Saints Nation: Joe Horn Retires a Saint

Per Greg Bensel's twitter page:

"Saints sign WR Joe Horn to a contract; will retire a Saint!"

Bensel is the Saints' Vice President of Communications, for those of you that don't know him.

I for one am very happy about this news. I know Horn left the Saints on less than ideal terms, and his signing with the rival Falcons directly afterward really ticked me off. That said, Horn was arguably the best receiver in New Orleans Saints history, and he was a big part of the team for a long time. Glad to see him retiring where he belongs, in black and gold. Horn ended his career with the Saints as the #2 all time in receptions and yardage (behind Eric Martin) and the #1 all time in touchdown receptions.Horn was a Pro Bowl selection four times during his tenure with the Saints. He stuck it out during some tough times, especially in the Katrina season where I thought he stood up for the city. Thanks for the memories #87!

Saints Nation: Starting Lineup by Position (Defense)

As the season approaches, I'm taking a look going into training camp at the Saints position by position. Below are our defensive starters.

LE: Charles Grant is gone. Bobby McCray is gone. That leaves it pretty clear that Alex Brown will be the main man in charge on the left end position as a new starter in the lineup. Jimmy Wilkerson, Anthony Hargrove and Jeff Charleston will both rotate in, but the job is Brown's.

RE: Will Smith is coming of his best season as a pro last year. Clearly Gregg Williams' scheme has helped him blossom, as well as a full season of health, and he'll continue to get the lion share of reps because he's an elite end regardless of down and distance. There's no scenario where he's not the best defensive end on the team's roster.

DT: Sedrick Ellis had this starting spot on lockdown and that's not going to change anytime soon.

DT: Remi Ayodele is the incumbent starter, but I would say his starting spot is in more jeopardy than pretty much any starter the roster. That's not to say he's not a promising up and coming young player, but Hargrove, DeMario Pressley and Al Woods will all push for playing time.

WLB: Every year the Saints bring in some veteran to compete with incumbent starter Scott Shanle, and every year he remains the starter. Whether you love him or think he's replaceable, the bottom line is Shanle is one of the more dependable guys in the league. The coaching staff loves him because there are no unknowns with Shanle. I think the Saints are very lucky to have him.

MLB: Jonathan Vilma. He's the captain, and this will not change. Gregg Williams relies on Vilma as much as anyone to carry out his scheme and direct his troops.

SLB: Right now the job is Jo-Lonn Dunbar's to lose, who will replace recently departed Scott Fujita. Dunbar is young and somewhat unproven, though, so he'll face some stiff competition from veteran Clint Ingram and promising youngster Stanley Arnoux. It's entirely possible that Ingram ends up as the opening day starter. Arnoux has a little more to prove at this point.

CB: Tracy Porter has become in a very short period of time one of the best young corners in the entire league. His name recognition around the country has risen significantly with his pick six in the SuperBowl, but if you're a Saints fan you know his worth in so much more than that one play he made.

CB: The Saints are fairly deep at corner and have good competition going on for different spots in the rotation. The starting spots, though, are entirely set. Jabari Greer (pictured) is the other corner, and he's arguably a better man to man defender than Porter. The Saints have the best cornerback tandem in team history. Still, consider the promising players behind them: Randall Gay, Malcolm Jenkins (who will play some safety), rookie Patrick Robinson, and Leigh Torrence.

FS: I mentioned Jenkins who is being moved to safety and being groomed as the eventual free safety of the future for the Saints. That said, the job currently belongs to Darren Sharper, and he hardly needs an introduction.

SS: Roman Harper is a hard hitting, young up and coming player. It'll be interesting to see if Chip Vaughn can give him some competition, but it's hard to see Harper losing his spot.

Saints Nation: Starting Lineup by Position (Offense)

As the season approaches, I'm taking a look going into training camp at the Saints position by position.Below are our offensive starters.

QB: Drew Brees (pictured) is of course the unquestioned starter. The only real question is how the competition will shake out behind him, but barring injury Brees won't be leaving the field.

