1 Mike Vrabel - 55% of the popular vote, whether rushing the passer, setting the edge, dropping into coverage, or filling in as goal line Tight-End (perfect catch record), Mike did it all. He had a phenominal year in 2007, and struggled a bit in 2008 both with the porous secondary and the lack of a book-end pass rusher. Mike was a solid veteran presence in the locker room and looked out for the player's interests with the union.

#2 Willie McGinest - 37% of the popular vote, was a solid pass rusher who made the biggest plays at all the right times. He had a knack for shifting into that extra gear when the defense needed a big stop or a turnover.

Backups: Rosevelt Colvin and Tully Banta-Cain - had 2% of the popular vote each, and I had a tough time deciding. The reason I qualify them for backups is Rosie jumped in late last year when every other LB we had was injured. Tully came back to the fold this year and has supplied what little pass rush we've had. They both deserve a nod.

Inside Linebacker:

#1 Tedy Bruschi - DEFENSIVE TEAM CAPTAIN - 83% of the popular vote, Tedy worked his way up from special teams to be a fixture at inside linebacker. For most of the decade, the question wasn't whether Tedy would play at ILB, it was who would line up next to him. The comeback from the stroke was phenominal, and while he wasn't quite the player he was before, he made up for speed with knowledge and still managed to get the job done.

#2 Jerod Mayo - 7% of the popular vote, (I'm glad someone finally picked a #2 guy) Jerod came in his rookie year and lit up the field with tackles. Enough to become the Defensive Rookie of the Year. With the injury to Bruschi last year, the rookie wore the green dot and became the defensive playcaller. This year, his responsibilities increased and he is responsible for much more of the defense. Jerod's upset at himself because he feels he could make more plays. Hoodie's not upset at all; with all the responsibilities firmly placed upon Mayo's shoulders, he's still making plays sideline to sideline. He doesn't get as many tackles because people run away from him.

Backup - Junior Seau - While Junior started for years with the Chargers and even for us (and may be a lock for the HOF), he is here mostly to fill a role. That role has changed from year to year. While he's had more career tackles than most of the defense combined, he is content to fill in whereever and however he's needed. What more could you ask for from a backup? Thanks for filling in Junior, and enjoy your well earned retirement.

Safeties:

SS: Rodney Harrison - 77% of the popular vote, defined the Strong Safety position with a hard hitting style that punished offenses for entering his turf. Adept in run stopping, blitzing, man coverage, or just prowling the field, Rodney played with an all or nothing approach to the game. If he was on your team, you loved him; if he wasn't, you hated him. Hot Rod was good with that.

FS: Lawyer Milloy - 13% of the popular vote, all around solid cover safety and run stopper. I slid him to free safety, because Hot Rod earned the SS nod. He came up with several interceptions and passes defended in route to the Patriots first Super Bowl victory.

Backup : James Sanders - With Harrison starting at SS, and Meriweather starting at FS, Sanders was the odd man out. He's had starts, but he's also had very long periods (like this year), where he's been pushed down the depth chart. A solid veteran presence and good playmaker.

Cornerbacks:

#1: Ty Law - 66% of the popular vote, was a solid cover corner while also a ball hawk. Ty walked the fine line between cheating on coverage to get a chance at a pick. Solid enough to play man on an island, good enough to make a play on the ball when needed. The best of both worlds.

#2: Asante Samuel - 29% of the popular vote, the balance Ty had was missing somewhat in Asante (Asante is Swahili for thank you for those that haven't heard it a million times on TV. For those that just learned something new, Karibu, you're welcome). Asante was a ball hawk, but he cheated routes to make plays. When he was successful, you loved him. When he got burned, you loathed him. Live by the pick, die by the pick.

Backup : Randall Gay - Primarily a nickel corner and backup safety, Gay was one of the few cornerbacks that didn't screw up on Black Sunday. He didn't get burned for touchdowns, drop interceptions, or leave his man to make helmet catches. At least it's something.

The Patriots of the Decade: Special Teams

Kicker:

#1: Adam Vinatieri - Jewelry and clutch kicks are enough to win this spot. Adam was the irreplaceable clutch kicker that brought home three rings for the franchise. You need a field goal, he's your man.

#2:Stephen Gostkowski - No pressure at all stepping in for a living legend, right? Stephen's booming kickoffs and accurate field goals sent him to the Pro Bowl in 2008. How good is Stephen? The answer is a question: Adam who?

Backup: Wes Welker - When the kicker went down, Wes jumped into service converting both of his kicking opportunities (a field goal and an extra point) to become the first player in NFL history to record a punt return, a kickoff return, a field goal, a tackle, an extra point and a kickoff in the same game. Welker earned AFC Special Teams Player of the Week honors for his efforts. That was AGAINST the Patriots? I know, yet another reason we got him.

Punter:

#1: Chris Hanson - Every year a new punter comes into camp to challenge Chris. Every year Chris stands alone.

Long Snapper:

#1: Lonie Paxton - An easily overlooked position (when everything goes right), Lonie was the definition of consistency. Just take a look at the blooper reels when the long snapper messes up and you can see that Lonie was something special.

Special Teams Players:

#1 - Larry Izzo - SPECIAL TEAMS CAPTAIN - Larry earned his paycheck week in and week out on special teams - every formation. A solid blocker and tackler that filled in as needed at Linebacker.

#2 - Kelley Washington - Special teams gunner that got the reciever worried when catching the ball. A special combination of speed, timing, and pain. Are those footsteps I hear?

Special Teams Returners:

#1 - Bethel Johnson - Kick returner. Nothing to it, field the ball, dodge the gunner, follow your blockers and all within seconds.... Well some guys make it LOOK easy.

#2 - Troy Brown - Punt returner. Hoodie went into a 5 minute dissertation on the difficulties of fielding a punt. Some guys never can get it. Not so with Troy. Just one of the many things he did that made him Mr. Patriot.

Backup Ellis Hobbs - Hobbs had a knack for coming up with a big return right when you needed it (like the TD right after their special teams got a TD). Nothing like keeping the momentum on our side.

Patriots Randy Moss speaks out

MaPatsFan — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 14:10:11 -0000

More photos » Steven Senne - AP

7 months ago: New England Patriots wide receiver Randy Moss, center, signs autographs for fans following NFL football training camp in Foxborough, Mass., Thursday, July 30, 2009. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

Browse more photos »

For years, Randy Moss was known as a guy who took plays off. His stint with the Oakland Raiders didn't help his persona that much. He was viewed as a problem child with baggage when he came to our New England Patriots at the beginning of the 2007 season. Suddenly, he wasn't such a slacker. Breaking the single season receiver TD record with 23, many were eating a lot of crow.

In 2008, Tom Brady went down and Moss soldiered on with ~~backup~~ Matt Cassel. 11-5 and inches away from taking the division, a heated race with the Miami Dolphins saw the Fish emerge with the title. Again, the pundits starting bashing Randy. That's because they know jack about football.

