Saints Nation: Patrick Ramsey to Saints a Foregone Conclusion?

Former Tulane standout quarterback Patrick Ramsey (pictured) seems to be destined to become the backup quarterback to Drew Brees this upcoming season. ESPN analyst Chris Mortensen had this to say on his twitter account:

"2 things you can basicallly bank on : Mark Brunell to the Jets & Patrick Ramsey to the Saints come mid-July as backup QBs."

Ignoring the fact that Mortensen adds too many L's to the word "basically", the guy does know what he's talking about. We already know the Saints host both Ramsey and veteran Josh McCown early this offseason. The timetable for signing him makes sense, because mid July is when the top 8 rules on signing unrestricted free agents are lifted. Ramsey must have outperformed McCown in those recent workouts, which means he'll likely make a return to New Orleans after spending his undergraduate days playing in the Superdome for the Green Wave. It sounds like 2nd year quarterback Chase Daniel hasn't been lighting things up in mini-camp, either, so I'm sure that's done little to make the Saints re-consider bringing in Ramsey.

Ramsey is a solid backup that I believe would represent an upgrade over Mark Brunell at this point in their respective careers. The Ruston, LA native is entering his 8th season in the NFL, playing as a starter for the Washington Redskins, and a backup for the Jets, Broncos, Titans and Lions. Ramsey was originally the 32nd pick overall in the first round by the Redskins in 2002.

Saints Nation: Review of "Saints: Road to Super Bowl XLIV"

Thanks to Jim G., I was able to get a review on the Blu-Ray Saints' disc that's out there. A copy of the Blu-Ray disc can be found HERE, on sale for $38.99. Here's his take:

"I just finished screening my copy of "Saints - Road to XLIV". It's a two-disc set with 4 complete games. The Redskins in the regular season, the two playoff games and the Superbowl.

The disc I got was Blu Ray and I watched it on my Vizio HD 42" screen. The picture quality was excellent.

The games are the original network broadcast with the original announcers and have been edited a bit for time. If you've seen NFL Replay games that come in at an hour and a half, these games are similar, but have less cut out. They leave all the plays, but cut out time outs, reviews, sometimes a huddle here and there, and of course, commercials. It is therefore, non-stop Saints action. There is very little on the disc other than the games.

The first two games, which are the Redskins and Cardinals on Disc One, have no pregame or postgame at all. There are also no special features.

Disc Two features the Vikings, and the Superbowl with the Colts. They've included the pregame two-shot of the announcers on both, but there is no postgame on the Vikings game and only a few wide shots on the field (about a minute's worth) after the Superbowl. The only Special Feature is a pop-up trivia option for the Superbowl. At first I found it a bit annoying, but I shortly got used to it and there are a few comments I found interesting.

I already have "Super Bowl XLIV Champions" the NFL recap of the '09 season including the Superbowl and that disc has plenty of extras, enough to satisfy, but no entire games. I'm really happy with the "Saints - Road to XLIV" because I wanted the Superbowl in its entirety. The other 3 games are an excellent bonus. If you're a Saints fan like me, you can never get enough, so for the Superbowl-winning year I find that the two discs by NFL Films, "Super Bowl XLIV Champions" and "Saints - Road to XLIV" are super satisfying and an absolute must addition to my video collection."

 

Much thanks to Jim for the excellent review. Sounds like I'll be buying my copy right now and I recommend Saints fans out there do the same!

