The national news media is doing a better job of covering the Saints.  I think they are starting to understand that it's not about some fancy players.  It's not about the market.  It's not even about the hurricanes.  It's not even about the 13-0 record, although that helps.  

It's about the people and the soul of New Orleans.  We love the Saints.  Who dat!

Continue reading this post »

Today Roy Williams decided to run his mouth about how the Cowboys were going to come to New Orleans and give the Saints their first loss of the season.  It was picked up as a top 10 story by ESPN.com.  The short article is definitely worth a read.  More after the jump.

Continue reading this post »

Preparing for a stretch run into the playoffs and trying to shore up a secondary so depleted that the Rams almost eeked out a victory against the Saints in St. Louis last week, the Saints picked up Chris McCalister.  McCalister was highly touted as a top corner with the Ravens.  What should New Orleans expect?

Continue reading this post »

Saints and LSU fan here.  Just wondering what happened to this former Tiger, Craig Buster Davis.  I thought he'd be pretty good in the NFL but it looks like injuries got him.  Can anyone update as to whether he's still with the Chargers and whether he's going to play this year?

Continue reading this post »

Roddy White just got a huge payday following a one week holdout. For vets a short holdout like White's is more of a rest. But the payout is the big news. Reportedly, White is now the second highest paid receiver behind Larry Fitzgerald! That's INSANE!!! White has received a six-year, $50 million contract with $18.6 million in guaranteed money. He should make around $28 million in the first 3 years of that contract.

White caught 88 passes for 1,382 yards and seven touchdowns last season. "We're always going to be an organization that rewards players for being productive on the field and good citzens off of it," said Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff. "We are glad to get this contract situation resolved and look forward to a long association with Roddy."
Roddy is a former UAB Blazer. I attended UAB for a while and enjoy supporting that school (after LSU of course.) I'm happy for Roddy. But how can this affect the Saints?

The obvious answer is that Colston may need to get paid more than Roddy White. But Colston's stats from last season, 47 catches, 760 yards, and 5 TDs, do not compare favorably with White's. If Colston has one breakout year this year, White sets a precedent for Colston to hold out and ask for even more money.

On the other hand, overpaying Roddy White might bog down the Atlanta Falcons's payroll so that after their elite tight end, Gonzales, and White, the talent dropoff is dramatic. A quick look at the Falcoholic page suggests that after their top two receivers, the rest are still vying for position. "Now that White's in camp, he'll resume his spot atop the depth chart, which leaves the Falcons to shake out things at the lower levels. " The money, much of it wrapped up in performance bonuses, could nevertheless create problems for Atlanta down the line.

Falcoholic does not think the expenditure is too high: "Obviously, this was a deal that had to get done so we could have our best receiver in camp, particularly after we lost Harry Douglas for the year and our depth took an enormous hit. While the length of the contract is pretty staggering, White's still quite young and the guaranteed money involved is nothing that's going to break the bank. If Roddy puts up huge numbers and racks up bonuses like it's going out of style, I don't think any of us are going to mind paying him. I'll chip in ten bucks myself."

He has a good point because IF White can make those same numbers alongside Gonzales, then the Falcons's offense should be rolling along quite well. But last year the dropoff after Roddy White was quite dramatic. And none of Roddy's highlight reel shows him making spectacular grabs. The guy is a #2 receiver maquerading as a #1. White reminds me of Devry Hendersen of 2008--he is fast and he doesn't drop too many passes. And if Gonzales can draw more coverage perhaps White can get open more often this year.

But think about this: where is Roddy White in your fantasy draft? He's not even close to the top in mine. The Falcons surprised some people last year and they added a big weapon in the offseason. But I think that Gonzales's glamour might take away from the workman like atmosphere surrounding last year's receiving corps (which, let's face it, was carried by the running game.)

Ultimately, Gonzales is a much bigger name than White. Gonzales is used to being #1 in the locker room. Gonzales should command a lot of attention from the QB...not just from opposing defenses. Although Gonzales has never been a big ball hog in the mold of Terrell Owens, I do not see this contract working out in favor of Atlanta. It is just too much money for mediocrity. According to the Falcoholic fanpage, when asked whether White's contract is worth it, most Falcon's fans are not overly enthusiastic about the deal.

As with all holdouts, the Falconer sums it up nicely: "As you can probably tell, I'm just relieved this situation is over."
Now, can we get Jenkins into camp before our beloved Saints are left to lament the loss of an entire draft class?

citation link: Falcoholic article on Roddy White's big payday