HB: In case there was any question last year, I think it's now set in stone that Pierre Thomas is the starter. Reggie Bush's role is becoming more clear with each passing season, and while he's a terrific playmaker, he's not a starter. That doesn't mean Reggie won't get his fair share of looks, though. Thomas is the main back that will carry the load. With Mike Bell gone he may even see increased reps. Don't forget about Lynell Hamilton either who will also see more snaps.

FB: If Heath Evans comes back healthy, the starting job is his without question. The Saints brought in Jason McKie for a reason, though, and he'll provide insurance if Evans' recovery gets delayed. McKie is a capable blocker and fullback, but the job is Evans' if he's 100%.

TE: Jeremy Shockey is still the main man, but this is the second straight offseason he's had health issues, combined with the fact that he always seems to be hanged up during the season. David Thomas is a very solid and capable backup, and don't forget the upside of Jimmy Graham. Still, you have to figure Shockey is the starter unless something significant changes.

C: Jonathan Goodwin will not only get competition from veteran Nick Leckey this year, but rookie Matt Tennant. Hard to see Goodwin supplanted based on the Pro Bowl type year he had, though.

LG: Carl Nicks. Period, end of story.

RG: Considering the fact that Jahri Evans rightfully became the highest paid offensive guard in the history of the NFL, I'd say his job is pretty secure.

LT: Jermon Bushrod will start the year, I would think, based on the fact that he started last year. Careful, though, because I'd say he's probably got the least secure hold on his job than any other starter on the Saints' offense. Zach Strief is a great backup, and honestly I think the difference between the two in terms of overall performance has been negligible. The Saints also drafted Charles Brown who will get a chance to compete.

RT: Jon Stinchcomb had his first Pro Bowl invite last year and arguably his best season as a Saint. The guy just keeps getting better every year. He's now a reliable and seasoned veteran. If the backups want to make some noise at tackle, they better vie for the left spot because Stinchcomb has the right on lockdown.

Check back tomorrow for the defensive starters.

Saints Nation: League Notes

Not much going on in terms of Saints news this time of year, but there's been a good amount of notable things around the league.

Steve Smith of the Panthers broke his arm playing flag football and is out as many as 10 weeks, which likely puts him out until close to action on week 1. Not that you ever root for injuries to other teams, but this certainly isn't bad news for the Saints.

The Rams re-signed free safety O.J. Atogwe. What was he thinking?

Lawrence Taylor got indicted on rape charges. Sad to see this guy continue to struggle with awful decisions off the field.

Marc Bulger signed with the Baltimore Ravens. He'll be a pretty valuable backup for young starter Joe Flacco. I guess my hopes of the Saints grabbing him can now end, but it still looks like Patrick Ramsey will be signed next month.

Saints Nation: Saints Part Ways with Defensive End Bobby McCray

Shocking news coming out of Saints camp today as the team cut defensive end Bobby McCray. The Saints also released Charles Grant this offseason, but they also added veterans Alex Brown and Jimmy Wilkerson. McCray struggled with a balky back for the majority of 2009, but he was responsible for knocking both Kurt Warner and Brett Favre silly in the playoffs. I guess this means Wilkerson is recovering from his injury better than the team expected, and Anthony Hargrove might see more snaps at end. The player that's probably most beneficent of this news is veteran Jeff Charleston, because all of a sudden his chances of making the team received a huge boost. Apparently the Saints saved a $1.25 million roster bonus that was shortly due to McCray with the move to release him. Perhaps the Saints will use that money, and the cash they saved by trading Jammal Brown, to lock up Pierre Thomas, among others. The Saints have a sticky cap situation, remember, and they'll have to make tough decisions like these to keep around the players they want to hold on to.

I'm sad to see McCray go. He was a fun pass rusher to watch, though he was a big of a one trick pony. He was a terrific role player in his first year with the Saints, but last year he regressed severely due to his back problems. Perhaps the Saints felt like he wasn't making much progress. All the same, he's no longer on the team and looking for a new NFL job effective today. 

