Nov 18, 2012; Oakland, CA, USA; New Orleans Saints tight end Jimmy Graham (80) tries to break free from the grasp of Oakland Raiders safety Mike Mitchell (34) at the O.co Coliseum. The Saints defeated the Raiders 38-17. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-USA TODAY Sports

Conventional wisdom says you are unable to grade an NFL draft class until three years have passed, so would be the time take a look back and re-grade the New Orleans Saints performance in the 2010 NFL draft.

As hardcore fans known, this is the class that brought you big names such as Jimmy Graham, Patrick Robinson and more.

Our good friends over at With The First Pick graded the Saints selections as follows:

Before having an instant reaction to the grades, let’s took a look at the reasoning behind the numbers:

Analysis:  First round pick Patrick Robinson came on slow in 2010.  He later started part of the season in 2011 and took over full time in 2012.  While the value of the draft pick was questionable early on, Robinson’s pick back to make much more sense by 2012.  Charles Brown was drafted to eventually take over as a starting tackle.  That plan really hasn’t worked out thus far although Brown will be forced into that role starting in 2013.  So far the pick has not panned out.  A part time player at tackle is something you would expect out of a late round pick, not a second.  All is forgiven, however, with the selection of Jimmy Graham in the third round.  Graham has had over 2.6000 yards receiving and 25 touchdowns in three years.  Not bad for being the fifth tight end taken in the 2010 draft.  None of the late round picks are still with the team.  It’s never a bad thing to win a Super Bowl and then draft a Pro Bowl tight end a few months later.  But if Robinson can continue to develop and Brown can solidify the offensive line this could go from being an “O.K.” draft to a great one.

It’s hard to argue with any of the ratings. Robinson has been a disappointment to this point in his career, as has offensive tackle Charles Brown.

Of course, Jimmy Graham is the highlight of the class and one of the NFL’s best tight ends. His presence alone in this class makes it difficult to be all that angry with the misfires before him.

Overall, not a great class for New Orleans.Even more troubling is the fact Robinson and Brown have done little to make many think they have what it takes to turn things around.

How would you grade the Saints 2010 draft class? Let us know in the comments below!

Like Who Dat Dish? Let us know on Twitter @whodatdish or  on Facebook.

May 3, 2012; Eden Prairie, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Duron Carter (13) does stretching exercises prior to drills at the Minnesota Vikings rookie minicamp at Winter Park. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports

Believe it or not, the New Orleans Saints may have a sleeper on their hands during rookie minicamp in former Ohio State receiver Duron Carter, son of the NFL legend Cris Carter.

Duron Carter isn’t a name you likely associate with good feelings, and for good reason. He caught one touchdown pass at Ohio State back in 2009 before being declared academically ineligible thanks to poor grades. Carter then bounced to Alabama, never played a snap and wound up with FIU.

Now, Carter has a shot at catching passes from Drew Brees with the Saints.

On paper, Carter has the measurables you look for in a quality wide receiver. At 6’3″ and 205 pounds with a 4.58 40-yard-dash time at FIU’s Pro Day, it’s hard to not like what Carter brings to the table.

Then the character issues pop up.

As you would expect, Cris Carter went to bat publicly for his son, providing the reasons as to why he kept bouncing around because of grades and not contributing on the field(per Larry Hartstein of CBS):

Duron Carter attended four colleges in four years, starting with his dad’s alma mater Ohio State, and hasn’t played since 2010 when he caught 10 touchdown passes at Coffeyville (Kan.) Junior College.

“He. Just. Hates. (Bleeping). School,” a candid Cris Carter told USA Today before the draft.

Seems like a good reason, right?

In all seriousness, let’s not act like this is the first talented collegiate athlete to bounce around because he was too lazy with school or academically inept. At least he’s not bouncing around because of crimes and drugs.

That’s not the only reported problem with Duron, however. According to Cayden Cochran, Carter’s high school quarterback, he’s going to be a cancer in the NFL (per Mark Craig of The Star Tribune):

According to USA Today, Cayden Cochran, Coffeyville’s starting quarterback in 2010, used his Twitter account to post this about Duron: “The team that drafts Duron Carter will get the most lazy, whiny & non-work ethic player the nfl has ever seen. I played w/him. Horrible person & will be a complete cancer to any team on the board.”

Of course, you have to remember this impression of Carter is based on their time in high school together. That’s a very long time ago. For all we know, Carter simply took Cochran’s lunch money.

People change. Carter landed a tryout with the Minnesota Vikings a week ago. He didn’t make the roster, but no red flags came up.  His father may have put a great word in for him, but that only goes so far unless Cris has some amazing blackmail. Duron wouldn’t have landed a tryout with the Saints if he didn’t offer something on the football field.

Perhaps Carter has turned his life around. He certainly has what you look for in an NFL-caliber receiver. There’s no grades to deal with in the NFL, just playbooks. As far as character concerns go, some may be a bitter former teammate, and some may be because he simply isn’t academically gifted.

Head coach Sean Payton and Co. thought it wise to give Duron a tryout with the Saints, so it’s hard to question the decision, especially with his Hall of Fame pedigree.

Keep an eye out for news surrounding Duron Carter and the Saints.

Like Who Dat Dish? Let us know on Twitter @whodatdish or  on Facebook.

Feb 25, 2013; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Georgia Bulldogs defensive lineman John Jenkins watches the workouts from a bench during the NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

In a strange turn of events, the New Orleans Saints are quickly wrapping up deals with its rookies after signing Kenny Vaccaro, Terron Armstead, Kenny Stills and Rufus Johnson to their rookie contracts.

For those of you counting, that means the Saints have signed four of its five draft selections from the 2013 NFL draft.

Only defensive tackle John Jenkins remains unsigned.

NOLA.com was the first to break the news:

With the team’s three-day rookie minicamp set to open Friday, the Saints announced the signings of first-round draft pick Kenny Vaccaro, third-round pick Terron Armstead, fifth-round pick Kenny Stills and sixth-round pick Rufus Johnson. All the deals were for four years.

Defensive tackle John Jenkins, the second of the Saints’ two third-round picks, is the only remaining unsigned draft pick.

As NOLA.com goes on to point out, the Saints have been very, very slow to sign rookies in the past.:

Akiem Hicks, the Saints top draft pick last year, didn’t sign his contract until June 28. And even that seemed to be an early signing by the Saints’ standards.

In 2011, first-round picks Cam Jordan (Aug. 2) and Mark Ingram (July 30) didn’t sign until after training camp had started.

In 2010, first-round pick Patrick Robinson signed his contract July 30, a day after the start of camp.

In 2009, first-round pick Malcolm Jenkins didn’t ink his deal until Aug. 10 and missed the early portions of camp.

Our friends over at WhoDatWarrior.com hit us with the details as to why general manager Mickey Loomis and Co. are usually so slow to get rookies under contracts:

@whodatdish Usually they wait until the NFL financial seminars before they sign Protects the rookies from unwise financial decisions

— WhoDatWarriors (@WhoDatWarriors) May 10, 2013

Whatever the reason the Saints have for getting four out of the five under contract, it’s nothing but good news for the team. Rookie minicamp kicks off this weekend, and it’s time for the group to get acclimated to how the Saints do things in New Orleans.

Like Who Dat Dish? Let us know on Twitter @whodatdish or  on Facebook.