Saints Nation: Pierre Thomas and Jammal Brown Still Absent, This Time for Minicamps

Jammal Brown (pictured) and Pierre Thomas are both MIA for this weekend's minicamp according to ESPN (story). No real surprises there but I don't really see a deal getting done for either anytime soon. In Brown's case, I don't see a long term deal getting done at all. It's interesting that Roman Harper and Lance Moore, while in the same position contractually, continue to take the approach of showing up to practice. Technically none of these four players are under contract, so they are under no obligation. The question we're all wondering is how long Mickey Loomis will allow these deals to drag along. He'll need to turn his attention towards signing the Saints' draftees in the not too distant future, so one would think he'd want to get these veterans locked up before focusing on getting the rookies into training camp. Camp is officially set to commence on July 29th, so realistically we should expect that for the next month this is Loomis' priority. Traditionally the Saints haven't really started signing rookie draftees until the week before training camp or so. Sometimes a little earlier, but Loomis historically waits till the 11th hour on that task. Don't expect any of the rookies to ink a deal until well into July, unlike the Bears who I believe have close to the entirety of their draft class already signed. That leaves a window that's relatively sizable to sign Moore, Harper, Thomas and Brown, but it's closing by the day.

Saints Nation: The Sharper vs. Shiancoe Fiasco

I've purposefully tried to avoid talking about this ongoing twitter battle because it's stupid. Visanthe Shiancoe (tight end of the Minnesota Vikings) and Darren Sharper are friends, and the twitter war back and forth between the two was supposed to be nothing more than a couple friends joking around. In my mind that was hardly newsworthy, and the media has totally blown this out of proportion. But then Shiancoe had to go ahead and drop the terrorist reference and now the story is getting heavy national exposure. For those of you that are lost, the Vikings and Saints play on Thursday, September 9th in the season opener and rematch of the NFC Championship. Sharper used to play for the Vikings, and had a lot of relationships from his time there, including one with Visanthe Shiancoe. To catch you up on what went down, below is the documented back and forth of their twitter trash talk:

Darren Sharper: Well y'all seen Brett had surgery on that ankle we got after in the championship game. Come Thursday night 1st game. X marks the spot. I've seen him play on one leg, but not against the WHO DAT nation.

Visanthe Shiancoe:  "That's all good. But Sharper had surgery, too. And it was a knee. If 'X' marks the spot on Brett, I wonder what marks the spot on Sharper?"

DS: So visanthe stankoe X marks the spot on me, how bout X marks the spot for how many catches and TDs you'll have come Thursday night. X = zero

VS: You went for my legs twice in the championship game.. it was mano y mano, I would think that the mighty "Sharper Shaker" wouldnt shy from a little thudding.

DS: If you feeling yourself put your game check on it. No TDs and less than 3 catches you give me your game check. Now whose talking.

VS: TRUE STORY! Before target practice a soldier suggested a custom target for me. Guess he wanted to start my engine early for the SAINTS game! "X- marks the spot".. Loved the idea, ehhh so I went for it http://twitpic.com/1t6nor   

DS: ok homeboy you done went too far, making me out to be something that has brought this country alot of heartache. Imma bust you right under your chinstrap from the first play on. I don't care about the fine. F the money Imma do it for the red,white&blue. And you'll see me cuz I'll be dressed in black & gold. Protect your neck that's all the warning you get.

VS: Those statements were the epitome of a crooked politician.. have some class "homeboy". That target was already set up for me... No insult was intended to anyone. You are the FURTHEST thing from a physical safety.. even you know that your sofT with a capital "T!" You remind me of a growling chihuahua. don't get your jaw broken trying to be a tough guy. Stay "sofT" and be yourself.. a ball hawk 

My take is it's still just two friends jarring at each other that got a little personal. This kind of talk happens for entire games on the field. The only difference with this is it's posted on a social network and it's in plain sight for all to see. Trust me, much worse gets said by the second on the football field. You think this is offensive? Spend 2 seconds in an NFL locker room or huddle. The back and forth does add a little hype to the game... I'll give it that. I'm looking forward to seeing how Sharper performs and what kind of stats Shiancoe puts up. But I don't recommend reading anything into these comments. Did Shiancoe take it too far? Maybe, maybe not, but that's the direction their back and forth was headed if they kept going. It's not like Sharper is free of blame because he started all of this to begin with.  