Moss is a gazelle, just take a look at his body type. I was within 10 feet of him at training camp and his legs look like stilts, a stick figure in a football uniform. He takes an incredibly long time to get going, the antithesis of Wes Welker's drag racer quickness, but overall lack of speed. In 2008, Josh McDaniels had to carefully "handle" Matt Cassel. That meant no long, downfield bombs to Randy Moss. It meant taking a gazelle and telling him to turn in, on a dime, when he never had. Randy, change everything you've ever done and become Wes. Right.

In 2009, there was hope that the return of Tom Brady would mean 2007 numbers and similar success. Not so. Brady struggled to get his rhythm back and, at times, the sideline bomb to Randy looked forced, like the coaching staff was trying hard to get Moss into the game. Star Jets CB Darrelle Revis even went so far as to call Moss a slouch. Ok, a little bravado but unfortunately the King of Revis Island sounded more like a Court Jester when it was discovered Moss was playing with a separated shoulder for most of 2009. I've separated my shoulder and I could barely lift my arm to type at my computer. Moss plays football. And with a separated shoulder, he managed to rank fifth in receiving yards and tied for first with 13 touchdowns. Yeah, slouch.

Now, Randy is contemplating his future with the New England Patriots and he doesn't see much past 2010:

"I don't think they are going to extend my contract here," said Moss, speaking to reporters at the charity softball game of former Patriots teammate Heath Evans.

Looking around him, it's not hard to see why he feels that way. The Patriots have been dragging their heels in dealings with start nose tackle, Vince Wilfork. They DRAFTED the guy and he turned out to be a stud. Why would Randy, approaching 33, feel like New England would extend him a contract?

I like to believe in the system. I like to believe Kraft and Belichick know what they are doing. Afterall, there's 3 Lombardis at Patriot Place. But is it time to change? Is "The System" that so many sell as the reason for their success in need of fine tuning? No named OC or DC. No contract for Wilfork. Lack of strong defensive leaders. A receiving corp in serious trouble.

It may be time for a tune up.

New England Patriots Links 2/03/10 - Welker's Surgery Successful

Marima — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 16:00:26 -0000

Wes Welker will still need a six month rehabilitation period following yesterday's surgery.

View full size photo »

Monique Walker and Adam Kilgore report Wes Welker is okay after surgery yesterday.

Patriots wide receiver Wes Welker is "perfectly OK’’ after undergoing surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital yesterday to repair torn ligaments in his knee, said a person with knowledge of the surgery.

Welker tore both the anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligament in his left knee in the regular-season finale against Houston Jan. 3. In the month since the injury, Welker has waited to have the surgery to allow his MCL to heal to protect against an infection.

Recovery time for the Patriots star slot receiver could be anywhere from 6-12 months. It does not appear likely that Welker will be ready to play in the 2010 season opener, although that has not been ruled out.

Bill Cowher believes even if the Indianapolis Colts win the Super Bowl on Sunday, the New England Patriots should be considered the best team of the past decade and scoffed at the idea the Spygate scandal had any impact.

"I think the decade still has to go to New England," Cowher said Tuesday at a CBS Sports news conference to preview the Super Bowl. "But the Pittsburgh Steelers went to a lot of championship games, won two Super Bowls. The Colts I'm not so sure within the last five years they haven't been the most consistent football team.

"But you go back to the body of work and the consistency, and I think New England CLEARLY is above everybody else. They never had that one down year. They've been on the brink from when they first won in 2001 until this past year they were in the playoffs. They've been the most consistent team."

"The humility that they won with, that's what set them apart," Cowher said. "I learned a lot from their ability to respect an opponent every week, to not get caught up with it.

"I remember taking a lot from the way the New England Patriots handled success. To me, they epitomize that. How you handle success and not get caught up in it makes them role models."

Cowher seems to absolve the Patriots for any wrongdoing [for spygate]:

"Listen, there's people stealing signals all the time before that," Cowher said. "You have ways to hide those things. We had wristbands for our defense. I remember trying to get offensive plays and see what the formations were. Everybody knows.

"You're trying to gain a competitive edge. Did that go beyond it? To a degree. Do I think that helped them win football games? No. You still have to go out and play the game. I still have a hard time believing that was a difference in a game."

Ian Rapoport reports Heath Evans and Randall Gay both credit their experience with the Patriots as valuable wisdom they both hope to share with their new team.

I think that’s why I was brought here," Evans, who tore his ACL in late October, said yesterday. "(Coach) Sean (Payton) wants better leaders, better character guys. It’s highly known Bill (Belichick) only brings in good guys in New England. What I learned from him was priceless. I’m constantly trying to dive into that memory bank that really benefited us in my four years there."

Evans harps on preparation, using his experience against the Colts and preaching, "If you don’t (prepare), they won’t just beat you, they’ll embarrass you."

He’s not alone. Saints cornerback Randall Gay was part of one Super Bowl winner, and his message has been simple.

"We’re not here to party," Gay said. "Maybe at the beginning of the week you party, but from now on, we have a job to do. Our goal isn’t to come to Miami to play in the Super Bowl. We want to win the Super Bowl. That was always the mindset of the Patriots."

TEAM TALK

Andy Hart feels the NFL's All-Decade team is a joke.
Ask PFW: Trading places. Part I and Part II.

LOCAL LINKS

Dan Roche was told Wes Welker's knee surgery at Mass General Tuesday went "very well or at least as well as you could expect a major surgery to go."
Ian Rapoport gives his impressions of Super Bowl media day for the Saints and the Colts.
Mark Farinella says media day isn't much to write home about.
Ian Rapoport notes Adam Vinatieri, backup kicker in this year's Super Bowl, got caught in a Patriots Q&A session. Good guy that he is, he politely didn't say much of anything.
Adam Kilgore notes FB Kyle Eckel is one of a scant number of Saints who have played in the Super Bowl before, and is in a position to offer his teammates some advice.
Albert Breer hears Saints owner Tom Benson talk about how he feels strongly that adversity played a role in his team's development.
Adam Kilgore catches up with Junior Seau during media day. Seau lauds linebackers coach Matt Patricia.
Charles Pierce chastises those in the media who dismiss reports of Randy Moss playing hurt and say that he still should have played better, putting the burden of the down season squarely on his shoulders.
Mike Reiss reports Ben Watson has signed on with agent Drew Rosenhaus as he prepares to market himself to the rest of the league when free agency hits.
Mike Reiss notes Canadian Football League defender Rick Foley (20 sacks over the last three years) is set to visit with the Patriots Thursday.
Jim Donaldson says Dean Pees didn't jump, he was pushed.
Mike Reiss answers his weekly reader mailbag with his usual terrific insight.
Karen Guregian compares the QB-coordinator relationships between Manning-Moore and Brady-Weis, McDaniels, O'Brien noting there's success and confidence in continuity.
Ron Borges takes the Patriots organization to task for being so tight-fisted with money and player contracts, while the Colts are willing to pay to keep their core group intact.
Ian Rapoport notes Colts' owner Jim Irsay's comments about Peyton Manning's upcoming contract negotiations and what he has to say about Tom Brady's too.
Adam Kilgore says Saints fullback Kyle Eckel feels indebted to the Patriots for still being in the league.

