Saints Nation: Fletcher is out, Leckey is injured; centers dropping like flies

Very sad news coming from Saints camp today as Alex Fletcher has been moved to the reserved/retired list with a kidney issue Sean Payton described as "fairly serious". The promising young rookie free agent center out of Stanford's condition is apparently made more serious due to the fact that he only has one kidney, according to THIS ARTICLE. Alex Fletcher was kind enough to participate in a Q&A session with Saints Nation earlier this offseason which you can read HERE. By all accounts Fletcher is a very hard worker and good all around guy that was immediately a solid addition in the locker room from a character standpoint. Saints Nation would like to extend him the best wishes in a quick recovery. Separate claims have circulated that he has to "retire immediately" and that his problems are "career threatening". Hopefully he can prove those harsh claims wrong and find success playing the game he loves. As Saints fans I'd like to collectively send positive thoughts Alex' way and maybe we'll see him back in Black & Gold. Keep fighting the good fight, taking care of your health first and foremost, and good luck Alex.

The article above also mentioned that backup free agent veteran center Nick Leckey had ankle surgery to remove bone spurs which could sideline him past the start of training camp. Out of nowhere Jonathan Goodwin has very little depth behind him, and Jamar Nesbit was moved to center to take snaps with the second unit today. The Saints did apparently sign free agent center Digger Bujnoch to fill in while Leckey recovers.

NOT GOOD!

Saints Nation: The top 10 "Most Valuable" Saints

Click HERE for an article on the Saints top 10 players. You have to respect a site that mispells "Jahari Evans" :)

It's Jahri, people. Anyway the article has pretty good thoughts, with Stinchcomb a surprise at #8. Not sure I agree with Ellis at #3, he's valuable but he's done nowhere near enough at this point to be labeled a top 3 player on the team. Also interesting that Lance Moore, Will Smith and Jeremy Shockey were left off this list. A year ago Will Smith would have been in the top 3. Here's my top 10 list of "Most Valuable" Saints revised:

1. Drew Brees: Pretty obvious. (mvn's pick was Brees)

2. Jonathan Vilma: He's the captain of our defense and clearly the best player on that side of the ball. Without him the Saints would have been 32nd last year overall. I expect a huge year from him. (mvn's pick: Vilma)

3. Jammal Brown: I know some of you don't like him, but when you've got a 2 time Pro Bowl left tackle protecting the blind side of the franchise's most valuable asset, I call him pretty valuable. (mvn's pick: Sedrick Ellis)

4. Pierre Thomas: He's going to carry the load this year and he'll finally be the team's full time starter. He's not as exlposive as Bush but he's more reliable and makes less mistakes. (mvn's pick: Jammal Brown)

5. Marques Colston: The Saints need him healthy and on his game this year. The offense suffered in short yardage situations without him. Shockey ended up being a disappointment and Brees needs that sure handed target over the middle to keep the chains moving (mvn's pick: "Jahari" Evans)

6. Will Smith: It all starts with him on the defensive line. If he can be productive and return to his old form, the defense as a whole will play better. Last year he suffered playing through an injury and his performance dropped. If he can come back healthy he's still a premiere defensive end that can play the run and pass rush with impressive ability. Missing the first 4 games is a big blow. (mvn's pick: Colston)

7. Darren Sharper: He's a newcomer and there's no guarantee he'll start, but he is one of the best free safeties of all time. His ability to play the back end successfully could be the difference between a top 15 defense and another season of consistently giving up huge plays. With the amount of youth in the backfield, he'll also be extremely valuable in mentoring his teammates and teaching them how to play. (mvn's pick: Pierre Thomas)

8. Jahri Evans: In my opinion he's the best offensive lineman on the team. Brown gets more credit because good left tackles are really few and far between, but Evans should have been in a pro bowl by now. The success of the O-line these past years is as much because of him as anyone else. (mvn's pick: Jon Stinchcomb)

9. Bobby McCray: with Smith and Grant gone the first four games, he'll be a starter. Even when they come back, McCray is still clearly the best pass rusher on the team. The major area that plagued the Saints all of last season was poor pressure on opposing quarterbacks, and lack of turnovers. Both of those things can be rectified if McCray plays more and plays well. (mvn's pick: Reggie Bush)