Saints Nation Fans Have Spoken: Carl Nicks is the Best 5th Round Draft Choice of the Sean Payton Era

Carl Nicks tallied 70% of the vote to pull away with the designation of being the best 5th round draft choice in the Sean Payton era. Punter Thomas Morstead did receive a respectable 24% of the vote, but there's no denying how valuable Nicks has been to the Saints' line. Thanks for your participation and please vote in the new Saints Nation Poll on the right side of the site: Who is the best 6th round draft choice of the Sean Payton era?

Fair warning: The choices are AWFUL, and none of the 3 guys remain with the team. In fact, only one is still in the league (receiver Mike Hass).

Saints Nation: Top 10 Most Valuable New Orleans Saints in 2010

Going into each season, I put together a list of the top 10 most valuable Saints. Last year, my top 10 picks were the following.What a difference a year makes, right? Jammal Brown was 3rd, and now he's not even in the top 10. Here's my list for 2010:

1. Drew Brees: No surprise here, and this much is indisputable. He's arguably the best quarterback in the NFL, and by far the best player on the team. As always, the Saints will go as far as Drew Brees takes them (2009 pick: Drew Brees).

2. Tracy Porter: This pick is going to shock some people, but Porter proved to me all season and in the playoffs last year that he's one of the premiere up and coming young corners in the league. Don't get me wrong, Jabari Greer is valuable as well because he keeps quarterbacks throwing to Porter's side a bit thanks to his own good play, but Porter has turned into an elite playmaker on defense. Porter helps Darren Sharper make plays, and he helps Will Smith get to the quarterback. He makes everyone around him better, and he's a catalyst in the Gregg Williams defense (2009 pick: Jonathan Vilma).

3. Jahri Evans: Evans is the best player on the offensive line, no doubt about it. He's equally dominant on running plays as he is passing plays. Brees stepped up in the pocket more than ever last year to avoid pass rushes off the edge, and it was Evans' impeccable interior blocking that allowed him to do so without getting hit. Evans was just rewarded with a massive new contract and he'll anchor the Saints' line for a long time (2009 pick: Jammal Brown).

4. Darren Sharper: He's getting older and there's questions about how he'll rebound from microfracture surgery on his knee, but how can anyone deny the impact he had on and off the field for the Saints' defense in 2009? The guy had 9 interceptions, which ties a career high, 15 defended passes, which is a career high, and he broke the NFL record for most interception returns yards in a season with 376. I wouldn't bet against the guy coming back to have another incredibly productive season.(2009 pick: Pierre Thomas)

5. Pierre Thomas: In three seasons with the Saints, Thomas averaged a staggering 5.1 yards per carry, which includes 5.4 yards per carry in 2009. He keeps the chains moving and he's often finding his way into the end zone. Last year I think Thomas successfully made the transition from a seldom talked about role player around the league, to a well recognized legitimate playmaker. Granted the Saints are a pass first offense, but that's opened massive lanes for Thomas take advantage of. He's been by far the most successful runner for the Saints the last three years. Hopefully the Saints can get his contract situation resolved soon. (2009 pick: Marques Colston)

6. Jonathan Vilma: As you've noticed, Vilma's stock has dropped a little bit in terms of how important he is to the Saints compared to last year when I had him ranked #2. But the drop to #6 does not reflect a drop off in performance from Vilma, it reflects the fact that a lot of players on the team have become more valuable thanks to improved defensive play and team play overall. In 2008, Vilma was one of the lone bright spots on the entire defense. In 2009, you could name him along with several others that made a difference. His tackle tally did drop off from 2008 (110 vs. 132), but his interception total rose (3 vs. 1). Vilma is still the captain of the defense and the primary tackler. (2009 pick: Will Smith)