NATIONAL NEWS

Tim Graham (ESPN) Beating Patriots made Manning a champ.
David Biderman (Wall St. Journal) The stadium naming game: Gillette's sharp deal.
Greg Bishop (NY Times) Jets fine Ryan $50,000 for obscene gesture.
Tim Graham (ESPN) Bill Cowher: Gut told him Buffalo wasn't right. Heck, we could have told him that too.
Jemele Hill (ESPN) Tim Tebow's role in controversial Super Bowl ad should be praised rather than condemned.
Tim Keown (ESPN) Tim Tebow, be careful about ads: QB should be prepared for exploitation, questions.
Jay Glazer (Fox Sports) NFL finds replacement for head of officiating. Sunday will mark the final game of Mike Pereira's career as head of the NFL's officiating department. Carl Johnson, a current line judge, will replace him.
Richard Deitsch (SI) Super Bowl XLIV Media Day Blog.
Peter King (SI) MMQB Tuesday edition: Martz could be good fit for Cutler, Bears; Latest on Freeney.
Wes Bunting (Nat'l Football Post) All Stars who helped their draft stock.

New Orleans Saints' Offensive Player Grades vs. Cardinals

saints-nation — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 19:00:20 -0000

WHO DAT! I can't tell you how relieved I am to be posting these grades knowing that it won't be the last time this season. Below are the grades, and by now you know how it works.

Cardinals vs Saints coverage

Cardinals vs Saints recap

Cardinals vs Saints boxscore

Drew Brees: A (3.23) Brees had a very solid performance that saw him yet again not turn the ball over, nor get sacked. It's incredible that a team would ever go sackless when they gameplan for an entire week to get in Brees' face at all cost, but his footwork and the offensive line are that good. Brees finished 23-32 for 247 yards and 3 touchdowns. He misses the A+ because he missed Jeremy Shockey and Robert Meachem both on verticle throws that could've made the score even uglier. Still, he was vintage out there. Give Brees credit for his fitness and conditioning, too. He took a pretty nasty low hit from Calais Campbell that was flagged, and I'm not sure most quarterbacks wouldn't have left that hit with a severe knee injury. If you ever see Brees stretching during warmups, you'll know that his flexibility saved his knee on that play. My heart stopped for a second, hopefully he's not too sore this week from it.

Reggie Bush: A+ (2.80) Reggie Bush had the game of his life. If you don't vote for Bush as the offensive player of the game, you need to have your head examined. Bush created numerous matchup problems, and showed the gamebreaking speed and playmaking ability that makes him so dangerous all game. He scored on a 46 yard run and an 83 yard punt return, breaking the Cardinals' back. His touchdown run had a little bit of everything. The speed of Darrell Green, the shiftiness of Barry Sanders, and the tackle breaking ability of Craig Heyward. Bush looked decisive in his cuts, and authoritative through the hole. I've never seen him run with so much power and determination, but he definitely looked good enough to be an every down back. I'm sure Reggie will have his doubters in the future, but it was nice to see him shut them up if only for a week. I'm glad I patiently put up with a season full of horrendous punt returning, because I was rewarded as a fan with one of his most electrifying punt returns of his career.

Mike Bell: C- (2.43) Bell's first carry was a bruising 5 yard run that saw him hit the hole hard and bull over a couple Cardinals. Sadly, he only got 5 more carries for 6 yards from there. I'm not sure what happened to Bell, but he just doesn't seem like he has that fire in his belly that he had earlier in the season.

Pierre Thomas: B (3.09) Thomas was very brave, considering his broken ribs, and he showed nice toughness throughout the game. He finished with 52 yards on 13 carries and 4 catches for 18 yards. I was a little annoyed with the playing time he got late with the game out of hand, which of course resulted in him turning an ankle. Give Thomas credit as well for doing a good job in his blitz assignment pickups. He also threw a nice pass block after pitching the flea-flicker.

Lynell Hamilton: B+ (2.67) Hamilton was a surprise red zone option ahead of Mike Bell, and he did an impressive job getting his first carry over the goal line for the Saints' first touchdown. On the very next play he went down and got a tackle on special teams. With the Saints up big late, he got numerous clock running reps. He moved the chains and showed a lot of promise. He finished with 23 yards on 5 carries and a touchdown.

Marques Colston: A- (2.98) Colston was Brees' main target and he was making plays all game long. Whenever it seemed like the Saints really needed a play, Colston was there to answer the call. With the number of blitzes the Cards sent, Colston was often isolated in man to man coverage, and Brees just put the ball in places where Colston could take advantage of his massive frame to outplay his opponents to the ball. He finished with 6 catches for 83 yards and a touchdown.

Lance Moore: B- (2.56) Moore made two catches for just 6 yards. His first was a nice play in the flat for 7 yards, and his next was a yard loss on a bubble screen. At one point Brees targeted Moore over the middle on a 3rd down play, but Moore struggled to get much separation. It just seemed like he wasn't able to really run away from the defensive backs, which means he's lost some game speed because of the two bum ankles and his time away from the game. I don't think he's quite at 100% yet, and he's not a big vertical threat right now. I gave him a big grade boost, though, because despite his diminutive size he threw two key blocks. Specifically, he threw a terrific block on Reggie's touchdown run. Not only did he a good job on manning up on his guy to create an initial lane, he also threw a secondary block once Reggie broke a tackle and cut back to blow up a seam. He was also wide open another time in the flat, but Brees elected to overthrow a triple covered Colston in the end zone.

Devery Henderson: A- (2.82) If you want any more evidence of the progress this player has made over his time with the Saints, look no further than the 44 yard touchdown catch he made in this game. Two to three years ago, he makes that catch maybe 25% of the time. Now? He makes it at least 75% of the time. When you have to turn around completely, come to a total stop, and focus on a ball with a defender running full speed at you, that is not an easy catch. Let's be clear on this one: Drew Brees didn't make that good of a throw. Henderson made a terrific adjustment to the ball, and showed terrific hands to corral that in and hang onto it as he absorbed a hit. That catch was just sick. He also broke several tackles on a 16 yard screen pass that showed good strength and toughness. He finished with 4 catches for 80 yards and that touchdown. I can't tell you guys how glad I am that Mickey Loomis and Sean Payton decided to re-sign him this offseason, because that move was very much in question.

Robert Meachem: C- (2.93) Very quiet day for Meachem. He did get a first down in the red zone on a four yard end around, but he had no catches and wasn't involved in the passing game. Why does Sean Payton love that play on a short field so much? In his defense, he was wide open on the flea-flicker and could easily have been the touchdown recipient had Brees thrown his way instead of Henderson's. On another play, Meachem ran free from coverage and was overthrown, literally running out of his shoes to try to catch up to Brees' pass. Otherwise, he was completely uninvolved.

