All Things Saints: Your Daily News 2/28
By John Hendrix
January 25, 2014; Honolulu, HI, USA; New Orleans Saints mascot Gumbo interacts with fans during the 2014 Pro Bowl Ohana Day at Aloha Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Let’s start here today. In case you missed it, the biggest news item of yesterday seemed to be the Saints courting ex-Lions safety Louis Delmas.
As for the biggest news today? Just type in Darren Sharper to Google. Or, check out these two stories from NOLA.com.
- Accused Darren Sharper co-suspect Erik Nunez booked with 2 aggravated rapes
- Darren Sharper in a Los Angeles jail after NOPD issues aggravated rape warrant
- Darren Sharper now accused of raping 2 women in New Orleans; second man wanted
Just chalk up the phrase, ‘when it rains, it pours’ for Sharper.
Perhaps the reports of the Saints planning to use the franchise on Jimmy Graham on Monday would be the biggest story of the day for Who Dat Nation. However, it should not come as a shock to anyone, because as the earlier reports came out, the two parties were ‘several million dollars’ apart. You can expect Jimmy’s appeal to be filed soon after Monday. However, the report didn’t say what position Graham was going to be tagged in.
Mike Triplett | ESPN.com | Free-agent spotlight: QB Luke McCown
"Projection: I could definitely see the Saints bringing McCown back to compete with second-year pro Ryan Griffin for the backup job this year. The Saints would probably like to see Griffin step up and earn the job after essentially “redshirting” Griffin last year. But they’ll surely want to have a veteran option available.McCown makes perfect sense to fill that role. The Saints have obviously liked what they’ve seen from him the last two years. And he’s appeared to be a good fit in the locker room."
The only real reason I would see keeping McCown on board is to get a little more mentorship to second-year quarterback Ryan Griffin. I don’t doubt the ‘insurance policy’ on McCown, but I didn’t have McCown ranked high on my free agent priority list. I further believe the addition of Mike Neu, the Saints quarterbacks coach, could fast track Griffin.
Mike Triplett | ESPN.com | Free-agent spotlight: CB Jabari Greer
"Projection: If Greer hadn’t been hurt last season, I’d still consider him an above-average starter — and he probably would still be on the Saints’ roster. But the injury makes his future tough to predict.Greer likely won’t be ready to pass a physical until later this summer, so teams might want to wait until then to bring him in for a look. But if he shows signs of being fully healthy by the start of the season, I could see him being plugged in as a “Plan B” for a team that needs a savvy veteran with proven cover ability."
I haven’t had said too much about Greer, however, I firmly believe his move was because of the severity of that gruesome injury. I know Greer understands, and he’s a crucial point in his career. The progress on his rehab is going to dictate everything. He won’t be signed by anyone until that physical. I would love to have Greer back, but at a discount. I think the team has a lot to contemplate, as their younger option, Patrick Robinson, is coming off of his season ending injury last season as well. That’s why you shouldn’t be surprised to see a pick in the draft on a corner, or perhaps a free agent on his way in.
Mike Triplett | ESPN.com | Saints mailbag: If Pierre Thomas leaves …
"@MikeTriplett: I’m still not sure exactly what to expect with Pierre Thomas. I think a pay cut or a more cap-friendly contract extension or an outright release or even a trade are all possibilities. But I only think that because the Saints have so much faith in their depth at the position — not because of any shortcomings with Thomas.I agree that Thomas wouldn’t be easily replaced because he’s such an asset in so many areas (running, receiving, pass protection). And he was as good as ever in all of those areas in 2013. However, I do think the Saints could still fill those roles with a combination of Darren Sproles, Mark Ingram and Khiry Robinson."
As far as Thomas goes, a lot of our regular readers know where I stand when it comes to what the Saints should do instead of parting ways with Thomas. I don’t think this would even be a question had Thomas played in the two playoff games last season.
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