10. Reggie Bush: He's the X factor. I feel like anything the Saints get out of him in a game is almost like bonus at this point. The offense is solid and good enough to run efficiently without him, and we've seen that, but Bush adds an element of flash that has to be accounted for. I'd give his season last year a B grade, but it was A+ prior to his injury. I think we've all figured out by now what Bush can and can't do, so the key is not trying to turn him into something he's not. Bush is a terrific situational role player that is extremely dangerous on any given play. Having game breakers like him is never a bad thing but hopefully the years of using his abilities incorrectly are behind us. (mvn's pick: Greer/Jenkins)

Saints Nation: Usama Young and Jammal Brown earn degrees

NOLA.com published a story today that can be read HERE, reporting that Usama Young (pictured) and Jammal Brown received their college degrees after completing the required remaining hours they needed. While both are enjoying significant financial success and playing in the prime of their NFL careers, it is applaudable that they've gathered the discipline to finish what they started in their studies this offseason. Congratulations to both guys, as our team is better off for having these intelligent and now more educated players. In this day and age where athletes often leave college early to reap the benefits of a professional career at a younger age, it's pretty impressive these guys haven't let the success go to their heads. It's a very responsible decision on their part to complete their education, and it is cool to see. Much like last year we can also expect these two to be key contributors on the field for the 2009 Saints.

Saints Nation: Saints' Depth at Defensive Tackle

I've been meaning to write about the Saints' depth at defensive tackle for a while now, so thank you to Amit for requesting it. Please don't hesitate to make REASONABLE requests anytime, I'll be happy to give you my 2 cents on any Saints topic, whatever that is worth. You can either comment below or email me at saintsnation @ gmail dot com.

Right now the two unquestioned starters at DT for the Saints are 2nd year phenom Sedrick Ellis (pictured as #98), and a guy who would rival Scott Shanle as the most underrated Saint in Kendrick Clancy. I don't think those two players are going to blow anyone away, but they are solid players that can be very productive. Ellis especially is only going to get better and his ceiling definitely includes a pro bowl birth. Clancy is a very solid veteran who has been around a long time, and while he flies mostly under the radar with fans he's also very seldom the target of negativity. The depth behind those 2 guys is what worries me, and I honestly believe that defensive tackle is the thinnest position the Saints have going into 2009.

Rod Coleman, currently the #3 DT, has had an accomplished 9 seasons in his NFL career featuring double digit sack seasons 3 times (2002, 2004, 2005). Coleman sat out all of last year and did not play a snap (after only playing in 5 games for 2007), so while he's had lots of success we have to assume his best days are behind him. Hopefully he doesn't catch Dan Morganitis because the depth behind him is even thinner (literally and figuratively). To his credit I believe he still has loads of ability at 32 and can help the Saints in limited reps. The danger comes if something happens to our starters and Coleman is thrust into a more prominent role where he has to play full games. Behind Coleman the Saints also have DeMario Pressley, Remi Ayodele and rookie Earl Heyman. Pressley was a rookie last season that showed promise but went on IR for the entirety of last year before the season started. Hard to count on a guy that has been unable to suit up in a small sampling, but hopefully he can stay healthy and help the Saints. Ayodele is nothing more than a journeyman backup, and Heyman is a long shot to make the team. The final player who is mentioned last, but not least, is defensive end Paul Spicer, who has the ability and versatility to move inside if needed.