Jeremy Shockey: B+ (2.91) In a word, Shockey was a "warrior". He was clearly hampered by the turf toe that continues to bother him. At different points in the game he could barely walk, and yet he kept going out there to give his team everything he had. He finished with 3 catches for 36 yards and a touchdown, and most of the plays he made came early. I thought the Saints made a bad decision to de-activate Darnell Dinkins before the game. That left them with only two tight ends, and when Kyle Eckel left the game with an injury, David Thomas had to move to fullback. This meant that Shockey, could he walk, was forced to play more than he likely should have. Give him a ton of credit for having sure hands and making plays despite clearly being well below 100%. I would expect Dinkins to be active next week to give Shockey more of a rest and give the Saints the versatility to play Thomas at fullback if they need him to.

David Thomas: C+ (2.41) Thomas did a decent job playing fullback, but struggled at times. In the passing game he was a non-factor and Brees stayed away from him. I don't blame him for taking a terrible angle on his end around that ended a yard short of the first down, because it was a stupid call. I hate to criticize Sean Payton because I think he's very creative, innovative, and one of the best offensive minds in the game... but that play shouldn't even exist in the playbook. I'm sorry, but an end around to David Thomas? Seriously? And you're going to run in on a third and short? The thing is, Thomas could have gotten the first down easily had he turned upfield and plowed over the defender, but he tried to bounce it outside. But again, that's not playing to a player's strengths. Normally Payton is so good at getting the most out of his players by putting them in positions to succeed. A complete brain cramp by the coaching staff there.

Jermon Bushrod: A- (2.59) Granted Bushrod got a lot of help, whether it was Pierre Thomas chipping, or Carl Nicks rotating over to double team, but he was very solid. This was arguably Bushrod's best performance as a Saint. He was lights out in pass protection, and extremely effective on running plays. Most of the Saints' big running plays were off the edge to the left side, including Reggie's gamebreaker where Bushrod threw a devastating block. Maybe the bye week did him some good because I know he was nursing an injury. He'll have his hands full with Jared Allen next week.

Zach Strief: B (2.36) Strief didn't play as much as I was hoping he would, but when he came in he was usually a 3rd tight end with Dinkins inactive. He did a great job of sealing the edge and using his size to get defenders off the line of scrimmage. He was a big reason for the Saints doing a good job late of running the clock.

Carl Nicks: B (2.98) Nicks shuffled between playing amazing and mediocre. The help he gave Bushrod was largely outstanding in passing situations. The Saints ran continually behind him on the ground, and he had mixed results. He also pushed a first and goal from the 2 yard line way back with a holding penalty.

Jonathan Goodwin: B+ (3.04) Goodwin was overall solid, but he allowed some interior penetration on a couple of weak running plays by Mike Bell. His pass blocking was good. As always, he was most dangerous pulling and leading the way for plays downfield.

Jahri Evans: A+ (3.20) Evans was a dominant force for the entirety of the day. Watching game tape, it was like seeing a 30 year old athlete blocking a 5 year old child. Seriously, he was just toying with rushers and pushing them around however he wanted. This guy should have been elected to the Pro Bowl long before now. On a number of play action plays, he rolled to the left to seal the edge of Brees' backside, and his blocks were so good Brees could have sat back there for a week. On any running plays that hit the second level, there was Jahri, already responsible for a great initial block, running down field blowing people up. I don't think some Saints fans realize how lucky we are to have a player of this quality. If not for Brees, he's my Offensive MVP of the season, hands down. And the margin between Brees and Evans is very close. Just look at their GPAs. He is that good. I don't get a chance to watch many other guards around the league this closely, but I would defy anyone to show me someone better.

Jon Stinchcomb: A (2.82) Stinchcomb's pass blocking was impeccable. I have a feeling the Vikings' front four will give the Saints more trouble than Arizona did, so Brees may not see the same kind of time. The were times where Brees could've had 10 seconds to throw if he needed it. He's got a quick release anyway, but I think Ben Roethlisberger would love to play behind this pass blocking offensive line with the amount of time he takes. The right side of the line in particular was rock solid all day. It was almost like Stinchcomb and Evans wanted to validate their Pro Bowl selections. Stinchcomb was also much more physical and active in run blocking than I'm used to, and he was never beaten around the edge.

Kyle Eckel: B (2.34) Eckel gets a warrior tag, too, because the Saints were short at fullback/tight end, and he came back with what appeared to be a stinger. His lead blocking was significantly improved from what I've seen at other times during the season, but boy do the Saints miss Heath Evans.

My Offensive Player of the Game: Reggie Bush

Poll

Who Was Your Offensive Player of the Game?

Drew Brees

62 votes

Reggie Bush

773 votes

Jahri Evans

32 votes

Marques Colston

8 votes

875 votes | Poll has closed

New Orleans Saints' Offensive Player Grades: Year in Review

saints-nation — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 19:00:18 -0000

My offensive MVP for the first half of the season, based on having the highest GPA, was Jahri Evans. After 16 games, Drew Brees now has the highest GPA, so he gets my offensive MVP for the season. Below are the final GPA's for the season, including the number of games graded. Keep in mind, that doesn't mean number of games played, it's just the number of games I graded based on extended action.

Here are the GPA's, highest to lowest:

Drew Brees: 3.18 (15 games)

Jahri Evans: 3.13 (16 games)

Heath Evans: 3.11 (6 games)

Pierre Thomas: 3.10 (13 games)

Robert Meachem: 3.02 (14 games)

Jamar Nesbit: 3.00 (1 game)

Carl Nicks: 2.98 (16 games)

Marques Colston: 2.93 (15 games)

Jeremy Shockey: 2.87 (13 games)

Devery Henderson: 2.77 (16 games)

Jon Stinchcomb: 2.75 (16 games)

Reggie Bush: 2.69 (14 games)

Lance Moore: 2.54 (5 games)

Lynell Hamilton: 2.53 (5 games)

Jermon Bushrod: 2.51 (15 games)

Mike Bell: 2.49 (13 games)

David Thomas: 2.41 (13 games)

Zach Strief: 2.31 (13 games)

Kyle Eckel: 2.20 (5 games)

Darnell Dinkins: 2.14 (6 games)

Tory Humphrey: 1.67 (1 game)

Mark Brunell: 1.00 (1 game)

Nick Leckey 1.00 (1 game)

Below are the number of Offensive Player of the Game awards handed out in my Player Grades posts (note I gave Shockey and Bell a tie one week):

Drew Brees 4

Pierre Thomas 3

Marques Colston 2

Robert Meachem 2

Reggie Bush 1

Carl Nicks 1

David Thomas 1

Lynell Hamilton 1

Jeremy Shockey 0.5

Mike Bell 0.5

Poll

Who Was Your Saints' Offensive MVP for the Season?