Saints Nation: Phone Interview with Saints' Linebacker Scott Shanle

I have the pleasure of sharing with you guys my newest interview with Saints' starting linebacker and SuperBowl Champion Scott Shanle. I can tell you from my experience of blogging on the team that Scott has been one of the most "real" and approachable players on the team. I hope those of you that don't know much about him will gain a little respect for him after hearing this interview. Many thanks to him for taking time away from his family on Father's Day to grant me this interview. Scott touched on a variety of subjects, including the recent team OTAs, the break leading up to training camp, his football journey that eventually landed him to the Saints, the improved Saints' defense, the departure of Scott Fujita, the young linebacker's development and the team's chances for next season. You can listen to the interview by clicking HERE (there's also an old Heath Evans interview from this offseason you can check out too). I hope you enjoy! Below is a transcript of the conversation in case you would rather read than listen.

(on OTAs)

You know I was kind of looking forward to OTAs this year, just because I think after we had a season like we had and win the SuperBowl, you kind of want to see what the rest of your teammate's mindset is as far as going into the next season. The way our OTAs went I'm very encouraged. I think the guys showed up with this attitude that "hey we want to do this thing again". It felt too good and it was too great of an accomplishment not to come back hungry and driven to try to repeat.

(on if the SuperBowl celebration distractions are behind the team)

Yeah I definitely think so. I think it can work both ways, obviously we had a good time and the city had a good time with their little champions. But throughout the process, and you know when I still go places and still hear people talk to me about how big of a deal it is to them and how important it is, I think the celebration has continued and it's developed the bond between the city even more when you find out that people are still so excited about it. It makes you feel good that you brought that much joy to the city.

(on what he'll do during this break period)

Right now you want to get away a little bit, but you can't get away so much that you get out of shape because of everything we worked for in the past three months preparing for the 2010 season. You don't want to lose your conditioning and your mindset in the 5 weeks we have before training camp. I'm going to take a little trip home and see some family, maybe go over to Destin and hit the beach for a couple of days with the kids. After that it's pretty simple: I'm working out every day and just getting my mind focused on the upcoming season.

(on his journey as a football player that led to being a starting linebacker on the SuperBowl champion)

Going all the way back to high school before going to Nebraska, I got recruited late in the process. The main thing, and you know I was recruited by a couple other big 12 schools, but I played 8 man football coming out of high school. Not too many division 1 schools are looking at guys playing 8 man football, it's hard to judge exactly how good they are or what type of competition they are going against. From the get go I had to prove myself, and like you mentioned, all along the journey I had I never had anything given to me. Everything I've accomplished being a starter and being on the World Champion Saints wasn't given to me. It wasn't given to me because I was a 1st round pick (he was drafted in the 7th round), it wasn't given to me because I signed a mega multi million dollar contract and they had to play me. At the end of the day it feels good knowing that everything I've gotten is because I worked hard for it. I've taken the opportunities given to me and the chances to show that I can play, and I made the most of them. That's why I think I am where I am right now.

(on what made the defense so much better in 2009 than previous years he was with the team)

You know I think there were a few variables that came into play. Obviously I think Gary Gibbs is a great football coach, and I think Gregg Williams is a great football coach. Obviously both of them had different approaches to the game. Gary is more of a laid back guy, and Gregg majored in the psychological part of it as far as motivating players, and (Williams') defensive schemes are more aggressive, more complex as far as looks that we give which I thought made us better on defense. Last year we knew every week we were going to cover a guy man to man most of the time that's what we do. Along with that the secondary played as well as any year that I've been (in New Orleans). I mean, Darren Sharper wasn't around the other 3 years I've been here, Tracy Porter emerged as one of the top corners in the league and Jabari Greer is one of the best man to man guys in the league. I think the play of our secondary really carried us to where we got.

