Feb 1, 2010; Davie, FL, USA; New Orleans Saints safety Darren Sharper (42) at press conference for Super Bowl XLIV at the Miami Dolphins training facility. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-US PRESSWIRE

Former New Orleans Saints safety Darren Sharper will make a return to the team that got him a Super Bowl ring…sort of.

Local New Orleans television station WWL-TV is announcing that they will be giving Sharper a job as the Saints football analyst.  Sharper retired from football this past season after no teams expressed any interest in signing him.

Although Sharper was considered one of the defensive leaders especially in the secondary during the Saints Super Bowl run, his following year wasn’t that great.

He was sidelined by an offseason knee surgery until October of 2010 and never regained the ball hawking status from the 2009 season.  As a matter of fact, Sharper didn’t register any interceptions the next season.

Sharper was not re-signed by the Saints this past season and he tested free agency, working out for a few teams.  When he saw that football was taking a backseat, Sharper began doing guest spots on NFL Network and internet sports web-casts.

Although not re-signed by the team and only playing for the Saints for two seasons, Sharper developed a huge fan following.  A majority of his 15-year career was split between the Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings, but Sharper fell in love with New Orleans.

His presence could be seen this past season at almost all of the games on the sidelines where he mingled with players and could be seen giving advice and going over and speaking with the secondary unit.

This led me to think that Sharper could possibly have a future in coaching and to be more specific, maybe a coach or assistant to the staff for the Saints secondary.

Now Sharper will be giving advice and tips, but it will be to the New Orleans viewing area in what he said will be “in-depth, up close and personal interviews” as he covers the Saints for WWL-TV.

A wise move on the station’s part because of how media gun-shy players might be especially after filmmaker Sean Pamphilon’s secret recording of  former Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams now infamous pregame speech.

NFL players, especially Saints players, might be more wary to speak with media on how they will spin things.  But the team won’t have to worry about that from Sharper.

Sharper is someone who the players will be comfortable talking with and also he has been a stout defender of the Saints throughout the pay for performance investigation.

Along with interviews, Sharper will also give analysis on upcoming games each week for the Saints as well as a breakdown of the opponents the Saints will be facing.

Former New Orleans Saints safety Darren Sharper to cover team for local station - Who Dat Dish - Who Dat Dish - A New Orleans Saints Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and more.

November 17, 2011; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Broncos cornerback Andre Goodman (21) scores a touchdown after intercepting a pass during the third quarter at Sports Authority Field. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-US PRESSWIRE

In the much anticipated press conference Monday from New Orleans Saints assistant head coach Joe Vitt, defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael Jr., and special teams coordinator Greg McMahon, one thing was mentioned that they are still looking for is a player for the nickel cornerback position.

The Saints may have thought it would have been easier to snag a cornerback in free agency after Tracy Porter left for the Denver Broncos.  However, the team hasn’t had much success lately.

Cornerbacks that the Saints have been or should have been interested in have either re-signed with their original team or signed with another.  Drayton Florence was the latest one they could have gone after but he signed with the Broncos.

The Saints have Patrick Robinson and Jabari Greer as starters with Johnny Patrick backing them up as the third corner.  While the solution seems to be Patrick, the issue is always “what if” there is an injury to any three.

Currently, the remaining cornerbacks on the roster are either rookies or players with limited experience that would be a bit iffy to throw into the fire during the season if someone was to go down because of an injury.

Free agent cornerback Justin King has been brought up because he played under Spagnuolo with the St. Louis Rams.  Yet, King just isn’t that outstanding and if Spagnuolo really wanted him, he would have been signed already.

There are two veterans that the Saints could pursue in order to fill that nickel corner spot.  Free agents Andre’ Goodman and Leigh Bodden might be the answer to what Vitt and Spagnuolo said they need.

Goodman is coming off a mediocre season after being released by the Broncos in April.  He had 49 tackles, 10 passes defended, and two interceptions.  However, Goodman has had better seasons in previous years.

At the age of thirty-three, Goodman could be a steal for the Saints because of his age and the possibility of getting him for a good price.  In return, they could find a veteran to fill the position with 19 career interceptions in his tenth season.

Bodden has shown in his nine year career that he can be productive with snagging 18 career interceptions.  The only thing that has stopped him is a shoulder injury that resulted in him being released by the New England Patriots after being on injured reserve.

Even though Bodden has been injured, he would be worth a look by the Saints.  Like Goodman, because of his age and with the previous injury, the Saints could get him for a good deal provided he’s healthy.

Although the fans are screaming for the next signing to be quarterback Drew Brees, it says something when even the coaches are expressing the need to find the right cornerback for the nickel position.

It might be perhaps too that the Saints are waiting for another team to let go of a veteran that they feel could contribute to the secondary in the upcoming season.

New Orleans Saints could go after two veterans for nickel cornerback position - Who Dat Dish - Who Dat Dish - A New Orleans Saints Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and more.

Jones, the Giants safety who nearly lost his leg in a car accident just months after he was drafted in 2010, was waived by the team on Monday after experiencing what his agent called “a minor setback” in his recovery.

 

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The union claims NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell doesn’t have the authority to hand out discipline for player conduct that occurred before the current collective bargaining agreement was finalized last August.

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Carmichael’s mentor for the last six seasons has been Saints head coach Sean Payton, who has been suspended for a month with another eight months to go for his role in the team’s bounty scandal.

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However, just as Spagnuolo has moved on from St. Louis, so too has he opted to look ahead rather than back at what the New Orleans defense hasn’t done. He made that clear to the players the first time he met with them.

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“We’re going to throw the volume of offense at them that we would in a normal week,’’ offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael Jr. said. “It won’t be any different in that aspect.”

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