Drew Brees

504 votes

Jahri Evans

16 votes

Pierre Thomas

10 votes

Robert Meachem

40 votes

570 votes | Poll has closed

New Orleans Saints' Offensive Player Grades @ Panthers

saints-nation — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 19:01:13 -0000

Below are the grades for the season finale. The grades represent the player's individual performance in the game, and the GPA represents the player's final cumulative effort for the season.

Saints vs Panthers coverage

Saints vs Panthers recap

Saints vs Panthers boxscore

Mark Brunell: D (1.00) Yikes! I was actually stupid enough to hope this ancient fossil could hold his own in spot duty, but he just looked old and out of place. Any throw downfield was completely off target. Most of his throws were so erratic the defenders didn't even have a shot at making plays. Brunell looked completely immobile, off balance in the pocket, slow, grossly inaccurate and out of sync with the entirety of his teammates. I'm not going to give the guy an F though, considering he didn't turn the ball over but once at the very end of the game and it was his first start in over three years. The only passes he had that were of any success whatsoever were little screens and flares underneath, usually set up by misdirection play action fakes. It made me realize just how screwed we were if Brees... yeah, I'm not even going to say it. It's not like we didn't know it already, but Brunell was worse than I possibly could've imagined. I have to assume this game will cost him his job for 2010 if he even thinks about putting off retirement. The last thing I'll say, in Brunell's defense, is the Saints ran a very vanilla offense consisting of two receiver sets on almost every down. It's not like he ever really had a chance given the hand he was dealt and a poor running game behind him. He finished 15 of 29 for just 102 yards and 1 interception. Too bad Chase Daniel never got a chance to get some snaps, but my guess is the #2 QB next year will be someone not currently on the roster.

Reggie Bush: B+ (2.69) Bush looked really good running the football and even looked solid on punt returns. Granted Bush has been averaging about 2 to 3 rushes per game over the last several weeks, but he always seems to average 7 yards or more per carry. I wonder if maybe he should see more carries in the playoffs. He finished with an impressive 35 yards on 5 carries, and he made one cut and hit the holes with authority. He also did a good job on punt returns, though he best one was called back for a block in the back by Roby. Still, he wasn't running backwards. He returned 2 punts for 11 yards, sadly boosting his season average.

Mike Bell: D- (2.49) Bell didn't break any tackles, was often hit for a loss, and didn't get anything going. I don't know what happened to the human wrecking ball that looked fast, tough and authoritative in his running style, but he was shut down completely. Despite getting 17 carries, Bell finished with 28 yards (1.7 per carry). He also got blown up for -2 yards on 2 catches. This was by far his worst game of the season. In his defense he got no blocking and the Panthers sold out against the run when he was in, but the bottom line is he went through the motions and showed no real fire.

Lynell Hamilton: B (2.53) Hamilton was a little up and down, but his statistics turned out pretty good: 10 carries for 48 yards, 3 catches for 38 yards and the Saints' lone touchdown on the afternoon. Hamilton even got some looks out of the wildcat, which were arguably some of the Saints' most successful plays offensively. He was largely responsible for the Saints scoring on the touchdown drive by carrying the team on his back despite a bum shoulder. I think he showed the coaching staff he has some heart and that he belongs on the team.

Devery Henderson: C (2.77) Never really got a chance to show much of anything. The Saints were so terrified of getting him hit on punt returns in the second half that he was waving for a fair catch starting when the punter's foot made contact with the football. He finished with one catch for 18 yards and could have come down with another in traffic. The few times a ball was thrown his way, though, he had absolutely no chance of catching it.

Robert Meachem: D (3.02) Meachem had two receptions for just 12 yards, and both were disastrous plays. The first was a screen where he needed to get a yard going forward to pick up a first down, but was stood up in his tracks and tackled short of the first down marker forcing the Saints to kick a field goal on drive where they had a chance to tie the game at 7. His second catch turned into a lost fumble deep in Saints territory. He was probably the most targeted player on the day but absolutely nothing worked. He was overthrown, underthrown, and once had alligator arms on a deep ball he otherwise had a shot at. Can't really blame him, either, because Captain Munnerlyn took his head off and left him gun shy on a close-line tackle on a seam route where Brunell left him exposed. Regardless of how bad Brunell was, though, for Meachem to catch just 2 balls with the amount coming his way and to fumble once is inexcusable. No doubt he'll get that corrected in time for the playoffs.

Jermon Bushrod C- (2.51) In limited action, Bushrod wasn't very good. I think he'll be the X-factor in the playoffs. If he can hold his own the Saints will have a chance, but if he has a performance similar to what he had the last time he faced DeMarcus Ware, it could cost the Saints dearly. God forbid the Saints make the SuperBowl and he has to face Dwight Freeney or Shawne Merriman. I know he's been showing up on the injury report lately and I wonder if that's the reason for his drop in performance. Or maybe he's just run out of gas after a long season. Younger players who are used to college's 12-13 game season need adjusting to the 16 game + season in a league with more physicality. Regardless, his run blocking wasn't good and he got Brunell absolutely crushed on a token "throw the ball 10 yards over anyone's head and out of bounds" pass. Hopefully the two weeks off will do him some good.

Zach Strief: C (2.31) Strief came in as the full time right tackle in the second half, and he was mediocre. I still think he's our best option at left tackle right now. Just my opinion, but he's a mammoth build that's hard to move. I know he's got slow feet but he's always filled in nicely when the Saints needed him. Anyway, he didn't get a chance to showcase his pass blocking, but his run blocking wasn't anything to write home about.

Carl Nicks: B- (2.98) He played the whole game and had ups and downs. On the touchdown run by Lynell Hamilton, check out the replay if you get a chance. Nicks mauls two defenders and pushes them back about 4 yards into the end zone, clearing up the easiest trot for Lynell into the end zone. This guy is capable of dominating opponents on any play. Unfortunately, he was the one dominated all too often in this game. He got no help from his center whatsoever, whether it was Goodwin or Leckey. Nick Hayden and Hollis Thomas just aren't good enough to give the Saints this much trouble.

Jonathan Goodwin: C- (3.02) Goodwin was responsible for many of the Mike Bell disaster carries. He suffered major breakdowns in assignments. His pass blocking was also poor. Only played one half.

Jahri Evans: C (3.13) Evans, like many Saints, looked like he was playing not to get hurt and was just going through the motions. He too made some errors that cost the Saints any chance at moving the football. Only played one half.

Jon Stinchcomb: B (2.75) Stinchcomb only played one half as well, but he was in my mind the most consistent lineman. Showed good effort and was responsible for a couple of beautiful Reggie Bush runs by throwing devastating lead blocks. His pass protection wasn't picture perfect, but he got the job done mostly.

Darnell Dinkins: B- (2.14) Dinkins was a little spotty in run blocking, but he surprised me by actually making a couple plays in the passing game. By no means could he be mistaken for a weapon of any sort, but he did manage 4 grabs for 20 yards. Given how bad Brunell was getting the ball downfield, Dinkins was one of the few reliable options the Saints went to for positive yardage.