(so the secondary was the main difference)

Yeah, I think when you look at the transformation of the defense. Obviously you do have to start with Gregg because I think Gregg did a great job of stirring things up when he got here, letting guys know he had a no nonsense approach. He didn't care where you were drafted or how much money you were making, the best guys were going to play on Sunday. As a player, you respect that about a coach. He did it before when he was in Washington: LaVar Arrington, 1st round pick, Pro Bowl year I think he had, and he didn't play the way Gregg wanted him to play or play in the scheme like he wanted him to, so he sat him down. I think as a player when you see a coach like that you gain a lot of respect for them knowing that they want to win every week and come Sunday they aren't going to compromise the other 10 guys on the field. You know, a lot of coaches may say "hey were going to play the best guys" but I'm guaranteeing you with 75% of the other NFL teams it's really lip service because a lot of times the general managers or the owners are saying who has to play based on their contract status or their draft status, you're not going to pay a guy a ton of money to sit. But Gregg has a lot of say here and he's shown that he's a man of his word when he says he's going to play the best guys.

(on the departure of Scott Fujita)

At the start of OTAs it really was different to me. For the last 4 years and even the year before in Dallas, I was used to looking over to that other linebacker spot and seeing him there on a daily basis. So it was weird at the start of OTAs, but a lot of the guys we have now, you know Jo-Lonn Dunbar played a lot in his spot last year when Scott had some injuries and he performed well. From the friendship side of it it does make it a little more difficult. When you develop a friendship with someone, when you develop a trust that every week and every Sunday you know exactly what you're going to get... you know, we would joke around at practice and stuff, we kind of have the same personalities and going back to what I was saying before we were both guys that weren't handed anything. Scott walked on at Cal, he was a 5th round draft pick, he earned everything he got. I think it was easy for us to kind of identify with each other and that kind of brought us together.

(on the young linebackers currently on the roster)

I've always been more of a leader by example guy. With Scott as more of a vocal leader, he's now gone, and Jonathan Vilma as our defensive captain, I've always sat back and let them kind of handle the vocal role. It's my turn to step up and help a lot of those young guys, get let them know what's helped me to play 7 years, now going into my 8th. I take that responsibility more seriously of being more vocal, because by nature that's just not me. I'm just not a vocal person. But you know after seeing those guys in OTAs, they've calmed a lot of, not fears, but let's say questions as far as "who can play this spot as well as Scott did". Jo-Lonn played a lot of snaps in his spot last year. Stanley Arnoux is a good player, he's very athletic, he just needs the experience and the reps. Jonathan Casillas played the last couple games of the last season when I was out. They have the experience and they're good athletes, it's almost like they kind of have to grow up in a hurry, but when you have the ability that they have you can do it.

(thoughts on the upcoming season)

You know, I'm gonna go out and I'm gonna say after we've been through OTAs, I was telling this to someone the other day, we are a better team right now in 2010 than we were at this point in 2009. The experience coming back, we've all had one year of experience in Gregg Williams' scheme, we all know what's expected. We can play fast, there is no hesitation in our play. I think defensively there's no reason we can't be a top 10 defense, that's for sure. Our offense, you know, they've given us the last 3 years a great advantage every Sunday. As far as the season, there' different variables as far as injuries and stuff, as long as we stay healthy I like the way our schedule looks. There's no reason we shouldn't be hosting a playoff game and a number one seed would be ideal, but I think we can do the same again.

Saints Nation Breaking News: Jammal Brown Traded to Washington Redskins

Former Pro Bowl Left Tackle Jammal Brown has been traded to the Washington Redskins, per ESPN analyst Adam Schefter. Per his twitter account, "Washington is trying to finalize a trade for Saints OT Jammal Brown. The trade is not believed to involve disgruntled DT Albert Haynesworth." He follows that with: "OT Jammal Brown landed in Washington minutes ago. He is scheduled to undergo his physical today. If he passes, the trade will be complete. No word on official compensation from Washington to New Orleans, but it's thought to be tied to Jammal Brown's performance in 2010." My guess is the Saints got a 2011 draft pick for Brown, most likely in the 3rd or 4th round, provided he meets playing time standards. I will update as soon as official word comes out for what the Saints receive in return. Brown was injured in 2009 and placed on injured reserve for the season. Youngster Jermon Bushrod filled in his shoes admirably, and with Bushrod's emergence, valuable backup Zach Strief on the squad, and new rookie draftee Charles Brown on the roster, Jammal Brown apparently became expendable.  Brown was the lone remaining unsigned restricted free agent, so with this trade the restricted free agent to-do list is complete, pending any extensions the Saints want to make.