The Will Smith/Charles Grant 4 game suspension throws a big wrench into how the rotation at DT works. With both players out, Spicer is thrust into the starting role at DE alongside Bobby McCray. What this means is he is less available to fill in at defensive tackle until Grant and Smith return in week 5. Based on this the Saints really can't afford any injuries at the defensive tackle position whatsoever. The Saints released veterans Hollis Thomas and Brian Young this year and overall those were good decisions based on their health, age and price tag. But those moves left the Saints incredibly vulnerable at the position behind Ellis and Clancy. We have to hope Coleman can regain his magic of the mid 2000's for a limited number of snaps and hope/pray that nothing happens to the starters. Pressley could probably give the Saints a quality number of reps if needed, but behind him the quality really starts to drop. You'd love to have Spicer rotate in as the #4 DT in certain situations (especially pass rushing downs), but that's not realistic until Grant and Smith come back. Coleman and Ellis have solid pass rushing ability, and Ellis/Clancy/Pressley are all solid run stoppers, but don't be the least bit surprised if the Saints track the waiver wire for a veteran defensive tackle they can add during preseason as cuts get made. My opinion is that no position is currently less thin for the Saints. Injury/Suspension is something they can least afford at DT, and this position worries me more than most. Be on the lookout for a signing at this position before week 1 unless some of these backups come out of nowhere and show the Saints something incredibly promising.

Saints Nation: Scott Shanle is the most underrated Saint?

Scott Shanle has had his place in the starting lineup for 3 years as a Saint, and all signs point to him holding on to that place again this season. While some of the the defense's struggles the past couple seasons have led fans to target Shanle as the culprit, it's at least arguable that his performance has been steady and good enough to keep his job secure. Despite repeated threats from a weak spirited Dan Morgan and constant attempts for upgrades each season (via free agency and the draft), Shanle has been untouchable in the starting lineup. You have to respect a guy when each offseason we assume he'll be replaced, and each season he's once again heading his position. Here he is again as training camp approaches, and he remains the starter. This depsite the fact that a new defensive coordinator was added in Gregg Williams who evaluated the performance of all his new players. Obviously he was pretty happy with the play of the linebacking core last year as Scott Fujita, Jonathan Vilma and Shanle are all back. Here is how Shanle's stats have broken down the past 3 years:

2006: 97 tackles, 4 sacks, 1 defended pass (16 games)
2007: 68 tackles, 0 sacks, 1 defended pass (14 games)
2008: 87 tackles, 2 sacks, 5 defended passes (16 games)

So after a weaker year in 2007, Shanle regained his 2006 form last year and had a pretty productive season. He was also given more responsibility than ever last year as a pass defender, and filled that role admirably. His most memorable moment last season was his defended pass against San Diego in London, as his tipped pass landed in the hands of Jonathan Vilma for a game sealing interception.

While you can give the defensive line grief for lack of sacks and the defensive backfield grief for giving up big plays, the Saints linebacking core is as good as it's been in years and certainly better than it EVER was during the Haslett era. Fujita-Vilma-Shanle is a very solid core we should be grateful for having. Those guys aren't going to head anyone's list as hall of fame candidates, but they're good enough to lead a successful team if the other players around them carry their weight. Fujita and Vilma have been safe from any blame for the most part, but for some reason Shanle is the popular target of negative comments. Shanle has been a steady performer for the Saints, and the criticism he receives from fans is unfair. He is certainly not the reason for our lack of success on that side of the ball the past few years. It will be great to see how productive he can become in this new scheme. His under the radar performance, his dependability and his leadership skills make him the most underrated player on the Saints' roster in my opinion.

Saints Nation: Malcolm Jenkins on twitter

A few of the Saints players are on twitter, and you can follow them if you have a page of your own. Most of them aren't that entertaining to follow, but I thought I'd pass on this update that I got today from Malcolm Jenkins' twitter page HERE: "being a rookie sucks... off to practice, with breakfast for the whole secondary"

HAHAHA! Too funny.

Other twitter accounts for the Saints:

Jeremy Shockey

Pierre Thomas

Courtney Roby

Chip Vaughn

Darren Sharper

Enjoy!

Saints Nation Fans Have Spoken: Marques Colston to lead the Saints in receptions for 2009

Marques Colston won the Saints Nation poll: Who will lead the Saints in receptions in 2009. Seems like a pretty reasonable consensus given his 215 receptions in just 3 seasons as a Saint. Colston claimed 44% of the vote followed by Reggie Bush with 32% and Lance Moore with 14%. Thanks for your participation and please vote in the new Saints Nation Poll: Who will lead the Saints in sacks for 2009?