Kyle Eckel: C (2.20) Eckel got a lot of action in this one, and he just didn't really manage to get much done as a lead blocker. I don't see what the Saints see in him. I'd rather they just re-sign Darian Barnes, an old school hit you in the mouth run blocker. Yeah Barnes is never going to catch the ball or get any carries, but he'll throw a nasty lead block. Eckel is like a junior sized version of Heath Evans, and while he's got a little versatility, he's just not helping our run game. He did have a nice 7 yard reception, though.

Jamar Nesbit: B (3.00) Nesbit came in for Jahri in the second half and he actually helped keep Brunell mostly clean. He was, with Nicks, the main player they ran behind in the second half and he did a pretty good job opening holes, especially on the wildcat plays. On the play action roll out fakes, he also did a good job pulling to Brunell's blind side and keeping Tyler Brayton in check.

Nick Leckey: D (1.00) Leckey was not good, at all. He replaced Goodwin and the play at center somehow got worse. The amount of push Carolina was getting from two average at best NFL defensive tackles was sickening. Carolina was blowing up the middle of the Saints' line all game long, and Leckey was responsible for a large majority of that.

Tory Humphrey: C- (1.67) Did a poor job as a lead blocker. Granted it's not his position, but playing fullback was a failed adventure. He did make one reception for 7 yards before getting tackled by what seemed like 12 Panthers. I don't know if this guy will still be on the team come the playoffs.

My Offensive Player of the Game: Lynell Hamilton

Poll

Who Was Your Saints' Offensive Player of the Game?

Reggie Bush

131 votes

Lynell Hamilton

127 votes

Carl Nicks

19 votes

Mark Brunell (except he was Carolina's best player)

69 votes

346 votes | Poll has closed

New Orleans Saints' Offensive Player Grades vs. Buccaneers

saints-nation — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 22:00:41 -0000

My apologies for the delay, I was drowning my sorrows in the French Quarter following this shocking defeat. Below are the grades for the player's performances. You'll notice the GPA for the season I typically include is missing, I'll have to update that once I get back to my sweet dorky excel file that calculates them. Unfortunately it didn't make the Christmas trip with me to New Orleans.

Buccaneers vs Saints coverage

Buccaneers vs Saints recap

Buccaneers vs Saints boxscore

Drew Brees: B+ (3.18) Brees was fine. Statistically he was mostly outstanding, though he only had 258 yards to show for 32 completions. He was accurate, finishing 32-37 and at one point completing 19 straight passes. That said, he took little risks downfield and settled way to often for the short throw. He had good pocket presence and did not turn the ball over. He threw a pretty 30 yard touchdown pass to a wide open Meachem for his lone TD toss.

Reggie Bush: B (2.64) Reggie was a good outlet once again in the passing game and he made the most of his two carries, rushing for 16 yards. His yards per carry recently have been astronomical. I'm surprised he doesn't get more handoffs, especially with Bell and Pierre both banged up. I guess Reggie isn't 100% either so that may explain part of it. He had 6 catches for a pedestrian 37 yards and he also had a nice punt return of 14 yards.

Lynell Hamilton: C- (2.42) Hamilton got a significant amount of reps, mostly in the second half after Pierre Thomas bruised his ribs. He finished with 21 yards on 7 carries and was stacked up numerous times. Take away the impressive 19 yard scamper he had, and that's actually 2 yards on 6 carries. He did convert a third and short which keeps him out of D territory. It wasn't all his fault as the offensive line did a poor job as the game progressed, but he just didn't get the job done. He also had 2 catches for 10 yards.

Mike Bell: C- (2.64) 7 carries for 20 yards. Not an impressive stat line at all for the "closer". With the Saints up 17-0 you would figure Bell would get many opportunities to close the game and he just didn't. I don't think he's 100% and the Saints maybe went a little conservative by minimizing his reps thinking they could coast to a win without him, but they were wrong and Bell never really got going in limited action.

Pierre Thomas: A- (3.10) He performed at a "A" level while he was in, but hard to give him that since he left the game so early. He was having a significant impact prior to leaving with bruised ribs, and it's too bad because perhaps he would have been the difference had he remained playing. He walked into the end zone untouched on an 8 yard run thanks to a huge hole, and he also tore off a quick and powerful 26 yard run. He was tough to bring down and ran with uncanny authority. He finished with 60 yards on just 6 carries and was a big part of the 17-0 lead the Saints established in the early going.

Marques Colston: B- (2.93) He made two just SICK catches in particular, reaching down to haul in low passes by Brees. He finished with a respectable 8 catches for 77 yards and was heavily involved in the game. Unfortunately his lost fumble was incredibly costly as it killed a drive that likely would have put the game out of reach. Colston cost his team dearly with that turnover, so it's hard to give him a better grade based on that mistake.

Devery Henderson: B- (2.82) Henderson didn't drop a pass, but he also didn't make any plays downfield. He finished with 5 catches for 35 yards. He helped move the chains at times but was involved in the passing game going way too much underneath all game long.

Robert Meachem: B+ (3.18) Meachem finished with 5 catches for 66 yards and a touchdown. His 30 yard touchdown was a nice route where he completely burned his man on a nice play fake to get completely wide open. It was set up nicely as he was the only receiver and the Saints had Strief, Eckel, Bell and Dinkins in the game. It looked like an obvious running play, and the Bucs stacked the line. Brees sold a beautiful fake to Bell and Meachem toasted his man. Meachem deserves credit, of course, but Sean Payton dialed up a perfect play at the perfect time and caught the Bucs with their pants down. He also took a reverse for 7 yards on the opening play of the game.

Darnell Dinkins: C- With the game on the line down the stretch, the Saints would move David Thomas to fullback and Dinkins at tight end. Those two just didn't come up with the blocks they needed when the Saints needed it the most. Dinkins is also a complete non factor in the passing game.

David Thomas: C- (2.41) Thomas finished with just 25 yards on 5 catches. It seemed like anytime he got the ball he went down way too easily. His ability to break tackles was weak and he looked incredibly slow. As much as he was a perfect fill in for Shockey last weak, he made me miss the animated tight end this week. As mentioned above, he did a poor job lead blocking down the stretch.

Jermon Bushrod: B (2.57) Nice bounce back for Bushrod after having his worst game of the season. Both the pass protection and run blocking were pretty good. It was nice to see him rebound. He faced a backup fill in in Kyle Moore and mostly had his way with him.

Carl Nicks: B- (3.00) At times he was great, others not so much. The Saints ran behind him often with mixed results. Pass protection was good.

Jonathan Goodwin: C+ (3.11) Deserves credit for blowing up a massive hole for Pierre Thomas on the touchdown run. I'm confident I would have scored on that play. I also feel like he needs to be commended for never really screwing up his snaps. As many low snaps as Jeff Faine had out of the shotgun hiking to Josh Freeman, we never have that problem with Goodwin. Beyond that, though, he whiffed on too many blocks and did a bad job pulling on screen passes. Every time the Saints ran a screen it was blown up, and he's the main man that usually springs those for nice gains. His blocking down the stretch was not good enough.