7. Will Smith: Don't worry Will Smith, I haven't forgotten about you. Smith had a career high 13 sacks in 2009. Great to see him bounce back after what was a disastrous 2008 campaign for him. I still had him ranked as the 6th most valuable Saint going into 2009, and despite a career year he drops 1 place. That should tell you how much better the Saints have gotten as a team. If he had had that kind of season in 2008, Will Smith would probably have been rated #2 behind Brees last year. Smith represents the best pass rushing threat on the team, and he's also very good against the run. It's nice to have such a well rounded defensive end that is living up to his contract (I'm looking at you Charles Grant). Expect great things out of Smith again this year with so many good players around him doing their part. (2009 pick: Darren Sharper)

8. Sedrick Ellis: I didn't have him in the top 10 last year, but I think it's clear he's developing into a crucial element on the roster. His play continues to improve, and I believe he has the talent to be a perennial Pro Bowler. Ellis is without question the most instrumental piece in helping the Saints improve against the run. If there was one statistical place that left the Saints lacking in 2009, it was their run defense. Ultimately, we'll need an even better season from Ellis to improve in that area. He's not too shabby getting pressure up the middle, either. (2009 pick: Jahri Evans)

9. Reggie Bush: The "X factor" moves up one spot from #10 last year. I think the Saints have finally understood his place in the offense, and they've found the number of reps they're comfortable giving him that keep him healthy throughout a season. Bush showed major improvement in the running game last year, averaging a very impressive 5.6 yards per carry. Prior to last year, his highest average per carry for a season was 3.8, so that was a major difference. Bush is also a terrific security valve in the passing game that can turn a short flare pass into something deadly. His breakaway speed is something that needs to be accounted for at all times. Bush as a decoy is as deadly as Bush with the ball, because it creates huge plays for other offensive weapons. Bush did see a major drop off in his punt return performance last year, and that was the one area I was very disappointed with. That said, he did take one to the house against the Cardinals in the playoffs, so hopefully he can build from that. (2009 pick: Bobby McCray)

10. Marques Colston: Colston has had some injury issues as of late that have stunted his development a little bit. I still think he's an elite receiver in the league, but Brees made it clear last year it does not matter who's on the field. He will find the open guy, rack up stats, and put up points for his team. Still, Colston has a huge frame that's essential for moving the chains and making tough catches in the red zone. He's still Brees' primary target and plays a big part in the team's passing success, but he hasn't yet been able to duplicate the peak performance we saw from him in his second season. He's been steady and valuable, just not as dominant. (2009 pick: Reggie Bush)

There's definitely a lot of very good players that could have made this list, but didn't. It's fun to see how things change from year to year, so I'm looking forward to doing this again next year.

Saints Nation: Mark Brunell to Jets?

Rumor around the league is that Mark Brunell has a handshake agreement in place with the Jets, and he'll sign with the team as soon as he is able to. The Jets are handicapped by the same "final 8" rule that the Saints have been dealing with in free agency. Simply put, they cannot sign an unrestricted free agent unless they lose one of their own. That regulation comes to an end on July 22nd, at which point the Jets would be free to sign Brunell. Some believe this is a foregone conclusion, and the official announcement of the signing will be made once July 22nd passes.

Personally, this bothers me zero. Brunell made it clear in his start against Carolina last year that he's done. I've met him before and he's a super nice guy, a smart player, and he has a decorated career. But, at this point, I don't think he's capable of coming in and holding down the fort should something happen... I'm not even going to finish that sentence. Let's face it, the guy is 40 in September and it's time to move on. Right now Chase Daniel is Brunell's heir as the #2 quarterback, but Times-Picayune press continues to suggest a veteran will be added to the mix eventually. Like the Jets, I think the Saints are waiting till July 22nd so they are free from the shackles of the uncapped season free agent market. Based on the visits that went well with Patrick Ramsey and Josh McCown, I believe one of those two men will be the backup. While I think McCown is the better quarterback of the two, word has it Ramsey had the superior visit. My prediction is the Saints will sign Patrick Ramsey on July 23rd. Stay tuned...