Jahri Evans: B- (3.20) It's hard to criticize the O-line too much because at the end of the day the Saints rushed for 124 yards and 5.4 yards per carry. That stat is misleading, though, because most of that yardage came in the first half and the Saints couldn't run the ball when they needed to most. Surprisingly the aging Chris Hovan gave Evans fits, and this was not one of his better games.

Jon Stinchcomb: C- (2.73) Stinchcomb was responsible for the lone sack Brees took, and he was by far the most lacking on the pass protection front. Whenever there was pressure, Stinchcomb was usually responsible. As always Brees felt his way away from danger, as I feel that most quarterbacks would have been sacked at least 3 times in that game. He also didn't have a memorable impact in the running game.

Zach Strief: B- (2.33) Strief was actually productive. When he came in the Saints had reasonable success rushing around the edges. I wish they had used him more.

Kyle Eckel: B- (2.25) Eckel did a good job on a pass play of getting a first down and stretching out for his lone 8 yard reception. He got some action lead blocking, too, with mixed results. He's not a pure mauling lead blocker, though, and the injury to Heath Evans is something the Saints have yet to recover fully from.

My Offensive Player of the Game: Pierre Thomas

Poll

Who Was Your Offensive Player of the Game?

Robert Meachem

64 votes

Pierre Thomas

105 votes

Drew Brees

66 votes

235 votes | Poll has closed

Mike Holmgren's Greatest Managerial Achievement

John Morgan — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 05:45:48 -0000

Mike Holmgren selected Steve Hutchinson 17^th overall in the 2001 NFL Draft, seven picks after selecting Koren Robinson and 23 picks before he selected Ken Lucas. If Robinson could have kept off the bottle, that would have been a hell of a start to a draft. He swapped first round picks with Green Bay for Matt Hasselbeck, drafted Heath Evans, Alex Bannister, and John David Booty's older brother, Josh.

Holmgren built the 2005 offense that weekend. He won the draft. In a draft that produced someday Hall of Fame candidates: Richard Seymour, Drew Brees, LaDainian Tomlinson, Steve Hutchinson, Casey Hampton, Steve Smith, Reggie Wayne and Adrian Wilson, Holmgren won. The Panthers picked Dan Morgan, Kris Jenkins and Steve Smith with their first, second and third round selections, but still Holmgren's was better. He built the unit that would lead Seattle to its first and only Super Bowl.

Well, not quite.

The Bears cut Bobby Engram August 29 and Holmgren signed him August 31. Engram signed a two-year contract that paid him less than $500,000 annually. He was the 101^st highest paid receiver in 2001.

Engram received a 60k raise his second season and took on punt return duties to compensate. He averaged 10.7 yards per return and returned one to the house. That was the season Engram became the darling of Football Outsiders metrics. Targets to Engram ranked 26^th in total value and 13^th in value per target. He was ninth and second in 2003.

Holmgren struggled to fill out a roster and his teams were notoriously thin and talent poor defensively, but man did that man know early 21^st-century offense. He squeezed maximum value from slot receivers. Engram wasn't some schlub. He won the first ever Biletnikof trophy in 1994 and still holds most of Penn State's receiving records. Unlike Deon Butler, Engram wasn't a steady four-year starter with time to burn. Joe Paterno suspended him for the entire 1992 season after he was caught burglarizing an apartment and stealing a stereo with teammate Ricky Sayles. All charges were dropped against Engram after police determined Sayles convinced Engram the two were allowed to take the stereo.

The 1996 draft class included Keyshawn Johnson, Terry Glenn, Eddie Kennison, Marvin Harrison, Eric Moulds, Terrell Owens, Muhsin Muhammad, Amani Toomer and Joe Horn. Engram was the eighth wide receiver selected, behind Johnson, Glenn, Kennison, Harrison, Moulds, Alex Van Dyke, Bryan Still and Muhammad. Engram never broke through with the Bears, struggling to receive for 38 year old Dave Krieg, Eric Kramer, Rick Mirer, Steve Stentstrom, Cade "AIDS" McNown and Shane Matthews, but he was good. Engram ended his career with Chicago with consecutive seasons of over 900 yards receiving before an ACL tear ended his 2000 season.

Holmgren didn't cash in a high pick or find a serviceable safety in the second, the kind of feats any GM can stumble into, he did that thing that separates the best general managers from the merely competent: found freely available talent and turned it into a long term asset.

Engram is a free agent after Kansas City cut him earlier this season. His time with the Chiefs was a tornado-obliterated double wide in a Rolls Royce career. Or maybe an efficient Elise is more Bobby's style. His short stop in the nation's dust mite might and probably will end Engram's fourteen-year career.

But maybe week 17, should the Tennessee Titans be out of it, Seattle can IR Patrick Kerney and sign Engram for one last perfectly-timed, Hasselbeck-to-Engram curl route for eight and the first.

Saints Mid-Season Offensive Player Grades; Jahri Evans Awarded MVP

saints-nation — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 12:00:30 -0000

Below are the Grade Point Averages of each player that's played significant time in the New Orleans Saints' offense through the first eight games of the 2009 season, ordered from highest GPA to lowest:

Jahri Evans 3.29 (8 games graded)

Pierre Thomas 3.22 (6 games graded)

Jeremy Shockey 3.21 (8 games graded)

Heath Evans 3.11 (6 games graded)

Drew Brees 3.09 (8 games graded)

Jonathan Goodwin 3.04 (8 games graded)

Carl Nicks 3.00 (8 games graded)

Mike Bell 2.95 (6 games graded)

Marques Colston 2.92 (8 games graded)

Jon Stinchcomb 2.88 (8 games graded)

Robert Meachem 2.83 (6 games graded)

Jermon Bushrod 2.81 (7 games graded)

Zach Strief 2.52 (7 games graded)

Lance Moore 2.50 (4 games graded)

Reggie Bush 2.42 (8 games graded)

David Thomas 1.89 (5 games graded)

Darnell Dinkins 1.67 (1 game graded)

Kyle Eckel 1.67 (1 game graded)

Below are the number of Offensive Player of the Game awards handed out in my Player Grades posts (note I gave Shockey and Bell a tie one week):

Marques Colston 2

Drew Brees 2

Pierre Thomas 2

Robert Meachem 1

Jeremy Shockey 0.5

Mike Bell 0.5

Based on the numbers alone, I'm choosing Jahri Evans as the Mid-Season Offensive MVP. That might not be the most popular pick but in my estimation, he's performed the most consistently in the eight games of any Saint on the offensive side of the ball. What do you think?

Check back tomorrow for the mid-season defensive and special teams GPA's.

Poll

Which Saints offensive player do you think performed the best during the first half of the 2009 season?

Jahri Evans

74 votes

Pierre Thomas

91 votes

Jeremy Shockey

41 votes

Heath Evans

12 votes

Drew Brees

264 votes

Mike Bell

22 votes

Marques Colston

35 votes

539 votes | Poll has closed

New Orleans Saints' Offensive Player Grades @ Miami Dolphins

saints-nation — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 18:00:39 -0000

See below for the grades of the Saints' offensive players. We saw lots of mistakes and lots of pressure on Drew Brees, but they still managed to amass yards, put up points, and most importantly, get the win. Remember the letter grade represents the performance in the Miami game and the GPA behind it represents the cumulative performance on the season.

Saints vs Dolphins coverage

Saints vs Dolphins recap

Saints vs Dolphins boxscore

Drew Brees: B- (3.17) I struggled with this grade. Part of me wanted to give him a worse grade because he turned the ball over 4 times, including 3 interceptions. While the first interception was a terrible throw and a bad mistake, the other two were defensible. The other part of me saw Brees showing grit when he scored on 2 touchdown runs, and he should be applauded for talking Sean Payton into going for the touchdown before halftime. From what I remember Brees has NEVER led the Saints to a 4th quarter come from behind win. Check that stat off his list. He made the plays when the game was on the line and finished 22 of 38 for 298 yards, 1 touchdown, 3 interceptions, 2 fumbles (1 lost), and 2 rushing touchdowns. It was a mix bag, but pressure was in his face constantly. His stature limitation was also evident, leading to a few batted passes at the line of scrimmage. Give him props for a great block on Bush's touchdown run.

Reggie Bush: C (2.22) I struggled with this grade, too. Bush was honestly in line for a D- until he made one of the most athletic and incredible plays I've seen this season. His touchdown leap was an absolute thing of beauty, and it single handedly saves his grade. He also converted a HUGE 3rd down play by shedding a tackle late and tip toeing the sidelines before turning upfield. Those plays came with the game in the balance, so give him credit. His punt returning was once again an atrocity, and his stats were forgettable: 3 carries, 10 yards, 3 catches for 16 yards. He had a touchdown and he also fell down for a loss with no defender in sight earlier in the game. He also had a terrible block on a blitz pickup that allowed Brees to get sacked.

Mike Bell: A- (3.42) Bell didn't play in the 1st half, but ripped a monstrous 35 yard gasher on his first carry in the 2nd half. He ran with brutal authority, and continues to have that violence about him that always get extra yards at the end of his carries. He did everything the Saints asked of him and finished with 12 carries for 80 yards. Give him credit for milking some clock as the Saints had the lead late. The only regret was him not scoring on a couple goal line carries inside the 5, but Heath Evans was banged up so he didn't have a true lead blocker.

Pierre Thomas: C+ (3.17) Not Thomas' best game, as he ended with 8 carries for 30 yards. Bell's second half emergence kept Thomas benched for the latter parts of the game. Thomas turned a 3rd and 16 play early into a 14 yard screen pass, just shy of a 1st down. The only reproach I really have was a play he tried to bounce outside that turned into a loss - it was very reminiscent of Bush's trademark screw ups.

Heath Evans: B- (3.11) Evans was blown up for a 5 yard loss on one screen pass and he made a nice first down play on another 8 yard screen. He had 1 carry for 2 yards to give the Saints breathing room outside of their own end zone. The running game was mediocre early, so hard to give Evans a better grade. Give him credit for Bell's emergence. He left the game with what looked like a sprained ankle. Knowing the kind of guy he is I'm sure he'll be ready to go next week.

Marques Colston: B- (3.06) If you look at his stats you'd think he played pretty well. Colston was the most targeted player ending with 5 catches for 72 yards and a touchdown. Colston did have a couple drops, though, and he should have hauled in a pass that was stolen away from him at the goal line for an interception. Colston did make some impressive plays downfield, though.

Lance Moore: C- (2.78) Very quiet day for Lance Moore. Almost too quiet. 2 catches for 18 yards.

Devery Henderson: B+ (3.11) Devery was his usual self making plays for the Saints in the passing game. He ended with 4 catches for 71 yards, none bigger than a 37 yarder downfield as the Saints were mounting their improbable comeback. He also showed off his terrific speed taking an end around for 13 yards.

Jeremy Shockey: A- (3.39) Shockey was very quiet for a long stretch in this game, but he made some of the biggest plays when it counted. His most memorable was a 66 yard reception where he broke a tackle, then stiffed armed his way down to about the 10 yard line setting up a touchdown. Brees looked for Shockey often in the 2nd half, and Shockey ended with 4 catches for 105 yards. As always he showed terrific and reliable hands.

David Thomas: D+ (1.92) Poor blocking and poor catching day for the Wendy's founder namesake. A bad game overall for the Saints' backup tight end. The one pass he did haul in was a screen that went for a yard loss.

Jermon Bushrod: C- (2.74) Bushrod gave Brees some time late and did an effective job run blocking; otherwise, he almost got Brees killed. He gave up 2 sacks to Jason Taylor, allowed Joey Porter to knock Brees down a couple times and overall just didn't pass protect the way he had to this point in the season. The Saints really missed Jammal Brown in this game. He also had a bad false start inside the Saints' 5. He needs to improve if the Saints want to win the ultimate prize. He also missed assignments on blitz pickups.

Zach Strief: C- (2.67) Didn't make a difference run blocking like he normally does.

Carl Nicks: C+ (3.17) Pass blocking was overall pretty suspect for Nicks against Miami. When Brees would step up in the pocket his man would typically get some contact on the Saints' quarterback. He failed to help Bushrod on a couple plays and he wasn't his usual dominant self run blocking.

Jonathan Goodwin: C (3.06) He's typically terrific at pulling on screen passes and springing them free, but he missed his assignment on screens to both David Thomas and Heath Evans that resulted in lost yardage. A very average performance from the Saints' center.

Jahri Evans: B (3.45) Evans was by far the most solid Saints' offensive lineman on the day. Given how much Brees was hit all day it's hard to give anyone on the line better than a B, but Evans handled his man throughout the game and sprung some nice runs on his side. Bell's longest run was set up by a terrific seal job on Evans' part, and many of the hard nose medium running gains the Saints had were behind big Jahri.

Jon Stinchcomb: B- (2.83) Stinchcomb had at least one penalty that I can remember, and was quite frankly playing a miserable game getting beat on the edge and doing a poor job of run blocking. Then a weird thing happened. He seemed to go down with an injury, but he returned on the next drive and was lights out for the rest of the game. His run blocking was effective, and I never saw pressure again come from his side. He finished out the game very nicely.

My Offensive Player of the Game: Jeremy Shockey and Mike Bell (tie)

Poll

Who Was Your Offensive Player of the Game for the Saints?

Jeremy Shockey

322 votes

Mike Bell

154 votes

Marques Colston

17 votes

Drew Brees

270 votes

763 votes | Poll has closed